Q & A W I T H A R T I S T R A C H E L G R A Y
How long have you been painting for?
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I have been painting for as long as I can remember! My parents tell me I started painting when I was 2 years old and I've been digitally painting animals for over 10 years. I still continue to do both traditional and digital arts, as I love both techniques, styles, textures and outcomes too much to drop one.
How many hours does it take to create your wildlife portraits?
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You would be amazed in how many times I get asked this. The smaller portraits can take anywhere from 80 hours for a smaller piece and the lager ones are easily over 250 hours each. It depends a lot on the size and subject of the portrait.
Do you have any qualifications in the Arts?
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Yes, I have a BA in Animation and Illustration, specialising in both digital and traditional mediums. Plus I have a PGCE (Post Gradute Certificate in Education) degree in university lecturing specialising in Art.
Do you have a gallery I could visit?
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I have a South East Asian Tour coming up however due to the global pandemic this is currently and understandably on pause. Check out the exhibitions page for more up to date information.
Do you have a favourite animal to paint?
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To be honest, this changes with each portrait! I go through phases of really enjoying the wildlife portraits, then I'll paint a horse, a dog or cat and my interests will change. As the pet portraits are so different to the wildlife portraits and every animal is completely different to paint from the last. In short, my favourite animal to paint is the one I am paining at the time!
Do you use Adobe Photoshop?
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No, I do not use Adobe Photoshop. I do not use any filters, pattern brushes or image manipulation in my portraits either. It is sometimes assumed that running a photograph through some software is the same as digital painting, which of course it is not. All of my portraits are created from scratch from a blank (digital) canvas.
What kind of tablet do you use?
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I use a Wacom Tablet and stylus, I've had it for years and it's been brilliant. Really getting into the iPad Pro lately too, I'm always working on something.
Do you ship internationally?
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Of course!
Do you take commissions, if so how would I do that?
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Yes, please contact me via the website (www.rgportraits.com) to start the discussion.