Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: Irish Setter Painting

Friday, May 31, 2013

Irish Setter Painting - Agility

This is a very special painting.   There is just something that really tugs at my heart when I see an Irish Setter in motion.

Agility is such a challenging sport.   It is wonderful to watch as the dog and owner work as a team.   When the Irish Setters run, I can't take my eyes off them.   The beautiful red coat is waving back and forth almost like a flag waving in the breeze.   Following the agility course and the training takes extensive time and team work.

This painting features Nikki.   Nikki is not only an agility dog, but a conformation champion as well.   She won the Veteran Class at the 2011 Irish Setter Club of America and an Award of Merit.    The only time Nikki showed less than a charge ahead attitude was when her owner entered her in an obedience class. From what her owner told me, sounds like that was just too boring for such an animated girl!!   She did what was asked of her. However, she let those around her know it was not her cup of tea! :)

In the primary reference photo for this painting, there were a lot of dark objects that could have stolen the emphasis off Nikki.   So, I made everything pretty light in value so that the only dark in the painting was that of the dog.   The painting is a balance of light and dark - striving to make the eye rest directly on Nikki's face.    She is a beautiful dog and has captivating eyes - so full of life.

The painting was an absolute joy to do and I thank her owner for choosing such a wonderful pose for Nikki's portrait.   Nikki certainly has a zest for life and her eyes tell the entire story.

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Pastel Painting in Progress - French Bulldog

Here is a painting in progress. The pastel paintings are done very much in the same way an oil painting is done. I start with a base color. Usually I work with a precolored surface. With oil painting I would lay in a foundation color so the white canvas wouldn't show through. So this is the same basis. Since I am right handed I work from left to right unless it is a landscape or still life in which case the entire surface is worked uniformly. With pet portraits, so I don't damage an area that is completed, the surface is worked from left to right. While working an area of the subject I lay in mid tone values first - then work light to dark. With pastels an artist can "fill the tooth" of the surface so it is important not to over work any areas. Once the entire subject is painted I go back and reinforce the lightest lights and darkest darks. My greatest area of interest is the eyes. If the eyes aren't right the entire painting will look odd. If the painting is about a sleeping animal it is important to convey the comfort of the animal.

Oil Painting in Process

The following pictures show an Oil Painting in process. The first images show my beginning sketch. I use a common pencil, ruler and an eraser. Once the beginning sketch is satisfactory the sketch is secured with a layer of black oil paint. When the first layer is dried I apply a base color over the entire canvas. I love working on a burnt sienna foundation. There are paintings where I start just working directly on the white canvas and there is no base layer or foundation. It really depends on the painting. From the base foundation I start layering colors. It is a slow process due to drying time. This is where it really becomes fun. I should really make a recording of my husband saying, "You're done - stop messing with it!" Thanks for taking a peek. This painting is of a cat named Lynxy!