Charlie Cat Painting-Day 5

© Ellen Blonder

Roughing in the sheets under Charlie.

Charlie Cat Painting-Day 2

© Ellen Blonder

Charlie looks like he could float away right now. 

Charlie Painting-Final

© Ellen Blonder

Now that I've added detail to the leaves under the bamboo and darkened some of Charlie's fur, this finally feels finished.

Charlie Painting-Day 13

© Ellen Blonder

I think this is over ninety percent finished now. I'm getting down to details like brightening blades of grass. Today, I also toned down the leaves in the left foreground and finished the spiky plant on the left.

Charlie Painting-Day 12

© Ellen Blonder

Detail of the upper left corner of the painting, working out details in the leaves.

Charlie Painting-Day 11

© Ellen Blonder

Now that the coleus is pretty much done, I'm starting on the bamboo in the upper left corner. Every color changes how every other color looks, so I'll definitely do some final tweaking all over. The leaves in the lower left corner look way too raw now.

Charlie Painting-Day 10

© Ellen Blonder

The plant at the far right wasn't working, so I painted it out last night. I'm going to replace it with a dark coleus that should recede behind the brighter ones in front of it. Grr--two steps forward, one backward.

Charlie Painting-Day 9

© Ellen Blonder

Working out details on the leaves in between time working in my real garden. Hm, both create order out of disorder.

Charlie Painting-Day 8

© Ellen Blonder

Detail of coleus plant, half finished in the foreground.

Charlie Painting-Day 7

© Ellen Blonder

Still underpainting foliage today.

Charlie Painting-Day 6

© Ellen Blonder

The first layers of paint for the foliage always look a bit raw.

Charlie Painting-Day 5 Detail

© Ellen Blonder

Here's a slight close-up showing the grass around Charlie.

Charlie Painting-Day 4

© Ellen Blonder

Charlie looks happier now that he's in cool garden shade. For now, I plan to paint coleus plants in front and bamboo on the upper left. And he'll be on grass; the brown is just what will peek out between the blades.

Charlie Painting-Day 3

© Ellen Blonder

Charlie's all roughed in. I like his shape so much I'm not sure what to do with background.

Charlie Painting-Day 2

© Ellen Blonder

Here's my reference photo next to my first day's work on Charlie's face.

Charlie Painting-Day 1

© Ellen Blonder

Time to start painting Charlie. I'm not sure what I'll put all around him, but I like him in this position on the 18 x 18-inch board. He has a strong black shape. I'm tempted to keep the background simple rather than filling it in with Hawaiian foliage, but we'll see. I loved sketching on the untreated board, like drawing on brown paper.