Wyatte’s owners emailed me 5 photos to choose from plus some information about his personality. I imported all those photos into to iPhoto and played with cropping based on the size on canvas we had agreed upon. Once I read about the animal’s personality, then I started to select one image that I think captures the description that the family gave me.
Initially with Wyatte I liked this the close up photo full face because it was the most engaging image, but I wasn’t sure it captured all of his personality.
Next I liked the photos of Wyatte looking over his shoulder because of the curve of his neck, but one of the most elegant things on a horse is his mane and this was left out of the photo.
Next I looked at the full body shot (top left) and started playing with the cropping. I was using a square canvas, so I created a square image.
I found an image that I thought expressed his personality as described by his owners - kind, friendly, willing to try anything, and wants to be around his people.
Once I found the image I like, I removed all the color so I could focus on the shape and shadows. Then I drew the image on canvas and began to paint.
