Wow. Well, once I got rolling, this just went like a flash! Isn’t it funny, ha ha, that the painting part of this portrait actually went quickly, but all the hair-pulling, sketching, sighing and laying in bed at night imagining the painting took days! I should be used to that, but there ya go. I … Read More “Surprising Sadie, Done”
How to go from a gorgeous photo to a painting worth the effort? When I (oh, so rarely!) get a reference photo as nice as this, I’m stuck with an odd quandary. Usually, the challenge is how to take a vague series (if I’m lucky) of photos and seek out the truth, the soul of … Read More “The Surprising Portrait of Sadie”
Ikeracrylic on canvas, 5 x 5© Xan Blackburn Iker! This loooong face belongs to a galgo, a Spanish greyhound, rescued from unhappy circumstances and brought to Canada to live the life of love and luxury provided by his new mom and shared with his canine housemate, Treasure. His frightening history has left him feeling … Read More “Portrait Marathon: Iker, #18”
DarcyAcrylic on canvas, 5 x 5© Xan Blackburn 2012 Alrighty! Darcy swam up out of a clear blue lake, or anyway, that was my experience of painting her! Watch the animation to see what I mean. Darcy’s mom calls her a “heart healer”. At almost 12 years old, with this sweet face, you can just … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #2 Darcy”
Faye Oops portrait catching some side-light© Xan Blackburn 2011 Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #5: Faye Oops Faye Oops left her family broken-hearted last week. While her passing was gentle, with her loved ones present, it is never easy to lose the ones we love. Even though so much of my work is to give a … Read More “FPM: Faye Oops Portrait Completed!”
Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #5: Faye Oops Okay, not exactly “legal” to take a break during a marathon, but, there was Thanksgiving, and I had a sick dog (now much better, and bugging me to play with him), and then there was a lot of communications going on about some rescue dogs coming from Seoul, … Read More “FPM Painting #5: Faye Oops!”
SpencerAcrylic on canvas, 5″ x 5″© Xan Blackburn 2011 Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #4: SpencerI finished Spencer’s portrait the evening before Thanksgiving, but, well, you know, I got busy and didn’t post about it right away. But, hey, you were busy too, right? Sleepy boy Spencer evolved from looking like a blonde guy with lipstick to … Read More “FPM Painting #4: Spencer is Done!”
As I’m typing this, I’m waiting for the paint to dry enough to safely scan the portrait, so I’ll kill some time showing you the interim steps. After the last step I showed you, I kept deepening my darks and adding detail. I also started adding some color, beginning with yellow, as you can see … Read More “Portrait Marathon: Hailey Done!”
Hailey’s portrait is starting off a little differently than usual. Typically, I start with a blank canvas, transfer my drawing, and then do the underpainting, usually in dark blues, not working on the background ’til I’ve got the underpainting well underway. I decided to try a different route with Hailey. She’s a black greyhound, and … Read More “Portrait Marathon: Hailey begins”
I will sleep on it, but I think … I’m feeling pretty well finished with Bella’s portrait. I was really enjoying building and building up the layers of watermelon and ultramarine blue and lemony yellow, balancing towards one or the other in different areas. When I went back in with some tinted white glazes, everything … Read More “Bella’s Portrait Update”
