Here is a piece I am currently finishing up called "Rugged Elegance". I thought it would be fun to share a little of my process.

First, here is the reference photo I am using. I shot this at Empire Ranch in Sonoita and thought it would make a cool painting. As you can see there is a lot of "clutter" going on so obviously I need to eliminate that and come up with a cool composition.

This is where the design part of my brain goes wild and I start coming up with thumbnail sketches. These thumbnails start out really loose and dirty but as I close on an idea the thumbnails become a little more refined. However, I don't want to get all caught up in details at this point. I am looking for a nice graphic quality in my composition. I decided after doing a few thumbnails that I don't want barns, fences, etc. This is going to be a piece set against a very simple landscapes. These landscapes of prairie grass and distance mountains are prevalent where I live and I just love their stark simplicity.

Once I hammered out a composition, I felt it wise to do a little study of the horse and rider since I haven't painted too many horses. Studies are really important particularly if you are venturing into complex or unfamiliar territory in your painting. They are also good for finding the right color and value key you want to use. Sometimes I do my studies in gouache but for this I chose oil. I felt pretty good about how the study went so I decided it was time to "lay back my ears and dig in."

Following the advice Richard Schmid imparts in his book "Alla Prima", I worked from the sky forward. My paint application was fairly thin to start with then I layered it on thicker as I when. When painting the figure on the horse I started with her hat and face, getting them nearly finished before moving down the figure. I like to start with the shadow shapes, then paint the middle values, and finally add in the lighter pieces.

This piece was a lot of fun and I really learned a great deal during the process. Enjoy!