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LeccathuFurvicael — Belle
Published: 2010-11-06 03:06:51 +0000 UTC; Views: 1477; Favourites: 65; Downloads: 0
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Description
EDIT: Scanned! YES! I found a large-format scanner at the school library, so I didn't have to stitch the image together like I usually do! Huzzah!
I cloned some of the shadows in areas that the scanner somehow read as light. Strange thing. Also, some of the background got washed out in the scan. This is the best representation of the original so far, though, so I'll stick to it!
This drawing has taken me over the course of two months to finish, and it is finally DONE! Hope you enjoy the new image!
11 x 14 inches, .05 mechanical pencil (4B, 3B, 2B hardnesses). Time: Who knows how long.
Art (c) Stephanie D./LeccathuFurvicael. Do not redistribute, copy, alter, etc., any portion of this image without person and direct permission from me, the artist.
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Comments: 49
It's a wonderful job .... Oh my god ! Just wonderful !
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All of these fine details are magnificent, and I love the contrast of the darkest blacks and the bright whites, it is particularly powerful. You also captured a lot of personality in her face.
I have to ask though, how did you manage those thin white whiskers?
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Thank you very much! This drawing took a very long time, that's for sure, but it was very much worth it. ^^
The whiskers were created by using a sharp-edged eraser to create the small lines after shading in those areas slightly lighter than the surrounding fur. I then would use a mechanical pencil to draw along the outer edges of the erased lines to refine them/make them straighter. Sometimes I would go back and forth erasing and refining. : )
I'm glad you enjoy the image!
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Awgh, that's kind of you to say! Thanks very much : )
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Thank you very much. : ) This one surely took a long time!
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So, I have this idea. Instead of buying a camera, I'm just going to import you to draw the pictures. (:
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o.o *laughs!* Well, you may have to get someone else to colorize them for you, but I guess I could work on black and white photos at least! XD
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Hahaha, I'll get someone else who is all COLOURS and put you two in a box with some graphite and coloured pencils and paper. Sit the box in a field and come back in a few hours to a picture and a couple of starved artists. D:
I'm sure that violates a few human rights conventions.
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*laughs* XD That's pretty hilarious.
Aw, thank you kindly.
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GORGEOUS drawing! Very realistic fur and soul full eyes. I can imagine the patience this must have taken!
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That is very kind of you to say! 
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*laughs* I suppose she does look a little pudgy, doesn't she? XD It's all fluff, I tell ya!
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Can't believe it...all those details.. It's absolutely perfect!!!
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Thank you very much - I'm glad that you like it.
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Awch - thank you!
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Stunning piece here, and not that floaty in my opinion.
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You don't think so? That's interesting to know - thanks for the opinion and comment.
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Ahh, whut can possibly be said. He is so sweet and soft.
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Oh wow. the detailand depth on this is amazing. it actually looks like a photo. (and by that the drawing looks like a photo, not the photo of the drawing. lol)
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That's kind of you to say - thank you very much!
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It's absolutely wonderful and amazingly realistic. I'm definitely envious of your traditional rendering
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Thanks! I think I'll use that idea - much appreciated, and thank you for the kind words.
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Welcome, I'm sure they will! May I ask how much you charge for these?
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I tend to charge what used to be $150 for 8.5 x 11 inch drawings (now $170), and 11 x 14 used to be $190 but are now $210. This 11 x 14 inch drawing got bartered with by my impromptu 'managers' (good adult friends of mine) with the commissioner and this drawing now is going for $250. I'm still hesitant to permanently make the drawings worth $250 as people could get scared off, but I suppose with the number of commissions I'm being asked to do at the prices they are now, maybe hiking them to the $250 price would keep the list a tiny bit shorter, haha. I'm swamped!
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Wow, that's quite a lot
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Don't blame me for the prices, that's for sure - ever since I started these I've been pressed by others to raise the prices - supposedly now they are at a 'fair price' when before they were considered underpriced. It can take a little while to raise prices, but your large fan base should be respectful of your need for reciprocation of your time and effort - you can certainly do it! Thank you very much for the encouragement. : ) If I could give you some of the commissioners I have now, I certainly would!
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Oh, before I forget, how do you go about getting customers for these portraits? Is there a site for it somewhere, or is it all via DA?
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Inconveniently, the vast majority of my pet portraits have been commissioned from offline sources - namely through the adult friends that suggested I start them in the first place. They got my name out to their friends, who spread the word from there. I also had put up posters and left out business cards at pet stores, grooming centers, and other pet-related businesses. As well, the locality of the commissions has mostly been from the Tennessee area, as opposed to my local state Maine - it's all in the audience, and Mainers tend to be much more frugal about their pets. The cat portrait 'Simon' was commissioned via DA, but I think that has been the only one apart from *Wellgarth 's bettas. It has been mostly luck that I have gotten so many hits, really! I wish I could give you better advice - talking and connecting to people and groups that have similar interests and such can help, though.
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No worries, you've helped a lot! I actually just got my first ever pet potrait commission, the woman who commissioned me actually came over to my place together with her dog and some pictures for me to choose from. This is the first time in my entire life that I'm being commissioned by someone in real life xD. It's a really special and exciting experience, I can't wait to get started and she said, pretty much as you pointed out, that if I do this well, she will tell all her friends about me who are also pet lovers :3. So, I'm trying my very best at this one (thankfully it's a Cane Corso, I was worried about having to render complicated fur on my first time xD). I'm working my way through my online commission list, but if this goes well, I might actually cancel the 100 sketch commission list; pet portraits are faster and pay much more.
Thanks so much for all of your replies and support, hon :3. You inspired me to start doing this and I'm extremely thankful!
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Well, talk about coincidental! 
I just looked up what Cane Corsos were, and wow - that should end up as a gorgeous portrait if the dogs I'm seeing are anything like the dog you are being commissioned to draw! And that is definitely agreed on the 'lack of complicated fur' - terrific!
You are most welcome! I am always happy to talk about this sort of stuff with people, and if you need any help with stuff, I may not be the most experienced person, but I can at least give you a perspective on how to go about things.
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Thanks! ^^ I'm really happy about it!
The dog I'm being commissioned for looks a lot like this; [link] . I've almost got the sketch done and I've already learned a lot about proportions and especially dog noses, haha xD. They're funny things.
One issue I immediately encountered though is the size; how do you go about placing the pet on the canvas? I think for next time a good way would be to start with the nose and measure how many times it would fit onto the canvas. Thankfully the sketch just fits on the canvas with about an inch of space left on two sides but it's not really ideal 
Pet portraits are faster in that, for me, they bring up more money for less time xD (relatively). They're also more fun in a way; you get more involved with the people and their pets and you really have to draw from observation, which is very good practice for me. I'm going to keep the sketch commissions I've got now and finish them probably, but I might not go for the full 100 because I just won't have the time with school and the pet portraits besides it.
Thank you very much :3. If there's anything else I'd like to know I'll be sure to ask you first!
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Aye, I tend to use the comparative proportion route to try to place an animal on the page - like you said, using one part of the body to calculate how large the portrait will be approximately is a good way to go about it without gridding the whole thing out.
Ah, I was thinking you were meaning time vs. money comparing the portraits with sketch commissions. Good luck!
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Oh I'm not blaming you for anything, for the quality of work that you create, $250 is a perfectly fair price
Hah, I'd help you with your workload but it wouldn't exactly be a fair trade for the commissioners xD. <3
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Very kind of you to say! Thank you. : )
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