Butterfly Kisses Studio

Special Announcement

Valerie Stewart Pet Portrait Videos

I know that some of you are interested in painting pet portraits, either to paint a portrait of your own animal or to paint a memorial portrait for a departed animal for a special neighbor or friend.  I'll bet some of you have even have toyed with the idea of painting pet portraits as a business.  Well, I've got some great news.  Valerie Stewart has been working on a series of Pet Portrait dvds that will not only teach you to paint pets, but, paint them well enough to earn money doing it. 

In case you don't know, Valerie is the oil portrait artist who I sponsor to come out to Clermont each year to teach a 4 day workshop to all you inspiring portrait artists.   Some of you have taken her workshop; others have expressed an interest in learning from Valerie but couldn't take the time off from work, or weren't able to afford the $450 for the workshop.   Well, now you have a chance to learn from Valerie Stewart for much less than the cost of the workshop and in the privacy of your own home. 

Valerie's Pet Portraits consists of essentially four steps:

•     Preparing the Canvas and lightly sketching on the drawing

•     Underpainting the Pet

•     Expanding the Pet With Color

•     Final Details

Don't be afraid of the "sketching".  You will learn how to do this step with ease.  Also, do not be afraid of oils.  You will be able to transfer the techniques to acrylics if you wish to do this.  I paint with both and will share my knowledge with you if you just ask.

Pet’s can be painted fairly quickly, much quicker than people.  They are definitely a great place to start before you start painting people portraits.  If you are already painting people portraits with Valerie, the pets are much easier, as there is no skintone to match.  

I just love to watch Valerie paint and to learn her easy style of portrait painting and I know you’re going to love her just the same. 

Valerie has shot a series of 22 films.  The first 10 have been edited and should be released as a set in April.  This basic set has the initial instructions and she paints 12 animals.  The remaining 12 dvds, each a single animal portrait, will be ready on a monthly release program for you to purchase separately.   

Here is what is included in the Pet Portrait Basic Series of 10 DVDs.

1. Pet Portraits:  Preparation.  Here we review the supplies you'll need, paints, brushes, mediums, etc.  Valerie shows you how to prepare your canvas for a pet portrait and how to transfer any photo to your canvas.  Since taking a most excellent photo is the first step, it's critical you understand what to look for in a pet photo.  A  Review of several photos is done.
2. Pet Portraits:  Underpainting.  Once the canvas has been prepared and the image drawing transferred it's time to underpaint the lights and darks of the pet.  This step is extremely important.  Using a very large brush, Valerie Stewart, shows how to apply the first coat of paint.  First the darks, then the mid tones and finally the lights.  Producing a nearly brown and white painting of the pet.  And this is the step where the first of the backgrounds are applied In this DVD, you will see Valerie underpaint six portraits of cats, dogs and horses.
3. Pet Portraits:  Expanding the Pet Portrait. Once the underpainting has dried, you're ready to begin to add color and fill in details of the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, muzzle, jaw bones & forehead, which are such distinctive features on pets.  Then you learn how to begin adding fur/hair.  Not a lot of detail at this point, just enough to shape the pet into the photo's image.  Again, Valerie repeats each of these steps six times to further the pet portraits started in the underpainting DVD.
4. Pet Portraits:  Final Details.  face and as much body as you've determined.  You're shown how to really add small details around the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, muzzle, forehead,  hair/fur, and the use of cool and warm highlights to really accent the pet.
5. Six additional DVDs that show you how to paint six portraits from beginning to end.  They include:
   1. Smokey, a portrait of a grey cat
   2. Tiger, a portrait of a tiger cat
   3. Dudley, an English Cocker Spaniel
   4. Sandy's Joy, an Alaskan Malamute
   5. Gray Lab, a beautiful Lab
   6. Penny, a beautiful horse portrait.

I do not have the information yet on prices, but would predict that each separate dvd would be around $20, with the first 10 dvd series packaged up to be around $150 or so,  much less than if you bought them separately.   I am working with Valerie right now to be able to offer a DISCOUNT to my students.  Keep checking the Portrait DVDs for Sale Album on my website, as I will be putting the PayPal button on the site when the DVDs are ready to sell.  You can also purchase the dvds with a check or a credit card.  Information is on the site.

In the meantime, you can email me at  alckathyc@juno.com  and I will put you on my mailing list for the Pet Portrait information.  I'll send you information and photos of the animals that are included in the videos.  Let me tell you that there are some beautiful dogs, cats, and horses in the series.  I myself can't wait to get them so I can begin painting these gorgeous animals. 

Don't miss out on this great offer to paint with Valerie!   

Kathie Camara

www.ButterflyKissesStudio.com