Bernese Mountain Dog Portrait – Baron

Dog Portrait Bernese BaronDog Portrait of the day, Bernese Mountain Dog, Baron. Ever since my first attempt at finger painting with oil paints earlier this year I have planned to revisit both this reference photo and this technique, applying lessons learned during my first ‘finger-painting-play-day’.

Yesterday felt like a ‘re-boot’ day so armed with wet-wipes, dust-sheets, plastic sheets, tissues, latex gloves, a damp cloth, a couple of trays and a fresh canvas I set to work.

My 2nd foray into pet portrait finger painting was a much more organised and methodical affair than my first dabbling. I had a better idea of what I was aiming for and how I hoped to achieve it. I wanted a brighter finish than my first attempt and aimed to avoid using any black at all this time, to keep the colours clean and vibrant.

Blessed as I am with sausage fingers (I could never have been a pianist !) this technique really does force me to let go of the details and concentrate on the emotion, and the whole project can be completed in a few hours so it really does feel like taking a break. The oil paint takes months to dry so it’s a case of paint it, put it somewhere safe and out of the way to dry and then forget about it for a while.

So, now that I’ve rebooted and recharged what’s next ? More finger painting for sure another day, but for now a more detailed drawing of Baron from the same photo of course !