# Jag's Art Journal



## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Gosh it's been so long since I've done a digi painting... Awesome work!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Oh wow, I was trying to work out on that first photo what medium you had done it in... then it dawned on me that it was digital!!
Very very classy work, I cant work on a computer to save my life, using a mouse to draw details? That is impossible haha!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha, thanks Kayty! I've seen some of your art and it's very impressive, so a compliment from you is quiet a treat! 
But, I have to correct you... Hehe - the first image is good ole' traditional pencil, my main medium. Actually, it's cheap-y BIC .7 mechanical pencil. I just can't use artist pencils, I always end up using only one anywas, so I just use the cheap things, graphite is graphite to me! Haha.
Thanks!!

Also thank you too PaintsPwn - It's been fun working on a digital piece for the first time.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Is it really just graphite?! My god, I'm trying to work out how you got it so rounded and have got such fantastic tones in there. Then I saw the second and thought they must both be digital! I stand corrected! I can't do anything like that, I'm too much of a bloody fuss pot, I draw in each and every hair, and in doing so lose alot of that basic detail that makes your drawing stand out so beautifully


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

That drawing was actually my "break out" image in terms of getting a more realistic midtone representation. I used to have a habit of really "blasting" my darks and whites and leaving very little soft midtones making the drawings in my opinion, harsh. It made a cool effect for some images, such as competitive and high-action, but I wanted to be able to make softer, more pleasing to they eye type images and with the completion of that last drawing, I think I've taken a step in the right direction. 

Here's an example of my previous drawings. While I still do like the end result, I think it lacks a sense of movement and looks "plastic-y".


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Also, looking through your Art Journal (didn't realise I'd stolen your thread name! So sorry for that!) I have a question for you, since you seem to been a pretty active commissioner. I haven't done many commission, and even fewer ones that are non-family/friend (actually, I think that norway commission is the only one... How sad!) do you have any pointers on getting a new commissioner name out to get some more? Being a poor college stude, I could use all the money I can get! As well as since I still haven't yet been able to fit in any sort of art based classes into my schedule, it'll give me an excuse to sit down and draw. 
Thanks in advance!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Oh no! I didn't realize you couldn't go back and edit previous posts. Well, that's a major bummer... Oh well - here's that WIP animation thing I was talking about for the first drawing. Sorry it loops so fast, I couldn't figure out how to put more delay in...


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

Jag6201 said:


> Also, looking through your Art Journal (didn't realise I'd stolen your thread name! So sorry for that!) I have a question for you, since you seem to been a pretty active commissioner. I haven't done many commission, and even fewer ones that are non-family/friend (actually, I think that norway commission is the only one... How sad!) do you have any pointers on getting a new commissioner name out to get some more? Being a poor college stude, I could use all the money I can get! As well as since I still haven't yet been able to fit in any sort of art based classes into my schedule, it'll give me an excuse to sit down and draw.
> Thanks in advance!



I would LOVE to pay you to do a drawing of my guy. What sizes do you do? Could you get it framed prior to shipping so that it doesn't smudge? (I'd pay for that of course - if it's possible) I can email you a high resolution image to do the drawing of - I'd like to have it hung in Baby Q's room. 

Do you have PayPal?


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Sixxofdiamonds said:


> I would LOVE to pay you to do a drawing of my guy. What sizes do you do? Could you get it framed prior to shipping so that it doesn't smudge? (I'd pay for that of course - if it's possible) I can email you a high resolution image to do the drawing of - I'd like to have it hung in Baby Q's room.
> 
> Do you have PayPal?


I would be happy do draw your horse - and would be more than willing to frame if the costs are provided. As well as yes, I do have paypal. 

Email me at [email protected] with your image and we can chat some more about details. Thanks!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

I love your work! The detail is amazing. I particularly like the detail with lighting I noticed on your later post. And I envy your talent in drawing people. I haven't been able to find a balance between drawing horses or faces yet. 
I look forward to seeing more of your work. And you're only 18?! Haha welcome to the forum.
And you have Flickr I see-me too! (hicktownsophisticate)


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Thank you! I really appreciate it - I really like drawing both horses and humans (but horses win by a nose, haha) so that combination goes well together. Haha!
And I won't be 18 for long! I'm going to be 19 in two months!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

I tried combining the two. But I've been drawing horses so long they win in my case too. Drawing people was a feat I undertook earlier last year so it's definitely still a work in progress. I've had a few successes but a lot more failures. 
O and I hope 19's a good year for you. One more and the teenage years are over! I'm holdin' tight for 21. Not for the obvious reasons. My insurance goes down and I'll be getting a different car. Haha kinda cheesy i know. :lol:


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## Equusketch (Jun 16, 2009)

Awesome work!!! I don't even have the slightest idea how digital art works. 

Anyway, I have only just recently discovered the wonders of mechanical pencils myself (thanks to toadflax). I almost exclusively draw with them now and might go back with a sharpened 8B or 7B pencil for some of the darker shading. I was using a kneaded eraser, but I find that I do better with a regular eraser for some of the highlighting. I feel like I have taken my art to the next level and I owe much of it to some of the adivice I have received in here. Having no "training" to speak of, I rely on advice from others. Anyway, enough about myself, welcome to the artwork forum!!!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Heres a coloration idea for the digital WIP I'm working on... I like it - but think it's kind of... Busy. Haha.
I'm also working on a liver chestnut idea.
I'm open for ideas! Just let me know!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Haha no worries you're more than welcome to pinch my title 

Hmmmm as for active commissioner... too active you might say! I'm stressed!! I had 3 to do for Christmas which I received only a month prior, then I got a huge flood of new work when I updated my site. So now I have 11 new clients, and some of them wants more than 3 drawings dones... it's keeping me busy thats for sure!!

As for getting your name at. You biggest advertisement will be word of mouth. I did work for family and friends initally, at LOW rates. Don't over charge when you start out, even if you know you're work is worth more than what you have on it, charge low until you build up a steady clientel, then start to up your prices. You know your prices are too high when you have no one, and they're too low when you have a huge waiting list... hence why I am now upping mine again. I started out 4 years ago doing graphite drawings for only $35. I then upped to $75 and now a pastel of a horses head I charge $115. A large pastel of a full body I charge over $200 and still have interest.

Get some business cards done up, each time you do a drawing for someone, slip a business card in with it. It'll get handed around and you can get work from that. 

I advertise on a number of equine forums, and will be advertising on dog forums too. Lots of classified sites allow you to advertise basic business listings for free. usually they allow a small photo and some basic details. So I put a photo of my work up, a small blurb about my work and how to contact me for more details.

Ask around at a few local cafe's. Many will let you put a framed work up and advertise it for sale because it brightens up their business. Put some brochures/business cards around on their desk or where ever they will let you. 
I work at a radiology clinic, so obviously people have to sit around for some time in a boring medical waiting room. I have just put up a framed pastel of a dog I have done, and left business cards on the counter. People will look at drawings and read brochures when they are bored.

Do you have a website? If not, get one! 
Have a look at mine if youd liuke any layout ideas. My registered website server has lost the plot so unfortunately I am stuck with a free site at the moment, but will be changing server soon and getting a paid account back, which makes you look more profession and credible.

www.freeewebs.com/horseandhoundartisty

Hope that helped you out a bit!!!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Oh, that helped a TON Kayty! Thank you so much! 
I do have business cards already - but... They're for my photography, I've given those out because they lead to my flickr account that also has some of my art there, but - it does say "equine photography", not "equine photography and art". One of my biggest mistakes now looking back at it...
I might work up some flyer type materials since I'm stuck at home and when I get enough energy, maybe will go post them around tack shops and maybe even some vet offices if I can. I do have a couple non-equine drawings that might get me some business (even though I hate doing cats...). 
Again, thanks sooooo much! That helped so much and has gotten me re-motivated.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Oops that link was wrong. 
Its www.freewebs.com/horseandhoundartistry
That should work better now!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

And no worries, more than happy to help. Any commission queries you may have just fire away!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Kayty said:


> Haha no worries you're more than welcome to pinch my title
> 
> Hmmmm as for active commissioner... too active you might say! I'm stressed!! I had 3 to do for Christmas which I received only a month prior, then I got a huge flood of new work when I updated my site. So now I have 11 new clients, and some of them wants more than 3 drawings dones... it's keeping me busy thats for sure!!
> 
> ...


Hey Kayty~great advice, helped me out a lot too! I was wondering though, what other forums you advertise on. I've been searching for some decent ones and can't really find any.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Most of the ones I advertise on are just local australian forums. Google horse forums and just go onto every forum that you can and see if you can advertise for free on them


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

Do you do artwork for free? You are amazing but there is no way my mom would let me pay for it. She doesn't do the online stuff and she won't let me.


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Sorry Beau Baby, I don't have the time to do a full photorealism for free - they take a lot of time and the materials can be expensive...
Sorry again!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Don't know about the OP but I certainly dont. When you're starting out with drawing it's fair enough to do free work, but the OP has very good qaulity work and exceptional skills, if I were them I wouldn't be handing out free work when someone would pay for them to do it. A decent drawing takes hours to do and also costs the artist. I know with my pastels, I would never do a free one unless it was as a present to family/friend, as it costs me so much to do!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Oops posted at the same time!!
I was worried you'd do a free one Jag... dont! You're too talented, start advertising like crazy and get yourself some commissions


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha, thanks Kayty! I'm flattered that you'd look out for me like that. A good thing too, a couple months ago a probably would have taken on a free commission, I don't know how to say "no". Only recently have I been practicing!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Don't worry about it, seriously, you're good enough that you can go out, advertise and get some money for them. Dont expect to be rich and famous immediately lol, start with low prices then as you build up ask a bit more of each potential client  But don't do them for free, unless you're happy to just do practice pieces and keep them for your own records in a portfolio.


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

I started out doing surprise commissions for free at an old barn, just to get my name out and slowly I have been working the price up. My family keeps telling me that I'm jipping myself in price, but I ignore them. Haha, I know that people aren't willing to pay an arm and a leg for a non-proven college student's drawing. It just doesn't work that way!

I never expect (nor want) to be known primarily for my art, it's just going to be a small "side" thing that I can one, do for fun, and two, make a little money on the side. That's why I'm not in art school! I'm majoring in equestrian management! Haha!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Good on you thats the way to go!!

Yeah you have to be Picasso to make money out of art... and even he didn't get rich/famous until he died haha!! 
I'm in the same boat, I'm studying environmental science, art is a little side job/hobby that keeps me entertained  I think I'd get bored if I had to do it as a full time job! It just about is at the moment but then you get the periods where you get nothing at all.


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Yeah, it took alot of explaining to my parents that I can not, for my mental health, persue art as a career. Drawing has always been a sort of emotional release, takes me out my reality. If I made that into a job, it completely takes that away from me. I've made a decsion to myself that I won't ever take my drawing any farther than private commissions - that was I have the control of saying "no" if I need my own personal drawing time to re-establish myself.

I got carried away with commission type drawings a couple years ago when I first starting selling them for any sort of money. My drawings slowly started losing life, they were drawn for the money - not to capture the heart and emotion of the subject. Once that had been instilled into my brain, it took me over a year to get back to even half of how I used to draw. To just draw for the sake of drawing - not worrying about anatomy studies, shading practice, understanding gaits, etc - just drawing. 

I've finally gotten back to a point to where I used to be, but I still have to check myself. When I do do a commission, I always take breaks to loosen back up in deathly fear of falling back into my old habit. I have to admit, that year of not really being able to draw for me, was one of the hardest, and most painful years of my life because I lost a crutial outlet of stress.

LOL - sorry about the person novel! I started and it just kept coming!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I can 100% relate to you re drawing just for the money. It's happened to me before as well, I had a few debts to pay off, needed money, so dropped art prices and picked up more work, and tried to get them finished asap. I stopped spending hours just observing the photo's supplied to me, trying to understand the animals personality. I just drew what was in front of me, a 2 dimensional 'non-existant' pet that I had no connection with.

Now I adivse all clients that they MUST be prepared to wait up to a few months depending on my work load. I like to take in the photographs, question the owner about the personailty of their pet, funny habbits, etc. then REALLy stare into their eye, so that I feel as though the animal is staring back at me. THEN I can start drawing, because I feel as though I am drawing a real, live animal that is sitting before me. 
I may be considered a bit of a looney but I also talk to my subject while I'm drawing it, helps me to stay in the notion that my subject is real and alive!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha! I always wondered if that was just me! The Denver commission (the first image in the thread) I got two months in advance and spent at least a month and a half just studying the horse. I'd open the couple images she sent me, and just study how the horse moved (as well as you can with a 2D photograph!). I sketched out lots a really loose doodles, and because there was a pretty heavy language barrier, developed my own personality for the horse. When I draw, I alway have the image in motion, if it's a cantering horse, I see the strech and contract motion in the spine and neck, see the flexion in the legs, the strain of the fetlock supporting such a massive weight of the horse! Its embarressing when I'm caught doing it, but I'll find myself swaying slightly with the motion of what ever gait! My roommate thinks I'm a loon, but you know what? It works for me! Haha!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

hahahahahahaha dont worry you're not the only one that imagines the motion of the horse!! I don't do it with other animals, only horses because I know how they move and know how theyre muscles feel when they move. 
I struggle with horses that don't look to have the best paces, too much of a dressage nazi i think, I always give the horse better paces than what it has!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha, I know - after becoming a conformation geek, it's hard to MAKE myself give horses faults. But, that's what makes them individuals I guess. Lol, if they all had perfect conformation then all horses would be GP dressage horses and amazing jumpers etc.! No fun in that!

(Lol, are you an insomniac like me? I always hate it when everyone dissapears on forums at 12am. It gets boring, but good time to draw without distraction!)


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I have times when I am.... depends on when I've been working. When I have days off, my mind is going a million miles an hour. I'll try to go to bed, but then I suddenly feel the need to finish a commission and I'll be up till 2am. But seeing as a have to be up at 4.30am some mornings a week for work, thats not a good thing :S 
I'm probably on the other side of the world to you, an Aussie , so at least I'll be online when you're up in the wee hours haha!


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha - Well, I decided to video me sketching one of those quicky sketches of mine just for fun. I sound like a man... Haha. 
But anyhoo - just a crappy video taken on my macbook (hence the lovely angle)! Please ignore my rant in the beginning - I'm a dork.


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## Equusketch (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow, you both are so much like me. I too liked to know as much about the horse I am drawing as possible. I have been known to make the face of the horse as I draw it. I am sure I look quite rediculous when I do that, but my number one goal is to take a piece of that horse's soul and transfer it to paper. Technique comes next. I am still struggling to take my time on my drawings, but sometimes I just let loose as I become wrapped up in the emotion of the drawing. I am getting better about stepping away from the drawing periodically to get a different perspective, but I used to do an entire drawing in one sitting.


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## jagman6201 (Mar 13, 2009)

It's amazing how college consumes your life!!! I managed to get out to the stables yesterday and NOT have to actually be out their doing something; so I brought along my new sketchbook (always love filling new ones; though I don't know if it's just me but the first page I always end up messing up and it SUCKING MAJORLY... Haha) and did some life sketches of the hunter horses during their lessons. Really tired to capture the individual personalities of each horse. 

From left to right, top: Catch and Number, bottom: Walter and Devon. 










My personal favorite is Catch's. Haha, he's such an old man and a typical GRUMP! I think I captured that perfectly. They were working on flat work and turning with their haunches and crossing over in the front. He was boredddddd. Haha.


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