New horse portrait

This the only horse portrait I have done so far. This one I got done in one day, not doing it for anyone, just felt like painting that day! That day it was a Sunday and I had no school work in my way. In this portrait the key thing was to get the shading down. In the picture there was major shading, and I had to get it right. On the left side of the horse, it was the major shading, then towards the ridge of the nose it started getting light again. So when you look at it you can reall tell where the light is coming from. I was also suprised when I got the affect of the round eyes. If you look at the horse, the eyes look quite rounded. When I did the eyes I pretty mugh split them in half and it was all with the brush stroke. The eyes of a horse are also partly on the side, so I was kind of trying to get the effect of it going on the side of the face.

If you were wondering what horse is on here, his name is King. He stays at a riding stable in Niles MI. I ride/lease him for the summer, and dearly miss him since I will not be leasing in the winter. He is an Arabian breed of horse and very sweet.
When I took the photo it was my last day going to ride him for the year. It was a beautiful fall day, sunset and he was munching with his buds in the pasture. I brought my sister's great camera, and was planning on taking a picture for this portrait just above. So as I walk out to him with his halter and lead rope, he lifts his head, and then just goes back to munching. Side to side, munch, munch, munch. I turn on the camera and most of the other horses in King's pasture came to the sound of the clicking. One of them ( a retired race horse) sniffs the camera and shoos King away. Then munches right where King had. So I took a couple of him too. I go back to King and try to get a good clear picture of him. He just keaps on munching. I got a good face on one that is the one I used for this portrait, and was very happy with it.