Painting In Progress - "Morning Light - Moose"

I have always wanted to paint a moose.....so here it is!

"Morning Light - Moose"

Normally I know how I want the painting to look like in my mind....I said normally.

Although when I started to sketch my moose painting, I could not make up my mind if I want him in water or on land.

After a multitude of sketches on paper and a week later, I decided to just start applying paint and see what happens. Rarely to I start a painting like this, although I do like the way it turned out and as you can see, my moose wading in water came to life.

Now that I have decided to place the moose in water, it need more to balance the painting. So I decided to add marsh grass and reflections. Now was the time to start blocking in the first layer of fur to the moose.

Working on layers of fur and then added the reflection of the moose in the water.

Hope you like it and your comments or questions are always welcome.

Photographing Artwork Yourself vs. Professional Photographer

Have you ever taken a photo of your artwork and found that the colors did not match the painting? Was it sharp and crystal clear or slightly blurry? Do you see the edges of your artwork where it is slightly distorted? Do you see a glare or hotspots? Well I have when photographing my own artwork. I discovered years ago that photographing my own artwork was not the way to go for me.

When I looked into what I needed to photograph my own artwork, I found there was more to it than just point and shoot. Now I have never stated that I was a photographer, so understanding this process was a little overwhelming for me. And to be honest, understanding the camera seemed “Greek” to me. Now if I took the time and took a photography course or read hundreds of pages in understanding the camera and settings, then maybe I could get it.

But for those who do want to photograph their own artwork, here are a few tips I have learned:

• Use the best camera equipment that you can afford
• Use a stable and solid tripod
• To minimize blurriness, use a self timer
• Avoid putting your artwork in direct sunlight- overcast sky or indirect natural light works the best
• Set the white balance on your camera correctly
• Do not use the flash on your camera
• Make sure your artwork is photographed directly and not under glass

These are just a few things to consider and I advise you to research more about your camera settings, lighting, etc. before deciding to photograph your artwork.

Here are a few examples of my own work taking the photos myself vs. using a professional photographer.

My Photo

My photo seemed very dark in color, especially the blacks, which was not true to the painting. Even though my photo is focused, clear and was taken on a flat surface, the edges are still distorted. 

Professionally Photographed

The photo taken by professional photographer is exactly how the original painting appears.

Here is another example:

My Photo

Professionally Photographed

Again, my photo does not show the true colors of the painting as well as the professional photo does.

I spoke to my photographer and he gave me some really important tips as to why it is best to have your artwork professionally photographed that I wanted to share with you. I use Harrington PAF to photograph all of my artwork.

Why should you let a professional photograph your art?

"As a photographer who has devoted a lot of time to photographing art over the past several years I feel there are many reasons.

Here are some that top my list:

1. Equipment and Experience

When photographing art it's important to have a proper lighting set up. Understanding light and knowing how to set up for art will produce an image that is evenly lit without glare or hotspots.

2. Focus

It is very important to know how to photograph a piece of art that's in focus from the bottom to the top and corner-to-corner.

3. Color

Accurately reproducing the diverse colors in artwork can be one of the most challenging aspects of art photography.

4. Glare

Many times artwork has a shine. It might be a clear cote, varnish or a certain medium. It is important to know how to eliminate this to produce an accurate final image.

5. Aspect ratio

Getting the final size of the image to match the ratio of the painting size is a must. Having clean edges and accurate sizing requires a more in depth understanding of the process. There is much more to it than just pointing and shooting.

These are a few of the things I have worked through over the years. If you want clear accurate images of your art, it's best to let a photographer with experience in the field of photographing art.” Dan Harrington

Because I offer Giclee prints of all my artwork, I personally find that using a professional is best for me. Also, since I enter many art shows, it is very important that I use the best photo of my artwork possible.

These are just my personal feelings and preferences and I commend those that can accomplish photographing your own art with high quality. Maybe someday I will take a course in photography and learn these skills, but for now I would rather paint and let my photographer do what he does best!

Do you photograph your own art? If so, please feel free to leave any comments or questions.

Painting In Progress | "Solitude - Snowy Owl" - completed

Working with oils wet on wet, the snowy owl was quite a challenge since each feather had dark to light with shading colors. I found it easier to paint each feather individually ---- sooooo many feathers. But as challenging as it was I enjoyed painting them as it was bringing my snowy owl to life.

"Solitude - Snowy Owl"

Close up view of snowy owl:

In my next blog post, I want to discuss photographing your artwork yourself vs. a professional photographer, so please check back soon. Please, feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Painting In Progress | "Solitude - Snowy Owl"

When I began this painting, I knew I wanted the background to be a snowy open field and I was going to place the owl on a rock, surrounded by dried grass. However, after I applied the sky colors and snowy field, I changed my mind on the surroundings, as I really liked the simple look for the background. At this point, I decided to add a broken fence post in place of the dried grass and rock.

I rarely title a painting before the painting is done, because that can be one of my biggest challenges. Because of the painting's simplicity of one single fence post and one owl I chose "Solitude - Snowy Owl" as the title.

In my next post I will show the completed painting, so check back soon! As always comments and questions are welcome!

Painting In Progress | "Solitude - Snowy Owl"

My wildlife photographer friends seem to be on the look out for snowy owls that come down from Canada into the northern parts of New York. Since I have never painted a snowy owl, I thought it was time. Now I have never seen a snowy owl in the wild, but I did have some reference photos I took at the zoo. This was the photo I decided to use for this painting.

When looking at the photo, I was a little confused by the colors. I had always thought that snowy owls were black flecked, although my photo shows the markings being brown. So to the web I went to research more about snowy owls. I like to research the animals I paint to better understand their characteristics and habitats.

Through my research, I found that the flecks and bars can be brown to dark or brownish/black - Defenders Of Wildlife. According to All About Birds, some snowy owls may even have black and brown bars together.

So now that I have a better understanding of snowy owls and their habitats, character and color, I am ready to sketch out my owl.

Since this painting is going to be primarily snowy background and the owl is the whitest bird, I am not doing a background wash. This leaves the pure white of the gesso primed masonite board for me to use for the background.

Check back soon for more of my painting in progress, "Solitude - Snowy Owl". Please feel free to leave any comments or questions, as they are always welcome!

Painting In Progress | Black Wolf - Complete

Since I now have the final coat of fur and highlights done, I am really happy with the painting and ready to sign. Titles for a painting are sometimes as challenging as actually painting it, but I had a few ideas in mind and suggestions from others and decided to go with:

"Within The Shadows"

Now that my painting is completed I will take it to a professional photographer to photograph and print proof. Even though I do have a digital camera, I cannot say that my skills in photography are in any way professional. I also, want to offer Giclee prints of my paintings so a professional photographer who works with artwork is the best route for me to take.

Your comments or questions are always welcome!

Painting In Progress | Black Wolf (continued)

Now that I have the wolf and background blocked in, I am ready to have fun in painting the fur. Yes, for me it is fun because it is like bringing my subject to life.

The 2nd. coat of fur and more detail to the eyes and nose.

Here I added a 3rd coat of fur with a few highlights and painted in the foreground pine tree branches and leaves. I decided at this point to add more leaves in the mid-ground in contrasting fall colors to add more depth to my painting.

Now I am ready to paint the final coat of fur and highlights where I feel it is needed. I also notice that the right eye needs to be adjusted to correspond with the left eye. In my next post I will show you the completed painting, so check back soon!

Any comments or questions you may have are welcome!

Painting In Progress | Black Wolf

Sketch and Base Colors

For this painting, I decided to go with a portrait of the wolf instead of the full body, putting him in the shadows of the pine tree and with a woodsy background.

When doing the sketch, I knew I wanted a dark background with the pine tree branches if front of the wolf. So to add a little color I am adding some colorful leaves to the foreground as well.
     From the reference photo, I decided to trace the photo onto a sheet of paper and then transferring it onto my masonite, instead of free hand sketching. By doing this I am not losing any detail within the wolf. Sometimes I will use a grid to sketch out my image from a reference photo, using tracing paper and making 1" x 1" squares. Then depending on the size I want the painting to be I will draw the grid lines onto the masonite or canvas accordingly to the proportions. Say I wanted the image to be doubled the size in my reference photo, I would then draw my grid 2" x 2" squares on the masonite. I would do this only for the main subject matter and then free hand the surrounding scenery.
     I wanted a warm look to my painting, so I decided to use a Burnt Sienna wash over the entire surface of the masonite. I find by using Burnt Sienna, it gives a little warmth to the paint colors I am using. It will also set the tonal values of the painting and it takes the glare out of the stark white of the gesso. I then take a cloth and wipe off some of the Burnt Sienna where the highlights would be on my subject matter. This is the only time I use an acrylic paint as it drys quickly, thinning it with water to a watery consistency. 
     Once the wash is completely dry I am ready to apply the base colors within the background and the wolf, blocking in the light and the dark. I am purposely leaving out the base color of the leaves and pine tree branches as I want the fur of the wolf to show through them. Since I will be painting a 2nd. and possibly a 3rd. layer of fur, I am going to wait on painting the foreground until the layers are completed.

Now that my colors of the background and the wolf are blocked in I am ready to paint the 2nd. coat of fur.

     In my next post I will show the 2nd. and 3rd. layer of fur and foreground colors, so check back soon. Also, please feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Painting In Progress | Black Wolf

Masonite (Hardboard) vs. Canvas

This is my newest painting in progress for 2016, of a young Alaskan Tundra wolf. The photo reference below was taken at The Wolf Mountain Nature Center, where I volunteer part time. The reason I loved this photo is because of the expression in his eyes and his timid presence. His look gave me the impression of thinking who is she, why is she here and what is she doing!? But the eyes also struck me as very intense, watching every move I made! A little chilling right? I loved being able to capture that look in this young wolf.

"Tamarack"   Born: April 22, 2015

Male Alaskan Tundra wolf from the Brooks Range region.

 I decided for this painting that I wanted a very smooth surface to work with so I went with a prepared masonite instead of canvas. I use masonite quite often for my paintings as I can control the amount of surface texture I want for a particular painting. I usually purchase a 4' x 8' sheet of Formaldehyde-free masonite making sure there are no scratches or oily spots on the sheet. By doing this, I then can have it cut to the various sizes I want. Some places will even cut the masonite for me at no to little cost, making it much easier to transport in my car.

To prepare the masonite for my paintings, I use a fine sand paper and lightly sand the surface on the smooth side of the board to roughen it up a little before applying my gesso. I apply a coat of gesso to the back and sides of the board first, by doing this it will resist warping and moisture penetration. Once that is dry, I then apply the first coat of the gesso to the smooth side of the board, using a roller instead of a brush. I find using a brush is harder because it is more difficult to sand out the brush strokes vs. using a roller. However, if you want a specific texture, it makes more sense to use a brush. I use a small foam roller, which you can purchase at most hardware stores. Once the first coat is completely dry, I sand the masonite with a very fine sandpaper. Then I apply 2 to 3 more coats of gesso, sanding in between each coat.

Now this may seem like a lot of work, which it is! For those of you who do not want to go through all the work involved, you can also purchase masonite (hardboard) primed or un-primed from any art supplier. I prefer not to purchase from them as it is cheaper for me to purchase my own masonite and have it cut to the sizes I want. I really do not mind the work involved in preparing it for my paintings. But this may not be for you so here are the two art suppliers I do use for my art supplies:

Dick Blick

Jerry's Artarama

Why I choose masonite over canvas? Well I can get a really smooth surface which is perfect for the fine detail of my subject matter's fur. Canvas has what I call dimples that may not give me that smooth fine hair look that I want. With that being said, I do use canvas for some of my wildlife paintings, especially if the animal is more in the background where fine detail is not shown as much or for short hair fur animals. When I am commissioned to do a painting, I allow the client to select between masonite or canvas.

Once my masonite is primed and sanded, I am ready to begin sketching and start thinking of which base color I would like to use. It is important to select the right base color for your painting depending on if you would like a finished product with a cold or warm feel. In my next blog, I will discuss my sketching process and how I choose a base color for my painting. I will also discuss the difference between base colors and how they influence the painting

I would love to hear about your painting process. Please comment your favorite materials you use and why. Also, please feel free to leave any comments or questions!