ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT STAGE TWO

I began with a mid-range value and filled in the bulk of the body and head. At this stage I wanted to locate my darkest areas as they gave me a basis on which to judge the values across the rest of the painting. I don’t have black on my palette, so created this dark with a mix of magenta and ultramarine blue and a touch of cadmium yellow to neutralise the colour. I find it useful to mix the colours and paint little test squares on the top left of the canvas, which help me to judge whether I have got the values right. Brown is a hard colour to mix correctly, and the earthy pigments – burnt sienna, ochre, umber – so beautiful in landscapes, can give a muddy, dull effect when trying to convey the warmth and shine of a glossy coat