May I have an art critique?

Jackson

Jackson

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I'm not sure wether this is allowed or not, and wether this is the right place, but I am curious to know wether you think that I could sell a couple of my paintings? I'm finding it hard to find a job to fill my time between now and when I will be starting college, and I was considering doing some portraits and so on. So my question is, what would you pay for one of these watercolours, and would you buy a painting in the same style of your own horse?
Thank you for your time!

This one is unfinished :) it also has freakishly long legs, but I was mainly using it to see if I could paint a chesnut!
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I would suggest doing some more practises and spending some time studying the conformation of a horse. The dapple in your pic is very good, but still conformationally incorrect.

Not being harsh at all by the way, you have talent, though i have a feeling you rush your work. Do as much observationals as you can, of the parts of a horse, eye/muzzle/ body/ legs and you will improve drastically.

If you frame them nicely you could probably shift them on ebay. :)
 
Personally I don't think they are good enough to sell. Sorry.

There are lots of artists out there doing this sort of thing so there is lots of competition and clients expect a high standard.

Look at the websites of pro artists and see what they are doing to give you something to aim for. Laura Barber Riley posts on here have a look at her work or Mary Herbert or Bridget Ann Smart or my oh Mark Langley for examples of what a pro does.
 
Thank you both, it's no problem, I was just curious :) I know my work is no where near what some people can do - I have been stalking the artists on here all day :p I'm happy to just keep them about here, I don't think I will bother with ebay ;)
 
Actually...I love the grey pony....it would make a wonderful card....and I am not sure everything needs to be conformationally correct.....however....I found the chestnut colouring good but the shape a little scary!
Keep going and best of luck
Bryndu:)
 
Horses are one of the hardest things to draw as there is so much muscle involved with each movement , you could get yourself a horse maikin like the figure ones they do in wood and then you can move it's legs into different posistions to get alternative pics. I know these are only sketches but try to be a bit more creative with colour. Have a look at a print that i love called andalusian summer by malcolm coward , google sally mitchell fine art , i'm pretty sure it's on there , and you'll be able to see how colour can enhance movement.
 
I think you could have a Market out there... Not to sell as proper portraits in the conventional sense but I think that people may pay for paintings of their horses being "cartooned up" or I could see a market in more of an illustrated style ... Fairytale style illustrations of a little girls first pony would be a brill present. I agree study a horses anatomy but also use photos as reference and make sure the proprtions are correct ... Draw what you actually see not what you think you see. Also one last thing ... I think your first one is painted on paper because it's wrinkled. I might be wrong about that but you would probably get a better result using watercolour paper.
 
Oh! I think I was given print of a Malcolm Coward! Thanks for the CC ;)

Back in school, we had a little movable man which helped me so much when we were studying the body. I would love to find a horse like that :)

blueneonrainbow, my other favorite thing to draw is fairytale scenes, maybe that could be a plan :) the first one is done on printer paper, it was an experiment :o usually I stretch my paper though ;)
 
Jackson said:
Oh! I think I was given print of a Malcolm Coward! Thanks for the CC ;)

Back in school, we had a little movable man which helped me so much when we were studying the body. I would love to find a horse like that :)

blueneonrainbow, my other favorite thing to draw is fairytale scenes, maybe that could be a plan :) the first one is done on printer paper, it was an experiment :o usually I stretch my paper though ;)
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http://www.fineartstore.com/Catalog...8831/Default.aspx?SortField=UnitCost,UnitCost

These are incredibly useful, but you do need to use in conjunction with photographs to see how the flesh sits and the muscles work throughout the gaits (did this in my art GCSE, passed with B just on my horse module).

Like a pp said, there is much better out there, but there is always something to aspire to and is achievable
 
my husband got me a pic done of my cob but he had to send the artist a photo so I suppose in effect she copied the photo into a painting which I would imagine is easy to copy??? for an artist??
Anyhow I was pleased with it and it hangs proudly on my kitchen wall.

We met her at a craft fair somewhere....her signature is Sue James(in fact just looked looks like a pastel)

Good luck though they look very nice.
 
indie999 said:
my husband got me a pic done of my cob but he had to send the artist a photo so I suppose in effect she copied the photo into a painting which I would imagine is easy to copy??? for an artist??
Anyhow I was pleased with it and it hangs proudly on my kitchen wall.

We met her at a craft fair somewhere....her signature is Sue James(in fact just looked looks like a pastel)

Good luck though they look very nice.
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Nearly all equine portrait artists work from photographs, it isn't very practical to have a horse sit for you ;)
 
I like your drawing of the grey and when I looked at the chestnut, I also thought it could be made into a cartoon type greeting card.

I had a portrait done of my horse by Nikki Moore and she will not work from photos sent to her. She comes out and takes loads of photos and pics the best bits from each, ie his eye looked better in that, ears in that and so on. It turned out fantastic.

Good luck :)
 
Why not do your art work & then make greetings cards from them, people will not look with a critical eye so much at a greetings card. You need to be much more anatomically correct for painting horses for people to hang but if you can conquer that go for it.
 
I think they show your individual style. Not to be confused with portrait when a customer expects a real life resemblance.
I was always told when painting/ sketching it's quite often what you leave out that is important!
They appear to me to represent a fantasy type horse that looks suited to gift cards or illustrations.
You could try creating your own cards and mounting them in some of the purpose made card mounts sold in craft shops and selling at local farm stores.

Keep it up! :)
 
I think there is a place for all manner of artistic styles. You need to find your own style and just keep practising. Your style, I would say, is more suited to cards/prints. I have, very recently, left my secure job for life within the mod and started up as an artist, and there will always be people who like your style and people who hate it. I didnt do very well at A level art, because I favour very detailed 'photographic' painting, instead of imaginative, loose or abstract art - but I don't really see why any one style is better than another. Market yourself well, get painting and drawing loads and go for it! I'm really glad I did! :)
 
Echo Bravo said:
I'd go and draw and paint a real live horse, over several weeks. Yes you have talent, but don't copy go draw the real thing.
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Can I just ask why? I'm genuinely interested, not trying to be difficult!

I debated going on a course next week which involved drawing horses from life - as it happens I can't go - but I was dubious about what help it would be. Perhaps it depends how well you know horses and the way they move?
 
Having just done a 12 week book project at uni on my illustration course in which i choose to do Bucephalus the greek legend, i had alot of horse drawing to do! My tutor told me to draw horses from life rather than photographs as you need to show more fluidity as horses have alot of this in their movement. if you want to truely capture the way the horse moves id suggest getting yourself down a yard with some sketchbooks and different media such as pen and ink (you can also get these amazing refillable ink pens that u fill with abit of ink and water and its a brush pen so you get all sorts of thickness's and line) paint,charcoal,pastel etc etc and just sit and draw them. even if you get not great results it doesn't matter you will be spending so much time concentrating and really looking at the subject it will help no end when you draw horses from photos later on too. Id also suggest taking a video of horses moving weather in the paddock or being lunged and maybe slowing it down and drawing from that too. Remember you don't have to create completely detailed works have some fun how about more carton types or stylizing horses? maybe look at certain characteristics of different breeds and play around with that. I cannot stress how important it would be to go out and draw from observation. Photos only take you so far in art.
oh and most of all..have fun :)
 
There's nothing wrong with working from photos as long as you understand the limitations, understand your subject and use them as source material rather than copying them (which can be considered breach of copyright!).

My husband is a pro artist and always works from photos, preferably his own, but that isn't always possible. It is impossible to get the level of detail and accuracy demanded by paying customers by working from life unless you have hugely long sitting times. Having sat for a portrait myself it is boring, hard work, tiring, etc!

Oh and I wouldn't try printing onto greetings cards, the profit margin is tiny and you need to be able to produce massive print runs.
 
I really like your paintings (even the freakishly long legs!), I've not seen many horse paintings done in water colour and it is one of my favourite mediums. I too think your style suits more 'fairytale' style stuff; unicorns, pegasus, fairys riding horses that kind of thing. With more practise I think you will be able to produce great paintings that you can sell :)
 
Echo Bravo said:
I'd go and draw and paint a real live horse, over several weeks. Yes you have talent, but don't copy go draw the real thing.
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Exactly.If you go learn to measure ,see "below the skin" as you would be taught in proper life classes ,you will see that copying a photo just is`nt what it is about. The idea is not to get a complete replica,a photo will do that,it is to translate the live animal/landscape /whatever into what your eye interprates to your hand. One good place we were always taken as a group was cattle markets..look at the amazing curves on a cow`s head,that is what art should be about ..NOT copying photos. Only use I could see for photos might be to capture the light in a landscape at a particular time of day ..for reference with the on scene sketches.
 
Thank you for the many replies all, I definitely need to learn how to use the multi quote button, but I'm reading through the Equine arts thread and being in awe of every ones stunning work.

That horse model was seriously creepy, but after I have payed all of my real equine bills, I think I might just buy one of those!

My next project is going to be a painting of my own beast, I'm thinking after what you have said on here that I am best off going down to his field on a sunny day and doing a couple of quick (and hopefully more anatomically correct!) sketches of him which I can further develop with the help of some photographs when I am at home.

Looking at the art thread, the drawings and paintings all seem so realistic, and focused on detail, not like mine which are a bit washy (obviously, because of the watercolour) I see how that would make it hard for me to actually make a painting look like somebody's horse, not just any old painting.

I'm thinking about mounting the grey and putting it in the office of my yard, just to see if I do get any interest. I might as well try :p If I was to do this, what sort of price should it be? I was thinking £7-£10, is that too much?

Thank you again for all of your advice! :D
 
Re price, at the absolute minimum you should charge minimum wage for the time taken plus the cost of your materials.

Obviously in the future you need to add on things like advertising, gallery commission, etc.

There is no point selling a framed picture for £10! You would be better off not bothering. It is the equivalent of spending twenty quid on petrol to commute to a job that pays a tenner a shift. Not only are you doing yourself a disservice but all artists trying to make a living.
 
May I ask how I would be harming other artists? I personally thought £10 would have been okay, I'm definitely not professional or working to a professional standard, it's unlikely that anyone would actually want to buy it any way, and so far, my watercolours have lasted me three years with quite a lot of use so there would be minimum cost there. There is the cost of the frame, but I have some white card backing that I was planning on attatching it to which wasn't exactly expensive and I could leave it to the buyer to actually add a frame? I don't know, as I say, I have no experience... :)
 
No art critic or expert but it still depends if whoever is looking likes it!

I think your pics were good and the only way is to test the market.
I went to a county show a couple of weeks ago and someone was selling paintings and I know sixth formers that should be selling their works after looking at some of what was for sale!

Look at thelwell.........! Picasso! different. Try and sell

Good luck
 
Bryndu said:
Actually...I love the grey pony....it would make a wonderful card....and I am not sure everything needs to be conformationally correct.....however....I found the chestnut colouring good but the shape a little scary!
Keep going and best of luck
Bryndu:)
Click to expand...

Actually I really like the chestnut - in a surreal sort of artistic way. It's different and that could be your niche - adult/foal-like horses very appealing. You definately have a talent. You could also some head studies? Good luck don't give up! :)
 
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