Unfinished Painting by Mike Capron
I always enjoy learning in the creative process. I have several different thoughts on how I can finish this painting. My original plan was to paint a landscape with an imaginary character in the landscape and try to make it look correct. I wanted to do as much memory drawing as possible. I researched lots of historical information. I did the landscape from memory also. I am happy so far, but it doesn’t feel finished because I have not titled it and there is no real message to the painting. Just a character and a landscape...........
I would like to hear your thoughts on what I have done so far and where I need to go in-order to finish the painting.....I have some ideas but would love to hear some more. We can call it a community art class.
Thanks for your time and thoughts......
Mike Capron
62 comments
I love all your work Mike and I look forward to your weekly email! I piddle with pencil and pen and ink drawing and I have a select bunch of buddies that I trust to put my stuff through the wringer but I also value anyone’s critique. I agree with those that have mentioned the side saddle look. It was the first thing I noticed and I think it is the shoulders not being square with the hips. With that being said, I also understand the shield and lance are having to be carried at an angle which is why the shoulders aren’t square with the hips. Perhaps flattening the hide or blanket a bit where it laps across the top part of the right leg would help re-define that appearance. Just a thought…. again, I admire and love your talent and cowboy wisdom.
I have photographed many yucca plants in bloom around there. If that is a yucca plant at the front of the horse a bloom or 2 might work for you. . . I wish my memory could hold such picture details for painting.
Has he eaten a green peach? He looks miserable and maybe sick. If your intentions are to show case Squat Teat Mountain, the unhappy warrior is taking the show. Miss seeing you and Ann . Ready for one of the pot luck dinners and a game off dominos.
I am hesitant to respond, but you did ask. I’ll respond as a magazine editor who could conceivably consider the painting for publication with an article. Because I wanted to see a more up-close version of your work, I took a screen shot of the painting and then put it in PhotoShop so I could enlarge it and truly see it. The first thing I noticed was the face. The lower half of the face is just not right. I don’t know any other way to say it. The art from below the nose down looks strange. The next questionable feature was the leg. You surely intended it to be the Indian’s left leg, but the positioning actually looks like the Indian could be riding sidesaddle and that’s his right leg. Somehow the hip and the leg don’t look realistically connected. In addition, we have a three-legged horse. I know that sometimes in photos, a back leg gets positioned in such a way that it is obscured by a front leg, but in this picture it just looks like we have a missing leg. Lastly, what’s going on with the tail? If the top part of the horse’s rear end shows a very short tail, what is the blue-gray object behind the horse’s upper left leg? Hope this is helpful because I surely don’t want it to be hurtful.
Enjoying your painting. The Indian looks like he has been riding a long way and is “Heading Home.” My only comment is the horse’s right hind leg is a little vague but that’s okay. I used to paint with several older ladies and their comments were that a painting was finished when the artist signed their name. Thank you for sharing.
Happy Painting! Barbara Dietzel