WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

Here is a close-up of his face.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

Here are a couple of Don's pieces. This is a piece that he did for the Budweiser Corporation.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

This is one of his larger pieces.

Stay tuned. Version two coming up this evening.--Denny ;{

Cole McLester 30 Apr 2008

Looking forward to it. Here is to the good ol days. Whait a minute... these are the good ol days.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

Yes, these are the "good old days" Cole. But in the "old, old days," Life was just too easy, if you know what I mean. Here is to "today!" Thanks Cole.--Denny ;{

terry waites 30 Apr 2008

Great start Denny, you are really talented. Wish I could decide where I want to go with my stuff. Sometimes I think I should paint more quickly and a bit less painting over, other times its not detailed enough. I can see myself painting seascapes til the end, and still not be happy (just maybe moonlit cove in my portfolio), keep these going Denny its really educational to see the way you build pics up. Cheers Terry

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

Thanks Terry! I guess, it all about "detail" with me. I can paint with a looser style which looks pretty good, but I made up my mind long ago that I want as much detail and photorealism as I can get. In some cases, I add some that is not there. Maybe, down the road, I might go with the "looser" style. What ever sells best. We will see.

Here is day two's work. The hand and shirt are still pretty rough. These are two items that I have to let set up over night then work all the detail on top tomorrow.

BTW, sorry about the goof-up in my first post. That's what happens when you get in a hurry.

Thanks again!--Denny ;{

Linda Eades Blackburn 30 Apr 2008

Your portraits are always wonderful, but this one has really nice color in the skin. Great job!

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 30 Apr 2008

Hi Linda.

Funny you that you noticed something different. A friend of mine and fellow artist, M.C. Poulsen had the privilege to have a some art tips laid on him by the great Jim Bama many years ago. He told him to use "French Ultramarine" for the bearded areas. M.C. was nice enough to "lay" that on me the other day. If you are talking about the other areas of flesh, I pretty much use the same colors...BUT...I think that with each piece I do, I am getting a little better with those...hopefully.

Don Hershberger was also telling me that Bama uses one color that he mixes throughout his whole pallet of colors when doing a painting. I have been doing this for awhile as well. Almost every color that I mix has a little bit of "Burnt Umber" in it. But most of my paintings usually have no more than six to eight colors total.

BTW, Bama painted Don back in 1972 when he was just twenty years old. Great portrait.

Thanks again Linda.--Denny ;{

Linda Eades Blackburn 30 Apr 2008

Yes, the French Ultramarine in the beard area is very important.

I use mostly French Ultra Marine, Winsor Red, and Yellow Ochre in my skin tones. Depending on the skin tones, I may use Alizarin or cad yellow Lt.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 01 May 2008

Hi Linda.

The colors you use are very similar that I use. The ones I use are Raw Umber or Vandyke Brown for my shadow areas. I then start to add Burnt Sienna, then Permanent Rose, then Cad. Orange, then Cad. Yellow Pale Hue on into white hightlights. I will use the French Ultramarine in the beard area if it warrants it. This is not hard and fast with me. These guys I am painting have pretty rough and hard faces. Sometimes I will bypass a color or two on their flesh. One other side note, I find that these guys have really rough hands and their hands have totally different colors in them then the colors in their faces.

BTW, I said that I add "Burnt Umber" to almost every color I do a painting with. I was wrong, I add "Raw Umber."

Here is today's work. I spent almost the whole day, detailing Don's shirt and hand and I am still not quite done. Still quite a bit of detailing to do once the paint dries more. Stitches, highlights and so on.

Thanks to everyone for looking.

Denny ;{

Cole McLester 02 May 2008

Incredible! that is all I can say.

02 May 2008

terry waites 02 May 2008

Coming along a treat Denny

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 02 May 2008

Thanks Cole, Minerva, and Terry.

Here is today's work.--Denny ;{

Randy Nore 05 May 2008

Your work is phenominal Denny...are you putting a background in this and if so do you do your subject first and then the background?

terry waites 05 May 2008

Im interested in that too Denny, we will both have to wait on that Randy, p.s. I showed a couple of people your ballpoint art at work the other day and they were amazed

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 06 May 2008

Hi Randy and Terry. Thanks guys!

Yes Randy, this painting will have a background. (By the way, I will be painting in his lasso last). He has his right foot up on one of the four rails of his "buck rail" fence. The background beyond the fence will be painted in first, then the rails lastly. In that background, there is sky, then down to some distant rolling hills then down to sage brush, grass and finally to some dirt and small stones just behind where Don is standing.

I do find it is much easier for me to do it this way. Is this normal? I bet it is probably not. Most artists probably work the other way around and leave a hole for the subject. I am not normal and I don't do things the way most do! LOL! I did try this before and I ended up putting marks in that background and had to redo a lot of it. I paint pretty fast, so almost all of my oil paint is still pretty wet as I work. I am very inpatient and won't wait for paint to dry before continuing on. My main concern is the "subject." I am a portrait artist, not much of a landscape artist. I want the subject just right and perfect first and foremost before doing that background. By putting in the background last also helps me to get the right contrast and detail I want in that background. I might go lighter, darker, more contrast then my reference photograph. Having the subject done first, helps me to make the right call. I hope this answers your question guys.

This is today's work. I roughed in his left leg and chaps. I then detailed his chaps on his right leg and his boot. Background tomorrow. Stay tuned!--Denny ;{

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 06 May 2008

After studying yesterday's work, I am going to paint in background first and then the lasso last. The lasso has a fuzzy edge and it will easier to paint last and be able to blend the edges easier. Thanks everyone!--Denny ;{

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 06 May 2008

I have got the background started here. It is still pretty rough, same with the wood rail. I should be able to smooth all that out with a dry brush tomorrow and finish all the detail in the wood. One thing that I forgot to mention was that we photographed Don just after the sun went behind the famous "Bear Tooth Mountains" behind us. It just gave the sky a slight pink hue and the mountains in the background such a great blue color.

If everything goes well, I should have the background and the "buck rail" fence roughed in next.

Denny ;{