Greyhound Katie's Portrait: Done

Katie
8" x 10", Acrylic on Aquabord
© Xan Blackburn 2014

The differences between this and the previous stage may seem small, but they are the difference between not-done and done.  Or thinking I'm done.  I thought I was done last night, but apparently, that was not the case, as I saw some things I wanted to work on some more after I had started this post!  

I'm always disappointed with how well these translucent layers show up here.  :(  The subtleties in the layers of colors is flattened and dulled, no matter how I try to approach reality in Photoshop.  In this case, especially in the background, which is jewel-like in person.  Still, you will get the general idea.  I hope Gayle and Steve enjoy the original, when it gets to them.  Working on this was terrifying in a whole new way because they are both artists, and Steve actually did the original photograph, which was gorgeous just as it was.  

Okay, so NOW I'm done.  I hope.  Here's how that went, in review:

Katie in progress
© Xan Blackburn 2014

Rescue: My other job

I'm maybe not the best at dividing my time between rescue-related work and actual money-making work, considering that we are not independently wealthy.  I believe my hard-working (but always supportive!) husband concurs.  

Meanwhile, what I do in "my other job" is also often artwork.

Team Inch is a collection of volunteers that have been working together in various arrangements over the last several years to rescue dogs in S. Korea.  As part of my contribution, I've developed the website, logo, Facebook pages and fundraisers (Virtual Bake Sale, Total Fantasy Dog Accessories Shoppe {with the help of a classroom full of kids doing illustrations}, and New Years Resolution Special Dispensations).   I also gotten to give a few dogs rides, and even got to foster one for a whole 5 days we're not likely to forget (although the bruises are finally gone  ;) ).  

We're having another fundraiser in March, and I would be remiss if I didn't invite you all for your shot at the goods.  This one will be an online auction, and I swear all the stuff is real this time.  If you'd like to donate any items, let me know, and I'll get you all squared away.  Everyone else, mark your calendars!

And some other rescue-art things

Another aspect of my rescue-art work is donating to various other groups' fundraisers.  I donated a small portrait recently, which was won by a very nice lady, and will let you know how that goes once we get started.  I'm also going to be donating a piece to a new Special Art Auction at an event called Greyhounds in Gettysburg.  I've been bemoaning (privately - poor husband!) about my lack of opportunity to play around and experiment with my art, so I can continue to grow and explore new techniques.  It occurred to me in a classic light-bulb moment that donations offer that opportunity.  So, I'm going to try out an idea I have been incubating, and I'll show you that as it develops as well.  I still have no idea what I'll be donating to our own Team Inch auction!  

See what I mean about balancing non-paid work and paid work?  *sigh*  

Katie the Greyhound, Portrait

Katie - work in progress, detail
graphite on Aquabord panel
copyright Xan Blackburn 2013

Now, here's a challenge.  Katie the greyhound was a lovely girl, much loved by her humans.  Okay, that's not unusual for my clients and subjects.  Katie was mostly white, which presents the challenges of subtlety in shading, particularly where there is no strong light source to cast deep shadows.  Still, okay, not too impossible.  Katie's humans are both fine artists in their own right: okay, now it's gotten tricky!  The photo references are by Katie's human dad, and they are lovely just the way they are.  Katie's human mom is an accomplished artist, using pencils and watercolor.  Argh.  How to do justice in my own fairly realistic style to a photographic portrait that stands on its own?

I decided to try something a little different, this time.  Starting with a graphite drawing as the "under-painting" stage, and layering on glazes of translucent color after.  Working on Aquabord, an archival panel with a toothy texture which you can see in the detail above, means that detail will be slightly compromised by the bumpy texture.  Not a lot, but enough that it will keep me from getting lost down the rabbit-hole of every-single-hair, and so I can rely on the color glazes to build an atmosphere.

Katie - work in progress, stage 1
drawing well begun
© Xan Blackburn 2013

Katie - work in progress, stage 2
drawing done
© Xan Blackburn 2013

Once I had the drawing about where I wanted it, I sprayed it with a workable fixative, so that painting over it wouldn't smear the drawing.  I did this with my heart in my throat, since you just never know how that's going to go.  Luckily, it worked fine, and I didn't have to start over.

Now to start the glazing!  The background in the reference photo is dark, which is exactly right, to make her dazzling whiteness pop out.

Katie reference photo
 © Steve Uyehara

I plan to take a similar approach, keeping it vague, dark, with the lively greens kept to a suggestion of simple leaves, not to compete with Katie, herself.  Building up layers means you can achieve luminous, glowing dimensions of color.  The first go at the background, I'm laying in a clear yellow, to pull the background together, and begin achieving the final green tones.  Katie's shadier side is washed in a warm pinkish tone, to give her the glow of life that shows through her pale fur, and is clearly visible in her ears, and spotting the top of her muzzle.

Katie - work in progress, stage 3
first color glazes

 That yellow seems really strong right now, but it will become just a glowing member of the color team when all is completed.

That's where we're at today.  More as I go along!

Speaking of updates, I've added several projects to my Commercial Art page for your viewing pleasure.  Go take a look!

And now for something completely different!

So, why so quiet, Xan?  Still recovering from the months-long portrait marathon??  Well, sort of, but that's not why.

Click here for more details, and to register!

I've been working on a fundraiser like you've never seen before.  Hyperbole?  I don't think so.  At least, I've never seen one anything like this before!

SEVEN artists (of which I am one) are offering pet portraits for this auction: it's all pet portraits.  Nothing else.

Born to Run is the rescue group I've been working with since last fall.  H and I offered to foster a greyhound coming from Korea, but that didn't turn out to be necessary.  Instead, we got Katie (then called Coco).  Our first foster dog.  Our first foster "failure" (meaning we adopted her ourselves after about a month!)

You can read more about the group on their website.  For now, I want to talk about the ART!

When I was collecting artists for this, I sent out invitations to a couple dozen of my list of favorites, and a few I discovered just looking around at the time.  I was blown away by the responses.  They're all SO different! (See samples and links to the artists here.)  Ceramic sculpture, batik, hand-thrown porcelain, paper mache, linocut printing and a classic graphite drawing.

What on earth was I going to contribute that would come up to the level of the varied uniquenesses?  I tossed around several ideas, each one more outrageously un-do-able than the last, and then it came to me.

Soft sculpture.  Yeah!

I'd done a bit of that, way back when, and really loved it, but moved on to new things (while I let my fingertips heal - I do not practice safe sewing!)  When the idea to use it for this jumped into my head, I got excited about the possibilities!  What style?  What materials?  Serious?  Silly?  Abstract??  Big?  Small?  Then I got to thinking about what kind of pet might be my assignment.  Heck, it could be an iguana or a ciclid! That opens up the possibilities even more!

I'm going to let you watch the process, when it happens, so stay tuned.  If you want to bid on my, or any of the other artists' offerings, go register for the auction, so you'll receive a notice to remind you when bidding starts on April 20th, at 9am Pacific time.

Next up: a return to Niccolo and MaeBella.