History of T-Bone in Paint

I come from a large family and we are closeknit. My 4 siblings and I live within a 15-20 mile radius so we've shared multiple experiences and attended numerous family gatherings. This has allowed for me to watch my 6 nephews and 1 niece grow from birth to present. I have taken the opportunity to paint them over the years and recently finished a graduation portrait of my nephew Tanner Jack.

As I was posting it in my Art Newsletter this month I realized I have probably painted Tanner more often than any other thus far. I thought it would be fun to see the metamorphasis of not only Tanner, but my painting style as well. As I was putting this together I found how awful some of my early photo quality was and there is also no photo record of a large painting I did of him when he was around 6 years old. I will have to rectify that!

So here it is... a history of T-Bone in paint! (My nickname for him)

T-Bone is the tow headed boy on the right with the red shovel.

My youngest nephew, Grayson is wearing a red sweatshirt on the left.

T-Bone playing on the beach of Whidbey Island

In this group painting that was done of all 6 grandsons as a gift

 to my Mother and Father, T-Bone is the boy on the lower right corner.  

The oldest boy is now 31 and the youngest 16.

 T-Bone with his older brother Cameron with their dog Sparky back in 2004.

 T-Bone as one of my "Victims" in my FACE Project in 2012

in which he was named "The Insolent Tuber"

(see more about this on my website by clicking here)

Graduation portrait of T-Bone titled:

Tanner Jack: An Unfinished Man

Even Cowgirls Have Dreams

"Even Cowgirls Have Dreams"

16x12 oil on linen

To be exhibited at the Out West Art Show

March 18-21, 2015

Great Falls MT

My inspiration for this painting came from a young cowgirl named Liz. Last summer I took a workshop from her father, cowboy artist Charles Dayton,  located on his family ranch in Wyoming. For 5 days we painted everything from landscapes to horses. But my favorite moments were when Liz sat as our model cuz I love to paint people. This portrait I did using a photo resource and the color study from a live painting.

While working I took pics along the way to demostrate the my process of this painting. The title, "Even Cowgirls Have Dreams" stemmed from the conversations we had during her sessions. Liz is a talented high school athlete with dreams of playing volleyball in college and my background of playing and coaching this sport made for a fun exchange.

Anyone interested in taking a workshop from Charles can do so by registering through the Jackson Hole Art Academy.

When using paint to draw I like to use 2 colors:

Dioxazine Purple and Transparent Iron Oxide Red.

These work well not only because they are both transparent colors,

but also because one is warm and one is cool.

Being able to indicate temperature as well as value during the initial

stages can help the later process flow more smoothly.

Above: End of the drawing stage

Below: beginning of the color stage

See more of my work at www.cherylkingstudios.com

How to Photograph a Cat

Recently I put it out into the universe for people to send me their cat pics for possible paintings. I knew I might be opening up a can of worms! Most people love every picture of their cats, but even a good photograph does not always make a good painting (and vice versa). It's been fun seeing all the adorable cat pics sent to me and it is obvious why cat lovers are so devoted to their feline friends! But I thought it might help to list out some simple rules for getting the best shot possible for a painting subject. So here goes!

1. Good Light Source: This is the MOST important factor. Flash photo or flat light is a recipe for disaster. Natural light hitting the subject from any angle but directly above or directly in front is good! Sunny days make a strong statement either indoors or out. Cloudy days are tough but a high thin cloud at least makes interesting colors and a subtle glow. Days in between bright sun and clouds are optimal because you get shadows as well as good color.

2. Design: Getting down to the level of your cat is great. Lay on the floor and snap many different angles. If shooting from above make sure the shapes are interesting, not just a lump of fur. The one above works because of the shadow designs. Don't worry about the edges. I will crop as I see fit. (The original pic is below and the cropped version above.)

3. Props: As cute as it is to you to see your cat wearing bunny ears or costumes or sitting in a cardboard box, these props do not lend themselves to a beautiful oil painting. Think of your cat as a model for a classic painting that can hang in a museum. How would you portray him or her? Take a look at the pic below of the cat looking out the window and see what I mean. This is a very appealing and romantic composition.

4. Camera: Today many of the cameras on phones take good quality shots. Poor quality photo resource = poor quality painting. I prefer an SLR digital camera, but whatever you use make sure its the best you can come up with. The awesome thing about digital is you can take a hundred pics to get that one perfect photo!

5. Have fun with your cat!! Hang out with them for a good while and see what they do. When I do a photo shoot I ususally spend up to an hour with them, playing, hanging out, snapping away. I let the cat dictate what will come of it and usually they deliver!

This photo shows good design because the shapes around the cat and the 

shadow make it interesting. Also the light catches just one side of the face and 

lights up his eye magnificently, creating a focal point. 

The cropped version is at the top and what I most likely would

personally do to paint it in my style. 

 Even though the light in this outdoor shot is from above, the glow created in his fur makes good value changes from light to dark and shows the color that bright sunlight would bleach out.

 This kitty lounging in a sunlight window is photographed well. 

The eye travels well around the entire shape but the glow on the fur near

 her face creates a focal point. 

 Cats don't always cooperate and sometimes it's good to have an assistant.

These 2 photographs show how you can sooth a cat by having a friend 

pet her. Have your camera ready! When the moment is right

your friend can pull back their hand and viola! You have your shot!

Here is an example of a poor quality photo for a painting.

 This is the same cat as above. Even though she is very adorable

and the owner probably would love this pic, it wouldn't

make a strong painting. The light is flat and the angle awkward.

Another couple of examples of cute photos but not well suited for paintings. 

This cat cracks me up! Look at that expression! I suppose this would

work well for a contemporary piece but the flash has made the face 

too one dimensional. But still....what a character.

Now that I have outlined my advice for good cat pics....feel free to share them with me!

Send them to Cheryl King: redfriend1@msn.com

Who knows....your cat may end up featured in oils! 

Check out my cat paintings at www.cherylkingstudios.com

Game of Chase

"Toby and Henry - A Game of Chase"
24x24 oil on canvas

Toby the Collie and Henry the Dashshund are the best of buds! They live on the rural paradise of Whidbey Island where dogs rule and parks are plenty. I took a long walk with them and their owner one fine day last August to take resource photos for this painting. 

The challenge of creating a composition with two very different size dogs is tricky. It comes down to finding the correct perspective and shapes to balance the awkwardness of their disparities. Then there is the difference in their personalities. Henry is full of the dickens, darting around with lightening speed and agility. Although Toby is the same youthful age, he is blind in one eye and more cautious. He absolutely adores Henry and keeps his good eye on him constantly.

The thing that struck me about Toby was the way his long luxurious hair swayed when he was on the move. It was quite captivating! Henry rarely was without the tennis ball lodged in his mouth. When he returned it to be thrown again he ran as fiercely as an Olympic athlete in pursuit of gold. He could put many a Labrador Retriever to shame with his intense focus on this little green ball!

Capturing animals in motion is another aspect I love to do when painting. Digital cameras have come so far and have the ability to snap quality pics at great speeds allowing me much more freedom to pursue my vision. During this same photo shoot I also got some great shots of Henry from the side. Of course these also showed him on a dead run with the ball in his mouth! I decided to paint a very small one to enter in the Randy Higbee 6x6 Art Show that occurs at Randy's gallery every December in Costa Mesa CA. 

Painting that small was excrutiating at first since I normally paint large. I ended up painting a total of 5 (all different subjects) and 4 were accepted. I was thrilled that the one of Henry which I dubbed "Weiner on the Fly" even garnered an award! Having a long haired Dachshund of my own I am particularly smitten with this pose and have seen it often in my Homer. Doxies have an attitude about them, they are big dogs on short legs. I nicknamed my guy "The Weinerator" due to his opinion of himself!

"Weiner on the Fly"
6x6 oil on linen
$300