[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

So I'm not happy with my painting at all, i think it could look alot better but i don't know how to fix it! this is my first time using Acrylic paint, and i hate it! this is 2 pictures of my Pony Mya and i want it to be perfect :\...

 

[charlicata]

I don't think it looks bad at all!! The frontal of the face actually looks pretty daggone good! On the side view, if it were me, I would lengthen the face a little bit; make the eye a little more round than oval; and instead of using a gray to separate her cheek from her neck, use a darker color. I really like working with acrylics because I feel they are more forgiving. If you don't want to just use black, which may make it look harsh, mix the black with the dark brown. You could also do that for shading. I usually just use a paper plate and mix the colors with a toothpick until I get the shade that I want. But then again, I've been know to paint with toothpicks, cotton balls, q-tips, basically anything I could get my hands on to try and get the effect that I want on whatever I'm painting. Also, with the acrylics that I've used, if I needed to thin them a little bit, I just mixed a drop or so of water in with my mixture. Until it actually reached the consistency I was looking for.

I'm definitely not a professional artist by any definition of the word. So this is just what I would personally do. Either way though, if someone had given me a painting like the one you just did, I would definitely hang it on my wall!!

 

[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

Thank You! , yes the one of the side view is the one that is annoying me most the one with the bridal i'm pretty happy with, but i'm going to go in an do more shading and when i used the black for the check line i couldnt see it i was experimentting, haha..and the nostil is bugging me also any ideas to fix that?

 

[equine fanatic99]

O= WOW the horse on the right is really really good!! the only thing wrong on the left i think is the cheek is a bit big. Other then that, that ones great aswell! (i think the nostril looks fine (=

 

[charlicata]

As far as the nostril goes, just modify the size of the gray area. It just looks a little big for the length of the head. I just looked at your pics of her. She is definitely a beautiful horse. If you study that one nostril in the one with her head down, and also in the one where you're showing her, you'll see what I mean. When I start working on something that I find is real difficult for me to just draw or paint, I will sit and study a picture, then draw in a very light pencil without looking at the paper. Just something you might be able to try.

I still think it's a beautiful painting though!!!

 

[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

thanks guys! its hard to make her as pretty as the picture, haha...

 

[Rowzy]

For finer details of shades and such you can thin out some acrylics and kind of use it as a wash. It looks like right now you used white as a highlight or is that just the reflection from the camera? Personally I would use more of a golden brown, or burnt seinna color if you are adding highlights. If you do add highlights be careful, and practice first on paper or something. Does that make sense? The shape of the face in general is very nice though.

 

[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

my background is textured and yes, some of the white is from the camera flash, i have done some work sence then i take pictures for an update

 

[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

here it is:

 

[xoSonnyLove1234]

All i can say is i wish i could paint that good! Your amazing. If you have anytime i would love for you to paint sonny! lol

 

[Kayty]

Good work!!!

I can't use paint to save my life, hence why I stick with my dry mediums!! So i can't help you with paint technique, but I know my proportions so can comment there. Others have said it already, it is the size of the cheek and length of the head that you need to look at, much more so than the shading. The cheek is accounting for more than half of the length of the head. If you go back and have a look at your reference photo, I bet her cheek will only take up about 1/3. Because the cheek is too big in your painting, it makes the length of her head look out of proportion.
You have two options if you want to get it back into proportion. You can either reduce the size and thickness of the cheek by giving it a couple of layers of white paints, letting it dry and them trying to get the pink over it to bring the cheek in a little. Then using some toning to make the cheek so of blend into the rest of the face. So add a small amount of black along the front of the cheek, and then a little gold as highlights. (sorry if this isn't making sense!)

The other option will be to leave the cheek as is, and lengthen the whole head. Which would mean having to re-do your nostril and mouth again. You want to have it in the same proportions as the painting on the right. At the moment it looks like two different horses, with the one on the right a very attractive and 'noble' looking horse, with the one of the left looking like a cute pony.

If I was doing it I would chose to lessen the thickness of the cheek, far less work involved doing it that way

Otherwise, I really do like how you've worked this painting, it's better than I could do!

 

[JustLeaveIt2Mya]

Thank you very much yes i think i will be fixing the check line i wouldnt beable to make the face the same, any ideas to make the two look like the same, the head on the left is a winter photo that is my reference, and the one of the right is a show photo