Watercolor Update - 02

Recently I conducted a workshop on painting watercolor portraits here in Central Florida. The goal of the workshop was to teach methods and techniques of painting the portrait in a loose, fresh and quick manner. This method requires unique brush control and moisture control.

Here is the demonstration painting I did for the workshop. It is a duo-tone (two color) painting of my son Andy:


















While painting a loose portrait has its unique advantages, I also like to paint portraits in a tighter more realistic manner using some loose elements. Here is a portrait of a good friend Karen:


















Here is a dog portrait I recently did for a lady. It was a gift to her husband, a soldier, who is returning from Iraq. The dog was retired from the Army after ten years of service. Typically know as an IED (road side bomb) sniffer, this dog, saved her handler's life on many occasions. It was painted as a tribute to her service. When the Army retired the dog, she was given to the handler's family. For me, a dog lover, it is a wonderful story with a very happy ending. Soon both the dog and soldier will be re-united after their service and return home. She is a Belgian Malinois...I painted her proud...of her service.