Monday, February 28, 2011

A dachshund triple portrait



This last month I've been working on another dachshund portrait, this time a triple study of Boomer and his two housemates. I was really amazed at how well this went. I'm not a fan of photorealism, but it does help a lot in creating likenesses. I wonder how many more dachshund studies I would have to do before the forms and proportions became engraved in my mind, and I could begin to draw them from my memories. Or any subject, for that matter—trees or flowers or clouds or mountains.

In any case, this one has been fun, and interesting, and time well spent.

6 comments:

  1. This would be a difficult piece for any animal artist. You did a great job! Your spare brush strokes work really well in defining the dogs' forms. What medium and size is it?

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  2. Hi Shari,
    Thanks for your kind comments! I was honestly surprised at how round they turned out looking--that's never happened to me before. The medium is acrylics (Golden Open) and the canvas is 18x24. After I lay out the base colors I use repeated glazing with thin glazes to get the hues and values the way I want them. I had some good photos to work from, but I think I got lucky, too.

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  3. Great painting Patty; you really captured what
    Dachshunds look like. I especially like how you were able to achieve the shine of their coats, also nice composition.

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  4. Thanks a lot, Jackie! I guess the doggies get the credit for how they arranged themselves, ("...now put your left paw there...") but I was really happy with how the highlights came out...and rather amazed and grateful. This one was fun!

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  5. I echo all the above compliments, but I have to add that ANY painting of a dachshund is a great painting!

    Claire Mancha
    Dachshund Fancier
    www.goodwood-oregon.com

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  6. Hi Claire,

    Thank you very much! That's nice to hear from another dachshund lover! I agree with you about dachshund paintings, I found some really fun ones when I googled. I am partial to David Hockney's, though. I love the pictures of your doggies and your gardens on your website. Hooray for gardens!

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