Ink and Watercolor Horse - inspired by Marta Gottfried

[juliawilliams]

So with this one, I tried to duplicate something that had a lot of detail because I'm having trouble with that part of digital art. I'm wondering if I should get a better tablet and stylus that might allow for more minute details? I suppose it just takes practice. Anyway, the original image is here: http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Mill..._the_Arts.html

I loved the rough look of it, but couldn't match that style.

[gxhpainter]

a nice work.. I like variety of marks that make up the mane and the wet on wet technique for the body...

[chinapete]

What details would you add, if you could?

I was drawn to ArtRage because it has superior tools for painting transparently in oils, but also because it excels in water-based tools ... Yet I have been unable to find any digital art program that can imitate what the most basic Chinese hair brush can do easily and with greater versatility, fluidity of stroke, control of line, variation of pressure, split brush, dry/wet, ink-tip and water-shank techniques, all in a single sweep of the brush ...

[Marilyn Anne]

Very effective watercolor and drawing.

[juliawilliams]

Well, it's not the program that's the problem. It's me needing better control. Like, trying to make tiny watercolor splashes and more realistic pencil strokes. It's a matter of me learning a lighter touch to master that.

What details would you add, if you could?

I was drawn to ArtRage because it has superior tools for painting transparently in oils, but also because it excels in water-based tools ... Yet I have been unable to find any digital art program that can imitate what the most basic Chinese hair brush can do easily and with greater versatility, fluidity of stroke, control of line, variation of pressure, split brush, dry/wet, ink-tip and water-shank techniques, all in a single sweep of the brush ...

[PaperTree]

I think your Horse is lovely. I think you are being too critical of your own work. Sure there is a difference when you compare it to your reference photo, but standing alone without the photo to critic beside it, your horse is fantastic.

On the subject of "a better tablet and stylus that might allow for more minute details?", I moved from an A5 tablet to an A4 tablet and found that the only difference was that my arm got tired with the larger movements I had to make. The advantage of digital art, is that you can enlarge the work to enable you to put the detail into it. Something you cant do (not without magnifying glasses) in the real world.

It is a good painting. Honest.

[silvy]

Very nice work

[Steve B]

I personally disagree re: the lack of benefits from getting a larger tablet. I recently got a 18sx Cintiq, which is 11.5" x 14.5" versus my tablet pc, which is 6.5" x 9.5", and I think there's an amazing difference because of the ergonomics of movement and the arm. Some people paint and draw that way, and size matters, but I think others who are trained on a computer to draw learn different skill sets, IMO. Jut my two cents, as I've been very impressed by how nice he new big space is.

[Caesar]

I love this watercolor-like style and the horse is just great, so well-proportioned and dynamic!

[Fakepivot]

Wow fantastic work.. i love those texture thats comming out of it