DJ Geribo

I recently got a commission to paint a dog. It is a referral, which are the best kind of commissions to get. This means I did an animal portrait for someone and they loved it so much they told someone about me and now that person wants me to paint their pet. 

So far I've only done the preliminary work - drawing the dog onto the tracing paper and then onto the surface where I will complete the portrait. I typically spend two weeks on a portrait. I spend a week working on the preliminary work and then getting a rough beginning for the portrait. That is where I am now. The rest of this week I will finish the portrait and 'fine tune' the details. 

Then next week I will spend a lot of time looking at it each day and making my final touches, making sure it resembles the photo I was given. I also need to put a spacer and a mat around the portrait to create what I call 'a sandwich' (since it is made up of several layers). Since I use a velour-type paper, which I love for pastel portraits, I do not spray. Some framers do not like to work with pastels at all, and even less so if they have not been sprayed. I would recommend you find another framer because a really good professional framer will be familiar with a variety of media. 

Animal portraits make a fantastic gift for people who, like me, love their pets!