Horses, with their majestic presence and graceful movements, have been a captivating subject for artists for centuries. If you’ve ever admired a horse and wished you could capture its beauty on paper, you’re in the right place. This tutorial will guide you through the process of drawing a horse’s face using colored pencils, employing a technique known as the umber under drawing method. This approach, which focuses on establishing values before adding color, is excellent for creating depth and realism in your artwork. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this step-by-step guide will help you learn How To Draw A Horse with confidence.
Let’s begin our artistic journey by understanding our subject.
Getting to Know Our Subject
For this drawing exercise, we will be focusing on a detailed reference photograph that beautifully captures the essence of a horse’s face. The image below showcases a close-up view, rich with intricate details and wonderful lighting, perfect for a colored pencil study.
The reference photo offers a fantastic level of detail, allowing us to truly study the textures, shadows, and highlights that bring a horse’s face to life. The composition is intimate and detailed, providing a wealth of visual information for our drawing.
Materials You’ll Need for Drawing a Horse
To embark on this drawing tutorial, gather the following materials:
- Drawing Paper: 90 pound Stonehenge drawing paper in Pearl Grey is recommended for its texture and ability to handle colored pencils. However, any good quality drawing paper will work.
- Colored Pencils: Prismacolor Verithin and Premier pencils are used in this demonstration. Verithin pencils are excellent for initial outlines and fine details due to their harder lead, while Premier pencils are softer and ideal for layering and blending. Feel free to use your preferred brand of colored pencils.
- Transfer Paper: Studio-made transfer paper (instructions provided below) or commercially available transfer paper to transfer your initial sketch onto the drawing paper.
- Working Mat: A stable drawing surface made from layers of mat board and cardboard to protect your paper and provide support.
- Optional Tools: Binder clips to secure paper to the working mat, a dried-out ballpoint pen (Zebra fine point) for impressing lines.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Draw a Horse’s Face
This tutorial utilizes the umber under drawing method, a technique inspired by classical Flemish painting methods. We will be building our drawing in layers, starting with an under drawing in a single color (umber or dark brown) to establish values and form before introducing color in subsequent stages (which are not covered in this part, focusing on the under drawing itself).
Step 1: Transferring the Horse Outline
Begin by transferring the outline of the horse’s face onto your drawing paper. If you have a pre-existing sketch, as in this example from an oil painting project, you can adapt it.
To create studio-made transfer paper, layer soft graphite heavily onto the back of a sheet of printer paper. This homemade transfer paper is reusable, cleaner than commercial options, and customizable in size.
Carefully place the transfer paper between your sketch and the drawing paper, and trace over the lines of your sketch with medium pressure to transfer the outline.
Due to the complexity of the drawing, take your time during the transfer process. Aim to transfer as many details as possible, including major shapes, highlights, and shadows. This thorough initial transfer will save time and reduce potential frustration later in the drawing process.
Step 2: Blocking in Dark Values with Umber
Using a Verithin Dark Brown pencil, begin blocking in the darkest values of the drawing. The harder lead of Verithin pencils is perfect for creating initial layers, fine lines, and easily erasable marks. Focus on establishing the three-dimensional form by identifying and filling in the deepest shadow areas.
Start with areas that anchor the drawing, such as the eye. In this example, the artist began with the eye and then moved to the intricate details of the buckles and straps of the bridle. Don’t be afraid to experiment with stroke direction, mimicking hair flow for areas like the mane to start building texture.
Step 3: Developing Middle Values and Adding Detail
Continue working with the Verithin Dark Brown pencil to develop the middle value ranges. Refine details, such as the stitching on the leather straps. Instead of simply drawing stitches, use heavier pressure to impress the pencil marks into the paper, creating a subtle texture for subsequent layers to enhance.
To further enhance the eye, darken the pupil and iris, leaving the reflected highlight untouched. Use a dried-out ballpoint pen to impress lines for eyelashes; these impressed lines will later catch the light, adding realism.
Begin to introduce middle tones across the horse’s neck, face, and ears. Continue to refine the mane and forelock, building layers and suggesting form.
Step 4: Darkening Shadows and Refining Form
Once the primary shapes and shadow placements are established, deepen all shadow areas to enhance the value range and dimensionality. Continue reinforcing details, such as the stitching on the bridle, with Verithin Dark Brown, using medium-light pressure and layering to build depth gradually.
Work across the entire drawing in each session, moving between different areas to ensure a cohesive development of values. The goal at this stage is to bring the umber under drawing to a point where it could stand alone as a finished piece in monochrome.
Develop highlights within the under drawing by building darker values around them, rather than directly adding lighter colors. This technique preserves the brightest highlights for the later color stages, allowing for better balance between highlights and shadows. Working from dark to light is crucial for this approach.
Step 5: Enhancing Detail and Texture
Continue refining details and textures using the Verithin Dark Brown pencil, now employing the tip of the pencil for precise application. Begin to use directional strokes that follow the direction of hair growth and muscle structure to enhance realism.
Focus on areas like the bridge of the nose, using short, directional strokes to mimic the texture of the horse’s hair. Remember, it’s not necessary to draw every single hair; instead, focus on replicating groups of hairs and the shadows within the gaps to suggest texture effectively.
Apply the same technique to areas like the ear and around the eye, adjusting the level of detail based on the area’s importance. Areas closer to the focal point (eye and bridle) should have more detail, while areas further away can be less defined. Achieve this variation in detail by using a sharper pencil tip for detailed areas and a blunter pencil or side-of-the-pencil strokes for less detailed areas.
Step 6: Completing the Umber Under Drawing
To achieve a full value range, continue to darken shadows and refine middle values. Pay close attention to areas like the shadow under the ear, which contains a range of values, including reflected light and subtle color variations even within the umber tones.
This stage brings the umber under drawing to completion.
This detailed umber under drawing process, though time-consuming (approximately nine hours over nine days in the original example), is a valuable foundation. It allows you to focus on values and form without the added complexity of color choices, making the subsequent color application more controlled and effective. Using Verithin pencils for the under drawing also provides the advantage of erasability, encouraging bolder strokes and corrections as needed.
Tips for Drawing Horses Realistically
- Observe Closely: Spend time studying horse anatomy, musculature, and proportions. Understanding the underlying structure will greatly enhance your drawing accuracy.
- Practice Value Studies: Before adding color, practice creating value studies in monochrome (like this umber under drawing) to master light and shadow.
- Use Reference Photos: High-quality reference photos are invaluable. Pay attention to lighting, details, and textures in your reference images.
- Layering is Key: Colored pencil drawing often relies on layering to build depth and rich colors. Be patient and build up your values and colors gradually.
- Directional Strokes: Use strokes that follow the form and texture of the horse’s features, such as hair direction, to enhance realism.
Conclusion
Learning how to draw a horse, especially a detailed portrait like this, is a rewarding artistic endeavor. The umber under drawing method provides a solid foundation for creating realistic and nuanced drawings. By following these steps and practicing diligently, you can develop your skills and capture the beauty of horses in your artwork. Remember that this tutorial focused on the under drawing stage. The next step would involve adding color layers to bring the horse drawing to full life! Keep practicing and exploring different techniques to refine your artistic abilities in drawing horses and other subjects you love.
