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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Obsessive Thoughts ... or Time for a Break







I woke up early this morning, thoughts and ideas whirring and flying around. This portrait was one of the things pestering me.
The last photo is where she stands now, though the colors are more saturated. It's  there, but it isn't. I am not pleased with the front of her face, nor her forelock and mane. I came up with two "solutions". Either I do some sort of muted, soft and almost splotchy type of background on the left, to tone down the redness of the coloring, and add some local color to her face, OR ... I START AGAIN! [which I really do not want to do]  So I think I will leave Miss Maddy for a day or two. I work in the office today, so that will be a good break from painting. Then I'll start playing with the other horse portrait commission, or better yet, do some completely different project.
As always [and even more so right now], all comment are most welcome!!

10 comments:

  1. Kathryn, you are looking too hard, put in on the counter for a day or two, look at it in passing, it is wonderful, love it and love the face, so soft and delicate, it shows a lot of personality in this horse.

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  2. Seems to be coming along well to me, Kathryn. Don't start over again! (I see you used the eye from the first picture. I like the one in the second picture better, but that's just a personal preference.) Perhaps softening some outside edges and a muted background like in Bruno's portrait would work here and make it look less cut out. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. :-D

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  3. This will be a great watercolor Kathryn, but too difficult for me this subject... I will try in a few months maybe. Bises.

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  4. Kathryn I have been looking very hard to try to figure out where your discontent springs out from...and I can see nothing wrong. I think sometimes we stare ourselves blind :-) Marias advice is a good one, put it away ,start something totally different....and you will look at it with new eyes when you pull it out again.
    Have a lovely weekend. xox

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  5. I often find that spending a lot of time onwith an image in front of me can almost leave me blind to it. This is why by taking a break and looking again with fresh eyes almost always works! I'm sure it will be the same in your case.
    As I see it, it really is coming along beautifully! I think it will be fantastic when it's finished!
    If it helps, my eyes seem to be looking for more depth of tone in the face because at the moment they are being drawn to the neck area which is probably because it is darker. Is it okay that I said that? :0)

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  6. I think your work is fantastic....don't start over...just walk away and come back another day!!

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  7. Kathryn, your painting is looking very good to me. Trust your instincts, as you are the one that knows what look you are after. :)

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  8. Kathryn, I really like your horse portrait and the suggestion to me about my own personal artist's block. Thanks for commenting on my blog. A very light value of quinacridone gold may help; I sometimes use it to bring things to life.
    Do set it aside and look at it occasionally; I'm sure you will do the right thing.

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  9. I am obsessed with the beauty of the horse you represented brilliantly. The step by step is great and is how you move the figure, in what we do there is always something we would do better but estrabajo has high quality. So my congratulations and greetings.

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