Posts Tagged: pet portrait
New Artwork: Betta Fish Torn Paper Collage
Wow, I guess I have a lot of pieces to update you on! This one is titled “Paradise.” Technically, it’s a pet portrait (I do more than just dogs and cats! Anything goes, really). Paradise is a Betta fish and this piece is a little larger, at 11” x 14”. I quite like working in the larger sizes since I can get a lot more detailed. I wonder how large I can go? I get this mental image of creating a piece that takes up the entire wall of a room… I… kind of want to try it.
Anyway, “Paradise” is a more ‘typical’ torn paper collage. I tear tiny pieces of paper from catalogs and magazines and attach them to a piece of paper using scrapbooking glue. The ZIG or EK Tools brand 2-Way glue is my preferred adhesive. I’m not too particular about the paper I use. Any good-quality artist’s drawing paper is fine. Recently I’ve been using Strathmore paper, which can be found in pretty much any store that carries art supplies.
I enjoyed working with some brighter colors for a change. Most of the animals I make are various shades of neutral earth tones. Nothing wrong with that—I enjoy the challenge of getting the subtle color graduations right. But sometimes, it’s fun to play with color a bit. Color’s a bit harder in some ways, since the pieces often require large amounts of the same color. Flower catalogs are good, as are some clothing catalogs, but they typically have smaller sections of color, so it can be difficult to find enough of the same (or similar) color for a large piece like this.
What’s your preference, bright colors like this or subtle earth tones?
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New Artwork: Black and White Cat Torn Paper Collage
Here’s a recently finished portrait of a black and white cat. He’s a stray that lives near my father’s house. They’ve fed him since he was a kitten and call him Harry. I got to see him when I visited for Christmas and he came to the door begging for food.
Whiskers are tricky things. Difficult to make with torn paper. It’s hard to get them delicate-looking enough that they don’t overpower the rest of the piece. I find it’s often better to leave them off unless they’re an important part of the look of the animal. With this guy, the whiskers were definitely important—the bright white whiskers against the stark black fur really stand out and become a critical feature in his ‘look.’
Are there any features or aspects of your artwork or preferred mediums that you find particularly challenging? I’d love to hear from you. Tell me in the comments below!
And if you’d like a portrait of this strikingly handsome guy, you can a print from my Etsy shop, here.
Throw Back Thursday: “Windi” custom pet portrait
This is “Windi,” a companion piece to “Emmie,” who I introduced to you earlier, here.
Windi is another Papillon who lives with her ‘sister’ Emmie, so these two portraits were created and intended to be hung as a pair. The challenge here was to create two separate pieces that each expressed the personality of the specific dog (and they have Very different personalities!) while still visually fitting together well. I tried to keep the backgrounds similar in color while still allowing for variation to express Windi’s more exuberant personality.
Have you ever created multiple pieces of art that were intended to be displayed together? Diptychs, triptychs, or just companion pieces, like these two pet portraits? What do you like about creating related pieces? What do you find challenging?
Interested in getting a custom portrait made of your pet? Contact me by email or fill out the request form here for more information. I’d be delighted to help!