Royal Delta WIP #3

Moving right along….  I need to get the body done before I can move onto the head.  I just find it easier to work left to right...  because I am right-handed.  And back to front….  because it is easier to lay color down on top of another color than to butt it right up against it.  Some times I change that when I am working with a lot of white… like to do the white  and other very light colors last to keep it as clean as I can. Of course here I will have to go back and rework the background… but at least I have that initial nice and clean edge.  I generally go back and rework all my backgrounds before I am done.

Royal Delta WIP #2

I am doing the background a light pinkish grey… only because the client had seen one of my older pieces that was on the suede mat board and really liked it.  So I am attempting to recreate it… sort of!  The background is blue in the upper left because of my lighting…  day light bulb on left and above, and tungsten on the right.  I will eventually replace the tungsten. I really like the way Royal's body is coming along…. took me a while though.  But I love using the purples and blues for that slight highlight in the shadows. And it will really make her head pop off the paper.

Royal Delta WIP

This is a favorite portrait I did of a thoroughbred race horse named Royal Delta.  It was commissioned by the bloodstock agent for the owner. She is pretty famous and her earnings on the race track are over 4 million!  She was trained by Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott…. great trainer and good guy!… not so many in this business!  He loves this horse… and not just because she won a lot of races.  I have been told that she has the air of greatness about her and is a nice horse to be around.  She retired the end of last year and was shipped to Ireland to be bred to a horse named Galileo.  Bill sent a case of peppermints with her… she only likes one specific brand!  This photo was taken by Pat Hammel who works for Bill.  She is a wonderful photographer and I am honored that she allowed me to do this pastel of her work.