The Huntress

Hmmm... Is huntress even a word? I should Google it. Ah, yes. A huntress is a female who engages in hunting. That is precisely what my tuxedo cat, Molly, is doing in the portrait above. The reference photo was taken as Molly stalked our birdfeeder from the edge of a dining room chair.

The portrait is 11 x 14" on white, smooth vellum paper. Molly is drawn in pastel sticks. The goal was a realistic portrait with a soft, Impressionistic edge. I don't want the picture to be completely photo-realistic. Otherwise, what's the point of even creating a drawing? It needs to look somewhat like a drawing.

I'm working on adding more of a background to my pictures. I think it's important for portraits to tell a story about their subjects. To capture a moment, much like a photograph. Yet, a drawing takes the moment further, with emotion in the strokes.

I apologize if this entry is a bit bland. I am battling a stomach bug and do not have much energy to write with humor : (

Strange Places Where My Cat Chooses To Nap

Does your cat nap on the clean laundry pile? It's as if the clothes are the equivalent of a recliner in the sun.

Photography Tips For Awesome Portraits

Whether you are taking pictures of your child's birthday party or reference for a potential portrait, there are a few tricks that will enhance your photo sessions. By making a few adjustments, you can turn general photos into frame-worthy portraits. I've listed a few tips that have helped me attain clear reference pictures for my portraits. These tricks have been priceless in achieving accurate portraits of people and animals.

1. Turn OFF the flash!

When cameras became equipped with the flash function, people began turning the flash on as a necessity. We feared that our pictures would turn out blurry, dark, or fuzzy if we didn't. I was guilty of this myself. When I started using a digital camera, I became frustrated with the quality of pictures with the flash. Then, I realized that my outdoor pictures without the flash were looking rather artistic and clear. I turned off the flash indoors and voila! My indoor pictures looked completely different.

Here is an example of the same picture subject. The first picture was taken with the flash function. The next picture was taken without the flash.




In the first picture, the eyes are washed out by the flash. If I were attempting to use this photo as a drawing reference, I would need separate reference to render the eyes. The background is also very dark and plain.

The second picture is taken without any special settings. I turned the flash function off and zoomed in on my subject. I also lowered my position so that I was taking the picture at the same height of the dog. This allows me to capture the reflection in my subject's eyes and to obtain a steady, clear shot. Notice that the background is softer, with more light. There is a gentle quality to the photo.

2. Use Natural Light As Much As Possible

The pictures above were taken next to a window. Sunlight poured onto my dog's coat. With the flash picture, the highlights from the sun are not visible. By using natural light, pools of highlights appear, creating a more interesting photograph. I highly recommend taking pictures outside or next to a window. Natural sunlight will light your subjects perfectly. I understand that this is not always possible. Position your subject as close to a light source as possible, whether it is a lit birthday cake, a lamp in your living room, or outdoors.

3. Photograph Your Subject From Interesting Angles

Every subject can be photographed from a number of angles. I find that crawling onto the floor with my dogs and shooting the photo from their height greatly increases the quality of the photo. However, you can also position yourself below your subject to create a distortion of scale. Play around with different angles to find the most flattering view of your subject.

News Flash

It's time to put some excitement into this blog! It seems like lately, my posts have followed the same "vanilla" format.... Here is my latest artwork... Here is the story behind the artwork... Snore! Time to put some sprinkles on the vanilla.... and some hot fudge!

AKC Museum Of The Dog Registry

Did you know that there is a museum in the US, dedicated to dog art? The AKC Museum of the Dog holds juried exhibitions that showcase canine art and has an Artist Registry. Recently, I became an official member of the Museum of the Dog Artist Registry. Exhibitions are changed fairly regularly and the museum also has a permanent collection of classic canine paintings. The museum is located in St. Louis, Missouri in a historic estate. For more information, check out http://www.museumofthedog.org/.

Launching Into The World Of Illustration

I finally feel ready to start sending promotional packets to publishers. I've been working hard over the past year to build a strong portfolio of realistic animal drawings in color. A big part of the submission process is research. An illustrator needs to find their niche and pursue publishers that will support their subject matter and style. A big emphasis was placed on market research in my college studies. A lot of money and time can be wasted in sending samples to random publishers.

So, I began researching publishers through the Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market and through Google. The process is very complicated. I've found maybe a hand-full of publishers that are interested in realistic animal drawings. With computer technology, many illustrators are drawing on their computers in a whimsical style. Some publishers list a need for realistic animal drawings, but I am finding that the need is for colorful, digital work. Photo-realism is often substituted with photographs in books and magazines.

How do I work through this challenge? I will continue to research and discover magazines and books that feature animal subject matter and see if they buy realistic illustrations. I also am marketing my work to the poster and licensing markets. For this reason, I am trying to perfect a "style" and work on drawings in "series". My goal is to develop a soft, impressionistic style with a hint of realism (with a pinch of neurosis and attention to detail).

The Birdwatcher

I'm on a bit of a cat-drawing frenzy lately. I've been inspired by my lovely tuxedo cat, Molly. She seems to love the camera and takes on the most ridiculous poses.

The portrait above is 8x10" landscape on white, smooth vellum paper. It is drawn in soft pastels with the whiskers rendered with white pastel pencil.

The goal of the portrait was to demonstrate the intense look of a cat in hunting mode. When the reference photo was taken, Molly was hunting a bird perched on my birdfeeder, through the window. Thank goodness for glass! No carnage resulted. Just a fun, pastel study. Enjoy!

New Artwork!

I recently ran into a friend at the grocery store, who looked at me and exclamed, "You're alive!". That statement alone was motivation to move forward and produce some more artwork. This blog has been neglected over the past few weeks. It's not that I haven't been drawing, I just have been swamped with responsibilities.

Regardless, I am returning today with new work. The piece above is my latest pastel drawing. The subject is my beautiful tuxedo cat, Miss Molly. I took the reference photo this past weekend as my cat was luxuriating on my dining room table in a pool of sunlight.

The drawing is rendered with pastels entirely, with no use of the pastel pencils. I'm trying to "paint" with pastel sticks as much as possible for a smoother look. The drawing is 11 x 14" landscape in size on smooth vellum paper.

Lounging

Wow! It's been almost two weeks since I posted new artwork. I have been busy working on the piece featured above and am sending my work to various children's market publishers (I'm hoping to illustrate children's books).

Back to the topic....

The golden retriever lounging above is my own golden, Sunny. One of his favorite napping spots happens to be on a floral futon in my studio/sunroom. The reference photo was taken while the sun showered him with light through the window. The finished artwork is drawn in pastels on smooth vellum paper and is 11 x 14".

I am working on a softer look in my pastel portraits. The end result may be a bit painterly in style. My new style is a work-in-progress... Hopefully, it will continue to grow in a positive direction.

Artifacts

I never realized how much I missed my grandfather until I came across artifacts from his life. I called him Dziedz and he a special person in my life. When my mom went to work at school (before I went to school), he would take care of me with my grandmother. He taught me about birdwatching and came up with drawing exercises that made me think.

He would draw a line with a dip in it. I would turn his line into a complete drawing. Dziedz was patient and gentle. He had cancer for a good part of my life and lost his eyesight over time. When he was blind, he would still examine my drawings and somehow managed to point out parts that he liked. Maybe he could sense the emotions that went into the piece.

He died of cancer my senior year of college, shortly after my mom was diagnosed with cancer. When he died, my mom gave me his SU sweatshirt. He wore it in support of the college that I attended. It is a comfortable zip-up hoodie. When I first received it, there were still tissues in the pocket. Remnants from his life. I wish that I had saved them sometimes.

Yesterday, I came across his pastels. My grandmother had given me some of his old canvases and drawing supplies. I have the crayons and markers from our childhood drawing exercises and the sketchbooks with the drawings in them. I don't want to throw any object away, even the smelly markers that no longer work.

When I found the pastels, I had been working on a drawing of a swan. Something told me that they would be just right. The price sticker was still on the box. He had purchased them from a small store in Rutland, probably 20-30 years ago. They were cheap by today's standards. I didn't think that he had used them. Then I picked up a stick and it had been sanded into a point. Several of the pastel sticks had been sanded in this way. They felt like heaven on my fingertips. Smooth, buttery, and warm. The energy of my grandfather was imprinted on each stick like a fingerprint. I felt content and connected to him. It is a way that I can continue to draw with him.

Che

My latest commissioned charcoal portrait features Che, an adorable mixed breed boy. Che is a sweet, older chap, who is quite tall. Reclining in the sun, he maintains a peaceful, thoughtful expression. He is drawn in black conte crayon on smooth vellum paper.

Golden Illustrations... The Prequel!

The production above is a simple slideshow that showcases my work in charcoal, set to the music of Led Zeppelin. I figured that it was only fair to showcase my work in charcoal, since there's already two slideshows with my pastel work.

Chipmunk!

A few days ago, I felt motivated to work on another wildlife drawing. I've been wanting to draw either a squirrel or chipmunk for a while. After digging through my photo reference files, I found a picture of an exotic chipmunk that lives in the "Mouse House" at a zoo. When I took the picture, he was darting up a tree in his little habitat. This little chap is a nocturnal animal, which is why the drawing is set at night.

The drawing was created with pastel pencils and is 8 x 10" in size. The blurriness of the picture is intentional, to show the motion of the animal.

Catnap!

A few weeks ago, I happened to glance in my guest bedroom in between chores. My mellow kitty, Molly, was napping in the most peculiar position. It was one of those moments when you feel the need to grab your camera and just start snapping pictures. While I was snapping away, I was giggling at the fact that my kitty didn't even bother to move with a camera in plain site. She remained outstretched on her back, with her paws in the air. Apparently, this is THE most comfortable position. for morning naps.

The portrait is drawn in pastel pencils from my favorite reference photo taken that morning. A few areas were touched up with general pastels to create a smooth appearance. The drawing is 11 x 14" on smooth, vellum paper.

The small photograph above the portrait is the reference photo.

Illustration Friday - I Spy

This week's Illustration Friday theme is "I Spy". Many people spy on wildlife, the weather, or their neighbors through the windows of their homes. In this picture, I am spying on some squirrels in my yard. It was a particularly sunny day and I love playing with darkness and light in the composition.

The Niche

The dog drawn above is my own mixed breed, Lady Sasha. Sasha is not a snuggler per se, but she occasionally will place her head on you to show affection. The reference for this picture was taken while I was reclining in the sun and Sasha rested her head on my leg. She found a comfy niche and pouted. Her expression was priceless and it inspired the pastel pic above. Enjoy!

Pastel Demonstration

The video above demonstrates the steps involved in creating a pastel pencil portrait. I thought it would be interesting for artists and clients to see how I work. I'm still a novice at creating videos, but this is a start. I'm pretty proud of my portrait of Sunny and photographed the steps as I drew. It's always interesting in the beginning, when I am layering the colors. The piece looks flat and goes through the "ugly" stage. With a large piece, this stage can take time to work through. I have to remind myself that the piece will come together in the end. I guess that philosophy can work in life as well, when faced with a challenge.

Press Coverage

I've posted a clip above from the Syracuse City Eagle. The Eagle ran a story this week about my winning entries at The Art Show At The Dog Show. I am so thrilled to be in this week's paper!

Sunny Came Home

The picture above is my adorable senior golden, Sunny. This special guy is the subject of the two portraits below, that won awards at the Art Show At The Dog Show. Sunny is drawn in pastel pencils and his portrait dimensions are 11 x 14".

Sunny is recovering from a series of cluster seizures that occurred randomly two weeks ago. While he hasn't seizured since, he is quite sedate. He mostly rests and sleeps. I took the reference photo for this portrait while he was napping in the sunlight. He always looks like he belongs in a calendar, in front of a crackling fireplace when he naps. He just has the classic golden retriever look.

It's A Major Award!

Hee, hee. Any fans of the movie, A Christmas Story, will remember the classic line that is the title of this blog. I thought it would be a light-hearted introduction to some good news.... I won two awards at The Art Show At The Dog Show!

I received a list of winners in the mail on Saturday. My drawing "Golden Slumbers" received fourth place in the Drawing category. And... My drawing "Lazy Afternoon" won the "Best Entry Depicting A Golden Retriever" award. The second award is very special and difficult to achieve. My piece was selected as the best portrayal of the breed in any medium, including sculpture, photography, and painting. The second piece will be shown on the competition website once the 2007 winners are added.

What makes this story a little more tragic/inspiring are the events that surrounded the news. The subject of my golden retriever drawings, my own dog Sunny, was in the animal emergency hospital shortly before the competition judging occurred. Sunny began having violent seizures at night a few weeks ago. The seizure cluster did not subside, so he was admitted to the local Animal Emergency hospital. After 24 hours, they were able to control the seizures with medication and he was released home. Sunny has had a slow recovery. He has lost a lot of his vibrancy, but every day he gains a little more of his old self. These awards came at the perfect time to pay tribute to a remarkable rescue golden retriever.

I've posted pictures of the winning pieces above. The first piece is the "Best Entry Depicting A Golden Retriever" and the second piece received a 4th place award in the "Drawing" category. For more information about this prestigious art show, log on to www.artshowatthedogshow.com. The 2007 results should be posted over the next couple of months. You can also view past winners of the competition on this site. The art show hangs in Wichita, Kansas until the month of April.

Bear

The adorable puppy pictured above is named Bear. Bear's owner is wildlife and dog photographer, Lisa Husar. Photos of Bear have appeared in magazines, greeting cards, calendars, and catalogs, including the cover of the Fall 2006 Coldwater Creek catalog. I am proud to have drawn a golden retriever who I have seen in print. Bear is probably one of the most photographed golden retrievers around.

In this scene, Bear has stolen his owner's sneaker and happily chews on a few laces with the appearance of innocence in his sparkling eyes. The portrait of Bear is drawn in pastel pencil and is 12 x 16" in size.

Illustration Friday - Communication

There is something magical about animal communication. Sometimes, animals will get close and it appears as if they are whispering secrets to each other. Yet, the whole encounter is silent. They communicate with energy.

The reference to this photo was taken at a zoo, in the gorilla forest exhibit. I randomly was taking snapshots as the gorillas interacted and managed to capture this special moment. It seemed perfect for an illustration. It's 11 x 14" and drawn in pastel pencils. Enjoy!