CHARLIE - OIL PAINTING PAWTRAIT (IN PROGRESS)

written by Jen Reichle

ARTIST NOTES

MEET CHARLIE a handsome dachshund gentleman with a traditional Scottish Highland appeal. The first thing I notice about him are his big puppy dog eyes with those fun expressive brows --this is a dog with distinct character and wisdom. The second thing that draws attention is his unique wispy brown coat with a red tint that blends into a blackish-grey color around his neckline. To complement him, I plan to paint a strong highland background that accentuates his colors behind his traditional Scottish Highland Tartan fashion.

PENCIL SKETCH I began working the canvas with a basic pencil sketch. His face looks straight forward with quiet confidence. He is dressed in a classic highland men's dress with belted plaid, otherwise known as the breacan-an-feileadh. Dressed to impress, he also sports a sporran, belt, and chieftain feathered hat with his kilt. The color of his tartan will reflect the lighter colors produced natural dyes that were used in the earlier history of Scotland.

​BACKGROUND This painting is set in the rolling hills of Scotland. Known for it's lush green landscape and abundant rain, the first layer of our Scottish background sets the stage for beautiful green hills beneath and scattering rain cloud sky. After this basic layer dries, I'll add a few tree details and begin on Charlie's base coloring.

CHARLIE FOUNDATION Now things start getting exciting -- I've started painting Charlie! This is just the most basic foundation layer to get the his underlaying coat colors and shading just right. His eyes are left undone because these require the most attention and detail, so I save them for nearly last. After this layer dries I can begin to add the details with individual whisps of hair and further shading.

ATTIRE FOUNDATION here comes the Scottish heritage. You can see the finished tartan on his hat band while the red on the kilt and sash are still drying. This foundational layer of his attire is just the beginning, the next stage is a lot of fun details!

Sit, Stay, More on the Way! This painting is currently in progress and this blog post is updated live as each stage is finished.