Day 13 | "Baby Its Cold Out There"

“Baby It's Cold Out There”

6x6” oil ($75)

If you are looking for dogs and cats to paint, look no further than the webpages of the animal shelters.  I didn't realize they sometimes dress them up for their photos!  




I should know by now that when I have a couple of paintings that go well, I shouldn't start to think I have this painting thing down.  Because it never fails, the next painting doesn't work.  I started a painting last night of some neat birds and the harder I tried to make them work, the worse it got.  So they will be recycled and I started over with this cute black lab this morning. 

Art Note:

I've added Ivory black back on my palette, but much to my surprise its not working well when I am painting black dogs.  I have been mixing brunt umber and ultramarine blue for my darks, but while it works for darks, it isn't black.  I've gone back to the "black" I've was taught as a teenager and used for years.  Phthalo Green and alizarin crimson. Its a nice very dark cool black.  It makes a pretty gray and of course the gray depends on the ratio of the mix.  If I want to warm it up I add a little burnt umber. 

I don't know about you, but I always thought the spelling of Phthalo is strange, so I did a little research.  I found out it is short for Phthalocyanin.  Thank goodness they've shortened it!!