20/12: LAST CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT 2011

I was asked to lengthen Maggie's mane a little, then the portrait was approved.   This is how it looked in the two different size mounts/mats.  Ignore the shadows around the edges of the mounts/mats - they're simply laid on top of the portrait for demonstration purposes and not fixed

The smaller mount with aperture 14 x 10" to fit standard frame size 18 x 14"  (which is what I call my 'medium' size)

and this is how it looked in the slightly larger mount - aperture size 16 x 12" to fit standard frame 20 x 16".

My client preferred the larger mount so it has been packed up and despatched to the Post Office  this afternoon for delivery tomorrow.

Although that was the last of the Christmas commissions I will be working on the terrier I posted about recently, and also I will finally get back to a couple of graphite commissions which have been relegated to the back burner for a while.  

Charlie's mum is pleased with the likeness but has reservations about the colour of his coat which she feels needs to be a little darker so I've been doing a little work on that.  It is always difficult gauging fur/hair colour when relying on photos taken at different times of year/different light conditions etc., and its even more frustrating that colours will look different depending on the viewing monitor/screen.     Poor Charlie dog was woken from his nap on the bed to be sat next to the photos I'd been emailed so my client could confirm which photo showed the coat colour most accurately.  I'm told he was very confused by it all!!   

I will be doing my usual Wednesday voluntary day job at Pilgrims Hospice so will work more on Charlie on Thursday.   I'll then try to scan/stitch the portrait to get a more accurate picture to email to Charlie's mum.  Taking photos, even with daylight bulb lamps, at this time of year is very hit and miss.