Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini


"Tess," 4" square, commissioned pet portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a beloved grey kitty, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may always come to me.


In my opinion, a portrait is empty if the eyes are. Put all the light and reflection and life into the eyes, and the rest will follow along.


I was reading another artist's blog this morning (Carol Marine, a wonderful still life painter) and she was dispensing advice on how to paint something in particular. It essentially boiled down to painting what you see.


So really look. Squint down and study things. Throw out all your assumptions or prior knowledge, and see your subject as if it's the first time you've laid eyes on it. You might be surprised with what happens.


Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.
Kim

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