This is an 8 x 10 inch gallery wrapped watercolor portrait of “Rocky” the Basset Hound based on a photo by Karen Broemmelsick. Karen is a stellar photographer – I used her reference in my recent violin painting.
People often ask what kind of paper I use for these gallery wrapped paintings, and how it’s done. I use Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper, soaked for about 3 minutes in water and wrapped around Fredrix stretcher bars. When dry, the paper is as tight as a drum. When the painting is finished, I spray on 2 or 3 coats of Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating to protect the painting, so no glass is needed. I learned how to gallery-wrap a painting using this video by Doris Joa. Her work is wonderful – check out Doris Joa’s website!
Read on for step by step photos!
Wet the entire head, avoiding the eye. Allow the water to soak in. Drop in Winsor Lemon, watery consistency over the entire head, except for the nose area. Allow to dry completely. Wet the white area of the nose and forehead. Drop in a watery grey mix of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber. Later on you will barely be able to tell it’s there. Allow to dry.
Dampen the entire head, avoiding the eye and the grey area. Drop in Watery Burnt Sienna over everything except the eye, mouth, and nose area. Dampen the nose and drop in Watery Ultramarine Blue. Allow to dry. Create a map of the fur using light flicks of the point of your brush – Burnt Sienna, creamy consistency. I do this so I don’t get lost later.
The eye: Start with Watery New Gamboge over the entire eye, except for the highlight in the center of the iris and below the eye. When dry, put in a watery mix of Burnt Sienna, still avoiding the two highlights. I put a bit of Permanent Rose at the bottom of the eye, below that lower highlight – basset hounds often have red areas in the eye. When this is dry, the yellow should show through the Burnt Sienna. Use a mix of browns – Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, and a black mix of Ultramarine Blue/Burnt Umber for the darker areas of the eye.
The lower left is created using flicks of the brush – areas of Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, and the black mix of Ultramarine Blue/Burnt Umber.
Dampen the head and drop in darker brown to create facial structure – a mix of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna. Begin to form the features of the nose using the black mix (Ultramarine/Burnt Umber.)
Put in Permanent Rose, creamy consistency in the mouth.
With flicks of the brush, using a mix of Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber, lay in the fur, being careful to follow the proper direction. The fur around the nose is the light grey mix (Ultramarine/Burnt Umber.)
Beginning to put in the darkest areas on nose mouth (the black mix) and between ear and jaw in order to balance out the mid tones.
Details of the eye using dry brush.
Putting in the darkest darks of the head and ears. Right now there is too much contrast, but that will be adjusted.
Gently glaze large areas to even out the color. This also smooths out the fur. Some areas are Burnt Sienna, some areas lean more towards Burnt Umber.
When dry, reinforce darkest areas, add final details, including the whiskers, and it is finished!
Thanks for visiting! If you like this guy, you can find his original painting, along with prints and cards, in THE SHOP.
