Friday, February 26, 2010

WIP: Alborozo

I hate prepping. I really, really do.

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Shiny Ponies

I have a real horse related errand to run today.

SCWGA is holding a gaming show on the 13th and 14th of March. The horse I'm running is green as grass, so please keep me in your prayers. I will be wearing a helmet.

Since I know I don't have a snowball's chance in Tuscon of running well, I figure I might as well look good. On today's shopping list are a turquoise tie down and glitter spray. The tie down is just another sign that my real horse tack is slowly shifting to match my model horse tack. Oy.

The glitter spray is part of an ongoing project to recreate a real life metallic, glossy horse.

As Breyer has added more metallic paint to their mixes, a vocal minority has sprung up in protest. Now, I fully understand collectors who don't find these new colors aesthetically pleasing. If you don't like the look, I don't blame you for being upset when another horse comes out with a metallic paint job. That's how I feel everytime Breyer releases another Silver.

However, I take issue with the collectors that get upset about these colors because they are "unrealistic." They argue that metallic colors are limited to Akhal Tekes:

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I can't scream this loudly enough:

That's not true.

"Sheen" is found throughout the horse world in many different breeds. It's most common on palominos and buckskins, but I've even seen it on a grey Arabian. And even if you aren't lucky enough to own a naturally shiny horse, it comes in a bottle.

For naturally metallic horses, the effect shows through even the dirtiest coats. At the moment, my horse is in desperate need of a proper bath, but her coat still shines like a freshly minted coin. This is what she looks like clean:

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No conditioner, no show sheen, no products whatsoever were used in the above photo. That's just her...clean. Now imagine what she'll look like in glitter. (Yes, despite appearances, I'm still a 14 year old girl dressing up her pretty pony.)

My personal experiences with sheen have greatly influenced how I paint. I started integrating metallic elements into my paint formulas a few years ago. I will cover the how-to of this topic in an upcoming tutorial.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

WIP: Goat (Part 2)

Okay, just a little tease for Jennifer (Braymere):

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

WIP: Goat

Not an updated pic, because I want his owner to be surprised. The white on this guy has been...time consuming.

This is only the second copy of this resin I've been able to paint. I may only get the chance to paint a couple more because of problems with the mold. I based the sculpture on my friend's Nubian, Spunky, who recently passed away.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

WIP: Doodlebug

I designed the graphics for a truck today. I assume that is of little interest to model horse people.

Instead, here's a photo of my Doodlebug. I keep changing my mind on what color to paint him.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

WIP: Light My Fire

"Light My Fire" aka Jim is also going out to Lauren:

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

New Blogging Goal

I've debating starting a Facebook page for me studio, but I thought it was touch redundant. Instead, I'm trying a new experiment. I'm going to try to post at least a picture a day of what I'm currently working on in the studio or of recent work I haven't shown before.

I work faster against a deadline, so I'm hoping a daily deadline might increase my output. Or it will suck up time I could be painting. Who knows.

A custom Nokota who's shipping out today to Lauren Tapley/Hoeffer:

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The thing under his hoof is masking tape covering an acrylic rod. And yes, he's sitting on a chair. I've been toying with his base for a while and trying to push the limits of what will hold up a heavy drastic custom without being unstable.

This guys is a part of project "Desert Fish," which is top secret for now. Details to come when we're closer to Breyerfest.