Elena's Portrait Stage 6

This is the portrait so far after a couple of afternoons work. I have been working on the horse's neck, blocking in his nose a bit more to get the shape and cover the pencil marks. I worked on Elena's neck, chest and t-shirt today and I think they are just about finished.

Basically it is the centre of the picture that still needs work - the horse's nose from the eyes down and Elena's other arm and hand. Once that part is more or less finished, I will look again at the surrounding areas and alter/touch up anything that needs doing. I've been a bit all over the place with this one, but it seems to have worked. Usually on an acrylic animal portrait I will start from one eye and work outwards on a kind of circular motion. As this is really two subjects, it was not possible to do it that way this time and I have had to be a bit more 'painterly' in my approach to it. It has been a matter of keeping it balanced and making sure the tones and colours are consistent. Wow, it almost sounds like I know what I am talking about! I am self-taught, so whatever I know about painting has been picked up over the years from experience and a lot of reading!

Once again, this will have to wait until later in the week as tomorrow I have to teach thirty 7 year olds about Chinese brush painting - wish me luck!!!

P.S. Notice I have given you a glimpse of the chaos in which I work....