Project 11: Foal
One misty morning on a horse farm in central Kentucky, I met this handsome colt. Even at this young age, you can already see the regal stance of the thoroughbred.
Reference Photo
Materials
Paints
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Yellow Light
Raw Sienna
Titanium White
Ultramarine Blue
Yellow Oxide
Brushes
no. 1, 3 and 5 rounds
1 Establish the Form and Add the Dark Values
Draw the foal lightly in pencil onto your panel, using a kneaded eraser for any corrections. With a no. 3 round and Burnt Umber thinned with water, paint the main lines of the foal, indicating the light and dark areas.
Mix Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue for the black for the ears, eyes, muzzle and darker body shadows. Paint with a no. 3 round.
Mix Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna and a small amount of Ultramarine Blue for the dark brown areas of shadow. Paint with a no. 5 round, using a no. 3 round for the smaller details. Use a no. 3 round to paint black accents over the dark brown on the lower legs, chest, etc.
2 Paint the Middle and Lighter Values
Mix a red chestnut for the foal’s coat with Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange and Titanium White. Paint with a no. 5 round, following the hair pattern with parallel strokes.
Mix a golden buff color for the lighter parts of the foal’s coat with Titanium White, Yellow Oxide and Cadmium Orange. Paint with a no. 5 round.
Mix the bluish shadow color for the coat with Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. Use a no. 5 round for the legs and a no. 3 round for the halter, muzzle and eyelids.
Mix the warm white for the legs and the white star on the forehead with a portion of the golden buff color mixed with more Titanium White. Paint with a no. 3 round.
3 Add Detail to the Foal
Blend the foal’s coat using separate no. 3 rounds for the red chestnut and the golden buff. Blend where the two colors meet, using a small amount of paint and light-pressured strokes. Use the same technique to blend the foal’s other colors—dark brown and red chestnut, and red chestnut and bluish shadow colors. In some areas, such as the upper part of the left hind leg, blend by painting thin parallel strokes of red chestnut over the bluish shadow color. Use these same brushes and colors to add detail to the foal.
Paint the tail with dark brown and a no. 3 round with slightly curved strokes. Use a separate no. 3 round and the bluish shadow color to paint a subtle highlight on the top of the tail, softening the edges.
Tip
You can use your artist’s license to paint the foal’s tail, although it doesn’t show in the reference photo. This gives the painting a more lifelike quality, as if the foal had just swished his tail.
CHESTNUT COLT
Acrylic on Gessobord
10” × 8” (25cm × 20cm)
4 Paint the Finishing Details
Mix a highlight color for the foal with Titanium White and a touch of Cadmium Yellow Light. Paint with a no. 3 round.
Mix a bit of Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue and a touch of Yellow Oxide with a touch of Burnt Umber. Use this mixture to paint highlights in the eyes with a no. 1 round with small strokes.
Tip
To make the background look farther away than the foreground, use colors that are lighter in value and more bluish. This is called atmospheric perspective.