Bluebird Studio

Though apparently not something I posses :) After some great critique over on Blab, and everyone agreeing with my diagnosis, I have started playing with his head. I went back to my reference photos, and re measured, I thankfully found out that his head is actually the right length, but his eyes are too low down, which gives the impression of a shortened head. But before I made a cut or smooshed anything, I took a cast of his head using silicone putty (which I bought by mistake years ago) and Apoxie sculpt. I am now much happier with the idea of jumping in and messing around. More soon...

Progress on Mistral...enough to take photos anyway :) He now has a full face, though I am positive I will be lengthening his head. The dilemma is whether I do it now (a complete pillock) or do it once he is waste cast. I really really want to do it now *stamps foot childishly* but it will be so so much easier if I wait.... Patience is a virtue, Patience is a virtue, Patience is a virtue, Patience is a virtue.....

Nearly all of the crumbly clay has now been replaced,YAY! with the exception of two hooves. I finally feel like I am making headway with the boy. His owners are happy with his body type, long and lean. So I can move onto detail, all the little bits that made Mistral 'Mistral'.

Keeping in mind that I am self taught, and I do what works for me, what works for you might be completely different :) this is how I begin... All of my OS (original sculpts) have been portraits of real horses. All of them have been alive and I have been able to visit them to get the appropriate measurements and photos. With Mistral however, he has passed after a freak accident :( therefore I am relying solely on photos the owners already have. Luckily for me they were keen photographers and the horse widely campaigned so I have in excess of 120 photos of the boy. Most of them of him jumping. By far the most important photo though, is this one; And this is why... This is the most 'square' photo I have of Mistral and from it I was able to get a fair idea of his measurements. Once I have found the horses points, where the significant joints are, I can build an armature to scale. Bone length does not change, joints open, close, flex and turn. Muscles squish, ...

Having done the Diary of Heartbreaker, and seen him though to his completion, I found it an excellent way to keep motivated and on track. I am now going to follow the journey of an original sculpt. From the highs and lows of sculpting him, to the waste mould, artists proof and final casting. Hope you all enjoy the ride as much as I will ;D I have an artists exhibition on the 25th and 26th of March, an event put on by my local council where people can tour around the Shire visiting all the local studios and galleries of working artists. It is a brilliant event and I am blessed to have been asked to exhibit at one of my neighbouring artist's studios. This is something I am very very excited about! For the weekend I want to have an almost complete bust, and another at least half finished full horse. Enter Mistral... Mistral is a commissioned portrait of a New Forest x TB eventing horse in full flight over a jump. I started him April 2010, unfortunately wit...