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Equine Portrait Work in Progress 2

Equine-Portrait-Work-in-Progress 2

Well, I finally have all the grey tones for this portrait blocked in. If this would be a two-tone painting, I would proceed to add more and more detail and make sure that all the values are as close to the reference photo as needed. But like I mentioned before at this stage of this painting all I am really interested in is how the shapes are relating to each other. Right now the face of the rider is very abstract looking, yet all main features and most importantly the heads shape are in place. Did you know that our brain will help us recognize who a person is often just by the shape of the head?

Already you can see how rider and horse are taking up physical space in the foreground. The fence in the middle ground acts like a visual barrier, which unconsciously directs the viewers gaze to stay in the foreground. The background of trees and shrubbery are elements to fill the visual space, but most importantly will help me really bring the rider up to the pictures foreground. The trick of course is to make sure that whatever greens and browns are used do not jump over into the value scale of the foreground, because that would weaken the composition considerably. When painting I am constantly asking myself what the relationship between adjacent shapes are. I also tend to stay lighter in my painting than the actual reference calls for. My darkest black value and my lightest white are applied towards the very end of the coloring process. Used sparingly they have more of a dramatic effect than when added in way to early in the painting.

I will allow the painting to dry for a day before continuing with the first color layer. It is already 5PM, but there is enough daylight to allow me to draw out my next portrait commission of a little Shih Tzu called “Gigi”.

Click here to see how I started this painting.

Winner of the Necklace Giveaway

Lampwork by Deb Lonergan

Today is the day that I will make the announcement of who won the pretty necklace by Deb Lonergan. I have used a Random number generator and Deborah Stone Richard was the 6th person who has left a comment on this blog. Congratulations Deborah!

I also wanted to thank everyone who participated in this giveaway! I will be hosting and sharing the work of other very talented artisans and hope that you will stop by again and see their hand made items.

African Woman by Henrietta Browne

Fellah African Detail

This north African beauty was painted by Henrietta Browne in 1867. Born Sophie de Bouteiller in Paris (June16,1829-1901), she used the pseudonym Henrietta Browne to paint Orientalist themed paintings. As the wife of a diplomat Henry Jules de Saux, she travelled extensively and became a female pioneer for Orientalists Painting subjects.

Fellah Nord African Female by Henrietta Brown 1867

A “fallāḥīn” is a peasant, farmer or agricultural laborer in the Middle East and North Africa. Most likely the artist painted this piece from someone who modeled for her. I love the color choices in this painting. The reds and corals are set against very dark greens making them visually just sing. I also like the models demure stance and her down cast gaze. Although the painting is posed it exudes a certain calm and I just find it lovely.

How Equine Portraits are Painted

Dressage Horse Charm by Forge Hill Sculpture

A couple of days ago, I shared with you how I go about selecting reference photos for my equine portraits and today I show you how equine portraits are created. I turn every photo into a black and white image, because it helps me to de-clutter and only keep the information that is absolutely necessary at this stage of the process. Here I started with an outline of the rider on her horse on a canvas that has been gessoed with a neutral grey. The trees and the bushes in the background are masses in and all I am really looking for is an over all feel of how the shapes relate to each other. Our eye is drawn to everything that is light, just look at the shirt in the photo of the monitor. It’s brightness attracts your attention like a moth is attracted to light. I need to change that because I want the face of the girl be more of an attention grabber than the shirt. After all this is a portrait and not an add for the shirt. The features in the face are nothing more than some lines that tell me approximately where the nose, moth and eyes are. These will get refined, but at a much later stage. This painting measured 30×24 inches, which means the horse is about 21.5 inches tall and the face of the rider slightly under 2 inches. People often wonder why these type of portraits require such large canvas sizes. Well it’s very simple, the smaller the canvas the tinier the rider will be and if you can’t make out the features of the rider, it sort of defeats the purpose of a portrait. Anyhow, I have a lot to get done in the studio today. and need to get back to the easel. Follow my blog if you like to see the next step of this work in progress. Read more: Hayden Riding School – Horse and Rider Portrait

Blue Tribe Blue Tribe Fine Art Prints and Posters

Blue Tribe Painting by Enzie Shahmiri – Blue Tribe Fine Art Prints and Posters for Sale.

German Shepherd Throw Pillow

German Shepherd Pillow by Enzie Shahmiri

Don’t you love this German Shepherd on this throw pillow? I am having a lot of fun seeing how images of my paintings translate into functional pieces for the home. This throw pillow is the latest item added to my store and it comes in both a large 20″x 20″ format and a smaller lumbar pillow that measures 13″ x 21″. The pillow is very soft and would look great on a blue or beige sofa.

This is an ideal gift for a special Vet, who has cared for your pet or anyone who works with or owns this breed. The image of the dog is printed on both sides.

Sizes 20”x20” (square) and 13”x21” (lumbar).
100% grade A woven cotton.
Fabric is made from natural fibers, which may result in irregularities
Made in the USA.
Hidden zipper enclosure; synthetic-filled insert included.
Machine washable.

Hayden Riding School – Horse and Rider Portrait

A couple of week ago I was invited to attend a riding session at the Hayden Riding School in Nellie Gail to do a photo shoot of a family of riders. Now that the portrait of “Molly” and the “Flower Princess” are finished I primed a new canvas and set out to look for the most suitable photos for this new portrait. People are often surprised when I ask for lost fo photos and I thought I will use this next painting to show why. You see a lot of wonderful photos out there, but not every nie looking photo will be suitable for a portrait. There are often undesired elements, like extra people or objects in the frame. Then there might be a photo were the figure looks great in one shot, but is way back in the picture frame instead of the focus of the painting to be.

My first goal was to find a good photo of my rider and her horse out of 200+ photos I took that day. I shoot in RAW so the files are huge and sifting through them takes forever. However, because they are so large it’s like looking at everything in supe close-up. If there were a fly on this horse, I would spot it! More importantly however is the ability of zooming in and selecting areas that I need to built my reference photo. After I found the right image, I had to take out extra figures, objects and buildings. By using another photo that had a good back drop I combined the two and came up with the mock up you see here. This type of mock-up is send to the client for approval and the drawing stage can begin. Follow my blog, so you can see the next stage of this portrait.

Here Comes The Bride

Wedding Bouquet by Perfect Pendants Plus

It’s June and that means Weddings are in full swing. Today I thought it would be fun to find a couple of wedding themed items. Brides always look so beautiful with their pretty veils, don’t you think?! I love this wedding bouquet idea. 10 complete Square Wedding Bouquet Memory Charm Kits -for Loved ones Photos , Boutonniere, and Monograms, (Includes everything you need). What a cool idea!