altheau

Ok, thanks for the info. I will definatly be looking for a diffrent printer then. Canvas prints would be awesome, but at the moment I am just looking at Matt paper prints on some really nice fine textured paper for a reasonable price. As for the framer talk about the stuff nightmares are made of, I want to learn how to frame myself so I know it is done right, I am scared to death of someone ruining a piece of work that took so long to create. I had a got a print from reb bubble that was a bit on the darkside, I thought it was just how their prints turned out, maybe I will have to try another and see.

Oh no I hope it was not to bad, I was hoping to use Genius to do prints of my art. I have come to realise that finding a good source for prints is quite hard. sounds like I might need a back up as i can not stand bad service either.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say I think it works here because it makes a part of the photo that was originally a bit flat or dull, more alive. I am refering to the top corners of the photo. The dog has natural great contrasts between dark and real blacks, but the top of the photo, the greenery does not have the range. Adding in the darkness to the top has created some real blacks up there as well which I think makes it pop more. just talking from my point of view, working with graphite (where all you have is a tonal range and texture) this is something that has really started to stand out for me, and i wonder if that is why I think this photo more with it, but others I think it looks like a waste becuase the photo already has such great contrasts and pop. Just a thought from me any how (a newbie with no real idea about photography)

Thanks guys for your encouragement. I still smile about it. You are so right, and where as before I thought we were getting no where, now I can see the sky is the limit as long as we just keep plugging away at it with patience on my part We have had a great chrissy visiting family and are looking forward to the New Year =] Hope you all have a great Chrissy and have a fab New Year =]

Just thought I would tell everyone cause i am so happy. ;) This morning when I took my dog for a walk she offered up a great loose lead walk, infact she even walked for quite a bit with her shoulder at my leg (so not in front) and I was not even walking fast. I know that alot of people probably think this is not much, but for me it is fantastic, especially since we got jumped by three swfs on Saturday (lots of barking, right in her face, I almost tripped over on of the little buggers they where that close) and she walked away calmly from that one as well (normally there would be hackles and uncontrollable wiggling after we got past) she gave me a great sit just down the road of the incident as well, just looked up at me with her typical dork expression (mouth open tounge out ;p) super calm (my heart was going ;p) I know that we have a long way to go to get it perfect, but this morning was such a great step in the right direction! Merry christmas everyone, have a good one, I have already got my best pressy

I agree, it looks great, love his eyes.

Well I am taking advantage of the post about 3 dog ones and 3 non dogs ;p Dog ones And non dogs ones from Europe

Does Frodo just have one flower pot, or does he go through them? He is the best character. =]

HAHA classic

aww I love the one in the grass. awesome shots as usual!

WOW he is gorgeous!

Here are a few pics of leaping Yuki

WOW this is really great, The following points are only to hopefully help with improvement. Your work is something you should really be proud of!! If this was my painting I would consider this The black on his tail is not blended in the same fashion as some of the other colours. so I would be putting in a few strokes so the colour blend into each other, as the black is from his black hair and the tan and black come together in more of a feathering of colours. You almost have some at the end of the tail but I would do a bit more. Also I would put a little shading tone between his butt/back leg and tail. If you look there is a line of tone that is almost the same colour that runs from the hock of his leg up around his rear slightly (encompasing the light coloured patch and I think helping to blend it in better) which helps to easily separate his tail from his leg and rear visualy. Lastly I would consider taking advantage of some of your higher contrast areas as these can really make a picture pop out. eg I would add a bit more darkness to his right ear (the viewers left) there is actually quite a bit of black there. Also i would darken the black in his muzzle on the same side as I think it could be at least another shade of black darker. Also I would put in the highlights in his eyes (they are in the comming from viewers right at the top of his eyes) this will also lift a flat picture. Actually I just realised you did put in tiny little highlights I would do a bit more with a little more tone on the coloured part of his eye. The last thing is this, generally I find on faces that in areas of shade there is also highlights (reflected light I think) look for these they add dimemsion to the picture (such as under his eye on viewers left) Hopefully these few things help, but you don't have to implement any changes to this picture, and it all depends on how much time you want to spend on a piece and how realistic you are going for. Great work!

So I have not updated this thread for a while. Life has been a bit here and there and some things have turned out as expected and others not so much if you know what I mean ;p I just wanted to let all the people who offered pictures know that I am still hoping to draw them all. But I am also hoping to start a business when I get back from Europe so . . .I wont be posting in this thread any more .. I will pm you about your pictures. =) I still need to practise =) I have started to really pour my heart into the pictures I am drawingt now and they take alot longer now. The below picture took me 50+ hrs (it is quite large) and this one I am working on will take at least 20 I think, but with practise the time should come down =) Any how just thought I would let you know where I was up to, and tht I had not forgotten about your beautiful dogs =)

Well this pica of my dog is finally comming together I have not started anything else yet, I have decided to get this one finished up as we are off on holidays soon and I would like to get it done before we go.

Thanks for the lovely comments! These are the logos that Wazzat Xolo and I have been working on Hopefully they look alright on letters etc. Will keep ya posted soon with my latest pica soon

LOL yes lots of gorgeous doggies now! Thanks for all the lovely comments, I think I am going to start another smaller potrait tomorrow, but her is my latest WIP of Yuki

Sure pm me your e-mail addy, I will see if I can scan in a better quality copy for you. I am sorry that I did not do it on better paper, but I suprised myself as to how well it came out. But I do have that other pica you posted up

lol Moosepup, he is so cute. I like all the sleeping picas in your sig =] Fainty Girl, your tilly is so sweet. I love her markings. both are definatly on my list. I have started a new pica (that I think will need to be fitted in between other stuff as it is so big tis my doggy Yuki ( I got in trouble from my oh for not drawing my own dog, but she is brindle so I am not sure how it will turn out) 6hrs of work so far

don't forget that JB and Clive Anthony's are basically the same store BUT the clive Anthony's here give a better price at times so still check with both. If you are taking action shots I would definalty consider a high speed memory card and then a cheaper backup card if you can't afford 2 fast ones. Check your pc/laptop before you buy a card reader as there might be a slot for an SD card already if it was purchased within the last 2-3 years. Clive Anthony's also have a better range of bags (such as backpacks etc as well as the standard bags) jb only have standard camera bags.

Thanks for the lovely comments =] I am really glad you like it Shell, but then he is such a lovely boy he makes the picture =]

Finished Zero YAY =] onto the next puppy =]

Phew I will get this finished evertually =] thought you might like to see an update That is a lovely photo shell, he looks lovely with his ears, will have to mark this one to do later :D

Yeap it is snot, he is so easy to draw with his cute expressions ;p Sketch of Justice Decided to start some more detailed work Zero WIP 1 Zero WIP 2 Shell, you have to try and stop cutting off Zero's ears in your photos I was not going to use this one cause he has lost the top of his ears in it, but decided it was to nice not to

Added a few more drawings Justice wip Unfortuantly I realised 2 things here, I was never going to get this picture to look like Justice ( sorry JS, have to try again =]) also I could not complete the picture without smudging it as I started filling the fur in from the wrong side Tilly Unforutantly I struggles with the angle in this picture, and the far eye, definatly something to work on =] I am hoping it is obvious who this is =] Unfortautnly and fortuantly the new sketch book I bought is not much good for detailed graphite work so it is forcing me to stick with just outlines and working on proportions and angles. Thanks again for the picas =]