This Longhorn bull is magnificent. There are no other words to describe him other than his impressive stature. Not only does he have an amazing set of horns on him, his face is strong and powerful, as is his body. I love his black speckled coat. This boy does have a lot of bling. No other way to put it.
I now have this big boy sketched into what I believe are the correct proportions. I always paint the bodies of any animal a wash of burnt umber and black, and then let the lighter colors shine through. I’ll paint the horns a burnt umber wash, and then come up with grays, a little faint maroon/purple (blood flows through the horns and you can see it in particular areas) to note the ridges up close to the head. You can’t see much of his eyes, but I plan on adding a bit of highlights to bring them out. He also has some pinks in his skin around the dewlap (front of the bull) and a little on his chest. He is truly a masterpiece.
Best of all, Dickinson Cattle Ranch graciously allowed me to use the photo of this amazing bull as a model for my painting. I am indebted to them for the “gentleman’s handshake” of trusting me to use the original photo in good faith.