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CHAPTER 1
TOOLS & MATERIALS
Pencils
Pencils are labeled based on their lead texture. Hard leads (H) are light in value and great for fine, detailed work, but they are more difficult to erase. Soft leads (B) are darker and wonderful for blending and shading, but they smudge easily. Medium leads, such as HB and F, are somewhere in the middle. Select a range of pencils between HB and 6B for variety. You can purchase wood-encased pencils or mechanical pencils with lead refills.
Wooden Pencil The most common type of pencil is wood-encased graphite. These thin rods — most often round or hexagonal when cut crosswise — are inexpensive, easy to control and sharpen, and readily available to artists.
Flat Carpenter's Pencil Some artists prefer using a flat carpenter's pencil, which has a rectangular body and lead. The thick lead allows you to easily customize its shape to create both thick and thin lines.
Mechanical Pencil Mechanical pencils are plastic or metal barrels that hold individual leads. Some artists prefer the consistent feel of mechanical pencils to that of wooden pencils; the weight and length do not change over time, unlike wooden pencils that wear down with use.
Woodless Graphite Pencil These tools are shaped like wooden pencils but are made up entirely of graphite lead. The large cone of graphite allows artists to use either the broad side for shading large areas or the tip for finer strokes and details.
Graphite Stick Available in a full range of hardnesses, these long, rectangular bars of graphite are great tools for sketching (using the end) and blocking in large areas of tone (using the broad side).
Paper
Paper has a tooth, or texture, that holds graphite. Papers with more tooth have a rougher texture and hold more graphite, which allows you to create darker values. Smoother paper has less tooth and holds less graphite, but it allows you to create much finer detail. Plan ahead when beginning a new piece, and select paper that lends itself to the textures in your drawing subject.
Blending Tools
There are several tools you can use to blend graphite for a smooth look. The most popular blenders are blending stumps, tortillons, and chamois cloths. Never use your finger to blend — it can leave oils on your paper, which will show after applying graphite.
Stumps Stumps are tightly rolled paper with points on both ends. They come in various sizes and are used to blend large and small areas of graphite, depending on the size of the stump. You can also use stumps dipped in graphite shavings for drawing or shading.
Tortillons Tortillons are rolled more loosely than a stump. They are hollow and have one pointed end. Tortillons also come in various sizes and can be used to blend smaller areas of graphite.
Facial Tissue Wrap tissue around your finger or roll it into a point to blend when drawing very smooth surfaces. Make sure you use plain facial tissue, without added moisturizer.
Chamois Chamois are great for blending areas into a soft tone. These cloths can be used for large areas or folded into a point for smaller areas. When the chamois becomes embedded with graphite, simply throw it into the washer or wash by hand. Keep one with graphite on it to create large areas of light shading. To create darker areas of shading, add graphite shavings to the chamois.
Erasers
Erasers serve two purposes: to eliminate unwanted graphite and to "draw" within existing graphite. There are many different types of erasers available.
Kneaded This versatile eraser can be molded into a fine point, a knife-edge, or a larger flat or rounded surface. It removes graphite gently from the paper but not as well as vinyl or plastic erasers.
Block Eraser A plastic block eraser is fairly soft, removes graphite well, and is very easy on your paper. Use it primarily for erasing large areas, but it also works quite well for doing a final cleanup of a finished drawing.
Stick Eraser Also called "pencil erasers," these handy tools hold a cylindrical eraser inside. You can use them to erase areas where a larger eraser will not work. Using a utility razor blade, you can trim the tip at an angle or cut a fine point to create thin white lines in graphite. It's like drawing with your eraser!
GRAPHITE TECHNIQUES
The way you apply a medium to paper contributes to the overall mood and style of a piece. Arm yourself with a variety of effects by getting to know the following techniques. You can use many of these techniques for other dry media, such as charcoal and pastel.
Gradating with Pressure A gradation is a transition of tone from dark to light. To create a simple gradation using one pencil, begin with heavier pressure and gradually lighten it as you stroke back and forth. Avoid pressing hard enough to score or completely flatten the tooth of the paper.
Gradating with Hardness Because different pencil hardnesses yield different values, you can create a gradation by using a series of pencils. Begin with soft, dark leads and switch to harder, grayer tones as you move away from the starting point.
Stippling Apply small dots of graphite for a speckled texture. To prevent this technique from appearing too mechanical, subtly vary the dot sizes and distances from each other.
Scumbling This organic shading method involves scribbling loosely to build up general tone. Keep your pressure light and consistent as you move the pencil in random directions.
Burnishing It is difficult to achieve a very dark tone with just one graphite pencil, even when using a soft lead. To achieve a dark, flat tone, apply a heavy layer of soft lead followed by a layer of harder lead. The hard lead will push the softer graphite into the tooth of the paper, spreading it evenly. Shown at right is 4H over 4B lead.
Applying Graphite with a Blender
Chamois Using a chamois is a great way to apply graphite to a large area. Wrap it around your finger and dip it in saved graphite shavings to create a dark tone, or use what may be already on the chamois to apply a lighter tone.
Stump Stumps are great not only for blending but also for applying graphite. Use an old stump to apply saved graphite shavings to both large and small areas. You can achieve a range of values depending on the amount of graphite on the stump.
Indenting To preserve fine white lines in a drawing, such as those used to suggest whiskers, some artists indent (or incise) the paper before applying tone. Use a stylus to "draw" your white lines; then stroke your pencil over the area and blend. The indentations will remain free of tone.
"Drawing" with an Eraser Use the corner of a block eraser or the end of a stick eraser to "draw" within areas of tone, resulting in light strokes. You can use this technique to recover lights and highlights after blending.
Hatching Hatching is considered one of the simplest forms of shading. Simply apply a series of parallel lines to represent darker tones and shadows. The closer together you place the lines, the darker the shading will appear.
Crosshatching To crosshatch, place layers of parallel lines over each other at varying angles. This results in a "mesh" of tone that gives shaded areas a textured, intricate feel. For an added sense of depth, make the lines follow the curves of your object's surface.
ANATOMY & PROPORTION
Some knowledge of the horse's anatomy and proportion is helpful for correctly blocking in its basic shape. Notice how areas of shadow and highlights define the underlying muscles and tendons.
For drawing animals and people, use head size as a measuring unit for determining the length of other body parts. Utilizing this kind of approximation will help you draw the horse in correct proportion.
The hoof is a hard protective covering for the single toe of each foot.
The horse's large eye is set high on its elongated head. Notice the width of the skull from the forehead to the lower jaw and the long, tapered nose.
Generally, areas with large, smooth muscles will be shaded lightly, whereas the areas of smaller overlapping muscles will require more complex shading.
EYES & MUZZLES
Facial features, such as eyes and muzzles, are a good place to start learning to draw horses. If you are a beginner, you might want to practice drawing the parts separately before attempting a complete rendering. Study the drawings on this page, and look at the way the shapes and forms change as the viewing angle changes.
Practice by making many sketches of these features from several different angles. Copy the examples here, or use your own models. Start by sketching the general shape with an HB pencil, and then refine the lines until you are satisfied.
As is true for all mammals, horses' eyes reveal their emotions and personality.
Horse's faces are not very fleshy, so the planes of the face are quite distinct, revealing the underlying structure of the skull.
Remember that the eyeball is a sphere, so the eyelid covering it will also be spherical in shape.
Changes in values and in pencil stroke direction help make your drawings look three-dimensional.
Horses have a few large teeth in the front of their mouth, with a gap on either side between the front incisors and the rear molars.
The forms of the muscles, veins, and tendons are also easily discernible under the surface of the horse's skin and sleek coat.
TIP
Collect photographs of horses and foals from catalogs, magazines, and books, and keep them in a file for reference. Such a file is commonly called an artist's morgue.
EARS & HOOVES
The position of the horse's ears reveals its mood. For example, ears pricked forward usually indicate alert interest, whereas ears laid back are a sign of anger, discomfort, or fear. As you practice drawing the ears in different positions, note how shading is used to define the form.
Use parallel strokes (hatching) to emphasize the upright position of these alert ears.
Vary the direction of your pencil strokes to delineate the round form of the ear.
Reserve the darkest values for the inner ear.
The hoof is a hard covering that encloses the underlying toe bone. The frog is the softer, more tender area in the bottom of the hoof. Notice that the hoof is longer in front and shorter in back.
Horseshoes are nailed into the outer hoof wall, but the horse feels no pain because the wall has no nerve endings — just as it doesn't hurt when you trim your fingernails.
To show the curvature of the hoof, use varying values of light and dark. Be sure to leave a highlight where the light strikes the hoof.
BASIC HEADS
The proportions of this young foal are slightly different from those of the adult horse on the opposite page. It is also shown at a slight three-quarter angle.
In steps A and B, start with three basic guideline strokes to establish the size and shape of the head. The strokes are numbered, enabling you to see the first stroke while you make the second to ensure that your proportions are accurate.
Sketch the guidelines in the order shown.
This line defines the planes of the head.
Begin refining the lines as in steps C and D. Notice the line that extends along the face in step D; this line defines the top plane from the side plane, giving the head a three-dimensional appearance.
Refine the lines and add details until you achieve a likeness of the subject.
Lightly suggest the muscles lying just beneath the skin.
The drawing here is of a classic Thoroughbred profile, with a straight nose and slightly tapered muzzle. Practice drawing many different profiles, and see if you can bring out the unique characteristics in each one.
In steps A and B, use an HB pencil to block in a few basic guidelines.
Sketch in the outline of the ears and cheek, and block in the position of the eye, nostril, and mouth, as in step C.
Round out the muzzle, define the features, and suggest the underlying muscles, as shown in steps D and E.
In the final steps, study your reference before further refining the shapes and adding the details. Don't worry about making a final rendering at this point. While working out proportions and improving your observation skills, keep the drawings loose and sketchy. You can focus on shading techniques later
For a more dramatic effect, go over the drawing with a brush and india ink.
ADVANCED HEADS
This profile has been developed a little further than the previous examples were. You will follow the same steps as before, but be more careful and deliberate with your lines and shading strokes. Remember to observe your subject closely so you can render a good likeness.
After blocking in the shape of the head in step A, take your time to refine the outlines. Mark the major muscle areas around the eye, above the cheek, and along the muzzle in step B. Then follow these guidelines to apply varying values of shading on the face and neck, using the side of a soft lead pencil
Use long, thick strokes with a chisel point or the side of a soft lead pencil.
Apply short, light strokes for the shading on the face and neck, with a few thick, perpendicular lines for the muscles on the jaw and around the eye. Try blending some areas with a paper stump for a softer effect.
Here are some slightly more complex examples to help you practice shading techniques. Notice the differences in the viewing angles, mane treatments, and tack.
Use short, horizontal strokes for the front of the neck, and vary the angle of the strokes on the side to follow the curve of the neck.
For a soft effect, select a 6B pencil and use a chisel point or the side of the lead to create wide, even strokes.
FOAL
Foals have a great zest for living and a fine sense of fun. They love to run and kick, and they are as fond of showing off as children are. Try to capture this playfulness in your drawings.
Notice how long the foal's legs are in relation to its body.
This drawing was made on rough-textured paper and finished using a drybrush technique, which is an easy way to create texture.
Apply the light and middle values with washes of india ink or black watercolor paint. Then use a dry brush and undiluted ink to lay in the darkest shadows and details.
Use a 6B pencil to shade the foal, blending out some areas with a paper stump for a soft, rounded effect.
Block in the basic shape of the body with an HB pencil. Use the tip of a dry brush to draw the fine outlines and details. Apply plain water over the foal's body; then load the brush with diluted ink, and wash it over the body in smooth, even layers.
Apply multiple layers of diluted ink for the darkest areas.
Leave some areas white for contrast.
Add water to the ink for the gray areas.
ADULT HORSE
Gaited horses, such as the Hackney, have an extremely high action, or leg carriage. Study your subject carefully to make sure that you draw the leg positions correctly.
Start to indicate the darkest areas with short, parallel strokes, called hatching.
Vary the direction of the hatching to suggest changes in the horse's form.
Use the side of the lead or a paper stump to shade the darkest areas.
Leave white areas for highlights and contrast.
Use a paper stump to blend some of the middle and dark values. Finally, use the sharp point of a 2B pencil to redefine the outline and some of the hatching.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Drawing Horses"
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Copyright © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
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