Kaien's Garden

A commission I made for my friend, KageroSimba 😊 It was a request to draw her dog, Kaien, in a flower garden. It turned out to look more like a forest glade rather than a garden, though... 😅

I had never drawn a shiba inu before. While I had reference pictures of Kaien, I was, at the same time, combing through Pinterest for a bunch of shiba inus in different poses just to get a feel for how I can draw them in my own style. Kaien was also supposed to be in the center of the painting, but lately I find myself viewing most detailed background images with the rule of thirds, and so he ended up where a large fern was meant to be. Rather than having an afternoon nap, here he is, sniffing this cute little flower that stands out from all the rest.

This piece employed a lot of elements that I was very used to. But I was also doing a lot of experimenting especially near the end of it: I discovered how to make these pleasant light effects that gave the illusion of sunlight filtering down a leafy canopy. It really helped give my painting more life and warmth.

And yes, I am quite open to commissions. 😄 I will set up a page all about it soon on the website. For now, if you are interested, you can reach me through Yahoo or Google for more info.