Saturday August 6, NOON – 3pm, some artists (myself included) will be donating their time to create quick pet portrait sketches in front of Wet Paint Artist’s Materials and Framing. With a donation to the store’s chosen group, People & Pets Together, you can receive a free pet portrait. There are no reservations and the portrait is done on the spot so it’s first come, first served.
Mostly people bring dogs, but Roz Stendahl drew a sun conure one year. Check out her blog here http://rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/2013/08/getting-by-with-the-help-of-your-friendspaws-on-grand.html
It looks like Wet Paint will also have pet themed Origami classes, and other fun stuff. Read more here. The listing is alphabetical so Wet Paint is near the bottom of the page. http://www.grandave.com/events/paws-grand
I participated a few years back and it went pretty well. This time I’m practicing with some of the neighborhood pets beforehand instead of just my critters, as well as with some photos I took of rabbits at the State Fair. I’m experimenting with ways to get an impression, the big look, a striking characteristic, and something that looks purposefully styled. So far I’ve played with spotting the large value shapes or color shapes, a metallic “archival” marker, and some woodless colored pencils. I also filled my Niji Waterbrush with pigment-based brown ink. It’s supposed to be more lightfast than the dye-based version. I’m hoping that if I keep ink in it so the chamber and bristles stay moist that it won’t get clogged. Only time will tell.
I’ve learned I like the spotting method, and that I need to simplify (go for the essentials and the “big look” instead of getting caught up in making it look “right”). One neighbor also gave me some great advice, to go with my first reaction of what I like about the critter. Plus she gave me some tips on how to either engage a dog or distract it to get either a front or side view. I think these things will really help since I’ll only have 5-8 minutes per portrait.
It was FUN and intense the last time I participated so I’m looking forward to it.
July 20, 2016 at 8:51 pm
Christine, these are fabulous and you’re going to do a fantastic job again.
Something fun to put in the niji waterbrush—Hydrus Fine Art liquid watercolors. You can blend up a custom color. I’ve had them in a brush for weeks at a time and never had a clogging problem.
July 28, 2016 at 8:00 am
Thanks Roz! I’ll look in to those liquid watercolors. That sounds like fun.