Sunday, July 1, 2012

Off With His Head!

Last weekend I started this piece at the Gun Dog Expo in Portland. I like working on paintings at shows and I find it easy to play with a lot of detail.

In between my visits with clients and other vendors I pick up my paintbrush and work on a small section. This type of stop and go also gives me plenty of time to critically evaluate my work. By the end of the show, I was convinced the composition could be stronger.

You can see I drew the man's head. With the whole emphasis on the exchange of the pheasant from the dog to the man, the man's head will only be a distraction. It will draw attention because the viewer will look to see who it is.

So I have decided to lob off his head. Before I rush to the guillotine (table saw),  I am going to live with the painting for a little while. Do I leave the chin? the mouth? I need to be careful not to crowd the dog's tail. Because my substrate is untempered hardboard this adjustment is an easy task. Once I make my cropping decision, I'll post more of it in progress.

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