By using soft pastels, I find that I can capture or accentuate moods more effectively than a photograph can. Starting with a photo, I can take the horse’s pose and change lighting, background and clarity to generate a feel that is different from the original photo.
Here is a photo I used as a model. The placid expression and detail in this horse’s expression struck me, and I decided to do a portrait from it.
When I created a pastel portrait, I changed the background to clear evening sky, softened the lighting and took out the lead rope from the photo.
The freedom to make changes like these is a big part of the appeal in what I do.
I do pictures from photos I find in books, prints of artwork, and I also do commissions of people’s horses. Interested in a portrait? For more information on commissions, visit the Ordering Info page.
For time lapse videos and latest pictures, visit my Facebook page.