When the family dogs visit my house they love to stare out the front windows lusting after squirrels, other dogs, maybe a quick chomp on a passing neighbors leg as they stroll down the street?! Who knows what they are thinking. But the dogs hold still and just stare making them perfect subjects for a sketch.
This is my nieces dog Scooch a lab chow mix whose recently went over the rainbow bridge. It’s nice to have sketches of him to remember this great dog that traveled the world with their family and watched over the kids as they grew up.
Superaquabee sketchbook Noodlers pen with Deartrementis document brown ink. Tomboy pens.
Margaret off to Atlanta to see the new grandbaby. Xoxoxoxo
At the High Art Museum in Atlanta is fantastic. Each painting a jewel.
15×22″ Spent two and a half hours chasing Chelsea as she would turn from full frontal to the right. As soon as she relaxed a little she would loose the pose because she was twisted in her seat.
First break. NO pencil. 😵😵😵Rough block in on Co fluid watercolor paper. 140#. The paper is really a bargain for great paper. Six full sheets for $24 on amazon. Always dries just about flat no matter how soppy wet I get it. 
Second break not making a lot of progress. Adding more darks and the blouse. Lack of progress I think that was due to the continually rotating head. No excuse for that left eye. But an easy fix on this hp. Most hot press would not let you move it at all. One shot and you are done. 
Last break. That left eye shoot me. But I brought it around. Add more darks to the hair which was ultramarine and burnt umber or van dyke brown. Also I didn’t want to get the shadows dark since that would age her. She has quite a very young face. Deep shadows age people in portraits especially babies. 
Before I darkened the sky to make St Maclou pop. I also added a red orange mix – cad red light and cad yellow light – to the church door to demand your attention. Aka focus your eye. 
Still needs a lot of work on the left building but thinking right buildings may be done. 
Adding the people. I used Cheap Joes Andrews Turquiose and cad red which are opaque colors to make the jackets stand out all of which I dry brushed on taking advantage of the opaque color. 
adding details and detail washes on buildings. 
detailing buildings 
Dumped my photo into waterlogue to see if it would have a clue or two on how to paint. Love the red building but it would detract from my focus the church. 
Have always thought this could make a great painting. Rouen Cathedral in waterlogue. A free ap that turns your photos into watercolors. Sometimes doing s great job sometimes NOT. 
The sketch which took forever. Drawing on rough paper is NOT easy. especially when you want alot of straight lines.
Another artist painted St Maclou back in the 1890s. He turned the square in front into a fairytale story book like setting.
Not six months later Theo died and was buried next to Vincent.
My evening visitor. Zoe did NOT like him a bit. I think he or she is kinda cute. Just a little small young raccoon.
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 