Rose Reining horse progress...

The white paint application is now dry enough now on the two Rose Reining horse projects to continue work....the next step for these two is the addition of the details, shading, and skin color. Here I've started the first layer of detail on one Reiner with many more layers of fine hair details to go...this copy will be a pintaloosa...

The second Rose Reining horse will be a sabino.....time for me to begin applying the fist layer of detail to this project....

The Rose Reining horses above were sculpted by the super talented Sarah Rose.

Below you see the detailing which has been added to a wonderful traditional Wyakin resin....

At this stage I'm still applying the fine hair details...more layers and shades will be added ..alternating between light,dark, and medium shades to achieve the results I'm looking for. In one of the photos you can see the reference photo I'm using as my guide to paint by.

Wyakin has been sculpted by the gifted Michelle Platt.

All of the above projects are commissions.

The Breyer Andalusian mini resin sales item named "Alejandro" was sold via my yahoo group...

Prepping continues in the evenings on the balance of the in studio commissions....there are several which have been prepped and are awaiting their turn on the painting table.....

I did purchase a new camera and I must say it was a splendid worthwhile investment...this morning I experimented a bit with taking photos and editing them. The Rose Reining horse photos above were taken with the new camera using my studio lamp as lighting......the Wyakin resin photos were taken with my old camera using my backdrop set up.

The new camera photos are so crisp, detailed and clear and the colors are so much more real life than the colors my old camera were giving me. I'll need to practice more with the lighting set up using my backdrop....

Have a wonderful day everyone!
C.S.Richmond Studios

"Alejandro" and "Lirico"

This is a wonderful little Breyer Andalusian resin sculpted by the gifted and talented Brigette Eberl.....I've been working on him for a while and last week he was completed and then sold via my C.S.Richmond Studios Yahoo group early this week.

This little resin measures 6 inches long by 5 inches tall...and I've removed the resin from its factory base.

I named this little guy "Alejandro"....the name "Alejandro" is a variation of the name "Alexander" which means "defender". "Alexander" is also my Dads middle name.....I love giving titles or names to my projects and have done so since I began painting back in 2003.

Here is "Alejandro"...

I have several rose grey photos in my reference library I love to use. I have one fascinating deep dark rose grey reference photo I'm saving to paint my Maggie Bennett "Superlumina" by....in the reference photo there are nice cream colors and some cream with the rose color...amazing colors that remind me of deep dark black cherries and cream with a bit of that dark steel grey color mixed in...lovely!

Also coming up for sale is the "Mr. Shadow" resin sculpted by Nicole Hatch.."Shadow" is being painted using a TB Racehorse photo I love...a warm brown rosy grey I love with dark steel hindquarters and shadings.

Another thriller to paint was "Lirico" sculpted by the talented Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig..he was completed last week as well and was a commission. For me, "Lirico" is one of those sculptures that has that "amazing full of expression" face...even unpainted I could see in my minds eye the fire he has in his eyes...here are his final photos.....lots of them :)

I'm also working on purchasing a new camera...the one I have is an el-cheapo one I've had since 2000 that takes small file photos and is a simple point and shoot camera...time to upgrade for sure. I'm going with a Canon...I think the T2i model.

Back in the 80s I used to take lots of photos with my a Pentax camera...I still have the camera and all the lenses. Times have moved on and the days of cameras with film in them are gone....I really needed to take a photography class at the time so that I could learn how to use that camera....still do need classes :) ...or at least join a forum to learn more and how to take better photos.

Have a wonderful day everyone!
C.S.Richmond Studios

In the studio .....the joy of painting!

Chugging along here in the studio...a few of the works in progress include:

My next sales item in progress...a Breyer Andalusian resin sculpted by the talented Bridgette Eberl. I've titled this project "Alejandro" which means "defends mankind"...he is about 75% completed at this point and is being painted to a dark steel dappled rose grey...one of my favorite colors...

...below is a wonderful traditional "Wyakin" resin sculpted by the talented Michelle Platt..."Wyakin" seen here is about 60% completed...I'll be incorporating lots of fine hair detail on this project.

...below a wonderful "Senator" resin sculpted by the talented Bridgette Eberl...here I have applied two coats of paint so far..you can see there beside "Senator" the reference horse color that "Senator" will become....

 ....and here is a very extensive project....a traditional sized Annihilator resin sculpted by the talented Debbi Lermond....I've applied 5 layers of hair detailing so far with about three layers more to go..... you can see behind Annihilator the reference photos I'm using to paint by.

....

..and wonderful Lirico nears completion...Lirico is sculpted by the talented Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig...Lirico in this photo is about 98% completed...

The two Rose Reiners are dry enough now to apply the next coat of colors.....more prepping to do on several projects...some application primer as well...and some shipments to go out to their owners.

Sometimes as I sit here painting I think what it is that keeps that "artists spirit" and "drive" going...what inspires an artist?

I can only speak for myself and from my point of view ..."inspiration"..the feeling when I, as an artist, see something that inspires....I can describe it as a wave of inner fire and my mind thinks "wow that would be so neat to create!"....such as when I see photos of wonderful life sized tree sculptures ...with lighted lanterns hanging from the limbs ...sculpted trees on an interior wall of a home....looking so real!

"Inspiration" from seeing a photo of a live horse full of color and fire and I think "wow! Now that color would be a challenge to replicate!".

"Challenge" and "goal"...I think those are my two most prominent words that come to mind ...and "inspire" me and give me the "drive" to create.

GOAL....The "goal" for me is to improve with each item I create..."click it up a notch and add to" ...."improve" with each item I create. To learn and see something new in a reference photo that I can add to improve the final product.

A second and equally important "goal" is for me to provide my customer the highest quality workmanship I possibly can and also to provide the highest quality customer service from my "company" that I can provide. From my perspective and in my point of view, my studio "company" is no different than any other company out there in the public eye.

CHALLENGE....The "challenge" for me is to have a photo placed in front of me....and a 3-D sculpture offered as my canvas...and then asked to replicate those colors and or pattern on that 3-D canvas....and then to find the right "tools" or "technique" that will match the sculpture and replicate the color. Each item I paint seems to require a different application of technique to achieve the most accurate result and color matching. For me there has been no set template for painting a 3-D equine sculpture .....no set application of color layers nor mixing of paint colors ...no rhyme or reason ..each different in its' own creation just as each live horse is different in life.

More soon!
Have a wonderful day everyone!
C.S.Richmond Studios