Tomorrow I'm finally getting operated on my back. It's been 6 months since I had the accident with Lodewijk and getting worse every day.
I have absolutely no idea how long it will take to get better. Have to stay in the hospital for a few days, if all goes according to plan I'll be home for christmas (not that I really care for christmas, unless there are presents involved ). But I don't expect to be painting again within the next few weeks. I really hope it heals fast and I can sit again. I'll be painting my ass off .

So goodbye for now and hopefully see you soon!

I really like idea for the WSTopDeck's Holiday Raffle so I'm joining . If you heavend heared of it yet please go to her page and read the journal entry: [link]

Niarbon's Wishlist:

1. Survive the operation and have it making me better (more info next in this journal)
2. Lodewijk Art! - He's just so cute and inspirational, I Love art and specially when he's starring in it
3. Custom Breyer welsh pony resembling Lodewijk
4. My next painting on the frontpage of DA or a DD
5. Barbwire tooling set for leatherworking (my newest hobby!)
6. Wacom Cintiq (please mister Santa *puppyeyes*)
7. Pony halters (I'm a real addict, have over 20 different ones allready
8. a Cornish Rex kitten <3
9. A new house
10. Cards from all over the world!
please note me for the adress, I can't put it online since it's not actually mine

If you have actually read my journals you probably know I fell from my pony in june. Couldn't walk for a few days and had/have a lot of backpain and spreading in my leg. A few weeks ago they made a MRI scan.
Turns out I have "spinal disc herniation" (that's what wikipedia calls it in english ) and not one but two. So I need surgery to have it removed.

Sucks big time because I should have finnished school this year but I haven't been able to finnish my last internship and because of the operation I need to recover for about 6-10 weeks.

Also the operation isn't without risks. I'm scared, but also sick of not even being able to put on socks like a normal person. It's silly, I can't do a lot, can't even sit without pain anymore, but thing bugging me the most is putting on socks

So this week I have another apointment at the hospital and if all goes well the operation will be somewhere around christmas. I hope I can finnish the painting I am working on for the past weeks, but since I can't sit for too long I'm not sure if I can finnish it in time. But I am sure it will be an awsome piece and worth the wait! .

Again some great pieces starring the prettiest pony in the world

A few weeks back a photographer came by to take pictures of Lodewijk for her portfolio. Her website isn't up yet but I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the shoot with you


My fav of them all, typical Lodewijk



He needs to grow some muscles, specially in the but


Pretty autumn shot


For months I tried to get him in the water, but he was too scared, tiny waves will eat you. But when you least expect it he just walks in like nothings wrong.


Now he wants to be a ponysubmarine .


He looks so tall, but he's only 135cm / 13h.


Just

*Please keep in mind these are not stock images and you should ask the photographer for permission if you want to use them in any way, note me if you want her e-mail adres *

My back is still killing me, specially when I sit down, so I can't be on the computer for too long / paint. Thursday I have to go to the hospital again where they will make a MRI-scan of my back to see if they can find anything causing the pain. *scared* Don't like having to lay still in small space like that.
To top it off I also had a small operation for something else a couple of weeks ago and right now I have a cold and throat infection. Bad things always come at once? But I'll live

So I haven't been able to reply to all new comments, watchers en favs. But I really appreciate them all, so thank you everyone .

Traditional


Manipulations



On juli 2006 I got Lodewijk, also that year I started digital painting. My first painting was of Lodewijk and every year I made another portrait of him, so here they are and hopefully many more will come .

As always, I am very busy, only this time working on new paintings, *yay*. I haven't been able to replay to all the comments, notes, new watchers (hi!), all the faves etc. But I really appreciate every single one of them. Thank you all!

My back is still hurting from the accident but it is getting a little better. I had to go back to the hospital again and they took more xrays of my back but they can't find any fractures. In september I have to go back again for a check up and I need physical therapy before that. So hopefully it will be a lot better in a few weeks

And because I felt bad for myself I treated myself to a subscription so I could make this nice looking journal and stuff .

There were a few requests from the tutorial poll that I can answer in writing

* Making images realistic and detailed; When I paint a horse I always fill in the eyes last. When the eyes are in the image it looks finnished very quickly, so I make sure everything else looks good before adding the eye. That way you can keep all your attention to the details without having the feeling it it done already.
I really can't find any other way why my paintings look realistic, there are no other tricks or techniques I use, just don't fill in the eye too fast .

* Tools; The only tool I use is a standard brush in Photoshop, the hard round brush with the size, opacity and flow set to penpressure in the brush presets. Opacity and flow for painting varies from 30 to 80. I'm too lazy to change brushes so I stick to only this one .

If there are more questions I will answer them. And a mane/tail/hair tutorial will come in the next few weeks. As well as a realistic (horse)eye tutorial. And maybe you will come up with some more great ideas!

She deserves more credit for her work, very good but unknown artist, go check her gallery out!

Take a look at our stockaccount to find these and many more lovey, funny, cute, pretty, fantastic faces and poses: