Red Angus WIP

Since the forum is so quiet right now, I thought I'd show you what's on my easel and why I'm not posting paintings right now! In spite of the great advice to just paint - it seems I've forgotten how!

This is on a 12 inch square gallery wrapped canvas and should have taken just a few hours. Instead, I've been working on it for nearly three days! Now I just don't even want to look at it any more!



Any crits or tips very welcome.

Don't give up now. You have the hardest part of the painting, the eye , all done and very expressively. He's looking right at me.

Judy

Thanks, Judy - I thought the eye was easy - it's all that curly winter fur that's daunting!

Hi Jan
The animal's eye is amazing, and the fur is coming along!

This image relies a lot on texture and lighting. I haven't seen the reference image, but maybe you need to exaggerate the lighting (highlight and shadow) and simplify the tone range. That way you are not trying to paint each tuft a different tone, for example. Then find a way to suggest the texture of fur (hair, whatever) with a simplified stroke, showing the essential characteristic of it. (like painting a tree without painting each leaf). hope this helps

Thanks Alan, I think I know what you're saying but doing is a whole different ballgame & what brought me to this standstill in painting it!

I liked the way the eye came out but am going to enlarge it just a bit more as it doesn't have that "cow-eyed" look to it. Of course there are still those long cow eyelashes to add later on too which should help.

I hope to have another update or possibly the finished painting soon.

Hi Jan,

Frankly, I think you are being too hard on yourself. I love the fur and especially the eye. The only thing I may have an issue with is that it is too much of a closeup. I would have shown the whole bull/cows face... but that is just being me... and you wanted it this way. I like the way you have varied the values, through out the painting, to give the feeling of fur.

I think you need to put away a few more paintings before you start beating yourself up. Paint away my friend.

Faisal

Thanks for the boost, Faisal. I wondered about this being too "in your face" close but the comp was part of what attracted me to this image. I chose it because I thought it might be a way to ease me back into painting again plus I just like Red Angus cattle! lol

Anyway, have been painting on it in my mind and hope to do some actual work on it later today.

The photo ref came from a public domain photo site and here's a link to the actual photo if you want to compare:
http://pixabay.com/en/cow-animal-brown-pets-cattle-cows-174822/

Jan, wow, you picked a challenging photo! But keep at it, and as Faisal says, don't be too hard on yourself. We are all here to learn, share and encourage each other.

Jan, I looked at the photo and you are being too hard on yourself. It looks very good. So here is a rule for you. You cannot be hard on yourself till you have done 10 more paintings and then only you are allowed to be critical.

Thanks both of you. Still haven't done any more to it - stuff keeps coming up to keep me from painting.

I know what you mean Jan…. sometime you have the time but something in your life can suck away the desire and that makes things hard...

How right you are, Faisal! I did try to work on this but nothing I did seemed to help so-------



Even my husband said he was glad I'd ditched it and he's usually my biggest supporter.

Oh, well - something else will come along to fill that space!

OMG. You definitely took a brave step. I've never dared to just white out a canvas. Hope something new and exciting fills the space.

My husband was also my best critic. He could spot a problem in a minute where I would look at it for hours trying to figure out what the problem was. I really miss him. He passed away 13 years ago on Easter Sunday, but he is always in my heart and looks out at me with his beautiful eyes in a portrait I did of him. One day I'll post it when I'm on my other computer where it is saved.

Judy

I hope I come up with something good too, Judy. I don't think of it as a bold step since what I had was an even bolder mistake! lol

I'd really like to see the portrait of your husband as I've got one of mine on the drawing board. We did a "photo shoot" a couple of weekends ago and I'm trying to get a good sketch of him and work out the composition I want. It won't be a formal portrait and in a way, won't even be "him" as I was looking for a rancher/cowboy figure. And it won't be in oil - or at least I don't plan it in oil right now.

We'll see if I can even pull it off in any medium! Think I want to do a few more other paintings first!

I always do my portraits on velour paper with pastels. They are so forgiving and give a softness that I love. I'm still on the wrong computer, but I'll post it soon. I'm busy today with final rehearsals for singing tomorrow with the chorus at a luncheon/fashion show we are putting onto raise funds to go to the intentional competition for Sweet Adeline's. We qualified to compete last Spring so we've been busy all years raising funds.

I used to do all of my pastel pet portraits on velour as it made the fur so fur-like!

Hope you have fun with your singing - both at rehearsal and the luncheon/fashion show and congratulations for qualifying for the competition!

Maybe that is what you needed to do with your black angus. I know I have never succeeded in painting a portrait in anything but pastel. It amazed me to see what a terrific job Faisal did with his self portrait.

The sing/fashion show was a great success with 250 people attending and 47 chorus members participating. Now I'm ready for a rest.

Jan,

Can't wait to see your portrait sketch/darwing.

Judy,

Do share your husbands portrait… It will be nice to see it.

Faisal

So glad the sing and fashion show went well, Judy. Now get some rest! lol

Faisal, I decided to ditch this red angus which I should have done in pastel and painted a black angus in gouache instead.