Baby Longhorn -or- Having a snack

Having a Snack, 12" x 12", oil on canvas

Yesterday's marketing challenge was to post pictures of a painting in progress.  I have done this before and it is fun to see the progression. I had started this painting the day before, so I had already done the drawing and started blocking things in.  This painting is of a young long horn cow (from one of the photos I took at a long horn cattle farm near my house).  He is having a snack, as you can see the grass hanging out of his mouth.  I have to say the most challenging part of this painting was his tongue! (Not quite sure why...) In fact when I first saw the picture, I didn't realize his tongue was sticking out.  When I noticed it, that is what cinched it for me.  I had to paint it!  (artists are weird that way...)  So here are pictures of the progression of this painting. Enjoy!

This stage is actually more accurate to the original photo, but I didn't feel there was enough contrast in his face.  I also needed to add more detail to his eyes than what was in the photo. For this, I looked up some other reference photos of cows on the net.

Here's the original photo