<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Kevin Roeckl Fine Art Portraits]]></title><description><![CDATA[Capturing the unique beauty of your loved one in a work of art. ]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 11:59:12 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.kevinportraits.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Mothers carry us]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mothers carry us....in so many ways.
Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers.
Dog and cat moms too! ]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/mothers-carry-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ffcb65ecab901137551f09</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 01:13:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_10fa2c4f8c944367b1aee8725ea95f19~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_621,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My McNab, Harley]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most people know me for my 35 years in Dobermans. The only other breed I've owned was a McNab, a herding breed developed in northern California (where I'm from). In my opinion, Dobermans and McNabs are the two best dog breeds in the world. McNabs have temperaments very similar to Dobermans, with the addition of strong livestock herding instincts. Both breeds were developed by one man (Louis Dobermann in Germany, Alexander McNab in northern CA) to be the ultimate dog for a specific purpose in...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/my-mcnab-harley</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f91d3b6d919e5ce86e4b4a</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 22:27:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_4350490b3c3340ec816c0159c9da8bfd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[For all you fawn Doberman lovers]]></title><description><![CDATA[My Doberman fans rarely get to see me portray a fawn Doberman. I sometimes get disappointed comments from owners of fawns and blues that they never see those colors depicted in my artwork.  So this one’s for you, fawn lovers. A portrait from the past: Marit Marino’s fawn Doberman “Snuggles”. Snuggles is from a photo by Cheri McNealy. I created the flower wreath from my own reference photos. Snuggles was done with Prismacolor pencils. The background was done with watercolor. I used the paper...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/for-all-you-fawn-doberman-lovers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d08795f7044e6cf7ac866b</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:47:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_e09d9477028c4239b36b5910dcc47bc5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_601,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fun with leprechauns]]></title><description><![CDATA[☘️ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️  Here are two small leprechaun drawings I created years ago for a client to use as small figures in an ad. People who know me personally may recognize that I posed for the leprechaun myself. With some exaggerations to my features to make me look more “leprechaunish”. I posed in a pair of sweat-pants pushed up to the knee and a suit jacket. Prismacolor pencil on “Felt Grey” Canson paper, 10 x 13 inches each. The originals are available for $125.00 each. That's...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/fun-with-leprechauns</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b9e38bfde2f1f6ed295ddd</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:43:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_7afbdf28084642309558b9067569d5e1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_576,h_755,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["The Kiss of Hearts"]]></title><description><![CDATA[So many people loved the in-progress pic I shared recently, I thought you’d enjoy seeing the finished portrait “The Kiss of Hearts”, of Marlaina and her beloved blue Doberman, Sky, which I created for her in 2019.  Sky’s registered name was CH. Kettle Cove Lanikai Blue Sky. The theme of the litter she was from was "Hawaiian Islands". I wanted to capture the feeling of Sky and Marlaina on a tropical Hawaiian beach. This portrait was done on “Cream” Canson paper, with a watercolor wash for the...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/the-kiss-of-hearts-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b225eaa0b6c504fd074659</guid><category><![CDATA[Portraits]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:46:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_6533e44af1474881b7b23c2bccae8d2d~mv2_d_3000_2234_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Annie portrait in progress - start to finish]]></title><description><![CDATA[October 1 I'm starting on a portrait of "Annie" for Carolyn, Gloria, and Tammy. This is the 10th portrait I have done for them over the past 28 years. The pencil colors for her white and cream-colored coat, and the pink inside her ears: Once again I'm letting my paper color do the work. A white coat is so easy to do on grey paper. Some light-colored pencil strokes for the hairs.…and the shadows between the hairs make themselves.  Prismacolor pencil on “Felt Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper. 18...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/annie-portrait-in-progress-start-to-finish</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6913ac73c2862e3149e89df0</guid><category><![CDATA[Portraits]]></category><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:03:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_0dbc583b5d55426284ee464b6d206f48~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait finished!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Titan's portrait is finished. Here’s what Alicia told me about this amazing, one-of-a-kind Doberman: “A funny story I like to tell and is remembered by many is Titan’s first container search at a scentwork trial at Durham Kennel Club. When he walked into the building for the first time and stepped into the ring, he completely ignored the two neat rows of white boxes and made a beeline for the wall of mirrors. After tilting his head this way and that, he began admiring the incredibly handsome...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-finished</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a88225f1929985ec94bb00</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Portraits]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:15:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_e375886340134c59a636a1e419547f9f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 13 - An ongoing challenge]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here’s a problem that crops up with every single portrait. When I have finished a portrait to the best of my ability, I send a high-resolution jpg of it to the client so they can zoom in and check details. I ask if there is anything that needs to be adjusted. Sometimes a client requests a small change like darkening under the chin or remove a spot that I thought was part of the dog’s coat but was a piece of dirt in the photo. The client is usually right-on, the changes improve the piece. ...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-13-an-ongoing-challenge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a2178a9d34acb7c43535b9</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:22:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_704985722f6449a98039979f6d4e926c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_650,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["The Kiss of Hearts" in progress]]></title><description><![CDATA[Detail of a work-in-progress I shared in 2019…. a portrait of Marlaina B. and her beloved blue Doberman, Sky.  Sky’s registered name was CH. Kettle Cove Lanikai Blue Sky. The theme of the litter was Hawaiian Islands. I wanted to capture the feeling of Sky and Marlaina on a tropical Hawaiian beach. (The reference photo was taken at a busy marina in San Diego, CA.) I chose this “Cream” Canson paper because it is the color of sunlight. The mediums I’m using - watercolor and colored pencil - are...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/the-kiss-of-hearts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699e36858f4f3ef74a9cb66a</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 23:46:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_b1438a7a665846caa0ce76c7302c39fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_576,h_820,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 12 - trim lines]]></title><description><![CDATA[Before I could finalize Titan's portrait, there was another decision the client had to make.  Alicia had ordered a 16 x 20 portrait. I always work on a full sheet of Canson paper, which is 20 x 26 inches, and trim it down at the end. I marked out the edges of the 16 x 20 when I drew the initial line drawing on a sheet of “Sky Grey” Canson paper. Then I ended up working out to the edges of the paper with the folds of fabric. I knew I was going well outside the 16 x 20 size, but I wanted to...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-12</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699d10dadbb3b60ba8f531c4</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:16:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_51e0b40f466040f39c2a29faae3f3fb9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Yellow Rose of Texas"]]></title><description><![CDATA[This certainly went to the right home!  After I shared a picture of this artwork a few weeks ago, Rose H. contacted me about purchasing it. She wrote: "I was born in Brookings Oregon but lived in Texas for 13 years. I had golden hair and beautiful tan skin. I was the Yellow Rose of Texas growing up.” So you can understand why Rose was excited about acquiring this piece. She sent me this photo after she received it. “Yellow Rose of Texas” in it’s new home.  Prismacolor pencils, acrylic...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/yellow-rose-of-texas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6997b3c47b02767d8666290f</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:21:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_2527b41a244843c5a1e9416e2fedd2fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_788,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Happy Valentine's Day!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here are "black Doberman" and  "red Doberman" versions of my Valentine to you. ❤️  Free for my followers to share. If you are on Facebook, you can share both versions from my FACEBOOK page .   This artwork was created from an original pen-and-ink drawing, hand-colored in Photoshop. Original artwork ©Kevin Roeckl]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/happy-valentine-s-day-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6990d5efe585eb0b3c85b3d6</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 20:14:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_e8d3feec795e470ba01352bdb799ac02~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 11 - Not done yet...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Even when a portrait is “finished” there are changes to be made. An artist may think a portrait is finished when they complete the depiction….but is it? When I finished Titan’s portrait I stood back and looked at it taped up on the wall from several feet away. That’s always the last step when I complete a portrait. Sometimes I see things that need a little adjustment. Usually that’s just a few additonal pencil strokes…a few minutes work. But this time I spent a couple more days on it.  After...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-11-not-done-yet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698cfad6d558b030957cf333</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:05:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_90b78360e70d417a8a7e912742fd664d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_900,h_625,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 10 - A well-loved toy]]></title><description><![CDATA[After I finished Titan’s paws, I drew the toy. The well-loved tug toy.  Then I finished the shadows under the toy and paws on the fabric. Whenever a figure is resting on a surface in art, there will always be a shadow that "connects" them to the surface. Otherwise it will look like they are "pasted on" the surface, or sometimes floating above it. I could have cleaned up the toy, but I thought it would be better to show that it was well-loved....yet another indication of the partnership Titan...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-10-a-well-loved-toy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6988fee740d7c5baf3aec8dd</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:35:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_543c16ca57974687af38a5364bc4807b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_764,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 9 - Building a paw]]></title><description><![CDATA[Completing Titan’s paws… Drawing a hand or paw is as complex and detailed as the features of a face, in my opinion. Upper pic - Going around the edges, building all the edge colors, before filling in all those weird abstract shapes that make up the paw and wrist. FOR ARTISTS: I fill those containing edge colors of the paw first, so I can establish the values (lightness-darkness) of the paw colors against that blue-grey paper. Then work inward, filling in the abstract shapes of the paw (the...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-9</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698506d17004b379054f8c33</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:13:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_6d6671e99ca84fdfb54ac9f425c92f8c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_707,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 8 - Using paper tooth for color]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this pic you can really see the difference between the tightly-detailed pencilwork of the paw, and the loose pencilwork of the fabric. For the fabric I'm making use of the blue paper. In Titan’s rust areas I’m covering the blue paper.  For Titan’s paw I completely cover the tooth of the paper. In the fabric I make use of the tooth: those tiny “hills and valleys” of the paper texture that show through the pencil pigment (see closeup in next pic). In his paw I don’t want any of those little...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-8-using-paper-tooth-for-color</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69810e7a911a1c6220c35a25</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:47:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_92a0bd6ccddd46c1af46ba5e7e849626~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_743,h_900,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 7 - dancing to the pencil strokes]]></title><description><![CDATA[After I finished the collar I decided to do Titan’s paws next, instead of working my way down his chest. But first I needed to do the blanket. Here’s why: I rendered the fabric in a really loose way, as you see. I wanted to do that with fast, energetic pencil strokes - big sweeping strokes using the whole flat of the pencil core for the broadest strokes possible. I didn’t want to complete the paws first, in case those wild strokes overlapped the paws and I needed to erase them a bit there...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-7-dancing-to-the-pencil-strokes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69793ba4da77a8ffff0581b0</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 22:32:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_2f7be59a02cf41fe9f03c9efd5fc5e99~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_686,h_900,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 6 - More stories about this smile]]></title><description><![CDATA[Titan’s portrait is coming along. I added a favorite collar from a different photo Alicia sent.  More stories from Alicia about this funny, joyful boy are below. They explain what you see in Titan's big happy smile. Alicia wrote: “Titan rarely took anything seriously, he was goofy, cheerful, and just a bit mischievous. I used to joke that he was too light‑hearted to stay down for long. He loved being the center of attention and, if he were human, he would have been the class clown. When I...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-6-more-stories-about-this-smile</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6977eb296b7a080e43d73fcc</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:39:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_e5fb52b191f2486aa2b48b29c9a91220~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_760,h_950,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Yellow Rose" original available for purchase]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have a lot of art hanging in my house, and most of it is my own. I have looked at it for so long I don't really notice it any more. But every once in a while it catches my attention and I think, “That's a really nice piece!" I was getting ready for bed and I suddenly noticed this one on my bedroom wall. A small experimental artwork of a yellow rose, with gold leaf catching the light.  HOW IT WAS MADE: The rose was created with Prismacolor pencils on “Bisque" Canson paper, then mounted on...]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/yellow-rose-original-available-for-purchase</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6973f314befaa10021922f90</guid><category><![CDATA[Cool Stuff]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:28:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_2527b41a244843c5a1e9416e2fedd2fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_788,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titan portrait in progress 5 - Tiny nuances make an expression]]></title><description><![CDATA[Small nuances in the expression are what make a facial expression and capture character. I know that Titan is a funny dog, who loves to make people laugh. The line in the middle of this tongue is not a straight line. Anybody who knows dogs really well can see that Titan is being as happy and silly as he can be. You can see it in the way he is holding his tongue.  1 I created the line in the center of Titan's tongue with four different colors. 2 This is the reference photo I’m working from....]]></description><link>https://www.kevinportraits.com/post/titan-portrait-in-progress-5-tiny-nuances-make-an-expression</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6972a34216ee2e05645735ea</guid><category><![CDATA[Work in Progress]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:30:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4110_05538a8a3c47426f8898cb25b995d5fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kevin Roeckl</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>