Now I’m on to Days 4 & 5 of this painting. If you would missed the post from Days 1, 2 and 3, go here.

On the next two days I worked on building up the paint on the man’s face, hat and beard so it is close to the correct value and hue.

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I still was not happy with the man’s face. He didn’t seem to looking at the ox (which is, after all, his charge), but at the viewer.

So, I went back and did a little more work.

I also corrected the size of his glove and worked on his hat and lines of his shoulder as well as his beard.

Day 5 got me into the ox for most of my studio time. I think I have it’s ear defined better. In the photo it’s very confusing to me, but it’s working for me now. I also know I need to go back shorten the poor beast’s horns as they have extended well past where they should be. The yoke is also too long now. I have found in paintings that sometimes things grow as you play with lines.

I did spend most of my time on Day 5 just looking at where this painting was going. The background is beginning to concern me a little. In the reference photo it is a tangle of tree branches and some sort of buildings. I like the building lines but not sure yet how I’m going to handle the back ground in general. There is something very off with the yoke and block on the ox that needs to be fixed.

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Tune back next time for the next installation. …