Another one on the Easel

This is my next project. A 36" wide by 48" tall painting of a National Show Horse being schooled in Dressage.

Painting Doc

So I have been "slacking" for about a month now! Actually, I have been looking for "inspiration" :) , going through alot of photographs...looking for something to catch my eye.

Labor day weekend my dressage instructor had 2 of her students come up and spend the weekend at her place with their horses, one of which is a Medicine Hat Paint (Doc). Looking at the photos I had taken of him gave me the idea of doing something with a little Southwest or Indian twist to it. This painting is on an 18" x 24" x 1" canvas, and I am going to put kind of an Indian blanket style border down the left side. When I first drew the border out it looked a little plain so I decided to put some animal tracks in it. This should be fun!

The Layers of Lisel

I am gradually adding layers of color to Lisel's coat to get depth before I add any white hairs.

Finished Sunny Dressage Horse

OK, I'm finished, I have added a few stray hairs to the top of the forelock and now I just give it a couple of days to dry fully before I varnish it!

Sunny Dressage Horse

I am still "battling" with the sunroom dressage horse! I disliked the look of his mane and forelock running together (couldn't put my finger on it, it just wasn't right). So I thought I would just paint over that section and start again...HA! Yellow doesn't cover black very well, even if you seal it with gesso! Now I am thinking I may just throw some "stray hairs" in there and see how it will look.

If you look close at the photo, between his ears, you can see where I have attempted a cover up!

Gelding is Finished!

After darkening up the highlights on Mateo, he is Finished! Putting the final coat of gloss varnish on today.

It's getting close!

I still need to re-work and soften the highlights on Mateo's hind quarter and barrel, but I am really really close. I will now stare at it for a few days and probably still make some very subtle changes! Then it gets a couple of days to dry and after that, 3-4 coats of gloss varnish.

Softening some highlights

Saturday was a SNOW day! I didn't go outside too much so was able to work quite a bit on the painting. I added some more highlights to Mateo's right hind, and softened the chest and shoulder area. I painted the white in on his markings and today will add in some gray for shading and to soften the edges of his star.

Layers

Yesterday I worked the muzzle, still needs more work, the edges of the nostrils and highlights, but I feel I am getting real close! I also started blocking in some more on the chest, and worked on the hind legs, this is the point where it seems to slow down some for me because I spend so much time staring and comparing to the photograph! I make subtle changes and when I think I am "there" I will start on the hooves and mane and tail!

Then I usually make more subtle changes before varnishing. The chest and shoulder area still need alot of details and softening, will try and work on that today, I say try...it is supposed to be 70 and sunny today, tough for me to stay inside! If it weren't so windy, I would take my easel to the front porch and paint!

Adding some highlights

Yesterday I blocked in some of the highlights with a mixture of Paynes gray and white. Then I began layering more gray and black on the body. It is starting to take on a little more depth!

I think I may work on his head today.

I save hooves and mane & tail for last and work on the face and eye on and off through the middle!? :)

The beginnings of detail

Here is where it starts to get a little more fun! I am painting black on the darkest areas of Mateo.