Entry #1

 Hello, meet sweet Sasha. Look at those gorgeous ears! I was asked to paint Sasha by my friend, Anne, who wants to give the painting to Sasha's human mom on her birthday.

SWEET SASHA

The finished size will be 8 x 10 inches and I will be using Arches 300 lb cold press watercolour paper. Pigment colours will be pretty basic: Winsor Newton French Ultramarine and Daniel Smith Burnt Sienna (to be mixed to form the various shades of black/gray), Daniel Smith Sepia along with black and a splash of pink for Sasha's collar.

Colour Palette

When painting with watercolour it is necessary to stretch the paper in order to prevent buckling during the process of painting. This involves soaking and attaching it to a board to dry. I use a gummed paper around the edges and then staple all around just to be safe. The paper then stays on the board until the painting is finished at which time it is removed and trimmed. Drying is an overnight process and painting cannot begin until it is completely dried.

WORKING SKETCH

During the drying process I start to work on my sketch of Sasha. This is simply a linear work which I then transfer onto the dried paper. Once transferred, it is time to pick up my brushes and get to work. Easier said than done!  Check out Entry #2 to follow along in the process.

~C

Entry #2

 Hi and welcome back. Before beginning painting, an important consideration is background--should there be one and if so what colour and style. Should it be painted before doing the subject or after? Sasha's ears are unique and are the first thing you notice when you look at her. I have opted to forego any background. I feel it isn't necessary, plus, it would be very tricky working around her ears. It's straight to the subject then and the ears are calling! Here goes. So scary starting those first few brushstrokes. 

The first layer is light and more or less sets out the light and dark areas and defines the main features of the face. Her eyes are amazing and it becomes obvious that her moustache is really quite brown.

Before tackling the ears I decided to define the nose a little better. Those ears are definitely intimidating but it is time to go in with the deeper shades of grey.

Spooky looking, I know, and it's difficult to envisage the completed picture at this stage. I can only hope she starts to come alive soon. Once she starts "speaking" to me I can work with more confidence--well, sometimes!

This process continues over the next few days. We will see where I am at in Entry #3. Catch you there.

~C

Entry #3

 Watercolour is a fascinating medium to work in. Most of what I do is wet on wet which means that the pigments are fluid and have a mind of their own. And this means that it is fraught with challenges because I don't have full control of how it moves. This is especially frustrating when the work is a portrait. There is not a lot of room for corrections so it really is a lesson in "letting go".

The area above Sasha's right eye (your left) is an example of the pigment not doing what I intended. This is an area that is going to cause me grief (there is always at least one part like that!)  I have also started working on the eyes.

In this photo above, I have dropped more pigment into the eyes and started filling in the other ear. I find that it is important to move around the subject rather than completing a specific feature as sometimes it may not look right until the surrounding area has been worked on. (I'm not sure that makes sense to you.) In any case, that area above the eye is causing me to lose sleep. 

As you can see, I am avoiding tackling that eye area. The photo below is his where I am leaving off for a bit while I step back and breathe.

Time to take a break for a day or two and come back with fresh eyes (excuse the pun!)

~C

Entry #4

 I got away for a few days and am procrastinating going back into my studio. It seems I have something akin to writer's block...not sure what to do or where to go next with Sasha. My husband and fiercest critic (who I am eternally grateful to) has given me his perspective on the work and it is a place to start i.e. deeper pigment in the darkest areas. Also, I feel that her fur needs to be softened somewhat so I will attempt a wash of plain water over her muzzle in order to soften edges.

Well this is a surprise, after making the changes that I referred to above, it appears that Sasha and I are now friends. Darkening the shadows has given the depth the painting needed and really brought her to life as you can see below.

After seeing the results, and after some thought, I have decided that although there are minuscule details that I could add, there really isn't much more I can do at this point that would enhance the painting. Although I have never met Sasha, I have a sense from seeing her photos that I may have managed to capture her spirit in my painting. So as is my usual practice, I will add the catchlights in her eyes and my signature--a sure sign that I have finished painting Sasha.

"SASHA"

~C