SS 3: Inverted Drawing

All right, so I haven't been exactly diligent in updating my blog. I sincerely apologize for that... I suppose I need to make myself a schedule, don't I?

So for today's drawing, I decided to try an inverted picture. I drew my horse and shaded it opposite--so all the light areas were shaded dark, and vice versa.

Then I scanned the picture, opened it in Paintshop Pro, and inverted the coloring.

Very interesting, no? If I were to use it for anything I'd touch it up a bit, but it looks interesting the way it is. I also realize the shading isn't fantastic--but why don't YOU try shading backwards? It's more difficult than the right way.

SS 2: Jumping Horse

Welcome to the second day of September Sketches! This is, again, another tutorial that isn't really a tutorial of a jumping horse. This is another pose I've practiced so much that I can practically draw it in my sleep! ...Okay, not really... Mm, and I adjusted the gamma correction again on this one to darken the lines. Really, my scanner does a terrible job of, well, scanning.

Here's the text on the picture, starting with the text under "September 2, 2011," and continuing clockwise.

1. Today, I drew a jumping horse. The pose, I've found, is fairly simple to draw and adjust to the diff. jumping phases. In this drawing, you can see the position of the guide circles as opposed to the basic kidney bean.


2. Notice the circles are slightly squished, because the body is elongated.


3. Mercia Dragonslayer (My drawing again, folks! Couldn't have guessed it!)

4. I ignore the hoof/shoulder/leg correlation here--I just draw an angle that looks right.


5. I adjusted the head and nose, distinguishing them and making them more realistic rather than "cartoonish." (This sounds funny. I didn't adjust the head and nose as I drew them--I adjusted them from yesterday's picture. Yesterday's didn't have the same amount of detail and was basically two circles with two lines. I added the dips and curves you would see on a real horse's face.)

6. The mane is still light, but now flowing. Don't make it too dark!


7. Same for the tail.


I didn't add in the note at the bottom in order, because it pertains to the picture as a whole.

8. Remember, the horse is moving in this picture. You must keep him relaxed and free-flowing. (I.E., don't make him all straight lines and cubes. Let your wrist flow from one shape to the next. Use plenty of curves.)

Please comment and tell me if any of those directions were unclear or confusing, and I'll do my best to be better in the future.

Yesterday, I told you to practice, practice, practice, and you'll eventually get better. This statement is completely true, but there is also another element--observing. Go out to a farm and watch a horse. See how he moves, how he stands, how he acts. Observe the way his legs bend and how his hooves are angled. This will help you better draw him later on.

~Mercia Dragonslayer

SS 1: Basic Pony

Today marks the beginning of September Sketches, where I will post a different drawing or drawing tutorial every day in September. Today, I decided to make a tutorial, of sorts, for a pony. Note--I darkened the lines in Paintshop, because the scanner butchered them. You can also click on the picture to see it full-size. I tried to have it that way in the post, but it messed up my formatting.

Hopefully you can see the writing, but if not, I'm including it here below--starting with the paragraph under "September 1, 2011" and continuing clockwise around the picture.

1. Basic horse/pony. More pony, really. If you look closely, you can see the guide circles I used. If you build off the circles correctly, you can use the remnants to shade your horse. (Above: Kidney bean shape for body)


2. Mercia Dragonslayer (My signature. While I'm on it, please remember that this is my artwork and I'd like you to respect that by not copying it!)

3. See, the line of the shoulder is parallel to the front line of the hoof. So the leg should be angled like this: (see picture for diagram)

4. Nose circle should be larger than the knee.


5. The mane should be light and whispy, but with enough solidity to distinguish it from your shading.


6. Highlight approx. in the middle. The neck rises there, the mane should be shaded and drawn accordingly. (You'll have to look at the drawing to see what I mean.)

This concludes my first ever drawing tutorial, of sorts! I hope you enjoyed it and/or learned from it. Remember, practice makes perfect--if you practice the same form over and over again, you'll perfect it. Keep holding on!

~Mercia Dragonslayer