Since I'll be extending this storyline into Issue 16, there will be a slight change to the thumbnails posted last week. Nothing major, just a bit of breathing room so I can show what's happening a little clearer. Today's work is the last two in this section.
Which means, more horses running. While I love drawing horses, I still need references for them. Otherwise, they get a little toony looking. And while toony is nice for the main characters, I want the horses to look a little more, well, horse-like. This is where the morgue - an artist's collection of photos, images, books, and models - comes in. While I use a lot of photos from books and the internet, sometimes the best references are toys.
I love Breyer horses. I'm not sure how much fun they'd be as toys, but they make great drawing references. Unlike photos, they're three dimensional. You're not limited to the angle a photographer has chosen - cause let me tell you, there aren't that many good shots of horses from the back, top, or upshots out there. At least not that I've been able to uncover. With the Breyer, if I want a birds-eye shot I just take the model, set it on the desk, and snap a photo of it from above. Ta-da! Birds-eye reference!
In this next page I want to show a bit more movement, with Part turning hard and fast. I know this changes the balance of the horse, but I'm not exactly sure about the placement of the hooves and the body to help the horse keep its balance. Part should look like he's off-balance yet still in control, not off-balance and about to roll over! So, that's where Scamper here comes in.
Scamper's modeled after a barrel racer. Neat, eh? By turning Scamper around, I now have a basic reference for a turning horse from the sides, back, and front.
Who says toys aren't educational? Is the model exactly accurate? No, it's a plastic toy for crying out loud. But, it is a good starting point.
I do have one complaint about the Breyers... they discontinue models. I understand why, it aids in the collect-ability. Which, is great for business. But, it does make it harder to find certain poses. Like the one below. I need a good reference for a horse sliding to a stop, and this guy would be perfect. But, he's retired. At least with the photo of the model I should be able to somewhat guesstimate what the pose would look like from the three-quarter front. Hopefully.
Either way, enough talking. Time to get to work. Later!
"Small children are convinced that ponies deserve to see the inside of the house."
-- Maya Patel
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