CREATING A CAT PAINTING
Oil on Aluminum
I love it when I come across an amazing photo on Facebook that a friend has posted of their cat or dog! If it really moves me I will ask permission to paint it. I was down in Central Oregon at a friend's cabin when I spied this one. The owner of Rojo the white cat was gracious enough to give me permission and I began immediately!!
I had timed my visit perfectly as the smoke from the devastating summer wildfires had recently cleared and the days were golden beauties with sparkling clear blue skies. I'd packed my paints and easel and we set up together outside her cabin, my trusty spaniel Nugget lying nearby, ever alert for a chipmunk chase!
Lately I mostly paint on aluminum. I love the smoothness of the surface after I prepare it with a primer. The brushstrokes are gushy and show exquisitely, allowing for a loose spontaneity I strive for in my work. Since I often paint small these days it is important to be equipped to handle it. I use a Soltek easel when traveling and I have this remarkable magnetic board that fits into my easel, allowing for the aluminum pieces to be held in place, the photo resource magnitized next to it.
Simple and easy ~ that's how I like it!!
I begin with a sketch using my oils...I can smear it around and erase with Gamsol as I work.
I try to keep the sketch fresh and loose...it I start too tight then I will paint tight.
This does not fulfill my goals.
*Setting goals ahead of time is key. Like an athlete envisioning how they will perform on the field...an artist should envision how she/he wants the finished product to look and how they will go about accomplishing that end.
When adding the main body of color to the painting I do not always start with the darkest darks as I was originally taught. In this case you can see I began with the lights and the mediums. I try not to be too confined by the drawing, letting the brushstrokes overlap, especially where I want the edges to be lost. I use larger brushes at first and keep my strokes broad.
As this painting progresses I push the darks and the cools. The photo resource is very warm, therefore I must search carefully for cool tones to enhance the warmth, and also I punch the darks to give the cat more gravity and contrast. I want to keep some of the roughness of the strokes and edges, but I also need to refine areas, particularly in the face as this is my focal point. The brushes I use are getting smaller and smaller at this point. I am not at all interested in copying the picture exactly. I could care less about the pattern of the quilt the cat lies upon and instead I create patterns of my own that will lead the eye and add interest to the cat, keeping color harmony in mind. Using different directional strokes can also be very effective but I must use these with thought and care.
When the end is near I like to use a very thin and long bristled sable brush
to add some "caligraphy". The whiskers and fine hairs that catch the sunlight are prime places I focus upon, being careful not to draw every single hair. I use my finger to blur the edges along carefully chosen areas of the cat's body while the paint is still wet. If I overdo it...I can always tighten it with an edge! Knowing when to step away from the painting is something that only comes with time and experience. These days I prefer to step away sooner rather than overworking it. I can put it aside for a few days and look again with fresh eyes...knowing better at that point on what to keep and what to refine. The blue stroke on the blanket under the cat's nose is a stroke I applied early in the process and chose to keep. The photo resource did not show it but the light is cool so I used artistic license and ramped it up. When the eyes of a subject are open there is a natural draw. For me, with the cat's eyes closed, it helps to add excitement and a strong lead in to the face of the sleeping cat.
I may or may not make further adjustments to this one. For now I am happy!
