Painting a Portrait of MaliNalli

 Our Xoloitzcuintle dog, MaliNalli Copali, is about four and a half years old now. Each day she brings us joy—along with her soul-brother, Avión, a mongrel we saved from certain death as an abandoned puppy around the same time Mali came to us. The two could not be more different. Mali is sharp, alert, protective, extremely loyal to Amy, faster than a greyhound, and does not like being left behind—but has adapted to it when we must go into town.

Avión was very afraid for several years. He didn’t like being touched, for fear of being hit. He sleeps outside at night, is protective of the home and property, and is a medium-sized, short-haired dog. The kind that is very commonly seen roaming the streets here in Mexico. Over time he has gradually overcome his shyness and now sometimes comes forward for affection. He has always had the most soulful eyes I have ever seen in an animal—big brown pools of moonlight, oozing love.

Just today I finished a painting of Mali. An oil on canvas, 40 × 40 cm. Since she could not pose for hours on end, I worked from a photo. The first step was to make a drawing. I transferred the photo from my phone  to my computer and created a square format, then in Photoshop, made a grid on top of it. In the studio, on my square canvas I made a matching grid in the same proportions, which helped me to draw with the proportions right.

Once the drawing was finished, I added a circle behind Mali’s head—an idea that came as I worked. Gold metal leaf was fixed inside the circle. An underpainting of brown umber established the values and fine-tuned the drawing. At last the colors were applied.

It came about without too much fussing. The result was satisfying, without second-guessing. Amy saw it and said, “That stays with us!”

Want a pet portrait done? Visit Steven Boone Fine Art and contact me.