|
The Most-Asked
Questions About My Work
1) How do
you do these portraits?
Simple. First I spend my whole life learning and practicing my art. Then I spend several days putting tiny lines and dots of ink on paper to recreate the exact look, personality, spirit and soul of each individual animal. Nothing to it.
Oh, you want more specifics? Well...
I work from photographs; your photos will work just fine **IF** you follow some simple guidelines including:
Take sharp CLOSE-UPS, make sure they are well FOCUSED, taken in GOOD OUTDOOR LIGHT, and
that they show plenty of **DETAIL** and accurate color.
Although my art is complex, its
tools are very simple. First I do the drawing with a special,very fine-pointed,
artist's pen and permanent India ink. When the drawing is completed, I color the portrait with repeated layers
of watercolor washes to give a rich, warm color to the portrait, adding a lifelike 3-D
quality to the original drawing. If you would like details of the drawing process, follow
this link to "A Work in progress".
2) How long does it take?
I usually tell people that the only true reply to that question is: "Fifty years, so
far." By this I mean that it has taken me that long to learn to do what I do, to
develop the skills and techniques that enable me to produce quality artwork. A more
straightforward answer would probably be "three or four days." Of course it's
not possible to work constantly at something like this -- my eyes or my hand would
certainly rebel! I can work for several hours at a time, then take a break to do other
types of work such as packaging portraits to ship, answering correspondence, handling
record keeping, and so on. I can do approximately three finished portraits per week and
still have A Life As We Know It. Turnaround time varies, depending on how many orders I
have on my waiting list; call or e-mail for an
estimate of how long it will take to get your portrait to you.
3) Don't
you get bored with it?
No.
4) You DON'T??
Not so far. Do you get bored with the things you love to do? Is it boring to visit with
your friends, or watch the beauty of the world around you, or practice any skill or talent
you've been blessed with? Since so many of my subjects are Border Collies, most of whom
are black and white dogs, people who don't know them think they all look alike, and
drawing them would be repetitious. My answer to that is: get to know them. Once you do,
you'll realize that no two of them are alike, even littermates. Even if their coloring and
markings are similar, their personalities make each dog unique, and my portraits reflect
that. That's what I mean when I say I draw "not just 'a' pet -- YOUR pet"!
5) How long have you been doing this?
All my life so far. I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a crayon and have
been a full-time professional artist specializing in animal portraits for about
over 20 years.
6) My pet isn't famous or especially gorgeous; would you do
his portrait anyway?
Of course! -- if you love your pet, he or she is gorgeous to you! I do all breeds of dogs,
as well as horses and mules, guinea pigs, birds... anything but cows!
7) How much does it cost?
The smallest size I do is approximately 8" x 10" for $175. Larger sizes cost a
little more; check the "Sizes and Prices" page for specifics. I can also do
composites - several animals in one portrait. If you are looking for something
really special you should check out my "Biography
Portraits". That information is also on the Sizes and Prices page.
8)Do you have
any other products available?
Sure do. I have a lots of products based upon my artwork. Border Collie products can
be found at the BC Styleyes web site and other dog
related products can be found at the Canis Major
Art web site. I hope to have products based upon non-dog artwork in the near
future.
9) Where can I get in touch with you?
Write to Raven OKeefe, 39562 Highway 226, Scio, OR 97374; call (503) 394-2021; or e-mail
portraits@ravenokeefe.com.
Hope to hear from you soon!
