Child with Cat Picture

Hi All,
One of the types of artwork I've done over the years are portraits.  In the age of computers that we live, I still enjoy working with the traditional materials.  An instructor I had, once said he preferred traditional art materials; that he wanted to be able to smell the paint and lick the canvas.  Although it wasn't a literal reference he was making, I understand the sentiment.  Over the recent holiday season, I got the opportunity to do a nice portrait on board for a client.

Recently I was commissioned to produce a portrait of a child with the family's pet cat (who were laying together).  The original photograph was adorable, but the requester wanted an image that didn't have the arm (holding the cat in place), and also an original artwork keepsake she could cherish forever.  Given the flexibility to create as I saw fit, I decided to do a mixed media piece (a combination of pencil, airbrush, colored pencil).

I started with a piece of hot press illustration board (with enough tooth to take the pencil), working the image with a combination of hard to soft pencils.  Mostly 2H, H, 2B, and 4B (harder leads are lighter, softer leads are darker).  The original photograph was a nice photo, so I could use it as a sole reference, and the cloth made for an interesting back drop with a lot of folds and wrinkles with good shadows.

Working the piece with hard to soft pencils first - getting a nice base for the final artwork.

After finishing with the pencils.  Nice contrast in the cloth folds.

The next step is to work in the airbrush.  I have an Iwata Custom Micron-B that I like for this kind of work.  It allows me to get in close with a fine line or further away for wider areas of painting.  I used Golden and Comart transparent airbrush paints.  First - I use a transparent shading grey, and go over the folds and dark areas of the subjects and the cloth.  I also wanted to give it almost a sepia tone effect, using yellow, brown and orange - over the lighter areas.

Using the Airbrush to add color to the image...giving it a warm antique feeling.

When applying the final touches, I use some soft colored pencils to add a hint of color in the child and cat (and the cat's elf hat).  Then finally I go back in and apply more black to add darker shadows around the outside border and in some of the folds.  

Finally - here's the final picture....Child with Cat.  Mixed Media; 18" x 24"

Contact me if you'd like to commission a picture for your own home collection.  Have a great day. 

Final Artwork - next goal - become a better photographer.