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Thursday, July 31, 2014

There Is No "Easy Way" ... or ... Round 2 with the Portrait

I started this portrait again this morning.

I apologize for the color quality. The oranges - quin. sienna - are not coming through well at all.

This technique, essentially dry-brushing, is very time-consuming, but there is nothing like it to get clean colors, and depth in a very delicate subject. I am far from finished, probably several days or weeks of work, but I really like how it is coming along. The dry-brushing allows you to better maintain the clarity of the sensitive colors. I am glazing with pure colors - started with a thin wash of yellow ocher over everything, and am now using permanent rose, alizarin crimson, quin. sienna, quin. burnt orange and cobalt blue. I read about this technique several years ago. If you would like to see some work by a master of dry-brushing, I highly recommend you google Ottorino de Lucchi - brilliant!

And besides painting, His Imperial Highness is doing well in his training.  I must say, the same goes for training horses as for creating a painting. There are short cuts, but they just do not come to fruition in the end. With horses, "tricks" and short-cuts will take you to a point in the process where the horse is ill, lame, or just completely unwilling to work with you any more. It's sad. I am pleased to see Bruno willingly come in off the field in the morning when he sees me come out, dressed for riding.

Here's Scruffy, almost totally blind, but game to be out there -  playing, walking, and being a barn helper. 

And then there's Maggie - what a character! That's her best friend, Flossy, behind her.

Thank you dropping in to the Farm! Your comments are always welcome. 

8 comments:

  1. We love visiting you and seeing you try and try again!
    love
    tweedles

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  2. Kathryn!!! This portrait is coming along SO beautifully!!! I LOVE it... and you aced the likeness of this little beauty. Painting a portrait with watercolors is AMAZING to me!! I can't wait to see your next post!

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  3. coming along beautifully my friend! and thank you for the snaps of the adorable and perfect critters! and thank you too for your very kind words on my blog. it feels so nice to want to paint again. you are too cool my gunkness! enjoy the weekend!

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  4. Our mom is in love with Scruffy. She thinks he is sooooooooooo adorably cute!

    Love ya lots♥
    Mitch and Molly

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  5. I see you started the portrait again. It really does look great so far. You mentioned in the last post you were using phthalo blue . . . this time cobalt blue which is wonderful for glazing. Good choice!

    I'm happy to hear that Bruno is accepting his training well! The dogs are happy and having fun too!

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  6. It looks good Kathryn, I enjoy visiting your farm and you. love,Diana

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  7. I did a dry brushing technique (actually a dry-wet-dry-wet-dry technique that Andrew Wyeth used and got raves for the results. But unfortunately I don't think I have the patience for it! lol.

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  8. You have a lot of patience! But it's coming along nicely... Will look forward to watching it progress :0)

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