Cat pet portrait work in progress (pastel painting)

Several months ago, I was asked to create a head and neck portrait of this beautiful cat to be given as an early Christmas present to my client's sister.  Like always, when I work on my commissions, I take progression photos which I send to the client for review and feedback. This not only gives the client an opportunity to provide input but also allows them to view the creation process as the subject slowly but surely comes to life in front of their eyes. On occasion, the client may change their mind about a particular aspect (such as a collar or tag for example) and as long as the work is not so far advanced and impossible to change, I am able to fulfill the request.

So, I thought that it would be nice to share the step by step process of how this kitty came to life on paper. Unfortunately, I had to work rather quickly because of the Christmas rush and so I did not take as many progress shots as I usually do.

This first image is a high resolution scan of the actual completed artwork. I manually adjust for color, tone and value using Photoshop and then add a watermark for id purposes. I try to match the original as close as possible but there is always some slight variation due to individual monitor settings and light conditions.

"Sylvester"

Pastel

4"x6"

SOLD

The following images were taken under my work lamp using my cell phone. I don't scan the art as I'm working on it as this is mostly unnecessary and takes up valuable work time. On occasion, I might scan the art when it is further advanced; for example, if the client needs to compare eye or coat color to the actual subject so that it is portrayed as accurately as possible.

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Tortoiseshell Cat Pet Portrait Pastel Painting Commission

When I was contacted to commission this cat's portrait, I was sent several photographs and asked to choose the best ones. I then created two mock ups so the client could decided on a pose. They loved the two poses so much and so decided to get both done! 

This is the second commissioned artwork featuring the gorgeous "Two Face". You can see her full body pose here in a previous post.


For this piece, I used mainly soft pastel pencils along with a bit of NuPastels (mostly the black as it is one of the deepest blacks that I can find in a pastel). I did  a lot of layering and fine detailing but it was well worth the effort in the end as I am very pleased with the results.  I love this pose so much that it will be featured on my next business cards. 

I am told that Two Face has a rebellious side.. like a naughty teenager! She's quite the colorful character, both in physical appearance and in spirit! Here she is:

'Two Face"

Long haired tortoiseshell cat

Pastel

8"x10" 

Sold

Bengal cat painting in progress video

Here is a short video I created that demonstrates the process of creating a charming cat portrait. I am using soft pastel pencils and Nupastels on velvety suede panel. Enjoy and thanks for watching!

Akita Painting using pastels (Pet Portrait Commission)

I was asked to paint this portrait of a gorgeous Japanese Akita for a client. There were several photos to chose from and it was decided that this one of the dog in the snow was most pleasing and fitting since the pet's name was "Snow"!
I am available for commissions of any pet you may have or have had, fury, feathery, scaly, or even slimy! Being a nature artist and biologist, painting animals, pets and wildlife is like Second Nature!

"Snow"

Akita

Pastel

9"x12"

COMMISSION

Time-lapse Video of a Pastel Painting of Fisherman on the Spanish River, Ontario

Most of my commissions represent great sentimental value to my clients/recipients and this one is no exception. The gentleman portrayed in the scene is unfortunately no longer with us and the family wanted something to remember him by that would bring back fond memories.

The scene is located on the Spanish River at a favorite fishing spot in front of the family cottage on a calm but sunny and warm day.  I can't think of a better portrait to commemorate this particular individual.


For more videos of my paintings and drawings in progress, visit my youtube channel at:

Colette Theriault youtube channel

"Fishing the Spanish"

COMMISSION

11x14

pastel

Pastel skies and misty water landscape painting

Fresh off the easel!! The following pastel painting is one of two that I will have featured (among other artists' work) from Nov. 21st to Dec. 23rd at the Nouveau Louvre Exhibition (GNO,174 Elgin St. Sudbury).  This is the gallery's most important fundraiser where all works of art are priced at 200$, with 75$ going to the gallery and 125$ to the artist.

 Don't miss out on owning an original and affordable piece of genuine ART! Just in time for holiday gift giving (or to buy for yourself!).

"Misty Morning"

pastel

9"x12"

This pastel painting comes mounted in a floating black frame:

Painting Progress of a Shetland Sheepdog Portrait

My favorite part of a portrait is when the face begins to pop off the page...and this little champ definitely has the cuteness factor to boot!


Shelties have a gorgeous coat with beautiful color and markings but rendering realistic fur can be a challenge. Here, I've added many layers of pastel to achieve the color, texture and depth of the dog's luscious coat.

I am now convinced that this dog painting is progressing to the point that I am starting to see the light! LOL 

Buckhorn Fine Art Festival Special Exhibit 2015

More news I forgot to share with you...my little gray tree frog pastel painting finished its year long Artists for Conservation tour from BC to Ontario, showing at the 2015 Buckhorn Fine Art Festival last August.

 http://www.buckhornfineart.com/festival-info/special-exhibit/

The painting was chosen amongst hundreds of artworks submitted by talented wildlife artists around the globe to take part in this unique Nature in Art Exhibit.

SOLD

  

"La Vie en Vert" 

Pastel

5x7

Private Collection

Golden Sunset landscape painting in pastel

I just could not wait to use my new shimmering "gold" Schminke pastel stick! Since I had the perfect frame, I decided to created this mini sunset scene using soft pastels. It measures only 2.5" x 3.5" and is perfect for someone with limited space or who simply enjoys more affordable miniature work.

 

"La Cloche Glory"

2.5" x 3.5" (unframed)

pastel

For Sale

White Bengal Tiger Cub Painting (pastel)

I'm absolutely elated to share that the following artwork is the third "big cat" painting that I've sold in the last 6 months! This blue-eyed Bengal tiger cub was only 5 months old when I met and photographed him at a sanctuary in the eastern State of Maine.  After being featured at a local gallery, "he" will now be heading to his permanent home in Southern Ontario.

To read more about the plight of white tigers and the problems of inbreeding, please visit my website www.colettetheriault.com

"Enthralled"

16"x16"

pastel

Private Collection

Large Wolf Painting Wildlife Art

Below are some photos of a pastel painting I sold earlier this year.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of seeing your own work proudly hanging in a client's home! Feeling elated!

New bird painting in pastel on my easel

I've been working on my newest miniature painting which will be part of a triptych. I am mostly using very sharp pastel pencils for this piece as it only measures 4"x3". It is much more difficult to render fine detail in such a tight space but I do love the challenge of creating these little pieces!

Progress on nuthatch bird painting

The pair of red-breasted nuthatches (diptych painting) is progressing well today.  
I have begun to differentiate the two birds at this stage, and you can now see that the male has a deeper rust on his chest when compared to the female on the left.  Another distinct difference is that the male sports a black crown while the female's is dark grey (although the angle of the male's head makes it a little difficult to discern).

Portrait of Belgian Malinois Painting in Pastel

As promised, here is the finished and client approved version of the Belgian Malinois dog portrait using pastels.

After sketching the outline and major features of the dog, I worked the top half of the background first.  Then I started with the ears and worked my way down the dog's face. The last part was adding the darker green on the lower half of the background.

You can follow the work in progress on my website

"Zorro"

Belgian Malinois

pastel

9" x 12"

COMMISSION

Malinois portrait progress

In this step, I've painted more of the very short muzzle fur and the nose (which still needs some tweaking). So far, I have layered up to 6 different pastel colors in order to render this dog's fur. 

 

Below you can see the fur details up close (larger than actual size).  Since the small precise strokes require a very sharp and crisp point there is a need for constant sharpening. Concentration and a steady hand is essential to lay the fur correctly. This process is quite time consuming and there is still much more work to be done...

Malinois portrait painting progress...layering of fur!

For this dog portrait, there is much layering of the pastel to get the fur just right! It is essential for the color, length and direction of the fur to be accurate in order to render a realistic portrait.

You will notice that the dark facial mask characteristic of the malinois breed has faded due to the appearance of grey/white flecking that naturally comes with aging.

To view more of my work, visit www.colettetheriault.com

Flat Coated Retriever Dog Portrait Painting in Pastel

Words truly cannot express the feelings I experience when the client unwraps their portrait and I get to see their reaction as they finally view it in person for the first time. I often find it overwhelming actually, that through my artistic creations I am able to evoke intense mixed reactions of comfort, joy, sadness and perhaps even closure for the owners as they remember their cherished pet. This, in addition to the heartfelt comments I receive, indicate to me that I indeed succeeded in portraying the animal's true character and likeness... just reward for my efforts.

"Galoche"
pastel on suede
11"x14"
Commissioned Portrait

Garden flowers background for dog portrait

Here are two progression shots of the background work for this dog portrait. Having the dog sitting in front of this particular garden is very important to the client since both have great sentimental value. Huge Annabelle hydrangea bushes and giant Hosta lilies make up the vegetation in this particular garden plot and will contrast well against the black coat of this cherished companion.  

The composition below is actually the combination of two different photographs combined together.

Multiple Cat Portrait with Tonkinese in progress

Currently at my easel is a commissioned portrait of 6 very interesting felines.  The cat breeds that I am painting include Siamese, Tonkinese, Burmese, Scottish Fold and a domestic short haired tuxedo. 

Some of the photos I received as reference material are very old and the subject not very well represented but I managed to make out some detail by scanning at very high resolution and blowing up the image on my computer screen. Of course, I also rely on the client to guide me as I paint the subject so that the resemblance is most accurate as possible.  The blue point Siamese cat to the very left will need some touching up before I add the whiskers. I'd like to note that the magenta hue on his coat is the result of my bad photography!

The easiest cat to paint so far is the middle black and white "tuxedo" cat. The reference photos were very good so this made my task much easier.

The cat to the very right (with the unfinished body) is a Tonkinese. It was challenging to reproduce his coat color but with careful layering and blending of several different pastel colors, I believe to have achieved a pretty good likeness. 

Make sure to stay tuned as there's more to come soon!

The painting studio and animal portraits

It must seem like after completing the wolf painting, I have disappeared from the face of the earth but actually, I have been working on several projects at once. So I thought I'd share a few projects that are at various stages of completion in my studio.

First is a very rough sketch of a six cat portrait commission, most of which are Siamese type breeds and one amusing Scottish fold! Two cats in particular will be challenging to paint due to poor quality photos but with the client's feedback and scanning/zooming the photos on my computer to see more detail, I am confident it will all work out in the end.  I did start the cat on the top left which is one that I only have poor quality photos of. I felt I'd better start with the most challenging one and then the rest should be a breeze, right?

Another project I will be working on is that of my friend's beautiful dog, a flat coated retriever named "Galoche".  I will share more of this special commission on my blog at a later date. Below is a mock- up image composed of two photographs combined to create the reference I will use for the dog portrait.

Lastly, I completed a dog pencil drawing commission of which I have not shown any updates yet. Once the owner approves the final version of their portrait, I will post the artwork along with a few work in progress stages. So stay tuned and have a happy day everyone!