Once the paint goes on the canvas, the grid disappears. These cats are done in my “goofy cats” style, meaning I use collaged acrylics to draw them. So how do I use a grid when the original penciled in grid is gone? Using one of those quilting rules, I drew up grids with a permanent marker on cut down pieces of used laminating plastic sheets. I hold up my plastic grid to my painting and compare my painting to a digital photo with a grid on it. As I compare my painting to my digital photograph, it’s easier to fix lines and colors by flipping the plastic grid sheet on and off my painting. If you’d like to see some of the custom dog and cat paintings I’ve done, please visit my webpage about them. Click on these sentences to see and get a free eBook of how to work with me for your custom pet painting. Read more about why I began cheating while painting custom pet paintings by clicking these previous blog posts:
I Cheat When I Paint Pets Using the Grid in My Painting Studio 4/6/2022 Using the grid in my painting studioHow I make grids on canvas I now begin every custom pet painting with a grid as I learned from painting dog Nakita. The ruler is a quilting ruler, if you’re wondering. If you need straight lines for any project, this type of ruler beats the school ruler hands down for ease of use! 1. After adding my own layer of gesso, I take out my ruler and pencil in one-inch squares. 2. Using an app, I add a layer of squares onto the digital photo of the pet I’m painting. 3. Once the grid is penciled, I can draw the cats onto these canvases. The unique part of these cat paintings are that they are going to be done in “goofy style,” not “realistically.” The lines will blur when I add the acrylic skins and papers. The grid will still help as I paint and collage in the cats. I’ll show you how I keep using grids in later blog post. If you’d like to see some of the custom dog and cat paintings I’ve done, please visit my webpage about them. Click on these sentences to see and get a free ebook of how to work with me for your custom pet painting. This is the 2nd quilt ruler I have because my blue one was in storage. As you can see, it doesn’t have the lines across in grid style, which makes using this particular ruler very difficult when measuring out smaller than an inch increments. It’s in my studio…but it will spend more time hanging out than being used. If you want a quilt ruler, try to find a version of my favorite one! 3/30/2022 I cheat when I paint petsNakita was the last custom dog painting I ever drew free handed. I spent extra hours repainting her doggy smile. I learned quite a lot from painting her…including that
Cheating with a grid is ok!
I now begin every custom pet painting with a grid. If you’d like to see some of the custom dog and cat paintings I’ve done, please visit my webpage about them. Click on these sentences to see and get a free ebook of how to work with me for your custom pet painting. 3/23/2022 Why am I excited to support El Refugio?Well, dogs and cats are loving. They want to be adopted into safe and loving homes. When they are, these dogs and cats guarantee that you will be loved. Every dog and cat have so much love to give! El Refugio is a very special place for dogs and cats in Costa Rica. Some of these dogs and cats are truly rescued from very sad experiences. Volunteers work from behind the scenes to in person to help and support every dog and cat possible. El Refugio holds spay and neuter events as they try to educate the communities that this is the best way to control the numbers of roaming dogs and cats in the rainforest jungle. As foreigners move in and out of the communities, El Refugio provides resources to help dogs and cats find and keep homes in and out of the community and Costa Rica. El Refugio truly is a special and unique dog and cat shelter. Andy and I love dogs and cats. We will be adopting new family members from El Refugio, but in the meantime, we enjoying supporting them! El Refugio’s official words: 'The goal of El Refugio is to improve the welfare of dogs and cats through rescue efforts, low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, education programs, and community outreach, with a focus of rescuing and rehabilitating homeless, abandoned, and injured dogs and cats." For more visit this link: elrefugiocostaballena.com
You can see some of their characters Instagram @elrefugiocostaballena 5% of my painting sales go to support El Refugio. The dogs and cats send their thank yous! I am excited to invite you to Christmas in July, brought to you by Abandoned Pet Rescue. It begins with a Zoom Party, today, at 5pm. You can see all about it here: Why do I like Abandoned Pet Rescue? Because they take care of dogs and cats that others cannot. They have a fun, caring community built around these dogs and cats. They usually have in-person events, but since it is 2020, Zoom and virtual events are the way to go.... All during July this year, I’ll be donating 10% of any painting sold to Abandoned Pet Rescue. In honor of Simon, Ghost, and Tuxie…three cats that rescued Andy and me. Please check out the links and others at the event. I’ll post more about them this month, too. You can see lots of different paintings or order your own pet painting: Goofy Cats Seahorses Abstract Palm Tree Paintings Eekee Monsters for Adoption See you there and online! Your ticket is in the scan code, or here: https://us02web.zoom.usj/84904403272 or
Visit Abandoned Pet Rescue's Website (under events) to check out the local vendors that are participating in Shop Christmas in July: https://abandonedpetrescue.org/shop-christmas-in-july/ 🎅From July 1 - July 31, a portion of sales from these generous vendors will be donated to APR so please get ready shop during July to support small businesses and help adoptable cats & dog at Fort Lauderdale’s No-Kill Animal Shelter. 🐶🐱 🎅Vendors will be showcasing their exciting products and gift ideas in Shop Christmas in July Kick-Off Zoom Party on July 1 @ 5PM - register to join the fun: https://aprshopchristmasjulykickoff.eventbrite.com/ |
CategoriesAll Art In The News Art Studio Cats Classes Costa Rica Painting Painting Studio Pets Sketching Drawing, painting both analog and digital, and other artsy things while living in Costa Rica.
You can follow my blog the easiest by adding your email to my list by going here. I keep that list secret because I don’t like spammers, too. You’ll even get things that I don’t share in my blogs! |