Zebras

I also started the painting of the Zebras today. I drew it up yesterday and then today filled in the background and started to block out the stripes. I've been really looking forward to this painting as I've never painted zebras before so it'll be a really interesting challenge and one that my strange love of detail and perfection will enjoy. It's such a beautiful photo and I really hope I do it justice.

Benny - Finished

Here is the finished version of Benny, he's been approved and is now waiting for his first coat of varnish. I've recently started using some new acrylic paints and one of the downsides, as I found out with my last painting, is that even after a few days, some of the colours, mainly the darker colours, still aren't completely dry and streaked when I brushed on the varnish so I'm now going to have to wait longer until I varnish my paintings. A bit of a pain on a tight schedule but I'm now paranoid about ruining the paintings!

Benny

Benny

Benny at lunchtime today.

Benny

Here is the first stage of Benny. He'll look a bit bald for a day or two as I always do the forelock last but as I'm going to get the straightening irons to his forelock when I paint it in, there currently isn't even a hint of hair in the painting so it may look a bit odd. Hopefully you can imagine it there!

I've done his neck today and have put in the underlayers for the rest of him and you will see as it progresses that I will layer paint on top, lightening as I go.

Montage finished

Here is the finished version of the montage. I did a bit of work on it last night to make sure I could get it finished by lunchtime today and to save my eyes going too cross-eyed! I love doing detail but I'm sure it's not good for my eyesight!

Montage

I had hoped to finish the montage today but once again things got in the way but very good and exciting things. This morning we had the call we've been waiting weeks for, that the house exchange has gone ahead and we are finally home owners!! So that meant lots of calling around and letting people know. We pick up the keys on Nov 10, right in the middle of hectic painting time but I'm sure it'll be alright, I'll just have to make sure that the first things I unpack are my art bits and pieces!

Montage

Only two left to go. I had assumed it wouldn't take me this long to do the montage but it's amazing how putting in lots of detail at such a small scale takes it's time, and also it's toll on my eyes as I've gone cross-eyed! :-D

Montage and Benny

I've finished all the backgrounds on the montage. I have to wait for each layer to dry completely before I can put the next on as it can lift the paint off the canvas if I put wet on wet so it's taken longer than I hoped. I also drew up and put the background colour on the next commission of Benny.

Montage

It's coming along! Today I painted in William, but I chose to do a background of trees instead of the stables he was stood infront of in the photo to keep it simpler and show him up more. I will also be doing this with the horse top right to link the outside pictures together.

And the bottom pic is our little girl cat Izzy who is extremely cute even when she steals my chair whilst I'm trying to work!!

Montage

Montage

Here it is with Teddy finished and a close up to show the detail.

Montage

I've nearly finished the first image on the montage and have also added a close up of Storm.

Montage

Here are the beginnings of the montage. I have drawn up each individual picture and then applied the background colour which has taken 3 layers for even coverage.

Artist is off sick!

Just to warn you that my timetable might get behind by a few days this week as I picked up a cold at the weekend and even though I hoped it would be gone by now, it seems to be making my head nice and foggy making painting a tricky task! Friday is also a no go day as we're off to sign contracts on our first house (at last!!!) so hopefully things will be back to normal from Monday and I will be painting like a mad thing! :-D

Isaac finished

Here is the finished version of Isaac.

Stage two of Isaac.