So how DID you paint that? The finish

I will not capitulate to cantankerous cheetahs!

Only the cheetahs to do… Ha! Only!
I thought one day would do it, but it took me two. Two days of fighting with them to go right, to form in the paint as I wanted!
All started off so well… and I had them done in one day- I worked on them to about 8.30pm to make sure all I had to do to finish it off was just a little titivating when they were dry. Or so I thought! In the cold light of the following morning I sat in despair looking at what I thought had gone comparitively well the day before. Disaster, stared at me in the face!
I had painted the spots using the wrong brush and my over-tired eyes had not notice they were all square and in the wrong places! Aaaaaggh! The shadows weren’t strong enough. Aaaargh! The body was too short on one- despite looking fine in the prep drawing. Aaaargh! The legs looked wrong on the other. Aaaargh! Put it another way….. not much was right!
So painting over yesterdays work, I started again and probably because my eyes are still very tired and a bit strained from the intense bout of painting over the last week (they kinda feel like two hard aching lumps in my head) I struggled and struggled to get the cheetahs going right. I knew how I wanted them to be, but just could not make it happen. Expletives abounded and once or twice an artistic tantrum sent a brush flying across the room. Maybe on another day I might have given up and walked away there and then during the morning’s attempt; but today was the last day I had to work on them if I wanted to submit it to the wildlife art auction I had been invited to put a piece forward for. So, I had to do it. I did walk away once or twice to stop me doing anything violent to the painting! But I stood back and pulled myself together, telling myself I would not be beaten by these cheetahs… This was a battle I had to win. They would be as I wanted them to be and I just had to get on with it and persevere. Eventually things started to come together and by 6pm, I am glad to say, I felt I had achieved what I needed to and with a sense of great relief signed my name in the bottom corner. Done!


Ah yes, painting is such a relaxing past-time!!! I have to say I am glad it’s finished… I am relatively pleased with the piece – can’t say I’m ever totally happy with anything I paint… always something I might have done better/different. That’s what keeps you going, the need to do better.

Here's an enlarged section of the painting.....


For those who are interested, here’s some arty facts about the painting…… Painted with oils (no one brand, whatever I get my hands on – in this case Windsor & Newton artist’ oil colour and Van Dyck Ferrario). Main colours used- titanium white, French ultramarine, alizarin crimson, chrome yellow deep and light. Adding smidgens of burnt sienna, indigo, and black. Using Windsor & Newton Liquin original to thin paint. I mostly used watercolour brushes (synthetic) sizes 00,1 & 4 round and size 0 rigger. Painted onto canvas - image size 36”x12¼” (914mmx310mm).

Now I have to photograph it and send a high res digital image to be judged in the selection process.