Oban

Session 1

Working from a selected photo, my purpose in this first session was to establish placement of the head and body. I purposely located the head a little off center rather than being directly in the middle. I used a light gray oil paint to sketch the form on the gessoed masonite panel 9 ” x 12 “. Placement of the eyes was given the most attention since the “life” of the portrait will hinge around the look in the eyes. I used only painters odorless turpentine (no oil based medium) to slightly thin the paint and to enhance the drying time. End of session #1.

Session 2

After waiting for the work from session # 1 to completely dry, my purpose in this session was to establish some of the darker tones both in the eyes and head. Since the light is coming from the left I put darker tones of gray on the right side to begin to establish the shadows and create form. I gave the most attention to the eyes/nose. I will wait until this work drys completely before I will begin session #3. End of session #2.

Session 3

In this sitting I added darker darks to establish more form paying particular attention to the eyes. Since the light will be coming from the above left I added darker gray to the left side background and lighter gray to the right. The contrast will also help develop form and bring out the dog’s head from the background. This is the end of session #3.

Session 4

I began by comparing the painting to the photos I am working from to look for inaccuracies. I find it best to fix problems at this stage where I have only used tones of gray. Once I have made corrections to the black & white under painting I further develop the darks and lights to create more depth of form. Staying away from total black or total white, I work with various shades of gray saving the maximum contrast to the last stage before I add color. I have found that color is a problem all it’s own so it’s easier for me to complete a finished black & white rendering before I proceed to color. Working this way also helps me establish correct middle tones which will help in color values later. As with all previous sessions, I will wait until the painting is completely dry before moving on to the next sitting. This completes session # 4.

Session 5

My purpose in this session was to further develop form by defining dark vs light and adding middle tones to the head. I paid more attention to highlights working the ears and nose. I also added another layer of background gray tones to completely cover the canvas but left the lower torso still unworked. Since the focus will be the dog’s head I will leave the body sketchy with only vague outlines and fading toward the edge. Since I added some rather heavy impasto white tones where the highlights will be, I will let the painting completely dry before proceeding to session # 6. This completes session # 5.

Session 6

Still using only shades of gray, in this session my goal was to fill in the rest of the form. I have left the torso sketchy so that the viewer’s attention is not distracted away from the dog’s head. Once this is completely dry I will begin color application starting around the eyes and working outward from there. I painted the background again and will not go over it until is is thoroughly dry otherwise brush strokes will lift previous layers of paint. I should now have enough indication where the lights and shadows will go and can start color application. This is the end of session # 6.

Session 7

Having established a gray model of Oban as a template and after letting the painting totally dry, I began working color into the background. I followed the values of gray that we’re put down previously keeping the darkest tones to the left and lightest on the right. After completely covering the background I lightly glazed a mixture of burnt umber and burnt sienna mainly over the dog’s head and sparsely over the torso letting some gray show through. My next step will be to more clearly paint the eyes and develop the shadows on the right side. In order to correctly model the shaded area Jon will lighten the original photo so I can better see the shape of the torso. This is the end of session
# 7.

Session 8

In this session my goal was to refine the features, mainly the eyes. Concentrating on middle tones I resist making the highlights stand out……that will be in a future step. This is the second session with color and the painting is starting to take shape. I will let the face dry thoroughly before the next session. This ends session #8.

Session 9

In this session I primarily worked the right front paw and torso. I spoke with Jeremy and he is to send me a new pic of Oban with his new collar. I felt it best to include some identifying object and thought his collar would suffice. I mainly hit the dark shadow areas on the torso, neck, and paw that I will refine after I get the photo. I also added another background layer. I also added just a few highlights to the head making sure to keep the highlights at a lower color key that I will use on the final session. This is the end of session 9.

Session 10

I began with refining the facial features and by glazing a thin coat of burnt sienna over parts of the face…….mainly in the shadow areas. I also further established the highlights by staying away from pure white as in previous sessions. I will wait and apply almost white pigment in the last phase to establish the final highlights. I also further developed the nose in shape and values. In this session I also developed the torso paying attention to the shadow areas and by adding orange for optic light in the areas opposite the light source. I also checked the paws for position and size by comparing them to the photo. I am waiting for a photo from Jeremy for collar detail but I added a dark ring to the neck for approximate collar location. I will wait for the painting to totally dry before proceeding to add some final details like whiskers, and to add the collar. This is the end of session # 10.

Session 11

After receiving some additional photos from my son Jeremy, Oban’s owner, I added the collar and tags. I also touched up a few things in the head and right front paw. After the painting completely dries I will work on the torso. I will also compare the painting to the reference photos in order to make any corrections. This is the end of session # 11.

Session 12

In this session I added some highlights to the head and neck and added the whiskers. I glazed in some burnt sienna/burnt umber on the torso. I put the painting in it’s frame to evaluate the overall composition. I will now let the painting dry and look for some final alterations that may be necessary. One or two more sessions should complete it. I will then sign my name and let it thoroughly dry for a coat or two of varnish. This completes session # 12.

Session 13

Today I glazed in a little burnt sienna since some of the highlights were too white. I also touched up the name tag and his name “OBAN”. I repainted parts of the collar buckle and tags. I signed the painting at the bottom right with my logo and dated it 8-16-14. I will continue to view it as it drys and re-touch any other things if necessary. If not, I will varnish the painting after it drys completely. This is the end of session # 13.