I Don't Know ...

Photo

Painting

   The painting is just looking very weird to me.  I've edited both to black/white to see if I can see what's wrong, and to my eye, the painting is not that far off. But the colored painting looks strange. Maybe darkening the body some more, and a graded wash on the neck, and some more serious shadowing on the face ...? I still have the 1st one of Maddy, with only the background painted; with that, I was going to try to "melt" her body into a darker background. Sounds good, but the execution is definitely going to be a challenge. As always, all comments are welcome!!! 

It's Like Riding ... If I had Known How Difficult It Was Going to Be ...

Darkened & blended body & neck a bit [will need more]

Starting on THIN, softened glazes on face 

Fussy details


If I had known what riding had in store for me, I probably would have been frightened off from the endeavor.  I didn't start riding till I was 30, and oddly was inspired by a riding accident in Mexico. I had a horse rear up and fall over backwards with me still on. Thankfully,  I fell into a ditch, with the horse wedged on its back,  upside down at the top of the ditch. A most auspicious beginning!!! I got back to Vancouver, and thought to myself, " It would be good to know what to do correctly in a situation like that [rearing horse];  I'll take some riding lessons.  I've loved horses as long as I can remember, so when I started I was HOOKED! I bought my first horse within a few months, and have been broke, beaten up and happy ever since. I have been tossed off more times than I can count.  I've had concussions, broken bones, and numerous soft tissue injuries.  I have even been under the pounding hooves of a bucking horse; now, THAT'S an experience!!!  And I keep getting back in the saddle. Hmmm ... stupid? death wish? obsessive? or just truly passionate about horses?  Honestly though, I have learned more about life, and who I am, and have become a better person for it. But, how I digress! Back to Miss Maddy. I am at the thin wash stage, building up slowly, giving her face depth.  It will be long, patient work - something I learned from horses. 

Bun Done and Horse to Go ...

Smokey is done.  I wanted to get him finished to take to Laara at work tomorrow.

Poor Maddy looks like she has some weird skin condition, but her form is starting to come through.

I Am in FULL Nit-picking Mode ...

Madelaine, waiting for her time in the ring
She did exceptionally well last summer at some big shows.

Reference photo

Started another one last night, leaving background white

Slowly and carefully adding glazes here and there


When I looked at the painting this morning, I thought, "HAH ... a piece of cake!" Now, not so cakey. I thought to go in, and just flood colors in, but we all know that doesn't happen in real life. RATS! I know I am finding it slow and a bit frustrating because I keep getting up to diddle on the computer. WHAT did we do before computers?????

Note to Self ...

I HAD to post this - it completely cracked me up when I saw it!!!!

Himself and me.
The first note to self today was to buy a new riding bra. There is nothing worse for a rider than cruising along at a beautiful, even pace - the horse is giving his all - and your bra strap has decided to migrate south! 

Herself - Miss Maddy

First washes of aureolin and quin. burnt orange

A glaze of cobalt blue, to tone down the previous washes 

Getting into the quin. violet and more quin. burnt orange
The paint was flying at this point, and I managed to get a fine spray of burnt orange on her face. Considering that will be one of my primary colors on her face, I don't think it will be noticeable. The second note to self is to buy some good masking fluid, and try using masking film!

More quin. violet, and indanthrone blue.
I am not sure if I haven't gone too dark and too brown. I may start again, and leave the background white.
As ever, please feel free to leave comments!

Before I Hit the Proverbial Sack ...

I think the was the last version posted ... 

I've done a lot of darkening. It still needs a bit more, as well as some judicious lifting in the fur.

A new sketch I am working on, of a beautiful mare called "Madelaine".
And yes, I am very keen to paint her!

Unbelievably, the dwarf sweet peas are still valiantly blooming!
I took this photo this morning.



 

The Tale of the Haunting Bunny ... the One Haunting Me!

Cute rabbit reference photo

Reasonable sketch

Light glazes on B., using cobalt blue
I used staining colors for background , and it looked much too intense, so I scrubbed with sponge to lighten

Darkening B., using aureolin, quin. pink and indanthrone blue

Re-working background, using viridian [I've never used it before]
I am hoping it tones things down, and adds a more gentle green

Viridian worked well, I think.
Added some shadow around B. and leaves.

I've got a light glaze of the darker grey on his face, and I am starting to think there may be hope for the rabbit.


I am being haunted by the ghost of Smokey. He was a friend's pet for years, and for her birthday [in May] I thought I would paint Smokey. The only photos she could find were less than helpful, so I found some reference photos, and set out from there. The first attempt was OK, but Laara said he was darker. When I glazed to darken, I lost all definition; it looked like a grey Schmoo. For those of you who are younger, there once was a cartoon called L'il Abner. One of the characters, actually there were tons of them, was called a schmoo. Essentially, they were little, slightly elongated blobs, with faces. [My sister has a schmoo; she insists it is a pug]
I really like to be able to do a good job in whatever I do, so I am finding myself somewhat frustrated by this painting, hence the HAUNTING!
As always, please feel free to leave any comments! [back to the schmoo]