Work in Progress

Progress 1

Here is the outline drawing for Dylan's portrait. As usual the initial drawing goes on rough paper and then gets transferred to pastel paper when I am ready to start with the pastels.

Progress 2

I have decided that pastel pencils are the way forward for this background due the amount of detail. I am laying down the green first and I am then adding the yellow flowers. I have done a bit of smudging with my fingers, but most of it is just blended with the pencils.

Progress 3

A bit more work done on the background and still more to be done yet. I have started work on Dylan to try and bring them in line and work on them side by side now. This is so they evolve together otherwise I often find they don't gel if I completely finish the background and then do my subject.

Progress 4

I have worked some more on Dylan's mane, starting off with laying down the mid tones and building up the darks and lights to create depth and contrast.

I have also started work on Dylan's body doing pretty much the same. You can see where I have roughly laid down a mid tone, in the direction his fur lays.

Progress 5

This is pretty much the last stage of Dylan's portrait. I continued layering and adding details in the direction of his fur, adding in highlights and shadows. I have made tweaks on his bridle (I am always nervous of bridles!) I have also gone over the background adding more greens and yellow to make it stand out.

At this point I normally email my client and ask if they have any adjustments they would like making to their pet portrait. If not, then I tuck it away for a few days and when I return to it anything that may not look quite right normally stands out.. In this case I was happy with the portrait and he is being packed up ready to go to his client.

This is my current one.

It is a beautiful stallion I was lucky enough to photograph and have been looking to paint. he is set in the original background except I have blurred out a lot of it to make him stand out. I am still unsure about the background though and may change it as I start work.

I have also completed the outline drawing. I didn't bother with the background as I may be changing it.

Stage 1

I have transferred the outline of the stallion to the Fisher400 paper, which I use for all my pastel portraits.

I scan my drawing into the computer then flip it so it’s a mirror image of the drawing. I print it out and then trace the outline with a pastel pencil, then transfer it to the fisher paper by placing it face down, fastening with masking tape and rubbing over the back like you would any transfer.

The first image shows the transferred drawing and the soft pastels I will use for the background in this painting. The soft pastel sticks are Schmincke pastels and I use these for all my blended colour backgrounds such a Scuzz, and Charlie. I use pastel pencils for the detailed work on the animals and any detailed backgrounds such as Finn on my homepage.

I have latex glove to blend and smooth the soft pastel. The brush is a stiff bristle oil painting brush that I use to remove any pastel that may go over the outline of the horse as pastel pencil doesn’t go over the soft pastel very well, so I find it helps to remove it.

Stage 2

I put the pastels on the paper, for this I have used various ochre's and greys and blue for the sky. When I have put the colours where I want I start blending using the latex glove.

As I blend I may add more colour if either if I want to change the colour slightly or there isn’t enough pastel to blend. I would advise not putting too much pastel down and adding more if needed rather than putting too much on and having to remove it.

Stage 3

This shows the background after it has been blended. I am fairly happy with this for the moment, but I may change it as the painting progresses.

I will next move onto the foreground. For the most part I will use my pastel pencils for this.

I would hope to have another update within the next few weeks, but for now I must return to my commissioned work.

Apologies everyone who have been waiting patiently for updates on my stallion painting. Illness has dominated this month again. I guess that’s what you get with two nippers running around!

I have started work on the foreground now. I have put down the soft pastels for this and moved on to the pastel pencils. I use a mix of Carb Othello, Derwents and Pitts. I use various brands as they have different qualities and ranges of colours. You can’t, say, get the range of earthy colours in the Carb Othello's as the Pitts.

Stage 4

In the stage 4 image, I have roughly laid down the pastel in horizontal lines in ochres and greys to match the dusty background. I have then used a latex glove to smooth and blend it together (You can see the result of this in image 5). I add more colour where I think it needs it. I am sorry it’s a bit vague as I am making up this background as I go!

Stage 5

In this next photograph, you can see how I have blended the pastel together and I have now proceeded to add some more details. I have used a dark sepia and just made little stone like shapes and then gently smoothed them down with my finger. I only do this gently because I don’t want to smudge them too much and loose definition. If that did happen pastel is very forgiving and it could be redone. This is why I love this medium so much. I have also done some lighter marks too. I have added some grey and burnt carmine. Burnt carmine is a favourite of mine by derwent, It’s a purplish colour, but it works well in shadows and reflections.

I am now trying to add the dust kicked up by his hooves. I am currently using a pastel pencil for this, but may well turn to the soft pastel sticks, I am not sure yet.

Stage 6

I have the small update as promised. I have started blocking in the colours of the stallion with pastel pencils. No soft pastels are used for this process. I will continue to do this until I have the basic details down and then I will refine and add the finishing details after.

I occasionally smooth down the pastel with my fingers, but tend to try and avoid it too much as it can muddy the colours. I try to do most of my blending with the pastels themselves.

Stage 7

I have continued blocking the basic colours and the refined detail will go on last. I am adding some ochres to the stallion as well to show some reflection of the sandy ground. It is now really beginning to take shape.

Stage 8

I have continued with his body trying to create some depth to show of his muscles and create a sense of power. I am still avoiding any really fine detail for the moment. I have at points gently smoothed over parts with my finger to soften up areas where it needed it. I do try to avoid doing to much of that though as it can muddy the pastels.

Stage 9

This is the penultimate instalment now. I feel he his virtually finished, but I shall leave it now for 24 hours maybe a bit longer before I return too add the finishing touches. This way it normally makes anything that is not quite right jump out at me as I am looking with fresh eyes.

I have worked on his mane and tail and added some... veins on his body. I didn't put as many as there are on the photograph as I don't think it was necessary I just wanted to suggest some.

His mane overlapped some of the soft pastel I used for the background. Pastel pencils will not go over this very well so this is where the paint brush comes in! I use it to gently remove some of the pastel, but not all of it. I shake the loose pastel off outside (don't blow as its not to breathe in pastel dust!) I then blend it over again so it matches the rest of the background, but there is now less pastel there and therefore easier to draw over with the pastel pencil.

I have also darkened up some of the darks and lightened up some of the lights and we are nearly finished!

With a few final tweaks we have the finished portrait titled Wild At Heart, which was given to him by Lucy aron Wilde. Hope you like it and thanks for watching!

Step 1

This is the clients photograph. As you can see the photograph is in focus and fills the frame and the lighting is good, and most importantly no flash.

Step 2

This is the mock up. In this instance my client wanted a plainish background to their horse portrait.

Step 3

I send an outline drawing to the client for them to approve, and once that has been done I can start their portrait.

Step 4 - Finished Portrait

The finished portrait! A photograph of the portrait is emailed to my client and it is then packed up ready for shipment to its new owners. Some of my clients like to see a couple of progress photographs and others prefer to wait until the portrait is finished. Just let me know and I am happy to do either.

Progress 1

The portrait has been transferred to my paper and I have started blocking in the colours - with some detail as I can't resist - especially on such a beautiful cat.

Progress 2

More blocking on of colour and some detail and Applejacks portrait is really starting to take shape. I am especially loving this as I don't paint many cat portraits which is a shame.

Progress 3

On the final stretch now. The portrait is very nearly finished. There will be some refinements and tweaks which will be made after I have tucked the portrait away for a few days. When I then revisit anything I want to change will stand out.

Progress 4 - Finished Portrait

Here is Applejacks finished portrait. Both myself and Applejacks owner a very pleased. A larger image can be viewed under the Cat Portfolio.