The Creation of a Portrait

When I paint a portrait, I often use several photographs as reference -- one for colour, one for composition, and maybe another that shows a close up of the facial features. Here are the basic steps that I follow:

Step 1 - The Sketch

The subject is sketched in charcoal on acid free pastel paper. This is generally just a basic outline without much detail. The charcoal is easily rubbed out if I decide to make a change. By the way, this subject's name is Teddy, a young Airedale full of energy.

Step 2 - The Eyes and Nose

I paint the eyes first. This is the most important part, because the eyes convey emotion and reveal the personality of the animal. If the eyes aren't right, it won't look like the subject, even if everything else is correctly porportioned. In Teddy's case, because she has such a woolley coat, you can only see one eye with her head turned at this angle. After I finish the eyes, I paint the nose, then everything else falls into place.

Step 3 - The Finished Portrait

When the portrait is finished I photograph it with a digital camera and upload it to my web server for the client to view before I send it by courier. To see the photograph of Teddy which I used as reference for this portrait Click here