how I paint

This is a landscape I painted after last month's trip to Montana. I took a photograph at my friend's cabin and then painted this when I got back to California.

The forest cover in this valley is growing back after a large fire swept the area 13 years ago. Now that most of the mature pines are gone, the forest canopy is open, and much more of the mountain scenery is visible. The area is very green and filled with birds and wildflowers.

Here's my finished painting:



Here are some detail closeups:







I taped my work and sped it up into a 5 minute speed painting:



I'm getting a little better at my video technique, though I need to learn how to paint without standing in the way of the camera. You can see the lights flickering as I move around the canvas, blocking the different spotlights. I'm just happy I haven't backed up and crashed into the tripod yet.

You can see much more detail in the video if you click through to YouTube and select the HQ icon on the bottom right to view in high quality.

I've finished my portrait of Mollie, the winner of the Dog Blog's photo contest on Dogster. Here's Mollie's finished portrait:



For the first time, I filmed the painting from start to finish. I sped up the footage into an 8 minute "speed painting" and posted it on YouTube. Check it out:



I'm still learning how to use my camera, so the image quality isn't very good, but you can get a general idea of the techniques and steps. I recommend watching it in HQ mode if your internet connection is fast enough.

The portrait begins with my sketch of Mollie, which is enlarged and transferred to the canvas using graphite paper. I first paint in a purple underpainting to mark the areas of highest contrast and map out Mollie's features. Then, I start on the layers of reds and browns for Mollie's coat. There's a closeup of her eye being painted that is kind of neat. After the background is added, I put in final fur texture with my rake brush.

I'll be on vacation for the next two weeks. The Etsy store is closed for now, but you can still purchase cards and prints through Shutterfly.

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

I'm finished my portrait of Sabrina and Ollie in the lupines:



Here's a closeup of Ollie:



Sabrina:



I added some oak trees on the horizon to approximate their mom's field research site in California.

I've made a sketch of Mollie for her portrait. Mollie's mom and I chose this photo of her:



Here's my sketch of Mollie:

I'm finished my portrait of Copper, Kensy and Logan. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I painted in Copper and Logan first, but Kensy was more of a challenge. With the help of Kensy's mom and some additional photos, I made small changes to the original until I got a good likeness.

Here's the finished portrait, and a closeup of Kensy:





Click below to see the progress of Kensy's portrait and the background.

» Read the rest of this post...

Mollie is the winner of Dogster's Picture Perfect photo contest on the Dog Blog. Mollie is a rescued Bloodhound/Pointer mix from Ontario, Canada, and she beat over 100 other entrants. What a great smile!



I'll be painting her portrait and showing the progress on this blog.

Update: Dogster member Bonzer told me about a meet and greet picnic called D/C MAGIC (Dogster/Catster meet and greet in California) for Dogster/Catster members and a visit to Dogster headquarters in San Francisco on April 24, 2010. I'm planning to attend. I'll report back on the details and location closer to the time.

Now that I've painted in Sabrina and Ollie, I'm working on the complex field of lupines in the background of Sabrina's original photo:



Sabrina and Ollie's mom is a researcher who studies these flowers in California. Sabrina and Ollie often accompany her on her research trips, and as you can see, they love it there. I like this background because it's personal and also has great colors that set off both dogs' beautiful coats.

That said, it's a daunting background to paint. If you're a beginner, it's easy to get overwhelmed by so much detail and not know where to start. Painting in all the flower detail in the photo would look too busy, distract from the subjects of the portrait, and take weeks to do. My approach for translating a photo like this into a painting is to paint the most detail in the foreground, and less detail in the background as the flowers recede off into the horizon. Here's my progress so far:



You can click below to see the process up to this point.

» Read the rest of this post...

This week, you can win a free 14" x 18" head-shot dog portrait, worth $300, on Dogster's Dog Blog. The contest is open to all Dogster members. If you're not a Dogster member, it's easy and free to sign up.

To enter, just visit the contest post and leave a comment. The Dog Blog editors will choose a winner on April 27, 2009.

I'm also offering a $50 discount on portraits for Dogster members until the end of May. To get in on the discount, just send me an email at kathryn@bealsstudios.com with your Dogster page before you order, or mention it in the comments section of the Portrait Consultation form.

Dogster members Zeus and Winnie won custom dog portraits in photo contests in the past:


I've painted many Dogster dogs and always enjoy looking at their photos and profiles.

I've been working on my portrait of Copper, Logan and Kensy from Dogster. I began with Copper and then painted Logan. Here's Copper and Logan together:



I've left off the bottoms of their legs and bodies to leave room for a long grass background.

I began Logan's portrait by transferring my sketch to the canvas with graphite paper, and then painting in the areas of highest contrast on his body with a thin wash of dark paint. I've taped a printout of my reference photo to the canvas with masking tape.



Next, I began to add the rich colors in Logan's coat. I used cool hues in the underpainting to balance the orange reds in his markings. Up to this point, I used only my big flat angle shader brush, so I wouldn't get caught up in painting detail. I like to map out the colors and shapes first.



Next, I switched to my smaller round brush and started in on the detail in Logan's coat.



I used a tiny brush to bring in the sparkle in his eyes and his delicate whiskers. I like the way he's looking off into the distance, away from the camera. Here's a closeup of his face so far:



His face still needs a few adjustments to bring out his personality, but for now I'm ready to start on the third member of the family - Kensy.