Artwork in Paintings and Pencil

Colts are a mischievous bunch. From the time they get their long, wobbly legs working and can motor around the pasture or corral, they are always into something. I once watched a foal climb right over his mama while she was lying down! 

I decided to paint this colt because he was such a curious little guy. He walked right up to me and tried to take the hat off of my head. He had a pretty bay color and a fine, chiseled head. I wanted to show the soft, furry nature of his coat, and he was a willing model.

After sketching the drawing onto the canvas, I began filling in the background and establishing the darkest dark and lightest light. I got so involved that I forgot to take more progress photos. 

I wanted to keep the background soft, with curved lines to reflect the soft lines of the foal. So I made the clouds big and puffy, and suggested a fuzzy line of trees on the hill. It was a sunny spring day and the dandelions were just coming out.

You can first notice the shedding off around the eyes and muzzle of a foal; it can make them sort of goofy-looking for a while! This colt is just starting to lose his baby hair – you can see it circling his eye and moving up his muzzle from the nostrils. 

The head is the most important part of a portrait, just like with people, you want it to look like the subject. I had to carefully study all the aspects of this colt’s face, especially the eye, or “the soul of the horse”. I used some very fine, small brushes to capture the details in the face and eyes. 

"Curious", Oil, 18 x 14 inches (Available)