The Artwork of Kristen Queen - Works In Progress

Works In Progress

Here you will find both original, and commissioned works that I am currently working on.

Sometimes the best information is the visual kind. So in order to give you a look onto my easel, and my working process I will post as many works in progress as I can. I will also provide some information concerning the steps I take, and my thoughts on the current stage of progress.

Please enjoy my works, and watching them develop. If you have any questions please send me an e-mail. I will be happy to answer any questions I can!

"Untitled"

Friesian Stallion

Work In Progress

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Here is my other WIP I started over the weekend. All this snow has been great for my productivity at least! This is a Friesian stallion I photographed back in Sept. and I have been really inspired by him. This one still has a ways to go, and the mane is only in the early stages of layering. Black on black has been difficult but fun and I like the lighting effects and working with more blues in this. He's coming along and I will update as I go.

"Untitled"

Cremello Lusitano Stallion

Work In Progress

Sunday, Jan. 30, 2010

I have several upcoming commissions to do and will post them here as they come along. First up is a team of Percherons in harness. Second is two murals. One will be inside a tanning salon room, and the second will be for a little girl's room. Third and fourth are pastel portraits from the Friesian and Gypsy Vanner family photo shoot I did back in October. We will be incorporating a medieval theme for the Friesian piece, and a Gypsy theme for, well, the Gypsy piece. While these pieces are in various pre-planning phases I will supplement time with an "inbetween" piece for myself of a Cremello Lusitano stallion I photographed in August. He has been sketched and transfered on to the board. I will update him as I work inbetween my other projects. Enjoy!

Update: Friday, February 5, 2010.

Here is where I left this one today. I am at a stopping point as I need to order some additional pastel pencils to complete this portrait. The early color stages are in and now we are building muscle and definition. The eye and mouth area are still in need of a lot of refinining and hopefully these new pencils will be just what I need! I also have a few more soft pastel sticks coming as well to work on the body. He's roughed in and just needs the refinining which takes some time. Interestingly enough I have had more time to work on him than I thought I would, due to the weather. I have clients to meet but we are all waiting for clearer skies, and roads first! Hopefully spring is coming sooner rather than later, but for now it lets me work on some of my own pieces.

EL ESPIRITU

Work In Progress

Sunday, July 19, 2009-

This is a El Espiritu, a beautiful Andalusian stallion I photographed in November. This is from one of my photos, and I love the play of light in this piece. I began this yesterday afternoon and have left it at this after about 5 hours worth of work. Unfortunately the colors are not well represented in this photo as I shot this inside after dark, and inside light rarely does anything positive for pastels. There is still much, much more to do. More to come soon!

Monday, July 20,2009

I only had about an hour worth of work added to this. I mainly worked on the background a bit, and also refined his jaw line a bit. I also worked on balancing out the coat a bit more. Still much more to do. Stay tuned!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Wow, 2009 went by fast! Finally got this fellow completed. He was actually completed before Christmas in 2009 but I hadn't had time to post the update. I have had so much work in between my last update in July, and this update today that I hadn't found time to work on him. It has been a good thing to have new work steadily coming in both for artwork and photography, but its also nice to find time to get a piece completed for myself as well. He will be exhibited in the VEAA's "Celebrating the Horses of Virginia" 2010 exhibit. Prints are also available. So without further adieu here is "El Espirtu" completed.

Yello Lab

Private Commission

I began this piece back several weeks ago but between several other projects and the recent Thanksgiving Holiday I had put it down for a few days to tie up some loose ends. This beautiful lab is the sister to the black lab "C.W." that I did a fews years ago. She is a lovely girl and it has been fun to work on her. The first stage is my basic rough in, with about 2hrs worth from the sketch, transfer process, and first layers of color.

Monday, December 8th-

Here is an update this is with about 6 more house worth of work. At this point I've established my basic values underneath and am working on building the direction of the hair and will then start adding the detail in the fur and pushing those values. Still a alot of work to do, but its coming together a bit more. Once I finish the dog I will tweak and shape the background and hope to call it done by Thursday!

Friday, December 12-

Completed portrait. It was decided to remove the ducks from the composition.

"El Bailarin"

Sunday, July 27 2008-

I will be working on and off this piece over the next several months. He will be my "in between" piece, and working demo while I work on several other pieces for upcoming shows (all to be posted soon) for this year, and for next. He will be roughly a 16"x24" when cut for framing, but currently is on a 19"x27" piece of velour board. This is my first work on velour, which is similiar to suede board but also very different as well. I will update this as time provides.

"Handsome O'Neil"

Sunday, March 30, 2008-

This handsome fellow is O'Neil from Holland. I started with the eye to give me a good foundation on this piece. The background is soft pastel, O'Neil will be done in pastel pencil.

16"x20"

Monday, March 31st

One hour worth of worth starting on the underpainting.

Tuesday, April 1st,

Completed the underpainting within one more hour worth of work. Now to starting adding layers of color!

Wednesday, April 2,

I went over my underpainting in a warmer brown, and will be working in segments. Tack makes that helpful. I started with the ears, not really any definite shape to them, just more along the lines of color mapping. Detail will come a bit later on. Right now I just want to find my color range with all the lights and darks that are in this lighting pattern. Once I do then I will adjust the colors and add detail.

I plan on working in several stages. With the head first, neck, shoulder, and mane, and last but not least the tack.

Here I am doing the same thing. These colors are very light just to pin together my basic color chart as I work further along. These stages took about 2hrs worth of work. This piece will be a considerable investment of time, but I am really looking forward to every minute!

Thursday, April 3,

Still adding layers, this is with another hour and a half. Slow and steady.

Saturday, April 5

What a difference another camera makes. I had a chance to work on O'Neil some more on Friday evening and borrowed a Nikon D70 today. Photographing my work with this camera is real treat. I also took it out and photographed my own horses, what a great camera.

Not a lot of significant progress to show for, but the picture alone is more accurately showing this piece.

Thursday, May 29

After a hiatus from artwork in getting a house prepared for a move; I am pleased to say that O'Neil is completed as of this Tuesday evening. He was an enjoyable piece to do, and I look forward to doing more pieces including him as well. He truly is a handsome fellow and has caught my eye.

Friesian In Harness Work In Progress

February 22, 2008

I began this as a sketch several weeks ago and have decided to move forward with it. I still have quite a bit of working to do on the harness and brass trim, but it is slowly coming along.

Hunter Work In Progress

February 16, 2008 - - Tuesday, February 19

I began working on the drawing for this one on Saturday. Yesterday I transfered it onto the board and have now completed the blocking in of the preliminary color stages. I hope to have this one finished quickly. More refined color work, and detail will go into the next several stages.

Sunday, February 17

Drawing After Being Transfered

First Stages Of Color

Blocked In

Monday, February 18

Almost Done

Tuesday, February 19

This is nearly completed. I have added more blues to the horse, and established a source of lighting from roughly his 2 O'Clock angle. Also added highlights to the eye, ear, mane, and outside reins. One or two minor adjustments are left, and he will be signed and completed by tomorrow. This photo is a bit bright due to my lighting arrangements. I will photograph this under natural lighting conditions when the weather looks a bit better.

"Polo Match" 16"x20" Pastel

December 2007-

Sunday, December 23

I hadn't had a chance to work on this for the past two days with Christmas approaching so fast I have been busy with so many other things! I finally had a chance to work on it and put about 4 hours into it tonight. All of the horses are in! The far horse still needs allot of work, and the overall piece needs quite a bit more as well. However I am happy to be on homestretch now. As you will see the preliminary shadows are in; as I work more on the background these will take better shape. It's all coming together. This photo is taken under better lighting conditions, however the flash was used so the white highlights appear exaggerated.

Update: Unfortunately I have sidelined this piece and will update progress as I am able to return to it.