HobbyHorse's 2D, 3D, sketches and Wips

I've been meaning to start a thread but knew that I am terrible at updating regularly and this is compounded with having multiple threads...one for sketches, one for wips etc. So I will lump them all together. Many times a sketch is turned into a wip or even a carving and a carving into a painting, so I hope you won't be mad at me if a jump around a lot in what I offer.

A little bit about myself to hopefully explain this jumping around. I started off in traditional media (oils and acrylics) as my education was in illustration. Five years after graduating I discovered wood carving and then about six years ago I discovered IFX, digital art and the forum.
I was amazed at what was being produced with pixels and that lead to getting hardware and the software to use this new media. There is definitely a steep learning curve but I love the ability to pick it up and put it down without having to clean brushes or clean up saw dust.
As I struggle to wrap my brain around resolution, gamut, and the interface I hope you can help with advice, critiques and comments....well here we go.

found a toned paper sketchbook so dug out my charcoal and conte pencils

Can never resist a horse portrait

Or anything horse

This ones for Kazky hope she's had some luck finding her bird.

This is fun adding multiple images. All above are from photo reference with the exception of the cockatoo but I did have to get some reference for it when I realized I wasn't getting the leg attachment right...his head is to big but the beak is what you watch out for.

Yes, if you could kindly delete the image free one. I saw that there were two but I don't know what I did to get them except I was a bit impatient and stopped the download before it was done. I thought it had frozen up since nothing seemed to be happening, my bad.

I like how your thread has a variety of images in different stages of completion.

Thank You

That's a nice collection of sketches. I do like black and white on toned paper, it's so easy to pick out forms in that way, it almost feels like sculpting. I always have trouble with charcoal though, so very brittle and far too easy to smudge for messy folks like me. I should use fixatives really but I can never be bothered
I think that's the big difference when going from traditional to digital, there's suddenly less need for the practical preparations of surfaces and the inherent mess. And you can cover mistakes more easily. The downside is that when you've finished a painting in Photoshop or Artrage or whatever you finally have ... just a file! There is something rewarding about having actual sketches like these to show people.

Thanks Valence. I need it portable so I use charcoal pencils rather that sticks. A lot less messy and they come in different hardnesses, a conte' pencil for the white...all fits in a zip lock bag with a sharpener.
I have been working on this one for awhile. Started as a sketch posted in other site and wanted to color it in. Learned a great deal but think I will call it quits.

First the sketch...as a reminder.


Then the colored version

I like the way you changed the composition, it's always nice when a picture evolves into something more than the initial sketch and using the trees and the foliage as a frame within the picture is very clever.
Also the warmth of the colour in the grass makes the sunlight of the day seem really tangible. I can almost feel the heat on my skin, the cool breeze in the shadows and smell the grass and hear birds that you haven't even painted. It's a very evocative picture.

Thank you Valence. I tried to get that feeling across but when you look at it for so long you're never really sure it will translate that feeling to the viewer.
And I have a way of nit picking it, so is it looking how I intended or just in my mind's eye.

Thank you Charlotte. I don't remember if it was you or Kazky or someone else that bemoaned that the unicorns were fenced in. So I added the sign in the final painting...if you can read it...kind of small