Squirrel

[Anna Marie]

I originally posted this on the critique forum but they must all be busy being creative so I've been a bit cheeky and wacked it on here too!(I need to finish it so I can start another one!)
Hi, I hope I am getting this right I am a bit of a Virgin at posting messages on this Forum.

I am finishing this picture of a Squirrel off and have a couple of issues.

1) The Photo I copied from is in a book so I dont have copyright so how do I stand with ownership of copyright etc ?

2) I am currently working on Pads of A4 paper and as I am teaching myself by reading books I am a bit unsure about other types of paper I should try. I have read lots of the forums but am a bit drowned in information so if I have started with Ingres what should I try next?

3) and finally... I have a habit of getting to this point in a picture and then spoiling it so where should I go from here. My main problem is that from the photo the little chap is sitting on an uprooted tree and I am guessing at what it looks and feels like from the photo. If I make the background trees as dark as they are in the photo then I will lose the contrast especially on the Left hand side so I have decided to try and keep the Squirrell and tree in the foreground by blurring the background trees. How else could I send the trees back and keep the Squirrel sharp and the Focus of my picture?

[rapolina]

I like your squirrel very nice and full of life!
i'm just starting with pastels: which tecniques did you use?
bye, rapolina.

[Anna Marie]

Hi Rapolina thanks you made me put my thinking cap on becuase I just got stuck in and did it but thats no help to you is it.

Initialy I made the drawing with a pastel pencil then I applied paches of light and dark in the background and smudged them with my fingers.

I blended the squirrel in with my fingers and then put more color on in little dashes using a pastel shaper to drag the colour to get the effect of the coat.

I have put a final version up on my entry in the critique section of the site. I put some of the oak leaves in the background by using a pair of nail scissors to cut a couple of Oak leaf edge shapes out of an old envelope and then holding this against the paper dabbing on some pastel and pushing it into the template edge with my fingers.

I am not completely staisfied with the final version but I did it for my Mum because when she was in hospital this summer the only thing that kept her sane were the squirrels playing outside her room and she loves it!

[Javier]

Anna Marie, a very nice painting -- great colors, and an excellent subject choice.

The Best,

[ptantono]

Hi Anna,

Have you tried to post this in Animal/Wildlife Subjects forum? You will get more comments in there.

I love your squirrel and the back ground. The color is beautiful. My only comment is the tree, may be it will look nicer if you could use dark brown instead of black or burn umber for the shadows.

Overall, it is a great painting .

Look forward to see more of your works in the comming future.

[ptantono]

opps I meant raw umber . I could never remember the colors names.

[ThinkSeeDraw]

I think this picture is really good. The one thing that caught my eye was around the 'hands' The reddish brown (i'm not even gonna try and guess that color!) seems to make the face look odd. It should really a greener shade so that you can tell where the background ends and the squirrel starts. Other than that, wonderful job!

[Anna Marie]

Thanks for you feedback.
I have adjusted some of the picture and taken ptantono's advice and posted the revised on the Animal and Wildlife Channel.
I agree about the Brown being too black. I am still building up my pastels collction and couldnt find a shade I liked but have now dumbed it down a bit.

I am leaving it in its present state as I never know when to leave well alone and have tied my hands behind my back on this one.

P.S a friend has just said the magic Phrase do you do Commissions and asked me to do a portrait of her dog a Lurcher
my knees are knocking with Excitement my last Commission was for a bottle of wine and a bar of chocolate should I up my price ??

[ptantono]

Looking from your squirrel I think you will do great with your friend's dog. I dont know how much you will charge her but I think you should charge as much as you could and of course if she could afford.

Dont forget to show it to us .