Every concept I paint is my own chosen subject matter. I personally photograph all of my reference shots. Many hours are invested in researching and gathering my reference material because historical authenticity and anatomical accuracy are my highest priorities. Every painting I do begins long before I pick up a pencil or brush.

The Creative Process...

 

The painting begins with the idea itself, then the task of gathering good reference material, field travel, photographs, actual objects such as tack or silverwork and discussions with various working horsemen, historians – all lead to documenting the facts long before the actual drawing and painting process begins.

 

After all research material has been digested, I choose specific photographs to use as my reference for the painting. Hundreds of photos may have been gathered of just one horse, which I narrow down to a select few key poses. The chosen photos are enlarged to 8 x 10 size making it easier for on going review while I’m painting at the easel.

 

The Drawing...

 

Preliminary sketches are key components in my painting process. I will compose a number of thumbnails at the easel. Concepts requiring landscape and scenery require more time and effort than portraits. Always focusing on the anatomical accuracy of the subjects, I may often spend days detailing these preliminary sketches. This is time well spent on my part, ensuring everything retains its proper proportion to the rest of the drawing. Any errors and corrections are worked out at this point and then a final preliminary sketch is done which must meet my total satisfaction before I will start the painting process.

 

The Preparation...

 

I paint on 1/4" untempered hardboard called masonite. By purchasing large boards and cutting them myself, I retain control over the board size and quantity on hand. Boards are cut to correct sizes, then I begin preparing the surface. I use #80 grit sandpaper to roughen up the smooth side of the masonite, then remove any dirt or grit by using a clean, damp cloth. Keeping the board clean is of utmost importance during the preparation stage.

 

Next comes the acrylic primer applied to the boards with an airbrush. By diluting the gesso with water (75% gesso/25% water) it allows the gesso to flow properly and evenly through my airbrush. Each board receives 6 to 8 layers of gesso and must dry thoroughly between each application. Sanding is also repeated between each coat of gesso with #120 sandpaper. This evens out the surface, ensuring all flecks, bumps and any imperfections are eliminated during the prep stages. (I also apply coats of gesso to the backside of the masonite to eliminate any chance of warping.) After the final coat of gesso is applied to the front surface of boards, I do a final sanding using #280 or #400 sandpaper with water to ensure the surface of boards are absolutely smooth.

 
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