Such a unique friend and companion - part of the family.... we follow the making of a portrait head of a very special dog for a very special occasion ... superlative doubling intentional!
The making of a Labrador Dog Portrait Head
Such an intelligent and soft look...
Here we go on the cause to make a portrait head sculpture of this lovely family friend. First a selection of the key images and much study. A little like an iceberg - much happening behind the scenes.
Front
Side
higher ear-set
A key design image
Then the drilling, cutting and fixing of the steel rod and wire to support the clay
Next the fix of the wire and first clay
First Clay of the sculpture
Comparing with the Lovely Original to see the topline of the Labrador Dog
And the first build on the width
Just seeing how far to go!
but as with all project starts - keep going!
And the scale - Life size - 12" ruler
You can see the use of pins as we fill out the profile of the dog sculpture from the front view
The line of the front of the ear is sketched in to check on proportions and you can see that the eye socket is developing. Fine details of the shape of the nose and forehead will be attended to once more of the width is built up.
Another good series of sessions and filling out of the neck area and cheeks and some to the muzzle of the Labrador dog.
Next more study of proportions and measurements.
These sessions and we have a dog!
I have cut support mesh for the ears and have just set them on temporarily - what a difference they make.
A decision will need to be made about the neckline.
More intense sessions on the Humphrey clay and many details of the planes of the face and cheeks especially are coming into place.
A good series of sessions and much more of the planes of the face are thickened out.
The ears are only sketched in
Pins back in key places
The eyes in and ears sketched back into place
MORE Intensive sessions begin
All the connecting surfaces need to be checked and gradually added to and amended.
The next sessions also included more work on the eyes and a beginning of those eyebrows.
So we now have a Labrador portrait head and are starting to see the characteristics of Humphrey
More intense sessions on the Humphrey clay and many details of the planes of the face and cheeks especially are coming into place.
Also the beginnings of those eyebrows.
We are also about ready to fix the ears on permanently.
It is hard to see all the work - but the sides are being brought to the same levels.
Including the shape of the lower jawline. Working in the fur of the eye-brows
and forehead.
Time to begin the details of the eyes
and the start to make his nose and chin
The eyelids are added and the eyebrows started to merge in. Hours and hours to put in all the finer details and the beginnings of the key look of the hair.
