Quality brushes are important tools the pet portrait artist just can’t do without, their technique and artistry relies on them. High quality artists brushes are quite costly, so it’s crucial to ensure they’re kept in good condition for as long as possible.
Whilst it is essential, cleaning is in itself is detrimental to the brushes so, if an artist has to interrupt the painting process, say an hour or two, it’s better to just load the brush with fresh paint and either wrap it with cling film.
There is a specific skill in attempting to capture the sense of movement in a still image like a painting. It’s a problem that, for artists who specialize in pet portraits, are only too familiar with. Although, if done correctly, it will greatly contribute to the effectiveness of the image being created.
Artists using water colours, if they’re producing landscapes, portraits or indeed pet portraits, will traditionally go for a high quality water colour paper as a support. One of the points to consider when buying the paper is what weight to go for. Paper weights, which are measured in Pounds, are based on the weight of a ream of paper, a ream being 480 sheets.
Artists working in pet portraits have a few painting surfaces to choose from, but if you’re working with water colours the best option has to be water colour paper. The making of high quality paper for artists has become an art form in itself and undertaken by skilled craftsmen. Among the best are those that are hand made and provide artists with a choice of surfaces to suit a variety of painting techniques.
Easels should help make the life of the pet portrait artist much easier, by offering a secure support for their canvas, at just the right height and angle. However, there are a number of varieties to choose from, each one designed to meet the particular needs of the artist whether they are in a studio or outdoors.
The most versatile is the sketching easel.
