Work in Progress of Tortoiseshell Cat Portrait

A LOT of detailing work goes into each of my portraits. I always tell my clients that the better the reference image, the easier it is for me to reproduce a realistic looking portrait of their pet. However, finding good photos is not always possible and so in those instances I can work with several not-so-good photos and along with client feedback, I have always been able to achieve a pleasing and realistic portrait of their pet. 

Keep in mind however that clear, close up shots taken in natural light make the best reference images. For more information on how to choose or take your pet's photo for a portrait, you can read the following useful article I wrote: Tips for Taking Quality Photographs .

Stay tuned to watch the final progression of this cat pastel portrait in my future post.

 Thanks so very much for following!

Red Squirrel painting composition-mock photograph

The latest mock image of what I am attempting next... again using soft pastels but this time on Hahnemule velour board instead of suede mat board.

I'm not sure how the busy scene will turn out...the dead leaves on the ground have already got my head spinning. I will most likely break down the painting in section using grids so that I don't loose myself in the repetitive detail of the leaves and the crevases of the bark. I will be adding a sap bucket to the maple tree to the left of the scene and remove the patch of snow under the squirrel that is on the sap bucket.

This mock scene is composed of about 4 different reference photographs; the squirrel photos were actually taken in my back yard. The idea came about when my family and I visited a local Maple Bush farm last Easter Monday. After thinking about the scene, I originaly was going to add a few chickadees but later decided that the red squirrels would be better because their larger size would make them more visible in this large scene.