Sophie the Giraffe

"Sophie the Giraffe" is a baby's toy that was originally made in 1961. It is one of the most common toys ever made. I got the idea to paint this from my good friend, Mimi, to honor April the Giraffe, who gave birth to a calf a couple of weeks ago. The birth was watched on camera by millions. Now we await the naming of the calf. 

This painting challenged me in several ways. First, I tried using an airbrush for the first time. I placed a frisket (mask) over the pencil sketch, then cut out the frisket where I wanted to apply paint. I practiced a bit before painting on the actual panel, but I needed more practice! I did not succeed in feathering the paint like I had hoped. And, the paint was semi-gloss, which does not work with the flat colors of the subject. I painted over the airbrushing. But the frisket left edges, and those remained. I was unhappy with how dark the giraffe turned out, so I repainted it. In the process, I paid little attention to the shadows, which grew way to large! So, the backdrop was painted a third time! Three paintings in one! What a bargain!!!