• Laura Smith
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Barbaro - America's Champion

I should call this one, "A Jealous Rage" because my motivation to do this portrait was out of envy from a pencil drawing another artist had posted on another website. It was a head shot and the detail and texture the artist accomplished just made me completely question my own abilities. I knew then I needed to bring my work to that level.

It is for that reason I embarked on this particular portrait. The goal? Texture. A shiny eye, the long hair of the forelock and short hair of the face reflecting the sun. A stitched leather halter. A soft mushy horse muzzle... I wanted it all!

Let me tell you this was very very hard to do! Yesterday when I finished it I scanned the portrait into my computer and there he was. Barbaro. He looked so alive that I just began to sob. It was unfair that he looked more alive on my paper then in real life. =(

Though my motivation was purely educational I learned that my heart doesn't seem to care about what my head wants! I've grown accustomed to his face.. I now know every hair, every wrinkle and marking. I'm happy.

I've always wanted to share this song because it is exactly how I feel about him and the whole experience. It was Beautiful!




NEW! Order prints & greeting cards authorized by the Jacksons here: Barbaro Prints

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

UPDATE: 10/30/07: Press release from TheHorse.com: Proceeds from Barbaro Ornament to Benefit Laminitis Research

Update: 1/28/08: View my blog of a check presentation I made to Dr Dean Richardson at New Bolton Center.

1/28/08:Press release from UPENN Website


8"x10" Graphite on Bristol Smooth. Clutch pencils almost entirely 2B.

5 of 62 Comments Show All 62 Comments

Anonymous Guest

jeremy Lassila 05 Apr 2010

you definatly accomplished what you set out to do excellent texture

Anonymous Guest 20 Nov 2009

in chinese horoscope I am horse even when I do not know to much about horses but that is my personality

Jenna Frazier 01 Dec 2008

Love your work and each story along with them thanks for the comments :)

Thomas Nigel 05 Feb 2008

I love that! Do you sell prints? I'm new here and not sure how this works.

walt larsen 19 Jan 2008

wow, what a beauty and such detail