Paws For A Cause: Tuesday
If you haven't read the book Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him, then you need to get on that! Dog lovers and those with military connections might especially find the book movingly captivating, but it really is for anyone interested. Until Tuesday is the story of a man in desperate need of help after coming home from the war with both physical and psychological wounds, eventually coming together with a dog who was the perfect answer to his call for help. Just like my puppies! Not that I would compare my anxiety attacks to the experiences of Former Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, just that I was able to really connect with the story because of my own connections to my dogs.
Now back to the reason behind the portrait. After many messages sent on my part, probably obnoxiously so, Montalván gave me permission to draw a portrait of Tuesday. I had hoped to gift it to him as a small thanks for sharing his story (and Tuesday's story) with the world, but being the kind man that he is, Montalván agreed to the portrait if I would auction it off for a cause at his fundraising event as he stops in St. Louis. So for all of those in the STL area, consider coming out to meet Montalván and Tuesday on November 3rd as he helps raise money for both Stray Rescue of St. Louis and Warriors Heart Foundation. Click here for the link to the event.
Concept Behind The Piece: If you're like my sister, then you might feel that the background done in graphite pencil might look a little unfinished considering Tuesday is fully rendered in colored pencil. Well fear not! This was no mistake. The idea behind this choice was to try to represent Montalván's relationship with Tuesday, and how he helps Montalván drown out the anxiety inducing amounts of stimulation in the world around him.
Paper Used: 400 Series Flannel White Strathmore Artist Paper cut to 11x14″.
Prismacolor Colored Pencils:
Dark Umber - PC947
Sienna Brown - PC945
Burnt Ochre - PC943
Ginger Root - PC1084
Cream - PC914
Dark Green - PC 908
Apple Green - PC912
Mahogany Red - PC1029
Pumpkin Orange - PC1032
Orange - PC918
Deco Yellow - PC1011
Lemon Yellow - PC915
Clay Rose - PC1017
Pink Rose - PC1018
Black - PC935
90% Cool Grey - PC1067
70% Cool Grey - PC1065
50% Cool Grey - PC1063
30% Cool Grey - PC1061
White - PC938
Other Materials Used: Lead holders with 2H and HB lead.
Progress Pics:
Time Spent: 31 hours and 11 minutes.
Up Next: A commissioned portrait of a cat and dog. Stay tuned! In the meantime, if anyone has some helpful tips for a beginning, I am thinking about teaching myself to paint. Send your advice my way!
Until next time! Lauren H.
Follow @BewareOfTrees