Lily with Bodhi and Crackle

Lily, my grand niece, wanted to show me her chickens and was followed by Bodhi, her family dog, constantly taking a protective stance. My snap shot was filled with background clutter, a lattice with colorful plants and dramatic high-contrast lighting, especially on the dog. For visual unification, I chose a mauve Art Spectrum Coulorfix full sheet and began with a warm sepia wash to unify the composition and mass the shadows. As the piece developed, I kept the focus on Lily's eyes, down-playing any harsh shadows on nose and mouth to reinforce her childhood spirit. I added more subtle shading to the dog's face and developed more contrast in the original monotone white chicken as a note of interest for her hands. I chose to complement Lily's diagonal posture with a vertical post of the wall behind. The surrounding plants remained in shades of mauve. Her colorful boots were a timely finishing touch to her personality and a visual note of weight to this full length portrait. For any lines suggesting Lily's hands, arms, or features, I use a sanguine conte pencil.

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Pastel Paper Used