This was such a lovely job to work on.  These two sweet poodles were so friendly when I went to meet them.  It’s highly unusual to get a double portrait sorted out with one reference photograph but these two just posed together lovely and really seemed to lean on each other for moral support!

I hope their owner (who I’m told thinks the world of this pair) likes what I was asked to produce for her 21st birthday.  Here is the progress of Jasper and Casey 🙂

The finished painting of Jasper and Casey.  14″x14″ pastel on velour.
My sketch transferred onto the yellow velour and
neatened up with pastel pencil.  ( I use Faber Castel
Pitt pencils)

 

The background in and I’ve used lots of the lovely
Unison soft pastels light range as well as some
blue violet and peachy orange for the shadows.
Starting with Casey on the right as he is slightly
behind Jasper.

 

After laying down the darkest black areas
I start to add the colours being
reflected in the dark coat.
Using much of my Unison Animal set with a
couple of additional grey shades.

 

 

My first layers are quite loosely following the
grain of the fur.  The next layers and then highlights
really add the definition.

 

 

I did a demo evening for Glengormley Art club last
week and brought the boys along.  I got a good
start made on Jasper’s wee face although I was
very chatty too so I knew there would be a lot
of tweaks and fixes when I got him back to the
studio the next day.

 

 

 

Using a mixture of cool and warm highlights.
Some of these are BV7, Grey10 for cools and
Grey27, A19 and RE13 for warms.  These are all
in my Animal 36 set and this is why I love them.

 

The finished painting beautifully framed at
Art & Home Holywood.