Need black lab help. This is the practice piece and I used

[GreenPartyVoter]

another dog as the pose model. Aside from unfunhousing the nose, working on the mouth, and making the eyes bigger, how do I make this one more like Maggie in the snaps below?

Also, another friend suggested painting on a page of 11x15, but I only have Strathmore pulp in that size. I have Arches cotton in 9x12 hot and cold 140, and also 300 cp. Would you do this on cheap paper just to get the size?

She was a sweet girl. Used to walk my boys home from the school bus drop off, then I had to walk _her_ home because she wasn't supposed to follow them LOL

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Work on the eyes.

In the painting the right one is a little higher than the left one and just a touch too far to the right. It's been my experience that if the eyes aren't exactly in the right place the whole piece looks a little off. More contrast would help a bit too. Black is tough to work with, especially in water colors.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Yes, I noticed the eye dropped. I often get it right with pencil

but lose things as the paint goes down. I'm going to do heavier lines on the next one. Mostly I am nervous that if I had trouble making an exact copy of a model, that tweaking to make it look like Maggie could be really tough. But I love this pose and happy expression, and that's how I want to commemorate her for her parents, so I am taking on the challenge.

[LiberalLoner]

3. This is beautiful just as it is!

I would use the good paper because all of your art deserves the best paper, best supplies in general!

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Thank you! I'm definitely breaking out the Arches 300 for this one.

[mopinko]

4. use the good paper. duh.

also, she is black, paint her black. use a small number of strong white lines.
the eyes, nose, and mouth have color. but yeah, she's a black dog.
my sister is a pro photographer and i asked her once how you can take a picture of a black animal and she said- light it from the back.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Yeah, I feel like it's a duh. I might do the 300lb as it could give me a little more room for

corrections. I think big might be cool, but I don’t want to wrestle with more pulp. I’m definitely going blacker, but I do like the granulating effect of the sodalite. I might mix some stains in with it.

As for white lines, I’ll mask a few plus pupil highlights.

[LiberalLoner]

7. If you love granulation...check out Daniel Smith Lunar Black for a nice dark color!

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Thank you! I have it on a dot card, but I can get similar

results with umber and blues or stains and the sodalite. But I might get some LB in the future if I'm ever feeling plump in the pocket. LOL

[LiberalLoner]

20. Those watercolor paints can get expensive, that's for sure. But those Daniel Smith watercolors are

So incredibly pigmented and wonderful, aren’t they?

[mopinko]

10. i learned as much about art from bill alexander and the magic of oil painting

as anyone. dont think i ever saw an episode that he didnt say-
if you vant to show light, you have to have dark.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Very true. I don't mind her darks not being all neutral black. Warm

and cool blacks to help show the light are my goal.

[mopinko]

13. oh yes.

there are many blacks. i tend to favor the warm ones, as w most colors.
there are 2 reds on the color wheel which few people can tell apart.
one if my favorite color. a true color.
the other is just, just, the opposite.

a few steps down that wheel, and the contrast is not there.

but, ya know, lights and darks.
warm and cool.

to really put it on paper, you need to see both. and use that.

[bif]

8. My two cents

I'd make the shading on the inside of the eyes a bit darker so they look a bit more recessed. Other than that, I'd say you're pretty darn close. Nicely done!

[mopinko]

14. keep sharpening your eye, friend.

for art to be true, you must see clearly.
no art comes to those who dont first see..

[lunatica]

9. Good luck

You’ll do fine.

[mopinko]

15. ikr? just dont stop, and you must arrive.

[lunatica]

16. ?

I have complete faith in all the artists who post here and many gave very good advice. Did I sound snarky? I certainly didn’t mean it that way. So if I did I need to apologize!

[mopinko]

17. oh no. did i?

i mean, my first thought was ikr? but thought i should say a bit more.

[lunatica]

18. What does

ikr mean? Let’s start over.

[mopinko]

19. i know, right?

[lunatica]

21. LOL!

Absolutely!

[mopinko]

22. lady, one of these days we have to meet in meat space.