I took a before picture and adjusted it on the computer until it looked exactly the way it looks in real life. As I paint over the underpainting, I need a reference to look back on to make sure my painting adheres to the original look of the panel.
I knew what I wanted to paint when I saw the panel on-line. There is a draft horse that I used to enjoy visiting across the road. He towered over me but was always gentle. I usually wound up with pictures of his eye ball because his nose was looking in my pockets for goodies. He now lives with another horse down the road and I miss walking over to talk to him.
Draft horses are working animals and are still used on farms and in logging to pull heavy loads. Their owners take good care of them and the horses like to work. They stand proud and seem to know how good they look, like a model being admired on stage.
I know exactly how the horse will stand, in the brown area, with his head turned into the dark purple shadow, his mane lighter at the top middle. Can you see anything in this panel?
Now to get to work. I have a basic horse mockup on the computer and I want to add a background before sketching it. For tonight, I will lightly sand my panel ready to paint.
Pam
