Otter Mug Shot

"River Otter Mug Shot" 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Gessoboard 

Collection of the Artist

I'm pretty sure there is going to be  River Otter series because after spending most of my day painting this little guy, I still want to paint another one. 

During the process,  I almost did a complete scrape off, but there was this little tiny voice screaming...no, no, NO.  Instead, I scraped a little area and took my time when I repainted.

They say you learn something from every painting and that is very true with this piece. With this painting came my first successful attempt at building angles with the brush - notice the forehead of the otter, this is where I moved the loaded brush from the bottom to the top.  I also varied the pressure.

With all portraits, the eyes have it.  I had to work harder than normal to capture the innocent eyes of a River Otter.  Also, you'd be surprised at how quick a River Otter can morph into a Seal, who can then morph into a Walrus if you don't pay strict attention to what you're doing!