-January 2010

-14"x10"

Gemma's portrait was commissioned by a lady who had previously commissioned me when I first started my portrait painting business, and all these years later she came back to me for a painting of Gemma, her partner's German shepherd.

I was provided with a very clear and stunning photo to work from. The photo was taken at dusk so it brought out the rich colours of Gemma's coat and made her eyes and wet nose sparkle! It really is worth keeping an eye on the weather and attempting to take a photo of your pet in this evening light as it is extremely flattering. Also, the more colours that appear as a result of this golden light, the more realistic a result can be gained from the portrait. Which is ironic really considering I used more blue and purple than black to describe the black areas of Gemma's face! The saying is very true though, that artists use lies to tell the truth...