1stAngel & Friends

I am an Artist located on a beautiful Farm in NW Oregon and I am inspired by the natural beauty around me.
My main paintings and photographs are of horses and things botanical but I may surprise you from time to time with an assortment of other images, such as Barns, Motorcycles or Aircraft.
Please visit often to see what Tutorials I am working on at present.

Today it is a “Work in Progress” of a Watercolor. Will start from the basic foundation drawing with the photograph, to the first washes of color.  Tips will be about watercolor paper and how to start a color board.

I am using “Aquarello Fabriano Artistico Bright White hot press Watercolor paper“, which is my favorite. It holds up very well to the many layers of wash I use.
For this painting I am using 12′ by 18″ sized paper. I have found this to be one of the best watercolor papers but you can use what ever you feel comfortable using. Use the best watercolor paper you can afford, you will be much happier with the results.

I am using Derwent watercolor pencils… used as watercolor and not a pencil if that makes any sense? I like the colors better than my tube watercolors. Again use any watercolor brand you favor.

Paint brushes..I use mostly sizes 00, 01, 02, 06. Believe or not my favorite brush is the one that came in the Derwent watercolor pencil set. Princeton’s are a cheap brush but hold up very well and are nice to use.I have very nice sable brushes and you can spend a lot of money on watercolor brushes but I find the Princeton’s are cheap, nicely made and hold up better than most Sable.

Finally decided what I was going to paint next. Not that it is hard to imagine what I might do for this painting. A good friend Dawn Shaw, has kindly let me use her photographs for my paintings, which is great because I am not going to make it to any of the Icelandic horse shows this year.

This is of a Chestnut Stallion in “Extended Trot”. Most people are only interested in paintings of Icelandic’s Tolting but this photo has so much movement to it, I just had to make it into a painting.

Right now I am working on the undercolor or highlights, if you will. I am only using Watercolor at this point but might add ink later on in this painting. Is a little different style than I have been doing the last year or so.
By the time this painting is done, I will have applied between 15 and 30 layers of color to get the effect I am looking for.
Am doing the first layer now.

Lightly penciled in and shows the copy of the photo I am using.
Bit of the bright yellow in the tail, color to the back leg and ground near the horse.
Working on the head and neck a bit, using a Natural earth pigmented watercolor.
More of the body and areas to leave for highlights.

More to come.

Here I am adding the railing that runs around the Track and a bit more highlight to the horse.
Adding some stylized trees and more highlights.
Bit of sky
More color to the background.
More done to the horse, mane, trees and sky. Pretty sure I am going to keep this painting Watercolor only, and in a loose abstract style. Something a bit different than my heavily detailed Pen & Ink w/watercolor pencil wash.

Here you see more shading in the trees, mid ground, horse’s tail and so on.
More shading in the body of the Icelandic and some helmet color.

More body color going on and started the darker shading around the Icelandic’s face and upper neck. Is hard to see but some of the shading for her very blond hair is going in. Bridle is being worked on also.

Have added more color and shading to the Icelandic’s body and hooves.

Here I have added to layers of color to the shirt and more detail to the bridle.
Adding a couple of layers of color to her pants and more detail to the horse’s tail.
Shading started around her pant legs and saddle. More work done to the Icelandic’s mane.

Here you can see the saddle color just starting to go on, more shading on the horse, the start of her shoe on the other side of the Icelandic. Also added flesh color base to her face and arm. Helmet harness color starting to go in and the horse’s bit is almost completed.

Have started on the riders head and arms. Adding more color to the shirt, saddle and a bit more color to the horse.
Added gloves, more folds in the riders shirt and more shading.
Tip: I find it very helpful to make up a color board. This way you have a quick and easy way to see what the colors look like on the paper you are using.

Have done more work on the saddle and the far boot of the rider. More colors on the Icelandic.
Working with the riders hair has become a challenge. Because her hair is so light, if I paint it just like the photo, no one could see it. So I have taken the liberty to darken it a bit. Also working more on her helmet and pants.

Here I have finished the riders pants, shoes and stirrups.

Fine tuning the shading and pushed back,,via a fog like mist, the Trees.

This is the Finished painting. I wanted to try a more loose style than I normally do. If you are interested in this piece or to see what I have been painting visit me at.. 
http://inkbrushcreations.blogspot.com/