It has been a while since I have had new artwork posted on this page.  That's because I have been so busy!  I have a few other websites that are taking off so well.  Those websites are called PetAutoSafety.com, PetAutoSafetyBlog.com, AmericanDogBlog, and AnimalFigurineStore.com.  As you can tell, I love animals so I got with a couple other animal lovers and started a new business with these websites.  I am very proud of the business and it has kept me very busy.  The PetAutoSafety.com and PetAutoSafetyBlog.com sites are my favorite.  Check them out to see what we are up to.

I am now working on a new commission piece of another horse - or horses, I should say.  Here is a photo of them below:

Vicky wants the horses in a slightly different pose, so I have to use this photo and photos of other horses in order to get them in the way she would like them.  I start with some basic outline sketches where I try to get the right shape of the face, mouth, eyes, and ears.  I also draw lines for certain prominent bone features.  It is easier for me to draw the outlines first rather than start with a shaded sketch because I get a better idea of shapes, outlines are easier to erase than shading, and when I am ready to move the sketch onto the art paper I can easily trace my outlines.

Since the ears of the horses in the photo are difficult to see, I have also sketched some horse ears and a nose for easier reference.

Next I add the shading to make sure my lines make sense with the horses' shape.

I have given this sketch to Vicky to review.  She has indicated a few corrections, such as the eyes are a little too small.  And she has marked the white areas of the horses for me since the photo is hard to see in places.  I have now transferred the line sketch onto greyish pastel paper and added a generic background.

Next, I do what I think is the hardest part - the eyes and the nose.  The eyes of a horse are really complex if you look closely.  There are the big eyes with the black pupils and near-black irises, the long lashes, the black lining around the eyelids, and the folds of the eyelids themselves.  The nose is difficult because of all the intricate folds and curves.

It's coming along nicely.  I'm thinking that the horse on the left is done.  Let's see what Vicky thinks...

There were a few minor corrections on the first horse.  Basically, the white parts were not exactly right.  It was fairly easy to make the corrections so I worked on the other horse.  I finished it all in one weekend and brought it to Vicky the following Monday.  She showed it to her husband and they both love it!! Check out the finished piece below.