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Monday, October 8, 2012

Trigger Takes a Dramatic Turn ...

I went as far as I thought I could with the grayed-violet shadows.

I played a bit with a black around the eye and muzzle, and decided I needed a background to determine how dark to go with his head and neck.

I didn't want to mask, but had to do so. The first wash was quin. burnt orange with quin. violet. The second was quin. violet with cobalt blue.


Then I did several scrumbled washes, using the same colors plus indanthrone blue.

[It's actually not quite as red as this.]

Now I am working on darkening the shadows with a black mixture, and working on his features.
Quite a difference from the last version!

As always, your comments are most welcome.

13 comments:

  1. Wow, Kathryn you're a cross between an artist a vet and a magician!

    I await further developments with bated breath

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  2. I looked up bated breath. I just wondered where it came from. its a contraction of abated - Shakespeare was first use in the Merchant of Venice.

    One clever poet wishing to play with the pun of baited/bated wrote:

    Sally, having swallowed cheese,

    Directs down holes the scented breeze,

    Enticing thus with baited breath

    Nice mice to an untimely death.

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  3. What a surprise to stop by and see a new version of Trigger! I agree, this one is stronger and perhaps more confident. I have a feeling it will be spectacular!

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  4. I love how your horse takes shape. It is committed to be a beautiful watercolor. I will return soon on your blog to satisfy my curiosity.

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  5. Stunning, love the richness of your background against his soft grey color.

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  6. The background is wonderful Kathryn. It has great depth. You really do layer on the paint. This is amazing work.

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  7. The Gold next to cold Purple really place a dramatic role on the background Kathryn,
    Great artwork, well done!
    Irina

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  8. Wow, what a transformation through the stages. Trigger looked like a ghost horse to begin with, then the background washes as they developed brought him more to life. Excellent work!

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  9. I'm both admiring your great work and laughing a John's comments! There's only one John Simlett!
    Anyway, back to you - and like you say, it's very difficult to determine how dark to go with the subject without the background in place. Do you ever paint the other way around? By that I mean, the background first and then the subject? I only wonder because that's the way that I would naturally do it. What makes you paint the subject first? Either way - it looks fabulous :0)

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  10. Amazing how you do those background washes, Kathryn!

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  11. It's coming out so beautifully, Kathryn. I love the scrumbled wash effect in the background.

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  12. Your washes are great.. it captured the perfect light.

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  13. Oh he is beautiful!! I absolutely love that background color against his lighter face. I really can't wait to see the next step Kathryn. :)

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