CHAPTER 1

PORTRAITS IN PENCIL

Common Breed Profiles

The following five profile drawings are a small sampling of the differences in some common breeds. Note the shape of each profile; often, the profile of the head is characteristic of a particular breed.

ARABIAN This elegant, fine-boned horse originated in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Known for its speed and stamina in extreme conditions, the Arabian’s beauty and grace are unparalleled. Arabian bloodlines have long been used to establish new breeds, as their qualities are very desirable.

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE A compact breed originating in North America, the American Quarter Horse is known for its speed and durability at a quarter-mile sprint. Primarily bred as a work horse and often used in ranch work, today’s Quarter Horse is found across the globe.

PONY OF THE AMERICAS This foal is a miniature version of the larger Appaloosa horse. The pony possesses the same characteristics as its larger cousin, including spots, but the pony measures between 46 and 56 inches, making it the perfect size for children to mount.

HAFLINGER Native to Austria, the Haflinger evolved in the Tyrolean area of the Alps. The breed takes its name from the village of Hafling, which is now part of Italy. Believed to be a horse with Arabian influence, the Haflinger is small in stature but mighty in heart. Its stocky build has made it a good workhorse as well as a good mount for numerous disciplines. Always chestnut in color, varying in shade from blond to dark chocolate, its mane and tail are long, thick, and flaxen to white in color.

SHIRE A large, big-boned draft breed specifically bred for heavy work, this horse originated in England and is one of the world’s largest breeds. It can be black, brown, or gray in color. Today’s Shires make beautiful parade horses, pulling large, decorative wagons, and can still be seen in their traditional roles in England.

Adding elements, such as tack and reins, can add interest to a composition.

Basic Profile

1 Use an HB pencil and light pressure to block in the basic shape of the head and muzzle, paying attention to where the guidelines intersect. Roughly indicate the curve of the jaw with a series of lines that extend up to the base of the ears. Add a few curves to suggest the neck.

2 Begin refining the neck, muzzle, and jaw. Place the eye and nostril; then indicate the mouth. Develop the facial features and further refine the outlines, following the subtle curves of flesh around the mouth. Block in the mane and forelock with strokes that follow the direction of hair growth. Keep strokes light.

3 Erase the initial guidelines and lighten the outlines so they don’t show through the final drawing.

4 Begin applying tone using light pressure, loose hatching, and a 3B pencil. Start with the darkest areas, such as beneath the jawline, in the nostril and eye, and within the mane and forelock.

5 Blend strokes with a tortillon. To deepen the values, continue stroking and blending, switching to a 6B pencil for the darkest darks.

Use a kneaded eraser to lift out highlights as needed.

Three-Quarter Portrait

Horses are fantastic drawing subjects, as their inherent beauty and grace can be quite captivating. Pay careful attention to the detail of the eye to express this gentle creature’s warmth and intelligence.

1 First establish the structure and angle of the head and neck with long strokes. Then mark several planes with horizontal strokes, setting up guidelines for the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.

2 Now use the initial guidelines to place the ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth. (The eyes are about 1/3 of the way down the horse’s head.) Also refine the outline of the neck and jaw line.

3 Erase any guidelines that you no longer need and add the forelock between the ears. Use thin, irregular lines to indicate the value changes on the horse’s face. Then add a little more detail to the horse’s eye.

4 Begin to develop the texture of the coat. Now replace the solid lines that divide the values of the horse’s face with a series of short hatch marks that follow the direction of hair growth. Fill in the eye (see detail on opposite page), and add long strokes to the mane and forelock to contrast with the short hairs of the coat.

5 Now create the dark areas of the coat using a large blending stump dipped in graphite dust. Apply broad strokes, fading them out as you work down the neck. With a smaller stump, add more detail and shading around the eye and ears. Finally, enhance the sense of depth by adding darker graphite strokes in the shadows of the ears and under the head.

HORSE DETAILS

MUZZLE The muzzle has subtle, curved forms, which are defined with careful shading. The area around the nostril is raised, as is the area just above the mouth; indicate this shape by pulling out highlights with a kneaded eraser.

EYE Horses’ eyes have a lot of detail, from the creases around the eyes to the straight, thick eyelashes. To create a sense of life in the eye, leave a light crescent-shaped area to show reflected light, and leave a stark white highlight above it.

EARS Render the horse’s forelock hair with long, slightly curving strokes. Then shade the interior of the ear with upward, parallel strokes, making them darkest at the bottom and gradually lighter as you move up the ear.

Arabian

1 With a sharp HB pencil, block in the boxy shape of the head and shoulders with straight lines to establish dimension and form.

2 Refine the ears, head, and neck to give them a more contoured appearance. Then add the eyes and nose, following the facial guidelines. Refine the outline of the muzzle.

3 Erase any guidelines that are no longer needed. Draw light sketch lines to indicate the value changes in the coat.

4 Use small, dark hatch marks to establish the coat. Fill in the darks of the eyes and eyebrows.

5 To add shading, create some graphite dust by rubbing the pencil over a sheet of fine sandpaper. Pick up the dust with a medium-sized blending stump and shade in the dark areas of the fur and nose. Blend to create soft gradations where the values meet.

Foal

When creating a graphite drawing based on a color photo, it is often a good idea to transform the photo to black and white (or grayscale). Removing the distraction of color allows you to clearly discern all the values in the composition.

You can transform the photo to black and white using photo-editing software, or simply use a quality copy machine.

1 Sketch the foal with an HB pencil, placing a few recognizable markings on the face, neck, and shoulders.

2 Use a 2B pencil to layer hair in and around the ears, beginning at the top and moving down. To create the facial hair, stroke in the direction of hair growth. Notice the extremely curved nature of the hair at the forehead. Begin blocking in the dark areas of hair by layering with firm pressure.

3 Build up the dark areas of the ear at right and blend with a tortillon (see “Ear Detail”). Use the edge of an eraser to pull out curved streaks of hair and blend the midtones. Use a dirty tortillon to create short streaks along the outside edge to represent fuzzy, backlit hair. Darken the tuft where needed and recover lights with the eraser. Continuing down the face, add more lines in the direction of hair growth and blend. Use a 6B pencil for the darkest areas and blend, before starting on the eye (see “Eye Detail”).

4 Begin the muzzle by blocking in the dark areas with a 2B pencil. Follow the intricate patterns of the nose and mouth for correct placement. Begin the coat on the foal’s neck. Stroking in the direction of hair growth, build up the dark areas with additional layers of 2B graphite.

EAR DETAIL Develop the left ear in the same manner as the right by blocking in and blending the darks, stroking in hair, blending the midtones, and pulling out lights with an eraser.

EYE DETAIL To render the eye, carefully fill in the pupil and iris with dark tone, working around two white highlights. For the eyeball and surrounding black areas, lay in two firm layers of 2B graphite.

5 Finish the muzzle by drawing over the darkest areas with a sharp 6B pencil and blending with a tortillon. Add whiskers and dots lightly with a 2B. Use a kneaded eraser to lift graphite in small areas and pull out light streaks. Give the muzzle another light blending to finish. Moving to the neck, continue to layer the hair with curved, directional strokes.

6 Complete the rest of the foal’s body by first layering in hair with short, directional strokes. Apply two to three coats, and then blend with a tortillon. Starting at the top of the head and behind the ear, use a kneaded eraser to pull out short streaks of lighter hair. To finish, use a 6B pencil to build up density in the darkest areas.

7 Begin the foal’s mane at the ear and work down the back with a 2B pencil. Keep strokes loose and free flowing. For the darkest areas, apply additional layers of graphite.

8 Beginning at the ear again, work slowly down the foal’s back with a 2B pencil. Create swirled strands of hair and blend them with a tortillon, lifting out light areas with the edge of a kneaded eraser. For the darkest darks, add a layer of 6B graphite and blend. To finish, add 6B graphite to any dark areas of the entire piece that have become lighter.

Use a clean sheet of paper to cover your drawing as you work on the next section. It is often necessary to revisit the darkest areas with additional tone before sealing the piece with workable fixative.