When begining a painting artists, including pet portrait painters, will embrace many techniques to produce different visual effects on the canvas. Many of these techniques have been used by artists for centuries and have particular terms to describe them. The following listing outlines a few of these terms and the principles upon which they’re based. Read more »

Because of the live condition of the global economy and the ever increasing movement upwards in gold prices , it is no wonder people are rooting out their used Gold, silver and other precious metals and are pawning them to cash 4 gold refineries in an effort to come up with some additional cash to pay down their extra bills and credit card accounts in order to meet their next payments.

Assuming you are experiencing the same situation you will want to cautiously do your homework before trading your unwanted jewelry to just any gold brokers because there is a large number of unscrupulous players in the gold buying industry who will without conscience prey on your financial situation and give a small percentage for your precious jewelry.

The fact that this behavior may not be a scam, it is however, immoral and unethical and I want to warn those of you who are considering getting rid of your used gold, silver or platinum jewelry to be certain to avoid businesses that are acting as gold brokers and to deal only with refineries or cash 4 gold businesses that have their in-house refineries

The fact is, cash4gold businesses are simply acting as middle men between you and a metal refiner and as a result they will give you in the area of 30 percent of the market price for your gold or silver jewelry and turn around and resell it back to a gold buyer themselves and they will be pocketing the larger share and in turn you receive a couple lousy dollars. Read more »

Even with a picture ostensibly simple such as a pet portrait, an effective composition is all important for the completed painting to work. As with any part of the painting process, the way it is approached is what singles out the great painters. Often, good composition is the result of a natural process: when the painter creates a picture that is pleasing to the eye is is most probably down to the fact that the artist has ended up with a composition that conforms to traditional rules. Read more »

With most artists, pet portrait painters are a careful bunch and, whenever they get the chance, like to look for the ways to save money. Watercolour, in tubes or pans, is relatively expensive for the artist to buy. However, it is possible to save money by making your own relatively easily. Read more »

Whether we paint pet portraits, family portraits, landscapes, or house portraits, we all like to believe our pictures will endure the test of time. Using a high quality linen, that is properly prepared with several layers of gesso on both sides and stretched over kiln-dried hardwood stretchers, they can last a lifetime . However, with the best will in the world, it doesn’t matter how well you prepare your canvas, it will always be vulnerable to damage through inadvertent pressure on the surface causing dents or even tears in the canvas. Read more »

Pigments used in the preparation of paints are true pigments, meaning that, unlike dyes, they have form. They come as a fine dry powder, and should be free from impurities. Artists’ paints use pigments derived from many sources, traditionally this used to be naturally occurring stone, earths, metals but over time many have been replaced by man-made materials which provide a more permanent and stable pigment. Read more »

Pet portraits in oil can be varnished to create a protective layer that protects the picture from the atmosphere, it also produces a uniform finish, whether gloss or matt. Over time a varnish will itself be attacked, collecting dust and dirt, sometimes cracking and eventually discolouring. Hence, any varnish has to be easily removed and replaced with a fresh coat. Read more »

The oils used by pet portrait artists and others are called drying oils. These are vegetable based oils that, when exposed to oxygen, produce a solid film which is resistant to the atmosphere and many solvents. Oils dry out really slowly and although the paint film is touch dry inside a few days, it may well take a few years for the paint to get completely dry. Read more »