Creating a Cool Black Horse with Pastels and Pigments part one

What You'll Need:

• blue, purple, and green pastels/pigments
• something to hold the powder
• an applicator (it can be a brush, q-tips, ect.)
• a reference picture
• a sock
• a fully prepped horse
• sealer
• x-acto knife

**When using an x-acto knife or any other type of sharp object please have parental supervision**

The first step to any project is to find a good reference picture. You can use search engines, horse books, magazines, ect. Anything with horse pictures is a great tool to the customizer. This is the picture I am using.

Photo supplied by Stonecreek Farm Fell Ponies, USA ©

Next you'll want to buff your prepped model with a sock. Buffing is the process of rubbing a horse until it is shiny to reduce any chance of grain. Its the same as using a high grit sandpaper but you are not running the risk of removing paint.

Nice and shiny!

Find a container to put the pastels you are about to shave. I use the plastic holders from a K-cup. Next begin shaving the various colors you've chosen, I use an x-acto knife. But wait! You said that this was a tutorial for a black horse!
Yes it is but these colors will help you create a horse that has dimension instead of one that is flat black.  

Colors I used

Mixture color

What you'll want to do next is to apply your mixture to the horse. If you use pastels it will take longer to achieve the color you'd want.

First layer in

Keep on going until the color is solid or close to it. The next installment will cover coloring it black and the detailing.