My latest painting, this is a memorial portrait for a purebred yellow lab named Odin. Odin passed away at the age of 12 and a half in December and while the clients like both my Totem and portrait work, they felt a portrait was the best fit for the memory of their dog and I’m inclined to agree. As a result, there is no whimsical grin or exaggerated expression. He is painted as he was, a senior gentleman with his own character. While the size hasn’t been decided yet, the final print will be on canvas, which is how I feel my work is best represented in print. As I’m a sucker for furry faces and cold wet noses, memorial paintings are sometimes a little tough, because I know what this kind of loss feels like. As such, I tend to spend a lot more time making sure it’s as good as I can possibly make it given my current painting skills. I enjoyed painting this portrait a great deal and it might just be my best work to date. Most importantly, however, the client is happy and said that I captured Odin’s likeness and personality.
Without fail, whenever I finish a pet portrait, I get a number of commission inquiries. Here’s a link to a blog entry I wrote recently with current pricing and details. I painted this with Photoshop CC on a Wacom Cintiq 24HD display. No photos were used in this painting, except for reference. It was entirely done with brush work.
Finally, here’s a closeup of Odin.
