Foal: Getting Close To Done
So here is the latest. I think I’m finally past the “ugly stage.” 
I believe the real turning point was changing my grasses from Olive and tan to a richer brighter (more like early spring) green. With the tan grasses my values were off. The foal was more intense than it’s surroundings. By adding brighter and richer colors it balanced the values between the foal and background areas.
I am much happier with the overall look now. The areas at the very top and very bottom are undone. They have the olive drab base color only.
Melanie had asked me if I had tried velour paper. I have not. I always thought of that as more of a pastel paper. I imagine it as pretty much the same thing as the suede matboard without all the extra plys of paper that make up matboard.
I really like the suede. I can see it is not perfect for all of my WC Pencil work. But I also see some new possibilities to try. Like a white horse on blue suede perhaps?
I think if time allows I’ll get the foal done in the next day or two and then I will try to begin Chicory’s portrait.
Tags: WIP
This is so beautiful. Now that I see how gorgeous it is with your changes it’s easier to understand why you saw an ugly stage. Yep. I’m not a mind reader. This is spectacular.
I like the brighter grasses and agree they do bring him solidly down to earth. Also I like the way you brought them up over his forelegs, obscuring them while still showing such perfect anatomy.
We might be moving to Arkansas in a year or so to a small town that has a lot of horses. My daughter’s in school down there as a farrier and falling in love with the place. She keeps showing me pictures of horses and gorgeous mountains.
The more I think about it, the more I can’t wait to go. It could be fantastic to get out there and paint plein air and go over to the stables to paint the horses. I need to practice with some of the references.
This is really lovely Mona and it looks like the suedboard works brilliantly. If you email me your address ill send you a piece of velour if you want to try it out. : ) Hope you get a chance to put your feet up over Easter! Melanie x
That grass really looks marvelous. The whole painting looks absolutely gorgeous (know you have a little more to go). This really evolved — thank you for show ing us the journey.
I will try the matboard one day soon, like doing the tigers awhile back on velour, though I did not find I could erase — one advantage of watersoluable over regular CP, perhaps?
I am working on a large (18X24), for me, CP of my Appaloosa horse, barn nam, Buddy. I have gotten to work on it most of this week. I have the background colored but not detailed for the grass — would be proud as punch if I could pull of the grass anywhere near as lovely as yours. Hope to get to give it a go on Sunday — off to mom’s today and Saturday. I plan to submit my drawing and maybe one or two others, to an art competition related to Appaloosa horses — due date 4/20.
This is really beautiful. I actually like the unfinished grass at the top - it looks like it is just out of focus of the “camera” if you know what I mean.
Thanks everybody. Seriously, I’ve got so much left to do, (besides the grass) I may well wind up just giving up at some point.
Robert Where do you live now? I’ve never been to Arkansas but I’ve been to Missouri and Kentucky and they are lovely. I would think AK would be quite similar.
Melanie That is so generous of you ! Really. Thank you so much for the offer but I can’t have you ship me a piece all the way from the UK. (or can I? no, no be strong) I’m sure I can find some next time I hit an art store when I actually get to a city of size.
You may have already said but have you (or your husband) ever worked on suede matboard before? I’ve got all sort of questions about you two as working artists who do the same thing in a very similar way. But it seems inappropriate. And yet I mention it.
I was looking at his blog yesterday and once again am blown away by the artwork.
Angela 18×24 is pretty good sized for almost everybody. Have you posted any wips anywhere so I can have a lookey see? I think the tigers were the last pieces of yours I’ve seen. I know teaching had really eaten up a lot of your creative time.
Hmmm, maybe it was a couple of Christmas portraits, at any rate it has been awhile.
You can’t erase off suede well. Though I may mark some up and give it a try to see just how effective erasing is without damaging the board. I drew my outline out on drawing paper then traced it over. When I buggered up some color I lifted it off with a wet q-tip. This works quite well if you patience and gentle.
Hey Undaunted, I actually like the way it looks in this photo too. But in real life it looks not so good.
Hey Mona,
I’m sending stuff to the US all the time so its not a problem at all : ) No we haven’t tried suede, he’s tried a few different ones including pastelmat which is the sandypaper type one. That uses a lot of pastel! He’s never really found anything that creates as softer effects than velour though. If you have any questions you are more than welcome to ask : ) You can email at any time Mona : )