Cocoa the Rottweiler

06/06/2010

Here is a painting of Cocoa, a Rottweiler who lives with a friend of mine from work.

Painting on a small canvas is a challenge for me to begin with. Fitting this entire 100+ pound dog was even more difficult, but I really wanted to paint the whole dog, and I'm a little disappointed I had to cut off his front paws. But I do like how the canvas feels a bit crowded, which lends to the size of the dog.

I really struggled with this painting Thursday evening and all day yesterday. Once again, the result felt stiff and fussy. So this morning I completely wiped off what I could and glazed over the whole canvas with a thin wash of brown, leaving just a hint of the basic shape and features.

I then took off for AC Moore and bought up some more paint and canvases, not intending to paint any more today. However, I picked up my brushes again when I got pack, seeing that the glaze had dried, and about 1/2 hour later, this was what I had...

I'm so tempted to work into it more, but I can already tell that if I do, it will start to get muddy and fussy again. So I really have to fight myself to leave it alone now.