Monday, November 29, 2010

Monty



Portraits, whether of animals or people are often done in a standard, three quarter view compositions, making them fairly predictable.

I like portraits to be a little different, so this perspective appealed to me.  This is the start of an bulldog portrait done in acrylic.  Apart from my initial reservations about acrylics, I am warming to them but they still give me fits a lot of the time with their quick drying.  Its both a blessing and a curse, even when using extender.

I'll work on the portrait over the next few days between other pieces and put up the final shot later this week.  Oh, its on an 8 x 10 panel.

11 comments:

Bonny said...

You have a solid start, Jeanette :)

Not only is Monty really cute, but golly! - those eyes!
I think I felt myself drowning in them within a split second of gazing into them.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

RH Carpenter said...

I like the unusual position of this one, too. Beautiful eyes.

Yelena Shabrova said...

I gave acrylics a fair run. It's not for me, period. They dry too quickly and make me feel like I paint with sour cream or something equally odd to use to create art.

Love non-standard perspective for portraits too, they make the process more interesting and push me out of the comfort zone.

Monty is shaping to become a great portrait!

Pat said...

It has the makings of greatness , this portrait. Will be eagerly watching for the end result xx

Gayle Mason said...

Great start Jeanette, I too like the unusual pose.

I'm the opposite with acrylics I actually use a hairdryer to speed the drying time. That's because of the way i work completing one small area at a time.

Jeanette Jobson said...

The eyes always start the portrait with me Bonnie. If they don't work, nothing else will.

I like something a bit different than the tradition pose too Rhonda.

Yelena, they are a difficult medium to conquer, for me anyway. I think my fallback will always be watercolours, then oils. But I like challenging myself. :)

Thanks Pat, I hope I can make the portrait work and bring out the personality of the dog.

Gayle, you'll have to do a demo of just how you use acrylics as you combine them with other mediums too I believe. Its really how much time and effort you put in, in terms of how proficient you become in something isn't it?

Jean Spitzer said...

Beautiful expression.

Gina Cuff said...

I don't do a lot of pet portraits Jeanette, but I find acrylics an excellent medium for that because I like to build up my layers.

Christiane Kingsley said...

Jeanette, you have painted his eyes beautifully! You seem to be doing very well with the acrylics! I want to try them with texture for a pseudo-abstract painting that is floating in my head...One of these days, I will get done to it. Meanwhile, I will look forward to seeing the next update on this sweet little guy.

Peggy Montano & Paintings said...

oh, what a face.

Lisa Walsh said...

I'm pulling up a chair and watching this one. Love the beginning and the unusual pose. Can't wait for the rest.