Another Good Weekend

Managed to get a lot done on my drawing of Marble today. Not sure if i am going to leave it at this stage as finished, will have to have a think about it. I kind of like the fact that it's focussing on her face as she's so cute. I think it took around 10 hours to get to this stage and took a lot of concentration to get the colours right but i am pleased with how it came out and quite glad it went so well for my first cat drawing. So here are the latest stage images.

Coloured Pencil on

Windsor & Newton Bristol Board

On the riding front, i has a very successful XC schooling session on Glider this morning who was very lively to say the least. He seems to get more enthusiastic each time i jump him which is brilliant. He flew over the ditch again today and absolutely loves the water. Only five days left until our first event, i just really hope the rain stops so the ground has a few days to dry up a bit. We'll see what happens.

So hopefully i will find some more inspiration for another drawing tonight and hopefully get going on the next one, it will also give me time to think about whether i will leave the drawing of Marble as it is or add some more in. I am really enjoying using the FC Polychromos pencils, but think i will try a different paper soon as the Bristol Board is very smooth and i think i might need something with a little more tooth. Have to do some experimenting i think!

Horse Updates and New Drawing

After a whole week of putting Glider in the lorry everyday to try and get him travelling better again, we finally found a way to get him through a whole little trip out without too much drama...moving the partitions right out and holding him loose in the whole space of the horse area seems to work. He has amazing balance and so clearly it's the partitions on either side of him that seem to be causing the problem at the moment. So after two successful journeys with him stood like this and the second journey completely stress free, we are now making a step in the right direction. My intention is to continue with this for a few more sessions and then slowly move the partitions back together a bit at a time until we can get them back to a reasonably close distance apart again. He's so good and was very pleased with himself after the last successful journey!

So whilst that has been going on, i've been getting him ready for our first event of the season on the 4th March which i am very excited about. Been cantering through some very wet, muddy fields as i know the ground will be pretty mushy next week. He has been getting better and better with the ground as used to be quite slippy on any mud when i first had him. Seems to have grown into his feet a bit better now! Taking him onto the XC course for some schooling with Kate and Robin tomorrow hopefully which will be fun. Need to practice my test a few times then i think i'll be ready to go!

So on the drawing front, i have started a new drawing of our cat Marble which is fairly tricky. Probably the most difficult drawing i have done so far in terms of the colours and texture. She has quite long fur and she is a lovely tabby colour which is very hard to recreate, but it's a challenge and i'm enjoying it so far. I think this small section has taken me around 3 hours so far, so i think it will be a long one! I am already looking forward to finishing it and hoping it comes out as well as i am hoping it will. So i have posted below a picture of the first stage with a close up as well.

Marble Stage One

Coloured Pencil on

Windsor & Newton Bristol Board

Hopefully will have another update tomorrow as i'm planning to do a lot more work on this over the weekend. Will post the next stage when i have moved it on further.

German Shepherd Finished

The weekend went way too quickly as they always do. I had a jumping lesson planned with Glider yesterday but unfortunately didn't get there due to a small issue with Glider panicking himself in the lorry. We have had a couple of problems with him travelling in the last few weeks and thought we had managed to just about get past it, but unfortunately he is still not very confident and so we need to go back to basics with him and get his confidence back again in the old lorry and then in the new one. We are also having someone come to look at the new lorry to check that all the suspension and brakes are okay so it's as stable for him as it can be. With only three weeks to go until the eventing season starts, it's the last thing we need but it can't be helped. However, with him being placed 4th at his first show of the year last week i am still beaming from that and will do all i can to have him travelling well again in no time hopefully.

So after the drama of the morning yesterday, i got back to drawing and finished my latest drawing of the German Shepherd. I'm really pleased with the outcome despite a few reservations about the colours to begin with. I think it took around 10 hours in total but i really enjoyed working on it.

German Shepherd

Coloured Pencils on

Daler Rowney Cartridge Paper

I am hoping to start working on a new drawing tonight as i have a busy week ahead of me with lots of badminton, a cinema trip and then 3 days of college from Friday through to Sunday, so i want to make use of all the time i have spare to draw. I haven't decided what this will be yet but i will post an update as soon as i have started on it.

Productive Saturday

I managed to get some more drawing done today after i rode the horse this morning. I have been drawing pretty much solidly since about 11am this morning and it's now nearly 5pm. Sometimes, i just get into that mood where i feel really creative and it's the best time for me to draw as i know i can usually get quite a lot done. I wasn't really too sure about the colours on this drawing when i started it, but now that it's progressing it's coming together better i think. It looks better in the flesh as the pictures below are not brilliant quality. I am hoping that i might be able to have this one finished by the end of the weekend, but there is still quite a bit to do on the neck and small area of his back. I have managed to post a couple of stages this time as i took a picture before i got the muzzle done. Hopefully i will be able to post another stage tomorrow evening.

It's been quite interesting for me to do this drawing as the colours are so tricky to create. I think after this i am going to get some more pencils to add a new set of colours to my collection, somehow i think you can never have enough coloured pencils!

2011 So Far and New Drawing

2011 for me so far has been extremely busy with my regular job and also busy for me with my horse, Glider, who I am currently getting fit and ready for the eventing season starting in March. It has also been a time for me to get stuck in with my art work and get some pieces completed and start showcasing my work. I have completed a few pieces this year already which I have posted on the separate Coloured Pencil and Graphite pages.

I started a new drawing on Monday of a German Shepherd which is currently a work in progress. I have managed to spend some time on him this week however, I was out all day yesterday with the horse competing and so I am hoping to get some more work done on it tonight. I am enjoying this piece so far as the light on the reference picture is very light and so the colours appearing on his fur is making for a very challenging piece.

Work in Progress

Coloured Pencil on

Daler Rowney Cartridge Paper

Hopefully I will be able to do some more work on this piece tonight and I will post the next stage update when I have it. I hope you enjoy browsing through my work and if anyone would like to contact me for more information on commission work, please contact me via email on harmony03@hotmail.co.uk.