The Sketchbook Project, completed!

Day 12 - Basil

"Basil"

6.5" x 10"

watercolor and pen

So, I have a new project in the works, a sketchbook project, actually part of THE Sketchbook Project with the Brooklyn Art Library.  I just got my book in the mail yesterday and I am dying to get started.  The way it works is that they send you a sketchbook, you fill it and send it back to them to become part of their sketchbook library (How cool is that?!?) Also, it will be digitized so that anyone can view it online as well.  So today I started the rebinding process, as I plan to use watercolors and wanted a heavier watercolor paper in the book. Once I have it bound I will get started painting.  I have choosen as my theme "Familiar Friends" (from their list of suggestions) and will call my project "Fur-miliar Friends", because, you guessed it, I will be painting dog portraits.  

That's where Basil comes in.  I posted a request on FB and IG to my friends and family asking them to send me photos of their furry friends.  I got a ton, which is awesome because now I could probably fill 5 sketchbooks!

Days 9, 10, & 11

 

Okay so, it turns out painting isn't the hard part for me, its posting!  I don't get to the computer very often... I find it much easier to post to Instagram much more often because I can do it from my phone.  Anytawho... these are my most recent paintings for the challenge...

Day 9 I had my ipad(source of my reference photos) hijaked by my 5 year old and I was enjoying some quiet time on the couch with her, so I just drew from a magazine that I'd been looking at while we snuggled. I later added a few washes of black watercolor.

Day 10 is Mandy, a 7 month old Bernese Mountain Dog.  This was done in my 9" x 12" sketchbook.  I will be including Mandy in my upcoming sketchbook project (stay tuned) but I just couldn't wait to paint her.

Day 11 is Oliver, a 9 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, and Mandy's "brother". I did this in my smaller 6.5" x 10" sketchbook.  I keep starting paintinging/sketches in my sketchbook thinking I'm just playing around or warming up, then regret that I didn't do it on better paper...

Days 7 & 8

Yesterday I didn't have a lot of time but I managed to sit down and do a quick sketch.  I love the reference photo for this but it is tough to make it readable...

Today, I started this guy, still in progress but I might just start fresh... sometimes there's a mistake in the original drawing that can't be overlooked (or overpainted...). Anyway, I've got other things on my mind and so I'm not really giving my all.  it happens.

Day 6, Clover

"Good Morning Golden"

10" x 7"

watercolor

This is my Golden Retiever, Clover.  I love the head tilt he does, as if to say, "What? You don't want to bring me out in this 16 degree cold morning?"  Good thing he's cute!

Day 5, Sleeping Golden

"Sleeping Golden"

11" x 14"

watercolor

Day 4

5" x 7"

watercolor

Yesterday I experimented  some bigger paper and although I liked working bigger and on the easel,  I didn't like how abosrbant the paper was.  I was using a printmaking paper which was smooth (I don't like the watercolor paper texture of a Cold Press) and thicker, like a 140lb.  But it sucked up the watercolor so much that I had to layer and layer to build darks. Also I could move the paint around like I like.  So today I went back to my little sketckbook, and tomorrow I'll try some Hot Press watercolor paper...

Day 3 Cat Stevens

"Cat Stevens"

17" x13"

watercolor

This is another subject of a past commission that I thought I'd play around with some more...

More on this tomorrow!

Day 2, Potter

Potter

14" x 11"

watercolor

This is the very handsome Potter, a Vizsla from Colorada.  I did a commissioned portrait of him in December and wanted to try him in just black for my new series.  The client gave me a bunch of great photos to work from and it was hard to pick just one for the portrait, so this gives me the opportunity to experiment more.  

His coloring is such a pretty golden tan and the painting was for a six year old girl, so this palette was perfect, I just couldnt help wanting to try it in grayscale!

Happy 2016!

Finley

watercolor
14" x 11"

Happy 2016!

I am looking forward to the new year and starting new projects.  December was chockfull of painting for commissions (Yay!) but I didn't get a chance to post here in the blog. Now that things have quited down, I am committing to another 30 in 30 challenge, focusing on my black and white watercolors of dogs.  I will work im my sketckbook everyday as ususal, but I hope to do some larger works as part of a series.  I find that focusing on a project like this works well for me, so here goes...

Klaus the German Shepherd

"Klaus"

watercolor

8" x 10"

I just finished up another commission, and it was a great experience. The client gave me so many great photos to work from that I was able to play around quite a bit before I settled on the final pose.  By the time I started this one I had a really good feel for the subject.
Here are some of the sketches and color studies that I did...

Maggie the Bloodhound

"Maggie"

11" x 14"

watercolor

Maggie the bloodhound was commissioned as an anniversary gift.  The couple is celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary and the  traditional gift was ivory, since deemed unethical, so now it's just animals.  As Maggie is their beloved pet, a portrait was the perfect choice. I just love how regal she looks!

If you are interested in a custom pet portrait of your dog, send me an email at cindymcd73@gmail.com.  I'd love to paint your pup!

Days 3 through 16...

The past 2 weeks have been very busy with getting the kids back to school and fall sports schedules, and me catching up with all the housework that I neglected while they were home over the summer.  So I have been painting daily, but not posting here on the blog... so here is a shot of days 3 through 16.

I have been jumping around from drawing from photos to drawing from life, enjoying both.  I just need to remind myself to slow down at the start of a piece and have a clear idea of my intent, being mindful of each mark I make, no matter the medium or style.  This is an experiment of sorts and I need to give it my all to actually get anything out of it.  Here's hoping the last half of 30 days brings me closer to my goal.

Day 2

Day 2

Stopping here on this one. That is always the struggle for me, knowing when to stop. But I liked this point of the painting and also ran out of time... So here is Day 2!

 initial pass...

final

* the colors are wonky as I work out some technical issues!*

30 paintings in 30 days, September 2015 Edition

Day one! 

September 1st started my new project, 30 portraits in 30 days. I find working in series to be very productive for me and so I jumped at the chance to sign up for Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I've decide to stick to portraits because that is something I love and have always wanted to improve on. For now I'm sticking with monochromatic watercolor because I feel working out he drawing is hard enough with out throwing color into the mix... Maybe as the month goes on I will feel more comfortable and break into more color.  I intend to at least do one sketch in my book everyday, and then more on days when I have more time ( like when E starts school next week).  I liked how this one was coming along before I tried to add in more details...

but I thought it got weird when I did...

Either way, it doesn't have a likeness, which is what really bothers me.  So, I keep trying!

My 100th day

My 100 Day project was complete on August 19th, but the end of August was so busy with the kids that I am just now getting to reflect on it...and I've already moved on to a new venture!  But before I talk about that, I thought I'd talk a bit about my 100 days.
Starting on May 1st, I painted in my sketchbook every day (missing a few) for 100 days, all dogs.  This was such a great learning experience and I'm so glad I stuck with it.  Committing to a single subject-dogs, medium-watercolor, and format-sketchbook, eliminates the "what will I paint today?" And just gets me started painting which is the hardest part. Most days I would end up doing more than that first sketchbook painting, whether it was working on a commissioned pet portrait or just working on more sketches. I would jump around with my approach, ( pencil sketch first then carefully layered watercolor, or jumping right in with washy gestures) but at least I always knew where to start.  This experience made me so much more comfortable working with the watercolor, as well as with the subject matter.  Now I'm going to try and apply this to portraits (people portraits) which is my first love.  I struggle with them, but I know it's because I want so much to be able to express my view. Hopefully committing to doing 30 portraits in 30 days will help me get closer!

Max the Red Toy Poodle

"Max the Red Toy Poodle"

6" x 6"

watercolor

This little guy was a commission given as a house warming gift.  The client had a bunch of great reference photos for me to choose from, which I love.  This is actually based on two different photos belive it or not, a black and white for the pose and a color to get his coloring right.  Sometimes people think they don't have a good enough photo to paint from, but I actaully like some "not that great" photos better.  Like the commission I'm working on now, the photo is a tad of of focus, but that just helps to see the big shapes first, which helps the painting hold together better.

Here he is all framed up and ready to go:

starting with the darks

Australian Shepard

8" x 5"

watercolor

I've never been very good at working methodically, that is always using the same process to start a painting.  Sometimes I draw in the darkest areas and lines first, sometimes I block in the overall darks first.  Lately I've been starting with a pencil sketch, then going in with watercolor.  I'm finding that it's better to establish the overall pattern of light and dark first and then layer in the darker, and then darkest darks over that, so as to not disturb the layers underneath.  Now that I'm painting everyday, it's become easier to remember these things (that I should already know) and start the right way!  I never thought I had the discipline for the transparency of watercolor (acrylic and oil can always be covered or changed) but I think I may just learn yet...

Here is Day 56 (on top), Day 55 (underneath) and Day 54 (seen through the previous page):

Here is a look at the progression of this piece:

squares versus rectangles...

"not a deer"

8.25" x 5"

watercolor

On Monday I started a new sketchbook.  I got down to business as usual, still continuing to paint a dog a day with The 100 Day project...but the book is a rectangle.  Luckily I found a rather tall-eared pup to paint to fill the space, but it's still a rather awkward composition.   The problem is that I don't really think about composition too much with these little painted sketchbook sketches, and it easier to fit thing in a square than a rectangle, I think.  I'm really just working on technique in these pieces and compositon is secondary.   Maybe this will force me to think about that as well... 

Here is the progression of this piece:

Sydney

As I continue on my 100 day project, I am falling into some sort of a rythym of more finished sketches and quicker, less resolved sketches.  But mostly I feel like I've been "resolving" or

"finishing" these sketches more than I should be, being "sketches" and all.... So, I have resorted to having a sketchbook for my sketchbook.  The past few days I have done quicker, looser, sketches in my big 9"x12" book, before I do the my daily painting in my 6" x 6" book.  I feel like I should be working bigger and on loose watercolor paper instead of in this tiny sketchbook.  However, I committed to doing 100 paintings in the same format, and I do think it is a good practice.  I am learning a lot about watercolor but also about how I like to work. 

"Sydney"

6" x 6"

watercolor

Syndey is a beautiful Great Dane that lives on the 39th floor of a high rise in Chicago.  I can't wait to do more paintings of her.  Her daddy, my newphew Paul, takes a lot of great photos of her so I have alot to work from.  

Here is a look at my process...