The Making of Einstein

A previous client commissioned me to do a pet portrait as a Christmas gift to his parents. The subject was a beloved family pet from his youth. Einstein was affectionately described as a "big pile of fur." I worked from 4 photos taken about 15 or so years ago.

I tried to take photos each time I stepped away from the easel for a drying session, but towards the end, I got time crunched and forgot.



Step 1: The base coat of Flexible modeling paste and acrylic applied with a palette knife. Water-down acrylic is then used to draw the outline.

Step 2: Paint background. I chose a neutral, non-objective background to keep the subject prominent.

Step 3: I blocked in the basic color and value of the subject paying attention to large masses of color.

Step 4: Fur and details start to emerge. From this point until the end, I forgot to photo. After I got slightly past this point, I realized the background was too vague and needed almost a "wall" or implied space behind the subject. I deepened the colors and the shadows around Einstein. I also spent several sessions getting the fur right around the face. Towards the end, the client viewed the work in progress and made suggestions towards fur coloring, facial shape, etc. The final step was to take a small, liner brush and add spots of tiny fur ends to really help the fur take shape.

The final Einstein is a 20" x 16" acrylic. The recipients were so pleased with the result that they have commissioned me for another family pet.

Einstein, acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"