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Mr. Fuz Zy Pants is going through hell. A painting in progress.
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Achieving a likeness is key to portraiture--with animals as well as humans. Mr. Fuz Zy Pants, my granddaughter's cat, has his own unique measurements as well as colorations I spent my studio time today measuring and measuring again. I spent time discovering the color and the values intermixed in his fluffy coat. Oddly enough. I learned yesterday that Mr. Fuz Zy Pants had gotten a buzz cut. His long hair had gotten so full of tangles, the razor was the only way to make him caressable again. Though he now looks like a mix of cat and poodle, I kept with my reference photo and continued measuring and remeasuring the relationships between features and distinctive markings. The length of his his coat will grow back. The relationships that make that cat that cat will remain in the same place. To achieve a proper portrait, I have to get them right.
And you might have to cope with a moult as well. Get it finished, stop work and dealing with living life.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, carry on the way you do and keep us all interested in your day to day living your life as an artist. We love it.
I don't have to cope with anything Mick. He's not my cat. I jut have to get his fur believable. --Actually, portraiture doesn't really lend itself to daily posting. Beginnings are interesting. Finished is better. I haven't quite been able to quit the habit. I do like to see what you'all are up to.
Deletecoincidentally I painted a cat today...they are a challenge, but I enjoyed mine as you are enjoying yours...! I love the strong light on Mr. Fuz Zy Pants.
ReplyDeleteI saw your cat. I liked your cat. They are a challenge--actually softness and blended divisions is the bear. I still haven't found a totally satisfactory brush fro that--not even the fan.
DeleteLooks great! Great colors and light! I'd love to see his poodle haircut.... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm pushing the color and hamming up the lighting. I'd like a picture of him with the cut as well. It was just flashed in front of me. I didn't get to closely examine the tail which looked like it had a ball of fur on the end. Weird.
Deletewow echt heel mooi mijn compliment lieve groetjes Danielle
ReplyDeleteThanks Danielle. I wanted to do a portrait of the cat for my GD, but it had to have her in it to keep me interested--even if she is in deep shade.
DeleteThis is fantastic! It really captures the character of the cat :)and I love how he is bright while the woman is in shade. Like Judy I am also intrigued to see this poodle hair ;)
ReplyDeleteMe too. I only got a quick look at a snapshot. I looked for it on FB, but my granddaughter didn't post one. I thought that would have been a photograph worthy of posting. I'll keep an eye out.
DeleteLove it, Linda! Wonderful weird composition that is so interesting, Mr. Fuz Zy Pants in the spotlight and magnificent, it is a glorious painting.
ReplyDeleteIt is a weird composition, but how else do you make a cat look interesting in his portrait? Usually they are just elements in a setting. I wanted focal point supported by shaded directives. Thank you so much.
DeletePoor Mr. Fuz Zy Pants... he probably doesn't like his haircut, usually pets don't. If he was human now wouldn't be a good time to see his portrait with all his lovely fur been painted boldly and beautifully, at least not until his hair grows again :)
ReplyDeleteIt's becoming very beautiful Linda!
Hugs and Smiles (and ouzo, though optional :)
I thought maybe I was starting to overdo yesterday. I had to photograph the painting and reproduce it here to see what I actually had been doing. I have punched his colors in the reference photo and lowered exposure of the girl. I wanted her as background with a few very muted highlights for directives, for balance. Hugs and smiles and ouzo--as long as I get a water chaser; stuff goes down strong, but I love black licorice.
DeleteThere must be an odd atmosphere in your garden!Trees half as autumn and half as spring are exceptional events!
ReplyDeleteNow the cat even is half with-fur and half fur-less!
The portrait of Mr. FuzZy is very lively, JUMPS off the screen!
The sun here occasionally interrupts the gray that dominates everything, and my colors and my friends posts, keep me company.
Good continuation of your Art study and your Art work,dear Linda!
Cats jump. Tree are supposed to lose their leaves. This one branch is just holding strong to its flowers and its greenery.
DeleteIt's pretty gray and rainy here. We seem to be on the cuff of hurricane Sandy. It poured last night and the wind howled. I'm hoping the weather calms down for tomorrow, Halloween; I'm planning to dress for my lunch date. I really do miss having kids around for this holiday. I loved making costumes from scratch so they'd fit over their parkas. I loved turning the house into a haunted castle. I loved wearing a wicked costume and scaring the children while a tape played winds blowing, cats and dogs howling and bats soaring,flapping
screeching. Plus I didn't mind picking out all the kids' double bubble gum from their bags. I adore blowing bubbles. Sadly, it's been a while since I got to do my act and hand out Milky Ways.
Reading the news from bloggers I realized how this hurricane is affecting so many places in the United States.I hope all is calm, as soon as possible.
DeleteI am so close to your feelings of nostalgia!
When you've been through what we are still going through, the things and people we enjoyed and loved become so very important. I'm going to lunch with a high school friend tomorrow. The people who knew you when are the dearest. The relationship is deep. We knew each other when we were in our formative years making fools of ourselves,learning, living through it and becoming... The conversation picks up where it left off fifty some odd years ago. Amazing.
DeleteThe cat is coming along nicely. I don't paint animals, but I can see that pets has personality too. I think we are more fuzzy with the likeness of a person, but what do I know. =)
ReplyDeleteYou don't. You have no grandchildren who asked you for a portrait of their cat. When grandkids ask, grandparents deliver, if they can. With this, I can.
DeleteBusiness-wise, a large number of people like portraits of loved ones--that includes everyone in the family, alive and dead, as well as pets. Business-wise decoratively: this year's trendy colors are very important to know and use on your palette. Having selected decorative art for clients, this designer knows they like art that matches their room decor. It should be a pleasant scene.
Now, art collectors are totally different; they buy from their hearts OR according to who's hot and who's not. That avante garde artist, who's an investment that will pay off years later, is the one who wins the buy.
I'm a from-the-heart collector. But unfortunately, my walls are covered with my work. I own only seven paintings by others in a house where guests have remarked, 'You really have a lot of terrific paintings.' There are a lot of different categories in the art business. We artists each choose to which one we wish to cater. I've chosen the images of loved ones that people want to hold on to.
I think Mr Fuzzy Pants its excellent and the spector behind him is perfect for Halloween. I just painted a wolf in acrylic, and just like you, now I need to paint a bit more coloring in the proper places in the hair.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bitch going back in. That was my experience today. Poor cat lost an eye!
DeleteI used to have a calico cat just like the one you painted :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Agnes. I had no idea what kind of cat that is. I should have known, but not being a cat person, I never paid attention till now when I'm paying a lot attention to it. My GD adores that cat. She took it to college with her.
DeleteWhat a beautiful cat... Mr Fuzzy, will be fuzzy again...
ReplyDeleteI don't know, he's missing an eye today. As usual, I found my measurements needed correcting, so the cat lost his right eye. I'll have to fix that.
DeleteI think Mr. FP is looking great, Linda! He must be a sight right now though - clipped like a poodle. OH ... the shame of it! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I was hoping I found a pic of him on FB, since that is something my GD would post, but nothing. I'll post it if she does eventually add it to one of her many albums. He was a sight to behold.
DeleteHope you are safe and well, Lynn. Been worried about you
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the support lasr week - much appreciated
Why worry? Have I been acting strangely? I'm fine--actually, very fine. I've been thinking about you. I lost my younger brother five years ago. Ellis lost his younger brother too about the same time. Life is not suppose to happen like that. Now it's just Ellis and me who remember all those family events with the laughs,the arguments, the sorrows and always the love. It would be lonely at the top, if it wasn't for the automatic bonding that happens whenever we run into other members of the Snow-on-the-rooftop Gang. Lucky for us, it's a big one.
DeleteSandy worried!
DeleteI love how the cat just pops out of the painting!
ReplyDelete