This dog is one of two done as a commissioned piece for a collector who wanted an "avocado--the color of old kitchen appliance" green background. Once again makes me appreciate commissions as it may not be a color I would have originally selected and I absolutely love it. It gives a kind of vintage feeling to the portrait.
I started with a black background, light grid lines, and drew the images with a white pencil. Painting on black was always my thing when I first started painting with palette knife, and I'm so glad to be revisiting it again. I love the way the color pops, and love the effect of allowing some chunks of black to peek through. On occasion I will do this with reddish-orange, but really love the black the best. Here are some process photos:
12x12 Oil on Museum Quality Panel
