Major Promise

This is the original photo from Carol Pearson.

Firsly I brightened it in paint shop pro
so I can see the effect that I want to paint
in order to make it stand out on the cavas...

New Commission, 'Major Promise', (Dylan) belonging to Carol Pearson.
Just the initial first laying down of colour, lots more blending to do but happy so far. This time I painted the whole of the background first and then did the sketch over that as I found last time it was difficult painting around the sketch. I am doing a lot more of the work in paint now and leaving it to the very last to use the coloured pencils for blending, the acrylics give a much more vibrant colour.

Another, days work underpainting and a little pencil on the lovely Dylan, really enjoying this as the more I'm doing in the Acrylic the more vivid the colours, I never realised until now how stiffling and muted the colours are in just the pencils, feeling a lot braver with the paints as I learned so much with the last 'large' painting. hope you like :)

Another day's work on this painting, the ears were very difficult to make out, so thank goodness for computers, I was able to enlarge the original photo so that I could just make out the lighter areas.....

I am sorry, that this looks a different colour, like he has been dipped in gold leaf, but it was a very sunny day so it has changed the look of the painting pallette. This is about 7 hrs work of just painting the light & dark tones, this is just the underpainting and I will be going back over it with the pencils to get even more detail and blending.

Spent another day just with the coloured pencils on the small hairs and blending the hightights into the shadows more seamlessly

 Got a lot more of the underpainting done today, just going over and over the light and darks until the form is correct

 Started going over with the coloured pencils to get the hair detail and also the bit, painted that in then over again with the pencils for fine details

Veins look a little bit loud at the moment, they will be sortened with the pencils later.....

Another day blending the chest & neck area, also underpainting the mane and laying the basic colours down on the bridle.....

Detail of the bridle..........

And thats it, all done hope you like... really loved painting this one, I learned a lot from it