Newest Flat Art

This week is going to be busy, I'm graduating tomorrow! So until I have some time to write more about creating a portrait model, here's some of my flat art -

Riptide in Colored Pencil

Foals in Graphite 

Zebra in Graphite

I do plan on opening my Etsy store sometime soon. I have the supplies to make my own prints of my art, I just need to get the printer properly installed on my computer. Well - until next time!

Creating a Portrait Model: Part One

As the school year draws to a close, the annual Feather Fund auction in July draws closer and its time for me to start on some portrait models for donations. In this series I'll show you how I create a portrait model of Soul Surfer, a 2014 foal and son of the late Surfer Dude. Now on to the tutorial!

What you will need for this part

• Lots of reference pictures
• a body or a selection of body models

One of the most important parts of this process is having several different reference photos from different angles. This will help you recreate the horse in the most realistic way possible. Here are some of the reference pictures I'm using to recreate Soul Surfer. 

The next thing you want to do is find a body model to use. This model should have the same body type as the horse you want to recreate (pony, draft, light, stock, ect). Now you have to consider the breed you are recreating. If the model you chose does not have some of the well known traits of the breed (dished face for the Arabian and the curved ears for the Mawari) don't worry! That's where sculpting comes in.

I prefer to use Magic Sculpt as it easily smooths into the plastic and cuts down on prepping time. Add the specific breed traits in with the clay (see the category Sculpting and Prepping for how I do this). Let the clay dry for at least 24 hours and begin prepping. Here is the model I chose for Soul Surfer.

In this picture he is not prepped yet

 Once your horse is prepped and has his final coat of primer on, you're ready to add color. In the next post I'll cover pros and cons of the techniques I've used over the years.

~If you are the owner of any of the pictures in this post let me know and I will give you full credit~

Progress on Swimmy

So y'all may remember this guy from last summer. I've finally had some time to work on him! His fishy features will mimic the Lion Fish.

Next up is sculpting the mane and attaching the ears. This guy will be a sales piece available through my Etsy store (which will go up live soon - I just need to get a few kinks worked out first).

RIP Surfer Dude

A few days ago, fans of Chincoteague Ponies got word that one of the most popular stallions in the herd, Surfer Dude, had passed. It had been suspected for a while because he didn't come in during the Spring round up. This stallion has contributed so much to the breed.

picture via I Love Chincoteague Ponies on Facebook

To pay tribute to this beautiful guy there is a movement to get him immortalized as a Breyer Horse. Please email Breyer or use their contact form to help express interest in this idea. Collectors have wanted a new Chincoteague Pony for years and it would be amazing if it was Surfer Dude.

To check out more about this amazing breed look up I Love Chincoteague Ponies on Facebook.