August 15, 2025

Hi Laurel,

Your painting is finished!!

I’m very pleased with it. I think it has a great feeling of lightness and spring, and I like the way you and Zara seem happy and connected.

Last time you saw the painting

Previous detail of you and Zara.

Final changes.

Finished detail of you and Zara.

As you suggested I raised the top of your shorts just a bit and narrowed your shoulders. Plus I added a highlight on your hair.

On Zara I made her tail longer and I tidied up the right side on her muzzle. And I added the leash.

Please let me know your comments using this link. When the paining is finished, it will need to dry, be varnished, and dry again before it’s ready for pick up.

I can’t wait for you to see your painting in person!

Best,

Linda

July 27, 2025

Hi Laurel,

I’ve made a lot of progress on your painting of you and Zara and I wanted to get your feedback before I put on the finishing touches. Overall, I’m very pleased with the painting; the colors, values and composition. I think it has a really happy feel..

Color block-in that you saw last time

Detail of you and Zara.

Progress to date

I thought this would be a good time to get your input because while I feel that the proportions on you and Zara are close, I do think they need a bit of tweaking. What do you think?

Please let me know your comments using this link. Once I feel your painting is finished, I’ll email a photo for final approval. Then it needs to dry, be varnished, and dry again before it’s ready for pick up.

I can’t wait for you to see your painting in person!

Best,

Linda

June 16, 2025

Hi Laurel,

I’ve finished the color block-in for your commission of you and Zara. This stage of painting helps me to evaluate the main shapes and how the colors work together.

I included the first two photos because I thought you might like to see the process to get here.

I started with a golden underpainting, did a loose drawing, and then place dark values.

I resized you and Zara a bit, and completed the dark values

Finally I added the lights and adjusted some shapes and values. The colors are blocked in with larger brushes, focusing only on color and big shapes.

From here I’ll add more nuance, darker and lighter values, and more detail in the focal point and some other areas.

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. Does anything concern you or look off? How are the proportions of you and Zara?

Any and all comments are welcome. Click here to email me.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.!

Best,

Linda

May 16, 2025

Hi Laurel,

This is your webpage for your commission. I’ll use this to show you sketches for approval, progress photos, and the final artwork. It’s a great way to keep track of where we to make sure we’re on the same page.

This first image is your value sketch. It simplifies the dark/light shades that I’ll use in the painting into four values: dark, medium-dark, medium-light, and light. I created it in Procreate, a digital drawing app.

The value sketch is the foundation of a painting, and in my opinion, is the most important step. That’s because the arrangement of these simple value shapes will:

  • Show how the painting reads from a distance

  • Determine how your eye will move around the painting

  • Use value to emphasize the subject (You and Zara), and to entertain the eye.

I included a skyline in the background in white to imply a city scene, and to give some rectilinear contrast to the organic shape of the palms. Let me know if that’s okay.

Below are all the images that I use for reference. Thanks again for your terrific photos of you and Zara!

Once I have your approval, we can start talking about colors. What colors do you like in the original painting and what would you like changed?

Please let me know what you think about the value sketch and the colors using this email link.

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best,

Linda