An update on the portrait of Rhiannon & Storm

It's rare to get a photo of a horse and rider where both look good. If the horse is being ridden it's outline may be wrong ( dressage / western) it's mouth open , ear back etc .The rider is often grimacing with concentration .
I don't know how often I meet someone on the ground after I've watched them ride or vice versa and I couldn't recognise them..lol's Wow they are actually a really good looking person..lol's
With additional photos ( yours or I can take them) I can come up with the perfect portrait - a serene happy faced rider and happy relaxed horse !
With the portrait below it wasn't a very good photo of the Rhiannon.See attached
The photo was taken at a distance and I've cropped it so it's not as sharp as I'd like.I have taken extra photos of both of them that will help me .
Rhiannon + Storm

 

I've just started to go over my underpainting with Oil.

The portrait is going through the ugly stages at the moment. I always hate this part as I start to lose all my lovely underpainting.
I hope to brighten it all up at the very end but you have to keep painting through along period of drabber stages.
It's a pretty large portrait ( see A 4 photo on the top RHS) so it is going to take a long time to do.

 Here's an update.

I still have to do Rhiannon's face and hands and then start to refine the whole portrait and maybe change the background colour but I'll wait and see what it looks like first.

 Here I've painted Rhiannon's face and hands plus done refined Storm's head a bit more.

I've changed the background colour and further refined Storms face , bridle and Rhiannon's clothes.

The colour should be more like the photo above but just more finished off..

Final portrait.
Rhiannon and Storm
c 50 x 60cms image size
 framed Oil
Absolutely thrilled with the portrait of Rhiannon and Storm. You have done such an amazing job.
Rhiannon and Robyn

 Hung on my wall.