Painting In Progress - Black Wolf

Masonite (Hardboard) vs. Canvas
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     This is my newest painting in progress for 2016, of a young Alaskan Tundra wolf. The photo reference below was taken at The Wolf Mountain Nature Center, where I volunteer part time. The reason I loved this photo is because of the expression in his eyes and his timid presence. His look gave me the impression of thinking who is she, why is she here and what is she doing. But the eyes also struck me as very intense, watching every move I made. A little chilling right? I loved being able to capture that look in this young wolf.
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"Tamarack" Born: April 22, 2015 Male Alaskan Tundra wolf from the Brooks Range region.

     I decided for this painting that I wanted a very smooth surface to work with so I went with a prepared masonite (hardboard) instead of canvas. I use masonite quite often for my paintings as I can control the amount of surface texture I want for a particular painting. I usually purchase a 4' x 8' sheet of Formaldehyde-free masonite making sure there are no scratches or oily spots on the sheet. By doing this, I then can have it cut to the various sizes I want. Some places will even cut the masonite for me at no to little cost, making it much easier to transport in my car.

     To prepare the masonite for my paintings, I use a fine sand paper and lightly sand the surface on the smooth side of the board to roughen it up a little before applying my gesso. I apply a coat of gesso to the back and sides of the board first, by doing this it will resist warping and moisture penetration. Once that is dry, I then apply the first coat of the gesso to the smooth side of the board, using a roller instead of a brush. I find using a brush is harder because it is more difficult to sand out the brush strokes vs. using a roller. However, if you want a specific texture, it makes more sense to use a brush. I use a small foam roller, which you can purchase at most hardware stores. Once the first coat is completely dry, I sand the masonite with a very fine sand paper. Then I apply 2 to 3 more coats of gesso, sanding in between each coat.

     Now this may seem like a lot of work, which it is! For those of you who do not want to go through all the work involved, you can also purchase masonite (hardboard) primed or un-primed from any art supplier. I prefer not to purchase from them as it is cheaper for me to purchase my own masonite and have it cut to the sizes I want. I really do not mind the work involved in preparing it for my paintings. But this may not be for you so here are the two art suppliers I do use for my art supplies:

Dick Blick
Jerry's Artarama
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     Why I choose masonite (hardboard) over canvas? Well I can get a really smooth surface which is perfect for the fine detail of my subject matter's fur. Canvas has what I call dimples that may not give me that smooth fine hair look that I want. With that being said, I do use canvas for some of my wildlife paintings, especially if the animal is more in the background where fine detail is not shown as much or for short hair fur animals. When I am commissioned to do a painting, I allow the client to select between masonite or canvas.

     Once my masonite is primed and sanded, I am ready to begin sketching and base color for either a warm or a cool feeling to my painting. In my next blog, I will discuss my sketching process, base color and layout for the background and surrounding areas of my black wolf.

     Please feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have. Hope to see you soon!