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Demonstration of a ‘Horse Head Study’

You are invited to have a go at painting this demonstration, but must give credit on any works using this demonstration to say ‘after a painting by Marie Baker’.  I retain the

copy right of this painting and demonstration, which may not be

copied in any way without obtaining my written permission.

STEP ONE

 

Firstly using a grid transfer your photo onto your watercolour paper.  I have used a 1/4 Imperial Bockingford NOT paper fro this painting.  Once you have your drawing completed rub out the grid and you are ready to mask out all of the areas you wish to keep white or a light colour, to be painting later.

 

The masking Fluid I have used is Blue which help you to see it on your painting and will help when removing it.  I have masked the nose area, the blaze and some highlights on the neck and head.  Let the Masking Fluid dry and than you are ready to paint.

STEP TWO

 

Mix a wash of Raw Sienna with a touch of Burt Umber and apply this wash all over the head and neck, leaving out the bridal, while the wash is still wet add a little Burnt Sienna into the left ear as you look at the painting and down the front of the head to help start giving your head structure. 

 

STEP THREE

 

Using a little Burnt Umber and Raw Sienna start to add darker shadows under and around the eye, on and inside the nose, under the mouth,  Jaw and the shadows for the Bridal.

 

STEP FOUR

 

Adding a Wash of Burt Sienna to the Eye and the side of the nose, inside the nose and across the front of the top of the nose in the Left ear and the outer part of the right eye as you look at the painting.  This is bringing more colour and structure to the head.  Remember Watercolour paint dries a lot lighter than when applied wet to your painting.  Touch your paper very gently at this stage as you do not want to wash away the colour you applied previously.

Click to see the finished painting

Page down for the Demonstration of this Painting.

STEP FIVE

 

Adding further washes of Burt Umber and Burnt Sienna build up the colour on the front of the head, under the jaw, Ears, around the outside of the eye ball and the Mane.  Strengthen the colour inside the nose to create a sense of depth and shadow.  Also add a weaker wash of the same colour to the neck to reinforce the shadows and structure of the neck.  Allow this stage to dry.

STEP SIX

 

Remove all of the blue Masking fluid, this is an exciting part of the painting as you start to see your painting coming to life with the masked areas revealing the white of the paper you started with.

 

Using a wash of Burnt Umber, Go back and add more strength to the shadow work for the Bridal, take your time to observe the shadows and where the light is coming from, the shape of the head/nose and where your shadows will fall.  You must follow the contours of the head/nose when adding the shadows to make your painting look real and not two dimensional.  Take care and use a stronger wash of Burnt Umber to the eye area, around the eye ball  to darken and shape the inside of the eye lids and the outside of the eye ball. Strengthen the Mane and add a little details to the mane on top of the head between the ears.

STEP SEVEN

 

To complete your painting you now need to add a wash of Burnt Sienna over the whole of the head avoiding the Bridal and any White areas.  This gives the horse as warm glow.  Take some Burnt Umber and finish off adding strength to the dark areas: The outside of the Ears, inside of the nose, Mussel area.  Now you need to paint the  Bridal.  I used a mix of green but you can use any colour you like, just add a wash to the whole bridal and then as it starts to dry drop in a little darker tone of the same colour in the areas in shadow and to add shape and structure to the bridal.  Paint the Rings on the Bridal in the same way adding darker tones to give shape and shadows. The last touches are very important to give the shape of the nose/mussel area.  Add a weak wash of Ultra Marine and Alizarin Crimson to make a grey colour and  apply this to the Nostril and around the white area of the nose and mussel to give structure and shape to the nose, blend this into the white area with a clean damp brush.  Also add a touch of this colour to the blaze area, again blending away into the white with a clean brush.  Finally add a weak  Alizarin Crimson to the mussel./nose  and soften off with a clean brush.

 

Allow your painting to Dry .