THE PROCESS

 Meet Esme, a fearless little pug and my good friend for a year and a half. I have wanted to paint her for a while now but was waiting for the right time. Her human mom, Lee, has been sending me all manner of hilarious and precious photos but I was pretty sure the minute I saw this one that it was the one I wanted to paint. She is gazing at Lee with such adoring eyes!

Ms. Esme

I was pretty happy with the sketch I produced from the reference photo but as an afterthought, I wanted to make her portrait more personal. To do that, I decided to change her collar. Instead, I would have her wearing her hand-made beads that Lee had purchased from My Brown Dog. 

Sketch to be Traced onto Watercolour Paper

I am using Arches 140# cold press water-colour paper. After the stretching process it will measure 8 in x 11 in. The stretching process didn't go one hundred percent but I think I can still work with it although it may mean I will have to 'iron' the paper once it is finalized and off of the stretching board.

Choosing colour is always an interesting process--so many shades! I will use Daniel Smith Buff Titanium for Esme's main colour with Sepia and Burnt Umber as well as Winsor Newton Lamp Black.

The first stroke of paint on the paper is always nail-biting but I have come to learn that as long as I start out super-light, it's really just an early exercise in "letting go". No expectations at this stage of the game.

Really?

You can see in the above photo where I redrew Esme's collar. It will be the last detail I paint.

Besides the importance of a good sketch, watercolour is all about layering, getting the right amount of moisture on the paper and the right amount of pigment on your brush. It is also about having a really good eye for detail and referring back often to the reference photo.

Spooky, right?

At this point I want to share how happy I am with my 'new' drafting table that I found on Marketplace. See, don't I look pleased as punch?

There are many challenges to painting portraits and the eyes rank right up there at the top. I always paint practice eyes in order to get the colours right and to figure out how to achieve depth. On the painting, I am always tweaking the shape.

Getting Close

The painting process frequently requires a stepping away and returning with fresh eyes in order to literally re-focus. A detail may not look right on its own but once it 'fits' into the big picture it usually works.

Once I was happy with the likeness of Esme's eyes and face, the pressure eased substantially and I completed her body and collar. Knowing when to call it finished is tricky but one thing is for sure--once I add the specular reflection in the eyes, I walk away! I am finished painting Esme. Hope you like her Lee 💜

ESME

~C