Weimaraner portrait drawing using graphite, charcoal and colored pencils

I love creating all sorts of portrait poses for my clients!  The following dog drawing was composed using two of the client's photos which features a puppy shot as the main pose and a smaller vignette of the same dog as an adult, portraying one of Addie's favorite pastime. 

For this drawing, I used mainly graphite pencils along with a touch of colored pencils on the main pose. I felt we really had to capture the Weimaraner's impressive pale blue eyes and the unusual brown nose and tones in her shinny fur. In addition, the mauve and green colours of the collar seems to liven up the whole composition.

I really like how the shimmering silver grey tones of  Addy's coat turned out...coupled with that adorably sweet expression, it definitely has become one of my favorite commissions to have had the opportunity to draw!!

So, if you happen to know anyone who might be interested in having a portrait of their furry, scaly or feathery companion, I'd be forever grateful if you could share my website www.colettetheriault.com with them! ♥

"Addie"

Silver Gray Weimaraner 

11"x14"

enhanced graphite drawing

COMMISSION

Floating Leaf painting

Just thought I'd share a little painting that is out of my norm!

I few months ago, I was experimenting with some new pastels and polychromos oil based pencils. I used one of my photographic reference of a floating leaf with  lots of colorful patterned reflections in the water. I was determined to finish this painting in a few hours! Although I did not achieve the results I was envisioning, I am content that I did try a different approach to painting which was to not spend hours and hours working it to perfection.

"Just Floating By"

approx. 5"x7"
pastel and pencil
Available for Purchase 
(contact the artist)

Hummingbird drawing revisited





BEFORE
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Drawing

Many of my colleagues know, I rarely create a  piece of art which I am totally satisfied with.  I can usually live with it, sometimes even taking years for me to really like it.   The hummingbird drawing however, was on my black list of "terribles" and I could no longer bear looking it at anymore, even though I had hung the artwork in a dark wall of the stairwell in an attempt to obscure it from view.

So today, I felt I needed to take the chance and attempt to revive that drawing. I also needed to regain my confidence which has been escaping me these past dark wintery months. I blame it on the seasons...it's just easier that way.

 As I took the dreaded drawing out of it's frame and laid it on the table, I took out my Prismacolors and chose a chocolate brown pencil.  I was  amazed at what little time it took me to achieve what I  hadn't in my first attempt.

It was just the change I needed. I am even starting to like it now.

AFTER
Revised version of
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Drawing



Cat drawing in need of a title

I am still contemplating whether to call this feline drawing finished and might even change the crop ratio on the image ever so slightly (the cat is too low)....I think I will darken parts of the blurred out area behind the cat as the foreground looks too dark compared to the rest of the boards (might even just lighten the foreground too).

The cat was actually laying down on a wooden dock which explains her fore paw clutching in between the boards. She was seemingly content as she watched me, sprawled out on my belly, taking her photo. I really loved her expression, how relaxed she was and the perspective... which is the main reason for drawing this pose.

A bit of progress on the lazy cat

Here's the latest on the cat drawing...the top paw is not quite done yet.

Those Staring Green Eyes...

Well, this is it for today...I wanted to go to sleep feeling good that I colored those greens eyes so I would not put my pencils down until I did just that.  I will be going back and most likely reshaping the eyes some as I am just too tired for that tonight and want to look at her with fresh eyes tomorrow!

I used Rembrandt Polychromos colored pencils which are oil based, rather than the conventional wax based pencils.

American Bulldog Pencil Portrait in Graphite (enhanced)

While I await client approval, I wanted to share with you this dog portrait's new "look" with the darker background. I really feel this is what was missing to make the dog stand out from the page, whereas before, he seemed to blend too much with the background. You can probably notice on this update the subtle hint of color (used colored pencils) of the eyes, eye patch and muzzle.

"Pearl"~American Bulldog
graphite pencil /charcoal and cp on Fabriano paper
10"x10"

To view the progression of this portrait visit my website at
http://www.colettetheriault.com/descriptions/workinprogess/American_Bulldog_wip.php

Bohemian Waxwing Drawing on Uart sandpaper

Title: "Late Winter Feast"
Medium: Colored Pencil

Support: Uart Sanded Paper

Size: 5" x 3"

Species: Bombycilla garrulus

SOLD

To view the work in progress of this drawing, please visit: www.colettetheriault.com

Step 2 Bird drawing

In this sitting I have completed the bird's head and started adding the base color for the rest of the body. I find it interesting how I am able to layer the colored pencils rather easily on the sandpaper.

A new venture...colored pencil exploration

Step 1 of bird drawing


Reference image of waxwing: A few days ago, we had a flock of Bohemian waxwings attack the local crabapple trees during a heavy snow storm. I tried to stand still (and invisible) with my camera in hand and it was snowing so hard that the the birds never really bother with me. When the snow let up just a little, I was able to get the shot of this hungry bird devouring the last of the previous season's bounty.

After seeing fellow artist bloggers' lovely work using colored pencil and Uart sanded paper, I always knew I had to give it a try. I've used Uart before with pastels and immediately fell in love with the fine toothed paper but also knew that I had a prime candidate to experiment with different media.

Progress on Gorilla portrait

Pencil work is easily transported so I have decided to resume working on this piece once a week (or until my bird pastel painting is done) while my daughter attends her classes in the city.

I'm undecided on how much of the drawing area I will be cropping so I rather draw more of the gorilla now rather than later.

Super small print!

I don't think I've ever had to reproduce something so small, especially text. The only part that was impossible for me to draw legibly were the three minute stars above the eagle's head (inside the circular seal). Working at this size, I found it extremely difficult to draw each letter straight and to have all the letters in the text align perfectly. The text below the eagle/Pentagon inside the circle seal reads Semper Vigilans translated to English means "Always on Watch", which is the last part I am adding to the artwork.

For those of you who are wondering, the white text was firstly drawn using a light graphite pencil and then indented using a fine pointed tool. The blue color was applied using the side of a blue colored pencil lead to prevent from coloring inside the indentations.

Drawing of Mountain Gorilla on drafting film

During this sitting I have been mainly concentrating on the wrinkled skin below the gorilla's eyes. The background appears a dull gray due to the backing paper. This is due to the support (drafting film) being translucent.

Mountain Gorilla drawing on the easel

Last spring, I took several photo of a huge silver back male at Disney's Animal Kingdom. I just loved the expression in his eyes on this pose and so cropped out much of the background and body and decided to make this my next project. I am working in colored pencils on drafting film.

Application of color using Prismacolor pencils

During today's sitting, I was confident enough to start the coloring stage of the Pentagon building. I mainly used 20% and 60% french grays, ginger root and black Prismacolor pencils. I also used Prismacolor Verithin gray and black pencils to define the borders and achieve sharper lines. This is the first time I use them and fine them very hard and perfect for detailing.

Pentagon US flag drawing update

At last the red stripes on the flag are almost completed! I still need to fill in a small area under the lab's chin where the stripes run from 11 to 5 o'clock position due to the fold in the flag. I will most likely leave that for when after I complete the top of the Pentagon building...which is my next task.

Black Labrador Retreiver working dog-update on drawing

During this morning's sitting, I was able to complete most of Turk's portrait. Compared to the Belgian Malinois and the German shepherd, his coat is very shinny like most of the black labs I've seen. Once I complete the neck fur, I'll start to work on the bright red and blue colors of the American flag.

Law enforcement artwork update...

Here's the latest on k-9 Kira as I begin to add the fur color and details. This dog exhibits some "flecking" (dark fur interspersed with lighter strands, giving a "ticked" or "flecked" appearance) of the short facial fur which makes it very difficult and time consuming to lay down on paper.

Sketch of German Shepherd Military Police Dog Kira

During today's sitting, I managed to complete K-9 Robbi's neck fur and began working on the second dog in this portrait. I started to refine the sketch of K-9 Kira, adding more detail using an HB graphite pencil to guide me through the coloring stage. Kira is a German Shepherd/Malinois cross owned by Officer P. Sherman of the Pentagon Police K-9 Detection Unit.