2 years ago I painted a quick thumbnail which was inspired by John Charles Dollman’s Ride of the Valkyrie, at the same time I was also into Mucha’s Epic Slav and Walter Everett's color scheme.

It remained untouch for awhile and then I was back to the master painting mood. I decided to pick it up and did more research, and then I found Jozef Brandt. Amazed by the dynamic poses and movement in the painting.

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer and Alfred Munnings for the incredible horse skin rendering.

Jean- Leon Gerome and Solomon J Solomon for the lively human figure.

Watching Game of Thrones at that time also put me into the mood. I also started collecting photo references for armor, horses and rider poses which were not in my reference folder yet. I made several reference sheet, and always open it up at the side as I paint.

The painting took some time and while I was about to call it done, the National Museum in Singapore had an exhibition, I visited 3 times just to look at this painting by Friedrich Gauermann. The attention to the translucency of the skin on specific areas just blew my mind…

It got me excited again, and I try to push the painting even more. Of course the whole painting took very long to finish, and only personal project allows me to do that- find new challenge and dive in it.

Below shows some of the process.

I usually not rely on lines when I know the final look is going to be painterly, mainly to avoid rigidness but this is too hard not to draw it out, and I know nothing about horse anatomy.

here is a close up. And below is the final! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy.