A Better Bull

Graze Anatomy

My Rodeo Bull finally appears to be finished- after I consulted my copy of Animal Anatomy for Artists (Ellenberger, Dover Publications, 1949), a wondrous book with spectacular pencil drawings of animals deconstructed in various stages all the way down to the skeleton. Since they are in lifelike poses, with a even a nice sparkle to the eyes, the drawings are a little eery.

Besides anatomy correction, Rodeo Bull needed some color punch, which was provided in the form of napthol red, cadmium orange and cobalt blue pushed into the shadows. Cutting loose with a loaded brush is also a good way to loosen up the painting. Sometimes it works, sometimes it creates a deep sense of regret, but this time I got the former. How happy I was.

Note: if you paint with your cat on your lap, don’t let her switch her tail over your palette unless you want to wash out the paint while you hold her in the sink .

Color Coding

10,000 Birds has another good post about one of my favorite subjects, color. This installment covers the color sulphur. Previous posts have enlarged on violaceous, plumbeous, and cerulean. Bird names are pure romance anyway, if you ask me. How else would we get something like a Violaceous Euphonia?