Scout portrait in progress 8 - All about barn hunt

I’m not going to add the colored pencil grass details around the Frisbee figure until I finish the barn-hunt figure. The backgrounds of those two scenes - straw and grass - will have to blend together at the edges. Since the portrayals of Scout are the most important thing, I want to finish the barn hunt figure first. Then create both the straw and grass backgrounds around the two action figures. Any background scene I put in has to enhance the figures, not the other way around. 

I’ll need the figures completed to be able to judge what I’m doing with background shapes and colors.

But first, I had questions for Annette.

My email to Annette:

"The layout we chose is balanced and visually pleasing. It wasn’t until I made my initial outline drawing on the Canson paper that I was struck by the amount of open space in the lower right corner. Nothing wrong with that but I’m turning my attention to that now. I was thinking about how much (if any) lights and darks I want to do to suggest detail in the straw.

So my question is, do you have a preference about whether there should be some kind of space where the rat is located, or shall I just make the whole area “straw”? Should there be an indication of straw bales with a space in between them? I’m not familiar with barn hunt and the kind of hardware or other things that are involved. In the reference photo there is an orange object in front of/below Scout’s nose. That color would not work at all, because a bright orange will draw the eye, and we have that orange Frisbee perfectly placed in the center of the composition with the Frisbee action pose. What is the purpose of that orange object in the barn hunt photo? If you want I can make an “edge” of straw where it drops off (where the orange object is) with some wisps of straw hanging over that gap. In other words, keep that gap in front of and below Scout’s face --- which I assume is where the rat is hidden? — but with an edge of straw over the top of that gap instead of the orange object. That would give us a darker area at the bottom (just to the right of center) of the composition, which would work fine. Then "straw texture” would pretty much fill the lower right corner. That’s where I’ll sign my signature.

Annette replied:

The orange is a foam tube slid over the edge of a piece of plywood that is placed across the opening between 2 bales of straw to create the opening of a tunnel. Going through a tunnel is a requirement and the tunnels get longer with more turns as the level of difficulty increases. It is to protect their heads. I did notice the space you are referring to and your idea of bales of straw is good. 

Scout is searching for a tube containing a rat that is hidden in the straw. He uses scent & needs to discern tubes that are buried containing bedding from the rats but no actual rat. If he alerts on that it disqualifies the run. OR if he fails to find a tube with a rat in it or exceeds the time limit that is also a disqualification.

2

A rat (housed in a small aerated INDESTRUCTIBLE composite tube) is buried deep in the straw (between bales or underneath piles of loose straw). There is no visible opening - the dog must displace the straw to uncover the tube and then paw it or give some signal that it has a rat in it. Hopefully, the dog is right! The handler then calls out "rat" and the judge either confirms it or not (you are now disqualified). Scout has a perfect record in that regard. He has moved from Novice to Master rank without ever alerting on an empty tube but he has missed a tube with a rat two times in all those titles (Novice, Open, Senior and Master). 

Each title requires a specific number of qualifying runs. At all but the Master title, the handler knows how many rats are hidden but at the Master level he/she doesn't know. That requires the dog to let the handler know there are no more rats by giving a signal - Scout's signal is to come to me and lie down. Again, if the dog is wrong then the run is disqualified. Scout has only missed 2 times - he found all the rats but wouldn't quit hunting and time ran out (he doesn't like to give up if there are only 1 or maybe 2 rats). I disqualified us a few times by making a handler error 😖  Scout is now working on a Champion rank that follows Master.

3

“I think it would look nice to use some straw to fill the empty space. I am attaching a picture of our home practice area (above) that shows a tunnel entrance. I defer to your judgement as to how to add some straw = scattered or a bale(s). Is there enough space to fit a bale in? I will like whatever you decide!”

4

“While I am busy doing my job as a handler, I miss Scout’s expressions which really are of intense concentration. He uses "air scenting" to hone in on areas to search. This does require a lot of focus and it is easy to see the difference in skill and ability when watching multiple dogs. Some lose interest quickly and some go right past the hide - even after sniffing the area. Scout is hypervigilant and will go over every inch before giving up. I am more alert to watching his body, keeping up with his fast pace and making sure he has looked in all the corners as he zooms around the field. So I miss the detail on his face. What a joy it is to have it highlighted for me! This pose is going to bring a new element to our story....it portrays his problem solving and thinking skills that he doesn't need for frisbee (just athletics there)!  I just love how we are capturing so many of his personality traits.”

Working on Scout’s “barn hunt” figure….starting with his beautiful big fluffy tail. 

Triple portrait of “Scout”.

(Scout’s Chase RATM RATCh ThD)

Commissioned by Annette Riehle.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil and acrylic wash on “Flannel Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper

20 x 26 inches.

From reference photos by Faith Lyman, Jackie Singer, and Donna Childs.