190. Step By Step Horse Sketch

Finished drawing - Arabian Filly, 297 x 420 mm, pencil on paper.

I was drawing a horse inspired by an Egyptian-Arabian filly. I took photos throughout the drawing, so I could share with you some of the methods I used to create the image.


Tools - A3 sketch pad, 110 gsm paper. Pencils - 2H, 2B, 6B, Derwent Studio colour pencils.

• Using a 2H pencil, I lightly drew a rough outline of the horse's features. At this stage there is a lot of erasing and re-arranging of proportions.

• Using a 2B pencil, I darkened the lines with which I was most happy. This emphasises the outlines I intend to use at a later stage of the drawing, and helps as a guide to check if the proportions are reasonable. I then erase any unnecessary graphite pencil lines.

• This stage is still using the 2B pencil to determine shadows, and add texture.
  

• Using a 6B graphite pencil I have shaded the entire drawing. I did not spend much time on the mane, instead working mostly on the facial features and neck.

• To finish the drawing I add colour, then I blend the colours and add highlights using a white pencil. The coloured pencils are kept very sharp to help add in finer details - coat textures, mane hairs, etc. The horse in the reference photo is a grey filly. I usually find greys are a challenge, as their coats are much more than just a dull white. Often their coats have a range of colours within the hair. So, for this particular drawing, I used a lot of blue, gunmetal and reddish-browns to develop the coat and mane.