Raccoon WIP

Today is a brutally cold day, woke up to feels like -3F degrees, know this isn't bad considering other states, but for us it is COLD and windy as well.  So good day to stay inside and start on my oil work studying.  Wanted to try another piece in the loose oil stoke technique since I don't think I have totally let go yet.   Then have some tiger eyes, which will be right up my alley, and this technique is very defined fur work and will be an experiment with acrylic base and oil glazing.  You can then help me decide which you like better.  I guess if I can learn them both, then the subject will determine how loose I can go.

Well, decided if I was going to do wildlife I ought to try my hand at something other than big cats, so how about a raccoon.  Seen a few, know they can be nuisances but have such long flowing hairs.  This is a reference shot from PMP's wildlife challenge which I cropped down so I could get right in his face.  This is oil on a 8"x10" piece of matboard.  It is a bit of a challenge to get the dark areas where it still reads dark but also has a bit of definition for the facial structures.  Fingers crossed that this will en up in my loose oil technique.  Still fooling about with the eyes as I want to have some lights in them so you can see them, but in reality they are almost black.  I don' know why, but in this pic I am working it completely backwards from what I usually do, top to bottom, left to right, and here the right side is about complete.  Go figure!!  Must be the cold has my brain shut down!
Thanks for stopping by and hope you are doing well this week.

Comments

Danielle v/d Horst said…
Wat ik er nu van zie wordt het prachtig Nelvia lieve groetjes Danielle
February 20, 2015 at 3:26 PM
hmuxo said…
Love it so far Nelvia......love the closeup version.
February 21, 2015 at 12:07 AM
Jane said…
Coming along very well, the work on the eyes is already stunning !
February 21, 2015 at 3:54 AM
Nelvia said…
Hi Danielle thanks so much for stopping by.
February 21, 2015 at 6:29 PM
Nelvia said…
Hi Hilda, am excited to see where this will take me. Always learnng with each new picture.
February 21, 2015 at 6:30 PM
Nelvia said…
Hi Jane, thought I,had these eyes lightened up today but still not light enough, well tomorrow is another day. I finally realize if they read dark from a distance and lighter close up that is ok. Need the eyes to draw you in.
February 21, 2015 at 6:33 PM
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