Barnie

Barnie on a dirt road.
Acrylic on canvas. 12" x 16".

I was asked if I did paintings of dogs, and having never tried, I didn't know the answer. So I gave it a try.
Barnie appears to be a poodle.

The photo I worked from had good contrast but limited in detail and color. Except for the tongue.
I really liked that tongue.
Initially the tongue was a very intense pink and dominating the painting, but I was advised to tone it down so I worked a thin layer of black over the pink to drop the intensity, which worked out well.
(There was also a thin string of drool hanging from the mouth, but I decided it would be best remove that.)

At one point the dog's color morphed into a rich chocolate tone, but that wasn't accurate for the dog's actual coloring, and I worked over the surface to lean it back towards black.

The colors used were burnt sienna and burnt umber, a red oxide, yellow iron oxide, cerulean blue, and for the first time, black. I've had the the tubes of oxides around for a long time, but rarely used them. They behave a little differently from other colors in the intensity and opacity.


I'm pleased with the texture in this painting, and discovered possibilities for using black paint. I have always avoided black because I found it to be too "flat". Layering a black wash over other colors can yield some interesting and effective results.