Here's something you might find interesting

[kathrynloch]

While quite a few have expressed interest in the resin horses, I realized some folks might find them a bit boring. I mean y'all are used to the detail and believe me these resins have every horsie detail you could imagine. But y'all are accustomed to tack and riders and every single detail that goes with that.

We do have tack and performance classes, I really haven't gone that direction yet because it's even more expensive. We don't sculpt the tack, it's made from real leather and accurate items to scale.

Here's a fun example of an authentic native Arabian tack set up.

I also found a couple of models I think y'all will like.

I've always found the painting style of the 18th century and how they portrayed the horses very unique.

I absolutely love this pic.

And I found the perfect model.

I also have a carousel horse model that I need to get a photo of but the detail is quite amazing. The surprising thing I got this model and only just learned that the run was ended at 30 pieces. That's a really small one.

Anyways, just wanted to share my little 18th century horse and see what y'all thought about him.

 

[housecarl]

Is that a George Stubbs painting Karrie? I'm no art expert, I just remember his name from art lessons at school.
Carl.

 

[Ferris]

I look forward to your paint of it. The glow of the skin (is that the right word?) must be a challenge.

By the way, to get inspired for a model on my stack, do you happen to have an example of a dapple grey (is that the right spelling?). Any peculiarities that I should take note of...?

You have probably noted by now I do not know a great deal about horses...

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[kathrynloch]

Is that a George Stubbs painting Karrie? I'm no art expert, I just remember his name from art lessons at school.
Carl.

I think it is, Carl, but I'm not positive. I know it because the Thoroughbred Heritage Society is so fond of it. But I honestly haven't researched it or anything, I'm no art expert either. lol!

I look forward to your paint of it. The glow of the skin (is that the right word?) must be a challenge.

By the way, to get inspired for a model on my stack, do you happen to have an example of a dapple grey (is that the right spelling?). Any peculiarities that I should take note of...?

You have probably noted by now I do not know a great deal about horses...

Cheers,
Adrian

No worries Adrian - and hey - glow works for me, I just call them highlights but we can call 'em whatever we want. Yes, it can be a challenge at times that much is certain but there are a couple of tricks I've learned.

For your dapple gray (you spelled it correctly - the only variation is American vs. the Queen's English, gray or grey), which model and how big is it? (Pics please if you can. lol!)

Dapple gray is one color I struggle with in pigments. I have a friend who has perfected it so if we need help with the pigment/pastels, I can holler at her.

If your model is small scale and you can use acrylics, that technique I've got down. Here are a couple LOTR miniatures I did a few years ago.

As you can see the lighter one isn't quite finished in that photo but the color just needs a very, very light white glaze or wash and he's good to go.

Dapple gray can be tricky. While it is a very common color, the variations from horse to horse are as individual as they are. Then add to the mix that a dapple gray horse turns lighter year to year, that makes difficult.

I have only a couple of photos on hand for reference.

I just love this guy - I think he's gorgeous.

But to show you how far flung the variations can be, here's another for you. This pic is extremely common on the net if you search for dapple gray horses.

I know this photo is a few years old but if we could see that horse now, he would look nothing like this pic. How fast horses "gray out", turn lighter as they age, is no set rule. Some turn lighter very slowly, others go completely white within a couple of years.

Is there any way I can talk you in to trying another color for learning new techniques? Even painting what I call a white gray first can give you a good foundation which you can build on to get to dapple gray.

If your current model is demanding to be a dapple gray (they get so pushy sometimes in what colors they want to be) that's fine. You can get a practice model to play with first - heck I'll send you a stablemate horse that's ready to go if you need one. lol! And you can experiment to your heart's content. If I tackle a brand new color or technique, it's very common for me to do a test horse first that way I don't have to worry about stripping it if I mess up.

Anyways I'm happy to help so if I need to go on a quest searching for a dapple gray horse for you it won't be a problem at all.

Cheers,
Karrie

 

[billyturnip]

It is indeed a George Stubbs,


Hambletonian
Rubbing Down
The great race horse, Hambletonian, is depicted being rubbed down after his win at Newmarket in 1799, a race in which Stubbs felt he had been driven too hard.He is shown in an impossible pose, standing on his two left legs, his groom's right arm stretched like elastic over his neck. In 1801, George Stubbs sued Sir Henry Vane-Tempest for non payment of his bill for the picture of the famous race horse Hambletonian.
c. 1800

Source, http://www.horseartcollection.com/artistgeorgestubbs.php

and http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Hambletonian.html quite a coincidence as I live in the Hambleton area. :0


Roger.

 

[kathrynloch]

Thanks Roger! That's so cool! My memory was so foggy on the piece but I haven't had the time to really go digging. I couldn't remember if the name Hambletonian was the horse or the race. Because I think there's now a race named after the famous horse???

Ah well, no worries - I'll go dig for it later. Thanks for posting. I always love little bits of info like that.

 

[billyturnip]

It was really quite strange Karrie, I looked it up because I thought it was a Stubbs and ended up finding out loads of stuff about a horse from this area. Funny how these things happen.

Love your horses by the way.

Roger.

 

[polyphemus]

This is one I painted around 3 years ago, in oils;



90mmm scale Andrea. Not the best pictures of the horse I know. I might still have a few photographs of the horse lurking around.


This was the last full figure I painted before concentrating on busts.

Geoff

 

[kathrynloch]

It was really quite strange Karrie, I looked it up because I thought it was a Stubbs and ended up finding out loads of stuff about a horse from this area. Funny how these things happen.

Love your horses by the way.

Roger.

Thank you Roger! And that's really cool - it's fun to discover just how small of a wide world web it really is.

This is one I painted around 3 years ago, in oils;
90mmm scale Andrea. Not the best pictures of the horse I know. I might still have a few photographs of the horse lurking around.
This was the last full figure I painted before concentrating on busts.

Geoff

Absolutely LOVELY Geoff! From what I can see, the horse looks to be spot on in regard to dapple gray. If you can find more pics I would love to see them.

I want so badly to try oils. I've seen some absolutely stunning horses in the medium. But I also hear horror stories of achieving brilliant finishwork then finding hair, fuzz, and lint. With my animals - a Shetland Sheepdog, a very fluffy Maine Coon cat and two other domestic shorthair cats - I think if I tried oils my horse would end up looking like a cartoon sheep.

Airbrushing also works very well for dapple grays. (Sorry but I gotta show off this little lady.)

Now I didn't paint this one! I also want to learn how to airbrush but thus far the initial investment of the equipment has been cost prohibitive. I have a friend who airbrushes. When I first started in the hobby, I had heard her name - come to find out, she lives right down the road from me (there's that small wide web of a world again!). We became friends and she airbrushed one of my Arabian resins a gorgeous dapple gray.

So I would very much love to learn other mediums as well!

Cheers,
Karrie

ETA: GAH! i need to find a better pic of her. This one was taken at a show and the lighting wasn't great so I had to tone down the camera noise which didn't help the detail.

 

[Ferris]

Thanks for the info Karrie and sorry about my late response to it!

I would like to ask you something considering a small horse conversion I am planning, but I need to make some pictures of that project first. I'll post it here, OK?

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[kathrynloch]

No worries Adrian! Posting it here is fine. And now you have me curious. lol!

Cheers,
Karrie

 

[Ferris]

Hi Karrie,

Here's some pictures.
It is one of Soldier's latest, a Roman tournament horse (I skipped the rider here, as we are talking horses). The sculpt is excellent, but rather static and I would like to bring in a slight bit of dynamism by changing the pose of the horse.

Now I was thinking that some minor surgery to change one leg position might do the trick, but I would like your expert view on the realism of that plan... See the lines in the pictures for two alternatives I have in mind for the one leg (note I mean changing only ONE leg, not both; the pic may look like I want to change both front legs, but that is not the plan). Can I do that without having to change the rear legs??

Thanks.

Adrian

 

[kathrynloch]

Hi Adrian,

The front hoof will be touching the ground? Either way, yes, you can change it, the only thing you will have to adjust is the shoulder and chest muscling and that that won't be a huge adjustment - just slight modification.

I agree, that is a nice horse.