A while back I mentioned taking photos for a dog portrait commission. It has taken a while, due to moving, busy summer schedules, and whatnot, but I have finally gotten a solid start on it.

The eyes and ears are looking pretty good, but the nose and muzzle are a little off. The muzzle is ever so slightly too long and the nose needs to be angled just a hair. I’m sure there are other things that could be worked on, but those are the most glaringly obvious problems. From across the room, the painting already bears a striking resemblance to the real dog, so I’m confident I’m on the right path.

Aside from getting this painting started, I’m also excited to be doing a slower layered painting. I’ve done so many quick alla prima paintings this year that I’ve lost a little of what I love about oil painting. I love the process of going slowly, building depth though many layers and really seeing my subject.