A colour explosion

Just started this today in my art group. Another portrait of my son Spencer. He's sat amongst some beautiful highly colourful flowers. This is an A3 in gouache,I may also tinker with some watercolour pencils at some point. I've started very loose so not to be tempted to paint individual flowers yet.
As I've just received another commission I'll have to come back to this. Unfortunately I won't be able to post this commission until after Xmas, but I can tell you it's of a very sweet cat.

Finished my first dog commission

Well this has been one of those paintings that I was unsure what the final result would be. Obviously I knew what the dogs were going to look like that was fixed. I've ended up much closer compositionally to the photo then I'd first intended. I liked my first autumnal wood scene but felt the main emphasis was been taken away from the dogs. As this is a commissioned dog portraiture they obviously needed to take centre stage. I decided that a simplified background with darker tones would bring out the dogs. The bridge was also light in tone, I just felt the dogs were being lost. Anyways I'm finished, here the original snap shot again.

Have I made the right choice?

Well changed the background, I think the dogs are coming out better. I was feeling it was all too light, oh I don't know any more!

Done some background...

Excuse the title not very imaginative! But the fact is I have added a woody background scene today. Started to consider the bridge the dogs are on. The planks in the foreground come around at a odd angle. As previously mentioned I really like the shadows on the bridge so want to get to grips with these. Once I finish the bridge I can assess the tonal values and hues when looking at the picture as a whole composition.

Just a quickie!

I spent an hour on this just playing with the dogs eyes and expressions. Tried to get some more texture in the fur. Tomorrow I have a lovely free day, so will start the background. I've some lovely autumnal shots of woodland landscape, the scene in the piccy isn't of significance so I think the different scene would be great. I've still lots more to do on the dogs but need to see the picture as a whole. The dogs are very blonde so don't want to work their fur too much yet as I think the right background will help to bring them out.

Little by little...dogs wip day 4

It's just been one of those weeks. My eldest son went back to school today after his illness, youngest son had been ill earlier in the week, he's had a mini relapse and looked awful today.......
So, again not too much time for this painting, I squeezed in a sneaky hour this afternoon and started the other dog. Something strange happening with his hind leg. I had another go at the hind leg of the dog on the right, I think its okay now. This is for a commission so here's the reference photo again, so I can compare and contrast!

Day 3

I always seem to have a day in my wip when I post up a new days picture and have to play spot the difference! I have had a look at the shoulders, and worked some tonal values in using a green hard conte pastel. The perspective or proportion is still not right on the hind leg, I'll have a look at that upside down, see if I can work it out.
I still have a patient to look after, my eldest son managed to convince me this morning that he was still ill, backed up with a temp of 39c. So again not much time. I am going to do the other dog tomorrow, I have really tackled these two in the wrong order, so will cover the first dog with a sheet of paper whilst I do the second.