Friday Challenge - Painting our Pets

Most of us have a special pet, someone who is always attentive and loving. Pets are a challenge to paint since they move often but with cell phone cameras we can freeze them so we can paint them easier. As an additional challenge this week I would like you to paint some quick sketches with only your paint brush and no pre sketching with pencils. 

Try to capture the shape, movement of the dog or pet. Do several quick paintbrush sketches and if your pet stays still long enough you can add more details. I managed to catch Chloe on a quiet day when she was relaxing out back with us. You will notice she isn't perfect but I captured the moment and in a sketchbook that is the key! Feel free to use my photos if you like and enjoy. 

 This is one of her favorite poses! OUCH

 Sometimes by changing your photos to black and white it will help you see value changes that color sometimes hides.

This is a page in my sketchbook of Chloe laying out back! 

Okay, you know the routine, add your photos when you are ready, I can't wait to see them!

Friday Challenge- Birds of a feather

Birds are great to draw or paint. Whether you like whimsical or realistic they are fun to do. It seems that they lend themselves to just about anyones style and you can make them almost any shape and it still seems to work!

I love that they can fly, that they are sometimes just wildly colored and other times they are just plain Janes. 

 Sometimes I have paint and sometimes I have just pencil

 Sometimes its not pretty at all, its documenting life and sometimes death with birds. 

Their silhouettes often give them away as you can often tell what kind of bird it is just from its silhouette! 

So this week paint a bird, or a part of a bird, a feather, a bird feeder. Anything that sings to you! Lets see what we can come up with!