This painting was done on a 6×8 canvas panel, and is based on a photo I found on Pixabay. The blues I used for the lake were Phthalo Blue (Red), and Anthraquinone Blue.
Based on a photo by Couleur from Pixabay
Author: cathmary1030
Beach Boy.. after Ali Kay
I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m a VIP member of Fresh Paint, an online art class/community led and taught by Ali Kay. This painting, which I did on an 8×8 canvas, is based off a template and black & white reference photo that I downloaded from the Fresh Paint site in December 2024. (I can no longer find it on that site!)
In any case, I had already toned this canvas with an orangey pink; Ali Kay uses a magenta as her background. Basically, I copied her painting as far colors are concerned. For the skin color, I used Raw Sienna by Liquitex, mixed with Titanium White. The blue is Light Blue Permanent, in Liquitex Soft Body format.
Sailboat at Sunset
I painted this on an 8×8 canvas, based on a reference photo I got from a Fresh Paint lesson (by Ali Kay Studios). I mostly dry-brushed this work, and did not follow the Fresh Paint lesson at all, preferring to use the reference photo.
Tuxedo Cat – Calling it Done
Okay, I’m done with this. I revised the background, modified the eyes and nose, and added whiskers, and ear fur (dry brush). I wish I hadn’t used the red for the undertone, but it is what it is.
Reference photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash
Tuxedo Cat – Work in Progress
I am painting this on an 8×10 canvas which I toned in a cadmium red hue over a year ago. It’s based off a photo on Unsplash that was then enhanced (eyes yellower, shadows bluer, etc. etc.) by Ali Kay of Fresh Paint. (I’m enrolled at that virtual classroom for some of Ali Kay’s lessons.)
Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash
Toddler Wearing Bunny Ears
This was done on an 8×8 canvas panel in shades of Golden’s Burnt Umber and Liquitex Raw Sienna. The actual color of the background is not turquoise, but rather a mint green (Phthalo Green Blue Shade and Titanium White) along the lines of the green color in the Adobe “Cutouts” image below.
I cropped the original photo to focus on the face, then used the Cutouts option within Adobe Photo Essentials, and then transferred the image to the canvas panel. What is most off from the photo is the nose and mouth; I’ll have to redo that and see if I can make it more exact to the contours of the child’s face.
Photo by Zena Ghosn on Unsplash
Plum Blossoms
This is painted on an 8×8 canvas panel. I found the image on Pixabay and really liked it.
Image by Peggychoucair from Pixabay
Let’s Face It 2026 — Week 4 – Rework
As I said in my last post, I did end up going back and modifying my painting from the 4th weekly exercise of Let’s Face It 2026 (taught by Laurie Johnson).
My goal was to blend the paint more thoroughly in the face so that there wasn’t such a harsh change from light to shadow. The new version is on the right.
Let’s Face It 2026 — Week 4
I did this portrait in acrylic on an 8×8 canvas panel as a part of the 4th weekly exercise of Let’s Face It 2026. It was taught by Laurie Johnson. I modified the reference photo in Adobe’s Photo Essentials, using the “Cutout” feature (set at 4) to make the skin shading lines. (Now I need to blend better!) I am thinking of redoing the whole thing. We’ll see. (In the meantime, she looks better in miniature.)
BetterLateThanNeverArt 