Cowboys and Culture

Fort Worth is known as a city of cowboys and culture due to its preserved Western heritage and excellent artistic offerings.  I've been documenting in my sketchbook some of this variety and should have about 25 or so of these watercolors to show at Spring Gallery Night 2012.  

Painting Skin Tones

"Hero" is on the easel again.  Today I'm painting the boys' faces.  There isn't a set formula for skin tones because they vary so much according to the individual, the lighting, the time of day and time of year.  For these fair-skinned boys in winter light I'm using a lot of white with pinks and blues and very little yellow.

"Hero"  36" x 24"  Oil   (still in progress)

On the Easel: "Saddle Bronc Rider"

"Saddle Bronc Rider"  28" x 22"  Oil  (in progress)

Preliminary sketch on canvas for a new painting.  

A bucking bronc is such an iconic rodeo image, don't you think?  Attending  "The World's Original Indoor Rodeo" at the Fort Worth Stock Show is always an exciting experience -- a bunch of tough, crazy guys trying to stay on tough, crazy bulls and horses that are trying to throw them off.  

On The Easel: "Hero"

"Hero"   36" x 24"   Oil  (in progress)

These two young cowboys were hangin' out together at the Stock Show last week, in town with the family to exhibit their pigs.  I couldn't resist snapping a photo to capture this moment.

More Stock Show

"Roger"   8" x 10"   Watercolor

This is Roger from Wortham, Texas.  He posed for me right after winning second place in the Brahman calf division.   I always enjoy painting a light-colored subject in strong sunlight -- finding and "pushing" the colors in the shadows.   I'm also starting an oil painting of Roger.

As you might imagine, one sees a lot of cowboys (and cowgirls) at the Stock Show.  I'll be painting some of them as well.  Below is a watercolor sketch of local cowboy Ronnie Grayson.  Mr. Grayson is Lieutenant of Arena Security at the Fort Worth Stock Show.  He's a busy man, but kindly consented to pose for a few quick photos, despite a bit of ribbing from his friends.

"Ronnie Grayson"   10" x 8"   Watercolor