# First drawing in forever!



## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

So I caught the drawing bug again. 
This is Keegan-reference photo courtesy of Rissa (don't remember where on Flickr I came across it)
Charcoal 11x14


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## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

lovely job. i wish i had that much skill


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## Equusketch (Jun 16, 2009)

i think one of your best yet! I am falling in love with charcoal.


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

armydogs said:


> lovely job. i wish i had that much skill


Thank you armydogs-the 'skill' comes and goes. If you only saw some of my other pieces...they aren't exactly pretty =)



Equusketch said:


> i think one of your best yet! I am falling in love with charcoal.


Thanks Liz. I saw your new name and completely forgot who you were! Haha still gonna take some getting used to.
I've been keeping an eye on your charcoal pieces. They're coming along!


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## dantexeventer (Jul 11, 2009)

Gorgeous!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks dantexeventer!
Here's another one of the gorgeous boy (I may be growing obsessed with this horse)


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## Rissa (Feb 10, 2009)

Oh my!


How does one get these from you? Hehehe. They are fab!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Rissa said:


> Oh my!
> 
> 
> How does one get these from you? Hehehe. They are fab!


Thanks Rissa!
All you've got to do is say the word and we can work something out


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## dantexeventer (Jul 11, 2009)

So, so good. Between you, Liz, and Wess, I'm SO tempted to bite the bullet and try charcoal. It looks so dramatic and lovely - this horse is the perfect subject!!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

O you should! Just like the oil pastels, once you start it just gets better and better from there. And like oils, you get your hands absolutely covered in charcoal dust (at least I do :lol


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## AQHA (Mar 15, 2010)

It's REALLY good!


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Very nice... 

I've never been really good with charcoal, or pastels...Lol! What I really like is scratchboard, and glass etching...gotta get some mirrors though! I really need to take some pics of my stuff for critique...lol!


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Wow-this makes me want to paint.


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## TabianoPaint (Apr 30, 2010)

these are so AWESOME... you have a real talent there =)


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the compliments!
Drawing again-but a person this time. 
My parents' golden anniversary is this year. 22 years on the 22nd of October. So this is really early I know but I thought I'd give it a couple tries before it gets too close.
So this is my beautiful mother on her wedding day.


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## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

you say your skill comes and goes? i think it stays and gets better and better. i love the picture of your mother. she is beautiful.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

midwestgirl89 said:


> Thanks everyone for the compliments!
> Drawing again-but a person this time.
> My parents' golden anniversary is this year. 22 years on the 22nd of October. So this is really early I know but I thought I'd give it a couple tries before it gets too close.
> So this is my beautiful mother on her wedding day.



This is by far my favorite out of all the ones you have posted. Her emotion is captured exquisitely, and the softness of her curls show. You really capture the texture of her dress and jewelry wonderfully. People are hard to do (I find them much harder compared to horses, but that may just be me), and if I had the talent you have I would use it to its fullest and make more of your beautiful portraits.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

midwestgirl89 said:


> So I caught the drawing bug again.
> This is Keegan-reference photo courtesy of Rissa (don't remember where on Flickr I came across it)
> Charcoal 11x14


 Good job! I just discovered charcoal for my drawings and really starting to like it. Great job on your drawing!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

It's been awhile (I seem to go in phases) but I've got another one done. I realized how close the Artist of the Month kickoff is getting to be and thought I'd better get my act together and get drawing again!
So here's the latest, not a horse but it's something.








This is a request from a friend of mine. 
11x14 in Charcoal.


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

And another
11x14 Charcoal








This one's a bit on the sloppy side. I just wasn't feelin' it.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

BEAUTIFUL work! Loving your charcoal work, I'm desperate to get in and play with charcoal again, but I've got so many pastel commissions and exams coming up that there is no time


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks Kayty...always nice to hear compliments from a talented artist like yourself. 
Here's my latest. I had told my manager at work that I would do a portrait of his baby boy-going to be a year old this July. 
So here he is-this is Beckhem.








11x14 in mostly medium charcoal with a little soft thrown in.


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## Rhianw72 (Jun 16, 2010)

wooww... they are very good indeed


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## Equusketch (Jun 16, 2009)

Not that I don't love your horse drawings, because I do, but your human portraits are really something to be admired. Your technique is not only impeccable, but there is so much emotion in your portraits. I am so jealous of your human portraiture!!!!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Same as Liz, your ability to do human portraits is incredible, I can't draw a human to save my life!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks Liz and Kayty-right back at ya's with the colored pencil and pastel drawings. I get so jealous!  I'm so attached to black and white, one of these days MAYBE i'll give it a go (maybe =) )
It has been a ridiculously long road to being able to draw people. I may have mentioned before, my uncle was very talented in the art of capturing faces and my mother with animals. I've always drawn animals and thought to commemorate him I'd take on the challenge of people. Still working at it but it's coming along!
Side note on my mom: She went with me today when I took my latest batch of drawings to get copies made, the portrait of her included. I didn't even think about it. Well so much for waiting until October =) But the reaction was awesome anyways...it made her cry! And when I gave my manager the portrait of Beckhem today he was speechless. Always nice to get neat reactions-helps me remember that I need to keep doing what I do. 
So now that I've rambled...thanks again gals


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## ladybugsgirl (Aug 12, 2009)

amazing....you did great


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

I've got to get back into drawing horses! I feel like i've been neglecting them lately. I've got one in my queue that I might bump up the list and work on tonight.
Anyways~this is the latest


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

gorgeous drawing of the horse, love it =)


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## wildberryxX3 (Jun 28, 2010)

I love the Keegan portraits! I absolutely love that horse! I know the woman who was training him and saw him up close at the Noble Horse Theater a few times. Amazing boy!  Awesome artwork though! I wish I had some artistic abilities!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

wildberryxX3 said:


> I love the Keegan portraits! I absolutely love that horse! I know the woman who was training him and saw him up close at the Noble Horse Theater a few times. Amazing boy!  Awesome artwork though! I wish I had some artistic abilities!


You've seen Keegan in real life?! *jealous* You are a truly privileged person =) 
Thanks for the compliments too!


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## Flintlock (Sep 8, 2008)

Nice work, I like it!

Wess


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thank you Flintock. Like many of the artists on this forum, getting a compliment from you is an honor.


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Believe it or not, I am currently working on a horse, my own actually. he's a gray and I'm having a tad bit of a hard time with him though. But until I finish that one, here's the latest.
This is one of my best friends Clayton and Chevy. This is my first 'unfinished' charcoal drawing I've left alone. Usually I can't help but blend it all together and I've had a few drawings that ended up ruined. So I reached this point in the drawing and decided to leave it be.








And this is Clayton. i've done this pose before in graphite but was never really satisfied with it so I decided to give it a go in charcoal and like it much better.








Hopefully Tex will be done soon!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Okay so it's not Tex but it's a horse 
This is Chance, a Tennessee Walker that belongs to a friend of mine. She's been asking me to draw him for quite some time now, going to pay me and everything, I don't know why I didn't draw him sooner. Glad I finally did though. He kinda came onto the page all on his own. 
Still have a hard time keeping my fingers away from it, leaving it unblended. I had a feeling if I tried blending it I'd ruin it.
So here he is.








Charcoal 11x14


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

And I thought I'd post the reference picture too. If I were looking at it I'd think his face looked a little short. So hopefully the reference photo helps compare.


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## wildberryxX3 (Jun 28, 2010)

midwestgirl89 said:


> You've seen Keegan in real life?! *jealous* You are a truly privileged person =)
> Thanks for the compliments too!



I Have! I feel very privileged! The way the Theater is built, the stalls are on the second floor and the horses travel up and down a ramp to the stalls. Well, I was on my way up the ramp to get another horse ready for one of the shows, and this big black horse was snorting and walking down the ramp. That was incredibly intimidating and drool worthy at the same time! =D His trainer actually just took him to a show this weekend and I almost got to go with because the trainer is good friends with one of my friends. I was sooo disappointed that I couldn't go!


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Here's Curly, the Tennessee Walker who died earlier this year.


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## Flintlock (Sep 8, 2008)

Looking good! You are getting me motivated to get going again!

Wess


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## midwestgirl89 (Jul 7, 2009)

Flintlock said:


> Looking good! You are getting me motivated to get going again!
> 
> Wess


You should get going again =) Miss seeing stuff from you.


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