Alaskan Moose...9"x 12" oil

This 9"x 12" study of an Alaskan moose is perhaps
as finished as I believe it needs to be, saving the
more in-depth work for a much larger studio
piece, My thinking at this time is about a 48"x 60"
stretched canvas.

below is the process of sketches and thinking
that resulted in the painting above-
















This is a sketch I worked up in my sketchbook, of another
try at a bull moose. After studying a number of paintings
of Carl Rungius (1869-1959)...wanting to touch on his
giving the moose such a sense of nobility, majestic strength
and power, I was getting quite frustrated.

It wasn't until I pulled my sketchbook out, and started
working things out...

What follows is my progression, and when I was done, I came
to the conclusion that Rungius lengthened his body length
a half-head length. Mine was 3-1/2 heads (from nose to just
where the brow tine begins), and Rungius makes his a full
four head length.

Picasso once said that "art is a lie that tells the truth" and
sometimes in experiencing a moment in nature, our senses
feel something that perhaps only stretching the truth visually
delivers.

















first visualized the mass and volume of the moose using
perspective and rectangles/boxes to give form

















Then I put flesh to this form, and come up with my moose,
but, its not been Rungius'ified yet!! That comes next!

















I now push the rump, the shoulder back to reflect that
half-head length addition I observed in Rungius portrayal
of the bull moose...indicated by the red arrows...


















Then, I re-work the flesh over again to come up with my
stretched truth...which immediately seems to my eye to
deliver on that greater truth I'm after, namely the
majesty...the noble nature of these fine beasts!

The final touch was working Wolff carbon pencils up to
6B into the drawing, then applying a bit of water using
a sable watercolor brush which converts the carbon
drawing to a wash watercolor. I felt I had a good
feeling for the form having followed this study and
analysis of Rungius moose, and the effort has resulted
in some greater confidence for which the study/painting
above then was birthed. ,