Osca is my first whippet painting and I love whippets so have been waiting for a good opportunity to paint one. They have the most gorgeous big eyes which of course is part of their characteristics as a gazehound like their bigger greyhound relatives. Then there is that lovely brindle coat and the sensitive way they hold themselves. I love them! Hope you enjoy Osca’s progress.
The finished portrait 16″x12″ soft pastel on velour.
My line drawing on the yellow velour I’m starting to block in some of the background. Beside a window can make a great setting for a portrait as it creates good light and shadow. Without some shadows a picture can look very flat so this image gives me great scope for making it appear 3D.
Working in the background but not going into much detail. I like seeing the warmth of light coming in through the window hitting the sill.
I always tend to work on ears first, partly because they are at the top and partly because I like to get a little area done early to choose my colours and get a feel for the fur. Just from doing the ears I have picked a lot of the shadow and highlight colours I will use throughout his face. I’m using mostly my Unison half stick animal set for this. It’s so handy as it has almost everything I need for a piece like this. You can see this set which is available to purchase directly from Unison on their site HERE
I use Faber Castell pastel pencils for detail. I like to outline an eye first before filling it in. Osca’s eyes have really interesting reflections in them. They remind me of Escher’s reflecting globe self portrait. I love how the whole window appears in it’s warped perspective.
Using Unison BV 9 a lovely vibrant blue from the set which I use a lot in the shadow side or reflections on black animals. It works really well when you are painting a warm brown or orange dog as it compliments the orange really well.
I work from the dark parts to the light on an eye like everywhere else. The last thing usually to go on is the highlight. I then use the pastel pencil to re-strenthen those darkest places.
Building up the brindle on the dark side of his face.
Using a lot of Unison Grey 8 from the set and I tend to use this colour a lot! It is probably my favourite Unison pastel and it makes the perfect shadow shade!
Working on the rest of Osca’s shoulders. I always feel like when I get the facial features in I’m on the home stretch, even though there is still a lot of work building up this large area of brindle!
The final stage before the light highlights go on his shoulder and the final tweaks around his face.
Here is a little close up of Osca’s pretty eyes. Hope you’ve enjoyed his progress. If you would like to find out how to commission your own portrait have a read on my Pricing page here for more info or get in touch via the contact form.
Fantastic Blog. Really enjoyed reading.