My process first begins with photographing my subject matter. Most of the time that subject is horses. I use a Canon T3i with a 70-300 zoom lens for most action shots. I used to use a Canon Xsi. I paint on wood panels, mostly birch that I buy at Lowes and cradle with 1x2's. I do use some pre-made wood painting panels as well. My smaller pieces are usually the edupanels from blick.
Blessing of the Hunt
My photographic reference: I crop and grid it in photoshop, sometime adjusting the contrast as well.
I start drawing using a grid with thin paint on a recently toned board, this time in paynes gray, which is what I use for a cooler image, I use burnt sienna for a warmer piece
Then I start to build the values still using a thin layer of paynes gray and erasing some of the tone with a brush dipped in mineral spirits
Another piece, Out in Front
Once again started with a photograph. I take thousands of pictures when I'm shooting and once and a while a photo composition works, often tho I have to remove or add elements to make it work right. The horses in this piece just worked. I did remove the tower on the left because it was distracting.
I didn't feel the white was working with the other whites in the painting. So I changed the color of the lead riders clothes
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