Golden Retriever update

Gypsy
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

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My lack of posts lately will tell you that I’m still not finding the time I’d like just now to work on the Retrievers but I have been picking up my pencils whenever I can - one of the big advantages of working with coloured pencils. Gypsy is now finished, or at least she is for now as I may well tweak bits here and there at the end.

Before I start a portrait I like to sit down with my reference photo, colour charts and pencils to pick out what I call my ‘basic palette’. This is quite simply the colours that I see in the fur and think would work. I always end up adding to this with more pencils as I work on the portrait and can easily end up with triple the amount I started out with. As a few people have asked me what colours I have used for Gypsy I thought I would show you the chart I have sitting on my drawing board next to my portrait (tidied up especially for my blog as it’s not normally so neat). This shows the colours I chose at the beginning and had next to me when I began the portrait. You should be able to click on the image to see it more clearly.

As I said earlier, I always end up adding pencils as I work my way through the portrait and it was no different with Gypsy. Other pencils I used were Putty Beige (Prismacolor); Bistre Bistre and Terracotta (FC Polychromos); Bistre, Taupe, Bronze, Ivory, Golden Brown, Vandyke Brown (Derwent Artist); French Grey 10% and 30% (Luminance). A limited palette really when I consider the amount of pencils I can sometimes end up with.

Start of a new portrait

It’s turning out to be a busy week for me away from the drawing board so I’m not getting to spend as much time as I would like, or should I say need to on my next commission. It didn’t help that I struggled for some reason to get going with this portrait and spent a lot of time going back over areas I was unhappy with. I’m never completely happy with the very early stages of a portrait anyway as it goes through the ‘ugly’ stage - I often have to remind myself that it will improve and turn out the way I want. With this one I felt I needed a lot of reminding.

Thankfully, it’s passed this stage now and I feel a lot happier with how it’s progressing – at least I’m not continually going back over areas now:)

Here are the first stages of Gypsy, a gorgeous Golden Retriever. She is the first in what will eventually be a double portrait.

Gypsy
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Collies finished

Tetley
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

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It’s been four weeks in the making but with Tetley now finished and part of the group, the portrait is finally completed. It will remain on my drawing board over the weekend for me to look at and check for any ‘touch-ups’ that I think it might need. Then it’ll be a trip to my framers for the mount – I’m thinking ‘coal grey’ to compliment the dogs colouring but we’ll see.

Barney, Sam, Spike and Tetley
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

I have a few days left before I need to make a start on my next commission and for a bit of a change I’d thought about dusting off my paintbrushes to start a painting – what of though, I’ve yet to decide. But then again I’ve wanted to do a pencil drawing of my son for ages now so might make a start on that. Of course if the weather turns out to be nice there is the option there to take advantage of it. Decisions, decisions.

Nearly there

Meet Tetley, the last Collie in the line up. Over the last few days he has been slowly emerging from the paper and is now nearing completion – not too much more to do on him overall. All going well the next couple of days should see this portrait finished.

Tetley
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie

Another addition to the group portrait

It’s been over three weeks now that I’ve been working away on nothing but the Collies and when you spend that amount of time on a portrait you can’t help but get attached to it – at least I can’t. It will be strange not seeing them sitting there on my drawing board looking out at me every day and I will honestly be sad to see this one go.

Spike is now finished and joins the group.

Spike
Copyright Laura Hardie

Barney, Sam and Spike
Copyright Laura Hardie

Next up, and last of the four, is Tetley.

More Collies

Moving on now to Spike, the only black tri-coloured collie in the group. He adds a nice splash of colour to the portrait I think.

Spike
A Work in Progress

Second Collie finished

Sam
Copyright Laura Hardie

Two down, two to go. I’m not completely happy with the scan of Sam as it hasn’t picked up a lot of the lighter pencil marks in his neck area making it look ‘bleached out’ in places – the original looks better, trust me:)

And how Barney and Sam look together in the portrait so far.

Barney and Sam
Copyright Laura Hardie