Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: Parker

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Parker - Original Painting

Here is a painting just finished of Parker, an Irish Setter. His owner sent me a fabulous reference photo and I couldn't wait to get started. Not only was Parker's pose wonderful, the background was lovely. Photos are my road map. When you are traveling, a map (or GPS) can help you get from point A to point B. The same holds true when painting a commissioned piece. I need a map to get from a blank slate to reach a painting that is indeed truly a specific dog. As an artist, I use liberties to make the composition stronger than the photo. For this painting, I wanted Parker as large as possible while keeping as much background as possible. If you look at the reference photo at the bottom of this post, I've dropped the skyline, added darks where needed and reduced areas that were too dark in the photo. The water is more emphasized in the painting and more colors were incorporated into the foliage. There are more "reds -burnt sienna" in the foliage and grasses to create a color harmony that ties into the color of Parker. In essence, I closely followed the photo, but made something distinct and different - a stronger composition.

I always like to know a little bit about the dogs I am painting. It turns out, Parker was Lindsey's first Irish Setter. For those of us who have the breed, we know they are smart, can be independent and have a lot of energy. When I read what Lindsey sent me about Parker, I had to laugh. Here is what she said....

My 1st Irish Setter and he taught me so much about training a dog that wasn’t as pleasing in temperament as a German Shepherd. He had a mind of his own and he was very determined. Parker could give you a look that screamed “do you think I am stupid?” The day we took this photo I had been working with him for months on obedience commands and was so proud of him for being such a good boy for the photos.

Thank you for having me paint your special boy Lindsey, it was an honor. He was a gorgeous boy.

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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!