Carly

Well, finally! Another pastel artwork up! Sorry for the delay, life has been very unfavorable, what with stinkin' hot weather (I can't draw over 30 degrees C, and it has been that and up to 42 C), deadlines pressuring me, and now most recently, my beloved pet rat Truffle is passing away. I think three months is quite long enough though, no matter what, and I'm glad to see it done. /endrant

With this done I can start seriously working on designs for 'Scarred'. Yey!

About Carly

Carly is not actually my horse, although I dearly wish she was. She is a 22 year old quarter horse owned by an RDA (Riding for the Disabled (Australia)) centre not very far from us. Just to clear things up, I'm autistic which explains why I can ride there. I can ride for half an hour every Thursday, weather permitting and holidays not counting, and have been doing so for two years. I have ridden Carly nearly every single time and have come to know her quite well, from the fact she'll do anything for grass to the fact that she likes to break into random canters. She's also quite stubborn and a reluctant trotter, but once she gets into the swing of things she's fantastic. She also likes a scratch behind the ears.

About This Picture

I undertook this project three months ago. Even if I had realised what a Herculean task it would be I still probably would have done it. Suffice it to say, it took three months of on-and-off work, setting a new record for 'Longest Time Spent on a Picture' and smashing the previous record set by 'Takhorr' ([link]) by two months. Admittedly I was drawing from a photo I took, which may have contributed to the length of time.
Speaking of photo-copying (lol), that is the reason Carly has been placed just a smidgen too low on the picture, a point of both praise and criticism. Some have called it an 'unusual and unique placement, giving the impression she is moving out of the picture', whereas others have criticized it. I would have moved her higher, but ah well. I find it hard copying and what's done is done, but it works okay as it is.
It is also the fourth horse I have ever drawn. The previous three were done in profile and in a stereotypical 'rearing' pose. Drawing one from a three-quarter angle was a nice change and taught me a lot about horse anatomy. It also taught me a lot in terms of shading and realism.

Details

Music: Friendship to Last by Two Steps From Hell ([link])

Time Spent: Eighteen hours spread over three months for the reasons mentioned above.

Tools Used: A2 sheet of black pastel paper, Stabilo Carb0thello pastel pencils, a random penknife from wherever, a kneadable eraser, a special pastel eraser for those difficult lines and a truckload airbus-load of patience.

Colours Used: Terracotta, white, black, brown-grey and ochre.

Stress Level: 9/10