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Melinda Roeleveld · 11-02-2003, 11:16 PM

Thanks Steve and Chris for your quick replies.

This will be more of a landscape with the horses set into it. It started out where the client wanted her horse painted. She got him to "pose" in his show stand, etc., but then asked if she could be in the painting as well. Hmmmm. Then she asked if her daughter could be in the background with her horse! That's when we decided together that she had to decide between portraits or a figurative scene (with as much acuracy possible of the likenesses of every figure in the painting). Yes, it was difficult, and I will have to do a second photo shoot. They did not wear the appropriate clothing and were more concerned that the horses were all spruced up than themselves (little do they know, I don't have to paint the dirt on the horse's back). But I think we now know what we want and I look forward to doing this job. At another time I may do the daughter's portrait with only the head of her horse, similar to what you did, Chris. For now, I will work on several compositions (the mother and her horse in the forground and her daughter leading her horse across the field in the middle ground, the pasture and hill way in the background).

Thanks for the tip about anatomy of horses (although that's all I used to draw as a child, so feel pretty familiar with the horse), and as far as pricing goes, I still don't feel I can charge portrait prices. My problem is, I have never really attempted to sell a landscape (but I do love painting them). This may open up new doors!

11-02-2003, 11:16 PM	#4
Melinda Roeleveld Associate Member FT Professional Joined: Jan 2002 Location: Manchester, MO Posts: 20	Thanks Steve and Chris for your quick replies. This will be more of a landscape with the horses set into it. It started out where the client wanted her horse painted. She got him to "pose" in his show stand, etc., but then asked if she could be in the painting as well. Hmmmm. Then she asked if her daughter could be in the background with her horse! That's when we decided together that she had to decide between portraits or a figurative scene (with as much acuracy possible of the likenesses of every figure in the painting). Yes, it was difficult, and I will have to do a second photo shoot. They did not wear the appropriate clothing and were more concerned that the horses were all spruced up than themselves (little do they know, I don't have to paint the dirt on the horse's back). But I think we now know what we want and I look forward to doing this job. At another time I may do the daughter's portrait with only the head of her horse, similar to what you did, Chris. For now, I will work on several compositions (the mother and her horse in the forground and her daughter leading her horse across the field in the middle ground, the pasture and hill way in the background). Thanks for the tip about anatomy of horses (although that's all I used to draw as a child, so feel pretty familiar with the horse), and as far as pricing goes, I still don't feel I can charge portrait prices. My problem is, I have never really attempted to sell a landscape (but I do love painting them). This may open up new doors!