Musings at Minkiewicz Studios LLC

Creativity and Doubt: Unleashing Your Artistic Potential

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 16:22:46 +0000

Introduction

All creatives wrestle with doubt. It’s simply part of the creative process, of being a creative in the first place. Yes — even those who are wildly successful and established live with a constant flurry of doubt. It’s inevitable and inescapable.

And make no mistake — doubt isn't to be trifled with! Honestly, it can be absolutely devastating to our creative drive, rendering us unable to create at all, even for a long long long period of time if left unchecked. Artistic block? Anxiety? Lack of confidence? Welp, that’s all a function of uncontrolled doubt running rampant in our studio.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Because while doubt can be an absolute downer, it can actually be something worth harnessing! Yes, really! Why? Well, in its benign form, it can actually lead to better work and bigger ideas. This is because doubt introduces ambiguity into our process and therein lies limitless potential!

So how do we coexist with our doubts, even put them to work for us in a way that propels us forward rather than holding us back? Happily for us we have several strategies on our side to help befriend our doubting natures, so let’s explore them to help us make fast friends with our doubts!

Inducers of Doubt

Let’s first consider those aspects of the creative process that can generate doubt, as follows:

Evolving skills: Maybe we’re fighting our methods or media because we're still learning them or we’ve actually evolved past them. It’s time to go back to the drawing board or try new stuff!
Grail chasing: Perhaps our outcome isn’t as consistent to our Vision as we wish. This can be very confusing and frustrating, so maybe it's time to either go back to the drawing board or accept what the Universe has gifted us as it is.
Raw wounds: Maybe our past artistic struggles are still fresh in our mind and our anxieties. Maybe someone was thoughtless and unkind. Unfortunately, our memory is long and nagging. Any struggle bad enough sticks with us which can cause undue stress and hesitation as we dive into a new piece.
Chasing windmills: Are we too fixated on perfectionism? This is the surest way to invite doubt into our process, particularly the worst kind of doubt that will cripple us.
Big investment: Could it be that the expensive body or body we picked is giving us pause? This can really be so intimidating because we don’t want to ruin it.
Take the leap: Maybe we're on the cusp of a breakthrough which is why things are so uneven and odd. Truly, when things seem most wonky, it usually means that we’ve evolved so quickly, our hands just couldn’t keep up.
Uneven development: Maybe our hands are out of whack with our perception, pointing to a problem with our translation phase. Here's the kicker, our Eye evolves faster than our hands or our skillset, creating a maddening gap in what we want to achieve and what we can at that moment, leading to feelings of doubt-ridden inadequacy.
Worried over the outcome: Perhaps we're afraid of failure and judgment, two things that can just stop us dead in our tracks with serious doubts with our abilities and Vision, and even our worth. Or maybe we’re afraid of what’s worse — people simply ignoring our work. All this can cause us to second-guess everything! But creativity is inherently an act of vulnerability, and we need to learn to embrace and make peace with that at some point.
Wrong priorities: Are we chasing external validation? This is exactly the wrong way to go about creating art because it opens the door some misguided priorities that can introduce needless doubt into our creative drive.
Feel lost: Do we need more structure and guidance in our process? It’s easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the process as there’s so much to account for in equine realism. Do we need to build in more organized steps, maybe even a schedule? Do we need to find a mentor or maybe create within a classroom setting? Truly, unlike the hard sciences, art has no right answer but an infinite number of right answers. This can make arting rather full of uncertainties because without a solid measure of success, how do we even know if what we're doing is good?
Fixation on perceived mistakes: Here’s the big fact of things — only we see and fixate on the perceived flaws in our piece. Everyone else just sees a beautiful piece of equine art! So maybe it’s time to adopt a more wabi-sabi perspective to ease up on that self-flagellation. We should work to congratulate ourselves more than indulging negative self-talk.

And that’s just the start because there are always custom-made causes unique to each of us, too. But boil it all down and doubt is simply an outcropping of insecurities (our fear) which lead to hesitations that can rock us to our core. So learn to make friends with your fear, and you automatically take one big step towards reconciling with your doubts, especially the troubling form of doubt. So on that note…

Five Flavors Of Doubt

We need to understand the five basic forms of doubt if we ever hope to tease out aspects we can put to work. Because knowing these five forms — and how they’re all normal and natural — can really give us a hefty leg up on that horse!

First, there’s friendly doubt. This is the high form of doubt, the one you want to befriend. Why? Because it’s a potent motivator towards helpful problem-solving and better art. Specifically, friendly doubt entails the specific piece at hand. There we are, humming along on our piece when we eventually — because it always happens — run up against the question, “Is this working well aligned to my Vision?" Every artist stops and asks this question periodically throughout the process: Is this piece turning out as I intend? It’s natural and normal, and a healthy question to ask, being an intrinsic part of the creative process. You see, we have this gleaming, inspiring Vision in our head, our governing concept for how we want it to turn out, the target we shoot for. So it's only natural that we’d pause and take stock every so often, right? Of course!

But maybe it’s not on target, maybe it’s veering off into left field a bit, maybe a lot…maybe it’s turning out nothing like we envisioned. Or maybe things just aren’t clicking and we’re left wondering if this piece will ever work. First determine if this all is just a function of an ugly stage — because that’s normal. Every piece has one, two, or multiple ugly stages, always “trash before the lash.” If it’s not though, now it’s time to problem solve so we apply our tactics and — bam — we have our answer and off we go. And if our Muse runs those subroutines well enough, we usually get our answer as well. But here’s the pickle: This problem-solving and correction would’t have happened had doubt had not been introduced! In other words, that piece is better because of the doubt. In this way, friendly doubt is a marker of a thoughtful and careful artist. It means we’re questioning, searching, and exploring. In fact, if we aren’t engaging our friendly doubt, like if we have no doubt at all, it could mean we aren’t doing things right.

Second, there’s hostile doubt. This is the bad one, the low form of doubt, the destructive one we want to dampen and avoid, even ignore. While friendly doubt deals with just the specific piece, hostile doubt deals with our creative life en total. Being so, it presses the questions:

Is my creativity all just pointless?
Why am I trying to be artistic at all?
Do I even have any aptitude or talent?
Why am I even doing any of this?
Will I ever be good enough?
Why can't I be as good as so-and-so?
Even if I was great, would it even still matter?
Am I just a fraud, an imposter in all this?
Are all my achievements just a fluke?

And on and on. So while friendly doubt can get us thinking we might need to rethink or even scrap that piece to start again, hostile doubt compels us to wonder if we need to stop arting all together! Yikes! As such, this is the doubt that sets up artistic blocks which can last for years, even a lifetime. The thing to know about hostile doubt though is that it’s an irrational feeling based on hyperbole and so it cannot be tackled rationally. Unfortunately, we all know how it feels — nothing can perk us up when in its throes! This is because hostile doubt is actually a reflection of how much we love arting. Yes — yes it is. Really, we wouldn’t have such a strong opposite reaction if we didn’t love our creativity so much, right? So it hurts to think that what we love is pointless, worthless, and useless. It also painful to house so much resentment towards our inspirations, our efforts, even those artists we feel outpace us.

Third, there’s comparative doubt. This is the middle form of doubt, the one that can push us to new heights or dash us on the rocks of despair, all depending on how we manage it. We abut this brand of doubt when we compare our work to others or doomscroll studios on social media, or we compare our achievements and awards with that of others we regard as successful. Can you see how this can go either way? Yeah, that. Now it’s good to be inspired by other artists so don't worry about practicing that spin if we wish. Just don’t slide let it into the dark side of comparison because that’ll lead right to hostile doubt, in spades. Avoid that at all costs! Just know that it’s often unavoidable to compare our work to others. We’re human after all. But science has shown that the best way to practice this is to compare ourselves to another a rung or two up, not someone who’s at the top of the game. The former can lead to better work while the latter typically leads to hostile doubt. But even better, rather than comparing our work to others, think instead about comparing our current work to our previous work, looking for all the progress we’ve made. That’s a far more healthy form of comparison, so really lean into that instead.

Fourth, there’s Visionary doubt. This is the taskmaster form of doubt, the one that both guides our efforts or beats us up if we “fail.” Look, our inspiring Vision is potently perfect in our head, isn't it? Of course it is! It has to be powerful enough to get us off our duff to create it. But the thing is, the only place it’ll ever be perfect is there — in our mind's eye. It can never — never ever — be as perfect in real life as it is in our inspiration, and that’s something every artist must reconcile simply to function. So don’t fall into the trap of hostile doubt when that piece falls short of its Vision. That’s to be expected!

Fifth, there’s personal doubt. This form of doubt is seated in our self, deep in our own personal psyche and rooted in who we are as an individual with all our nature versus nurture qualities. Maybe we’re shy, timid, and introverted by nature which can inject doubts into our process a lot more than typical. Or maybe we’re bold, boisterous, and extroverted and so don’t have doubts at all, which is just as problematic. Or maybe someone was cruel to us with our work which has poisoned our well. Maybe we did a huge public faceplant with our work and that public humiliation and shame squished our confidence and moxie. Or any number of reasons that influence our arting today in relation to doubt. The point is, we need to face these nature versus nurture relics and somehow make peace with them if we ever hope to manage this form of doubt well enough to not only stay creative, but to also evolve and grow.

The Upside Of Doubt

Believe it or not, doubt does have its positives! As long as we latch onto those positives and actively smoosh the negatives, our work will actually improve and our enjoyment making it will bloom because a lot of those anxieties we may have will have a healthier context.

So while hostile doubt will deter us, friendly doubts generate a questioning mindset that asks us to consider alternate creative options, preventing us from opting for the formulaic, easy, or predictable answers. So a certain amount of doubt keeps our thinking flexible and adaptive that cannot come any other way. This is a bit counter-intuitive since so often it’s confidence that’s often presented as the key to success. But nope! The more we understand the creative process, the more we realize that the opposite is true: It’s doubt that leads to the questions that improve the work, even initiate creative evolution. Doubt simply generates innovation and originality in both concept and design, making doubt not a weakness but an artistic superpower, one necessary for finding new solutions or directions. As Milton Glaser phrased it, “Doubt is not a weakness; it is a way to avoid dogmatism. When you are confident in something, you tend to seek only confirmation of your beliefs, while doubt forces you to explore alternative paths.” In short then, it’s in doubt where we find creative freedom, not in confidence.

In fact, confidence can become a creative trap that shoehorns creative thinking and discourages the exploration of other options. Indeed, when we believe we have the correct answer, don’t we stop searching for others? Don't we reinforce what's familiar, safe and proven, what’s habitual and formulaic, and then doesn't our drive to explore new perspectives get thrown out the window? As such, too much confidence will lead to artistic plateaus, artistic rigidity, and stagnation whereas doubt keeps our perspective lively, evolving, adaptive, and limitless. While confidence corrals, doubt liberates. It turns our process into an explorative journey with many different options and though not all of them will pan out, still, that exploration invites invaluable insights. Put another way, doubt simply keeps us questioning our assumptions and conventions, a powerful way to invite evolution and experimentation to explore new avenues potentially more fruitful.

Indeed, that’s a big difference with a seasoned artist — they don’t fixate on what’s already been explored nor do they always quest after what’s conventional, safe, and “correct.” Rather they design an environment of exploration, experimentation, and discovery that encourages ideas to collide, evolve, and spontaneously pop into existence. They understand that creativity isn’t about following "correct" dogma but more about ongoing exploration and discovery. This makes every new piece a wonderful opportunity to challenge convention and to reject obvious answers, opting instead for what’s fresh, new, and innovative. In other words, every piece that’s truly fresh was first founded on a series of doubts that kicked what was expected to the curb. It’s doubt that cultivates this attitude by busting through boundaries, dampening complacency, and confronting assumptions. Indeed, if confidence was the trick to success, we’d all be creating by a set of rigid, predictable formulas, right? Yet creativity does best when built on the explorative journey and it’s doubt, not confidence, that fuels that forward.

In fact, it’s doubt that gets us to sidestep pedestrian solutions and can even inspire us to ask some uncomfortable questions about what we’re doing and why. This is actually a healthy practice, albeit not always pleasant, because doubt helps to make our work more complex and compelling. Indeed, sometimes great work requires ambiguity, and doubt cultivates that.

So if we step back and big picture it then, we find that those who are convinced they already know everything they need to know are the least able and likely to learn anything new. In contrast, those willing to question their assumptions and revise their processes tend to rocket ahead rather quickly. This is the power of doubt. Always asking ourselves pointed questions about the whys and what-ifs will strip away the encrustation of our conventions to make room for new understandings. In essence, the seasoned artist understands that creating within uncertainty, to create comfortably with ambiguities without quickly rushing to judgment, is often the better course. Instant thinking, knee-jerk reactions, overconfidence, and conventional thinking can actually erase critical data. In this way, doubt doesn’t narrow the options, it broadens them, it doesn’t weaken our vision, it cultivates it.

Strategies For Coexistence

So now that we know that doubt isn't all bad but is in fact an integral benefit to our process, how do we grasp onto the friendly doubt and kick the hostile doubt out the door? Well, to start, there are different strategies to handle friendly doubt, such as:

Do proactive study, field study, and research.
Study the work of admired peers for guidance to see how they tackled similar challenges.
Query a mentor or respected peer.
Remember the piece’s original inspiration or spark, and return to it.
Do some collaborative work.
Work on something else for a while.
Do some doodling and sketches without any expectations.
Engage some artistic exercises.
Reevaluate feedback — solicit more or jettison it?
Revisit and study previous work.

In fact, do anything necessary to jog that friendly doubt into working for you rather than against you. Now when it comes to hostile doubt, there’s no managing it. It will eat you alive. So don’t even try engage it, run from it — seriously. So some ways to tell to get stuffed are such:

Take a break from our brand of creativity for a while. Try something wildly different like ceramics, print making, beading, glass-blowing, or visit a paint n’ sip, or take some art classes.
Spend time with family, friends, and pets.
Try new techniques, media, and processes.
Do some experiments.
Participate in a challenge, even one quite different than what you regularly do.
Go for nature walks and hiking, or horseback riding.
Lower those expectations! Yes — crank those down. This doesn’t mean you don’t care about your work, but it does mean that perhaps your expectations are unreasonably too high and need to be brought back into balance.
Never ever judge, redo, trash, or even look at the work in question while in the grip of hostile doubt. It lies to you — nothing it tells you is truth — and so it will tell you that the piece is junk when it’s actually quite nice and salvageable. So walk away from the piece to save it, coming back to it much later when you can better see the truth of things.
Show yourself grace, all the time! And revisit those first feelings of invigorating inspiration when you first started the piece, even when you first started to create art. Always remember to “go home,” as Elizabeth Gilbert would put it.

There are also many other tactics to help us coexist with doubt in a beneficial way, tactics that should become part of our skillset, too, such as:

Do not ever — never ever — attach or tangle up the self-appraisal of your work with sticky stuff like self-worth, self-esteem, and external validation. You are important and valuable regardless of your art! Rather, focus on creating and improving your work on one thing — personal satisfaction. Keep plugging away on it in the faith that you are worthy of it and in the spirit of curiosity, and you will improve as a natural by-product.
Continue to show up to do the work — that's the real trick. Just keep making more art because that’s how we get better, no matter how fast or slow that goes. So learn to enthusiastically say, “screw it” and just create more art. Who cares what anyone thinks of it! “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free,” said Georgia O’Keefe, and that’s the headspace we need. Also consider this bit of wisdom from Andy Warhol, "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” Bingo!
Engage curiosity at every turn. When this becomes a primary motivator, catastrophic doubt just doesn't stand a chance of taking root!
If that imposter syndrome raises its head again, understand that most of our self-criticisms come from our insecurities, not from fact. Your achievements are valid and well-deserved!
Remember that we’re our own worst critic! What you see as terrible flaws just won’t be seen by others.
Don’t creatively pretend to be something you aren’t — honor your Voice at all times! So what if your work doesn't look like so-and-so’s? It's your art alone and it’s just as special and magical as anyone else’s! The point of your art is to use your Voice purely and boldly, whatever form it takes, not to create like someone else.
Dump perfectionism and adopt the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, the embrace of impermanence and imperfection. Talk about freeing your creativity!
Understand this strange dynamic — what you love most in your work will often meet with crickets and what you dislike most will often be met with the most kudos. No kidding! It’s bizarre! So the point is you’re doing better than you think so stay open-minded and keep forging ahead.
Remember that your Eye advances ahead of your hands, which creates gaps between what you expect of yourself and what you’re actually able to produce. So regularly do artistic exercises to keep that gap as small as possible as you evolve and progress. It’s empowering and practical.
Employ philosophies that turn fear into curiosity, insecurity into excitement, and doubt into actionable solutions.
Always remember that doubt is normal. Even those with the most achievements and success are loaded with their own doubts, too. We’re human, remember.
Embrace this concept: The only way around it is through it. You have to push through your doubts in order to get past them. Be courageous, be bold, be thoughtful, and absolutely, be self-forgiving.
Never forget that every piece goes through several ugly stages, so if it looks awful, power through it and trust that process! Whatever you do, don’t trash it out of hand. Take a step back, problem-solve, vet critique if need be, and have faith in your process and abilities.
Interpret each new piece as a stepping stone to the next. Or as Ed Gonzales puts it, “Each horse is practice for the next.” No truer words about arting have been spoken!

The Power Of Creative Faith

It’s not always easy, and sometimes you’ll flounder, but maintaining a sense of artistic faith in yourself can be a powerful antidote for doubt, particularly hostile doubt. Trusting in your ability to problem-solve on the fly, to bounce back from a blunder, of releasing your grasp on perfection, and even to cultivate your ability to create within the sphere of ambiguity all work together to keep doubts in a better context to put them to good work. Indeed, the unwavering belief that whatever you create, regardless of the outcome, has an intrinsic worth and unquestionable value helps along your struggles in creativity. You also come to understand that all the doubts and internal challenges you face while creating aren’t signs of weakness or unworthiness, but hallmarks of the love, diligence, and seriousness of your ambitions. Because ultimately, what is doubt but a reflection of the great care you put into your work?

To bolster your creative faith then, practice patience with yourself and seek positive reinforcement from peers, mentors, family, and friends. And always trust that you’ll get to your goal, even if you just chip away at it little by little at a time.

Conclusion

Perhaps it’s clear now that doubt isn’t your enemy — quitting is, not starting is, negative self-talk is. You see, doubt gifts us with the freedom to rethink and revisit, to actually make our work stronger, more Voiceful, better. Where certainty ends, that's where our potential begins! Now sure we need a measure of certainty in our technical art form because it give us the biological rules we need to create within. Even so, certainty is quick to stop asking questions and will double-down on what has already been established, making risk-taking that much harder, risk-taking that's necessary to take our work to the next level. In turn, doubt swoops in to restore the uncertainty needed to become flexible and adaptive again, compelling us to question our assumptions and habits, to test convention and pose new possibilities. This is exactly how new innovations, ideas, methods, and aesthetics emerge, aspects we need to explore from time to time in our work to keep it fresh and evolving.

It’s pretty clear then — when everything about our work seems crystal clear and set in stone, that’s exactly the time to start doubting. This isn’t to destroy what we’ve done, but to confirm that it’s the correct way forward. We need doubt to confirm our choices and directions. So wrap it all up, and it’s simply part of our journey to always struggle with doubt. Yet too much doubt can implode our efforts but too little can lead to stale, formulaic work. We have to find that middle ground, that greased tightrope to balance between these two extremes to march steadily forward in an artistically authentic way.

So whatever doubts you’re trying to tackle now, know that you aren’t alone. We all have our own poking us with sharp sticks. But employ the discussed strategies, remember why you love creating equine realism, practice creative faith then lather, rinse, repeat, and you’ll be well on your way with allowing doubt to catapult your work to untold new heights! In doing so, you’ll have learned one powerful way to unleash your true artistic potential, and there’s no doubt about that!

“You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”

― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Painting In The Dark: The Right Way To Paint Wrong Part III

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 15:14:13 +0000

We're back at it with Ta’alaq, racing towards the finish line. I just applied White and MicroPearl layers to build up the opacity, over and over again. Ooof. As expected though, my biggest challenge was getting enough White on there so he wouldn't look wet but instead look "thin skinned," all the while avoiding an "outlined" effect with the muscles and whatnot. I did a lot of squinting to generalize things enough to get a better grasp of things plus I took him into different lighting situations to rattle my senses. I also took some pix with my phone camera and popped that into Photoshop on my computer to get a more objective perspective as well. Like if I reversed the image or turned it upside down or inverted the darks and lights, it helped to "fresh eye" the paintwork almost immediately by pinpointing areas that didn't look quite natural. It's easy to get lost in the process with this technique and bump yourself off track. You just stare at something long enough that's rather monochromatic and you can end up in the weeds pretty quickly with stylization as your brain tries to impose a pattern. With this particular paintjob though, nuance and subtlety needed to take precedence over pop and pizazz for him to read realistically. I hope I achieved that! I think I did. And now that I know what that special combination of intensity and subtlety is, I think I can ping it again without so much "fresh eye" rigamarole. Anyway...here's where he is now...

Now for the darker dappled portions! For this I used Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Ivory Black and Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Burnt Umber and Raw Umber with the Fast Dry White to create a neutral charcoal. And I mixed in the MicroPearl to keep the darks consistent in pearly finish to the pearlized White. Then I just adjusted the ratios of the paints then to get the various intensities I needed. But here’s the handy kicker, the Umbers naturally dry quicker (with their manganese content) so it forced the Ivory Black to dry faster, too, and with the Fast Dry White, I was golden. And even better, I could stick with traditional oils rather than have to dip into the alkyds. (But I do wish there as a Fast Dry Ivory Black, darn it. Oh well. I guess you just can't get around the antioxidant nature of carbon.) But the tricky bit here is that I painted these pigmented areas after the layering of the White and mica, so they're "on top," after the fact. This risked a lack of cohesion in those areas if I wasn't very careful so I deliberately painted them in a way that made them "sit back." In this the application of value and tone was critical to meld them visually with the white base. But why did I do that and not just paint the dapples alongside the White layering? Because I just couldn't manage it. Maybe it's my skill level or the technique, I don't know yet, but it was just too messy a prospect to attempt to paint the dappling alongside the layering. Plus, painting them simultaneously invited creep of the dark areas, and I wanted to avoid that. I wanted those dark patches more discreet and controlled. I also wanted them grainy-looking as dapple grey has a grain to it. It's not smoothly blended, powder puff-like. It has a speckle from the intermixture of the light and dark hairs, a kind of roany effect. Now had I painted onto a wet White base, painting them together, I don't think I could've really achieved that grainy look so well. But if that base was done and dry first, I had a much better shot. So, overall, I just figured to get the White done first, then I could worry about the dappling later. And all in all, it worked pretty well!

Colors used in the dappled areas: Gamblin Fast Dry Titanium White, Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Ivory Black and Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Raw Umber and Burnt Umber then added in was PearlEx MicroPearl.

Now yes, I know he looks like a bit of a mess. Uffdah. But imagine him with all his dappling and leg mottling...that's the prize to keep my eye on through this ugly stage. And I made his legs dark because they'll marry with the dark mane and tail he said he wants, to paint an exotic picture when he's all done (hopefully). Now to actually paint on the dark areas, I used a #0 angled brush and dabbed on the pigment on there in as chaotic a manner as I could muster to mimic that "organic chaos" so necessary for this effect, applying it onto the hinder, hocks, knees, cannons, and fetlocks. Then I used a small buff brush (an E.L.F. Blending Eye Brush, it's only $3) to even that out a bit and tap down any textural unevenness. Now the reason I didn't use the dab 'n' buff method to apply the darks was because that would've been too powder-puff smooth, orderly and prone to expanding out. I needed a controlled space and a messier finish. Trust me...it'll all make sense in the end! Then I took a clean E.L.F. Eye Crease Brush (it's only $3) and lightly dabbed those areas again, lifting paint off to create a more speckled finish, with tiny little speckles so they were more in scale (which was the white base showing through the lifted dark paint). This particularly worked like a charm! Yay! (New skill unlocked!) So I got my darks on there, chaotic and speckled...check! Then I let that first dark layer fully dry. Then I went back in with some light greige (with Micropearl) to add more speckling with the ELF Eye Crease Brush for more graininess. Why that Crease Brush? Because its grain is so tiny if I dry brush and dab it right, and I'm really focused on scale for this piece to maintain the illusion best. So I let that fully dry.

Now for the dapples and leg mottling...I used a small round brush to paint them on then used that E.L.F. Small Smudge Brush ($6) to futz with them a bit to get them to "sit back" into the overall look by shuzhing their edges a bit. But I did a first layer of dark greige then let that fully dry then I did a second layer in a more pale greige and let that dry. In other words, I didn't use pure White for the dapples or mottling right out of the gate, but I'm building it up in progressively pale griege colors with the MicroPearl mixed in. I'll leave a pure White/MicroPearl layer to strategically amplify things later, "popping" the centers of certain dapples and accentuating some of the mottling for punch.

Colors used for the dapples: Gamblin Fast Dry Titanium White, Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Ivory Black and Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour in Raw Umber and Burnt Umber then added in was PearlEx MicroPearl. I just made a medium neutral greige with these colors rather than using straight white out of the tube. I'll leave that for the last layers to add strategic areas of intensity inside certain dapples and mottling.

After that, I went back in with some dark greys (using all those same colors), to punch up some networking in key areas, using the drybrush method with that E.L.F. Small Smudge Brush. Then I used the greige and MicroPearl to paint in lighter "lightning streaks" on key areas on the legs and some "ghost trails" on the body softening that a snidge with the Small Smudge Brush and tweaking some of the dappling.

Getting those dappled areas in there was its own process that asked for patience and methodical trusting the process — and a lot of drying time in between. Uffdah. Gotta lean into that process! Trust that the ugly stage is really a necessary step! Muscle through it! And use the drying time in your favor, as a tool to keep things "clean." Indeed, mixing colors together then applying to the piece produces a rather different effect than layering colors on top of one another, letting them dry in-between. What's more with all this, Ta'alaq was a brilliant, albeit unexpected exercise in not overworking, of going with my guts and first tries. And even more, of having a clearer vision of what I'm doing, to visualize things better before actually digging in, to know more precisely where I'm going with the pigments first before actually forging ahead. You see, I tend to be rather chaotic and back n' forth with my painting method, more by the seat of my pants. But I really couldn't do that so much here. Instead, I had to be more deliberate and strategic with oils and this color in particular, something I'm not quite accustomed to. So happily, that skillset got put through its paces and beefed up because that's always a good ability to hone! But why is this? Because of oils' long dry time. Like why end up with a lot more drying down time because you aren't nailing things first go? Ping it right out of the gate and that's a much more efficient way of doing things. So use that drying time, don't fight it.

So now that I'm done oil painting him and he's fully dry, let's talk about finish sprays. The only one I've used on oils so far is Testors Dullcote and I've had tremendous success with it. But if you'd like a more traditional varnish, one that can be removed with mineral spirits, or a different finish other than Dullcote's hyper-matte finish, try Winsor & Newton Spray Varnishes. They come in glossy, matte, and satin so you have some options. However, while you can paint oils and acrylics on top of Dullcote again for another go, it's not advised to do so with the Winsor & Newton varnish. Why? Because the Winsor & Newton is removable so whatever is painted on top of it will be removed, too. This has a big implication for painting on eyes, hooves, markings, and other detailing for me because I do all that in acrylics after the Dullcote rather doing them in oils before a finishing spray. (You need a Testor's Dullcote spray after your oils are completely dry in order layer on acrylics on top safely otherwise the acrylic cannot stick to the bare oils and will rub or peel off over time. So Dullcote just gives the surface some tooth and allows the acrylics to stick properly.) On the other hand, Dullcote is a permanent finish that can also be layered with itself and more oil paint, so if you want a permanent option, it's a good one (and just a light coating will do, no need to douse the piece which will cause a sheen, drips, and gumminess). Now why would someone want a removable varnish? Well, to allow for cleaning some years from now if the piece gets grimy from wear and tear. So if you want that option, check out those Winsor & Newton varnishes. So all that said...after he's been Dullcoted, acrylic-detailed, and haired, here's Ta’alaq finally all done...and voilá!...

Wow! He turned out so cool, even if I do say so myself! I just absolutely lurves him! I made this?! My big happy with his paintjob is that I successfully pinged all my goals, the peeking-out dark skin effect, the dimensional expanse of white, and the overall realistic dark-skin look. Now yes, he was a lot of misfires and sideways work to get here, but golly, was he so worth it all! Lessons learned. But on top of that, I pinged a fourth...that pretty sheen on him? That's not a satin finish, that's the MicroPearl showing through! So lovely! It adds just the right amount of subtle punch! The photos just do not capture how absolutely ethereal he looks in person though. Holy buckets! Really, in person, he just has the most lovely luminescent pearly beauty! Wowie zowie! I swoon! I gotta say, I think he's the most beautiful paintjob I've ever done because of it. Now as for those final details, I painted all that in acrylics (Golden Fluid Acrylics and Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics). Then I used black and dark grey ramie for his hairing because it's so fine and in-scale for an Arabian. So ta-da! Finito and I'm super happy with the result! Victory!

Golly, Ta'alaq, you taught me a ton of amazing stuff and I'm so grateful! Yet I couldn't have learned all that good stuff without the mistakes, but that's just how it works, right? And I'm so thrilled to see that my hypothesis was right on the money! That working dark to light worked, and worked so beautifully with oils, this might become my modus operandi for greys in oils. A laborious, time-consuming modus operandi granted, but I just love the result so darned much, I just gotta! Liken note how the skin-grey is so different from the hair-grey...bingo! So thank you gobs and gobs, Ta'alaq! You were a true revelation who developed my oil painting prowess in the best and most unexpected ways! Oh, the power of FAFO in arting is such a wonderful thing!

Wrap Up

When it comes to painting, nothing is really verboten with me. I’ll paint light to dark and dark to light, back and forth, overlapping and patchworking, depending on the effect I want or the correction I want to make. I’ll just do whatever it takes to make it work. It’s chaotic, but it works for me, and I like the results a lot. I think it also adds layers of interest and complication that’s a benefit to the paintwork. Indeed, I find that each direction also has its pros. Like the light to dark gives a clarity, glow and “cleanness” to the color whereas dark to light imparts a richness, depth, and dimension. So if you know how to paint both ways, you’ve got any horse color on lock! The only thing I'll never do though is paint something on top of oils that can't stick to them, like acrylics, unless Dullcote is involved. I'm also not prone to using solvents with my oils. I dunno...I just vastly prefer a solvent-free approach to this medium. And no toxic driers either...yay! Thank you for that method, Heather!

As for this paintjob in particular, my big takeaway was this: Be patient, be methodical, and trust the process. But wow — that was hard at times! So often I had so many doubts! Am I doing this the right way? Is this going to work? Does this even look realistic? Does it even look good?! Plus I wanted to go faster, eager to get to that finish line and see the final result quickly. But yeah — the method and the media have their own pace I had to respect. That was maddening at times because I’m impatient. I like my questions answered quickly and succinctly, not drawn out and unfurling! But that’s the nature of arting, isn’t it? The process is the process, and you go at its pace, not yours. That’s always a good lesson though, a good reminder of The Bigger Picture in Life. It was the tortoise who won the race after all.

The second big takeaway was this: Even if you think your process is forwards-only, it probably isn’t. Sometimes you can back step to go forwards again. I do this all the time with acrylics so it was a relief that even with oils, I found that I could un-make whatever I made to re-make it again with relative ease. Phew! It just entailed a lot of dry-time between those corrections, but such is the nature of oils.

The third big takeaway was this: Mixing colors and layering colors aren’t the same thing! That's to say, layering colors on top of another produces a very different effect than mixing them together and then applying them to the piece. So I couldn't just mix up colors to create corrections on Ta'alaq...I had to go back to the beginning and restart with layering, as you saw. This was an important albeit unexpected lesson in painting mechanics that I think will be super helpful for pinging effects in other pieces.

Conclusion

I hope this journey was enlightening to you in some way! I hope it not only gave you some new ideas and techniques, but also inspired you to jump into the painting fray as well! You see, for years my desire to paint was simply dead. Dead as a doornail, I was so burned out. Besides, the way I painted with acrylics made my hands hurt, and that became a major deterrent. Plus, I’m more of a sculptor than a painter, so if push comes to shove, I’ll choose sculpture over paintwork almost every time. But that said, oils, painting lessons, going to paint n' sips, and creating for NaReViMo have reawakened that desire to paint again in the most lovely way and now I’m eager again to put media to the test and my hypotheses on the block! In this, I’m approaching painting now as an exploration, a process of discovery and experimentation rather than “something I have to do." That’s to say, curiosity rules the day with my pigments, and it’s really switched up my motivations in the best way. When you ask “what if” with every new piece, your horizon suddenly shifts to something so much more exciting, at least it has for me.

And I gotta say, Ta’alaq was definitely a big “what if”! I really pushed myself with this guy, and while it was a little unnerving at times — which is good — it was never boring! I’m of the belief that if you aren’t a little bit uncomfortable in your arting, you aren’t pushing yourself far enough. Streeeeetch for that brass ring! Push past that comfort zone! Great things are just within reach if you take the risks! “To embrace chance is to invite serendipity,” said Aloo Denish Obiero. So very true! And serendipity — the happy accident — is a super beneficial part of the creative process. In fact, the more fertile a ground you can plow for a happy accident to seed, the better! Honestly, the way I approach my own work is to do just that so in this sense then the “click” I need to call “done” is essentially the recognition of all the happy accidents that happened that I carefully left alone, as they should be. They're gifts from the Universe! If I'm doing it right then, my finished piece is just one big happy accident that made itself. Woot!

So I hope this creative adventure has you thinking down new avenues and considering new possibilities because the ones I played with sure were a blast to explore! I mean, Ta’alaq has certainly got me thinking in new ways and I’m excited about which direction to go from here! Like is exploring metallic micas next? Maybe I need to create a Teke maquette! And how far can I push this MicroPearl? Because gosh, wouldn’t it be so pretty with a palomino or champagne? QH and Morgan maquettes! Or do I try this dark to light on a bay or chestnut? Maybe I need to do a drafter maquette! A warmblood maquette! Or maybe with an isabella or pearl? An Iberian maquette! Whee! So many options! But that’s the beautiful thing about asking questions with each piece you create — each answer spawns new questions with new inspirations that take you in a dozen different new directions at once. Indeed, “Inspiration exists but it has to find you working,” said Pablo Picasso and he’s absolutely right on the money. The more you art, the more art comes to you! So pick up a model, get it ready to paint, and then dive into those pigments with wild abandon in the spirit of discovery! Let "what if?" pilot your course and you're well on your way! Maybe you too can learn more of the best wrong ways to paint and give your portfolio a nice big ol’ shakedown! Doing it wrong never felt so right!

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt,

and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

Painting In The Dark: The Right Way To Paint Wrong Part II

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 07:12:50 +0000

Introduction to Part II

We're back with my grand experiment of oil painting Ta'alaq's white-grey color dark to light. In Part I, I talked about the goal and the initial primer and basecoat layers. I also talked a lot about oil paints and how they dry because that's often a question that folks have when it comes to this kind of paint. Besides, we need to know a bit more about our chosen medium if we're going to avoid problems later, right? As for myself, I don't usually use driers or other mediums. Instead, I lean into the linseed oil as a medium and alkyds if I want to speed anything up. But for the most part, I work with oils' natural drying time rather than trying to force anything as a matter of course, but I have that luxury, don't I? I don't paint for a deadline so I can let something sit for weeks or months if need be. So if you need your oil paints to dry faster, consider doing a deep dive into the links provided in Part I as there's a lot of good stuff there. And, as always, experiment on junkers to get a feel for things and to see how they perform before using that stuff on your actual piece. Who needs a headache, right?

Anyway, okay...so as a reminder, here's where I started: Ta'alaq in charcoal grey done with an alkyd paint first layer...

So now that we're at the launch site, let's blast off!...FOOM!...

SECOND AND THIRD LAYERS

Now there are two things I wanted to avoid with this dark-to-light approach. First was a wet-horse effect that’s easy to stumble into with this method, especially with a white-grey. If I wasn’t intense and careful enough with the progressive layers of White then, he’d look like a white horse hit with a hose rather than a dark-skinned grey horse with a fine coat. So there was that tightrope to walk. But there was another: It’s alarmingly easy to slide into stylization with this technique by “outlining” the muscles in dark grey by only painting the “plateaus” of the muscle surfaces and not getting adequately into the muscle grooves, if that makes any sense. So I had to make sure I painted White into those crevices well enough so he’d look realistic rather than “outlined,” making for yet another balancing act. In short, there were a couple of ways I could royally hose this up, both entirely dependent on how savvy I was in progressively applying the White. A lot of squinting would be involved with this guy, a trick you can use to generalize the look of what you're doing for a more objective view.

As for the colors I’m using for the actual painting, the white is Gamblin Fast Dry Titanium White because it dries a lot faster than Windsor & Newton Titanium White. Really, the latter can take up to two weeks to dry and I just don’t want to deal with that with all the layers I'll need, so I’m opting for the Fast Dry option.

Why did I opt for that when there’s the even faster-drying Gamblin FastMatte Titanium White? Why that choice? Well, because the FastMatte paint uses an alkyd resin as a quick-drying binder whereas the Fast Dry uses linseed oil as a binder, but it's modified to make its polymerization process happen faster. And I like that linseed oil consistency better than the alkyd consistency as it's more luminous and smear-y, more like beautiful oil paint…because, well, it is oil paint. That wasn't an issue with the alkyd Ivory Black because that was just the basecoat. But for actual finessed smearing around of paint, I prefer the linseed oil base for "feel" and effect. So Fast Dry White it was. Now as for the dry time difference between Fast Dry and FastMatte, the Fast Dry is right in between the FastMatte and normal Titanium White, and I can live with that. Not as speedy as the FastMatte, but I figured it could work close to the class timeline all the same.

*Note: FastMatte was discontinued in 2024. Doh! There is a Gamblin Quick Dry White that uses an alkali refined linseed oil to dry quickly, being nearly the same product as the Fast Dry.

The trick to layering on the progressive opacity of the White was two-fold. First, you need excellent lighting. I highly recommend the Redgrass studio light. It's not cheap at nearly $300 but it has been a game changer for me for nailing tones, effects, intensities, and colors far more accurately, and with far less eye strain and a lot more clarity. If you don't want something so expensive though, try an Ott Light. These are fantastic as well and will really be one of your best tools in your painting studio. Because when it comes to painting, lighting is everything! Your paintjobs will only be as good as your lighting! Indeed, your lighting, your paint, and your brushes are your painting success trifecta! Get the best you can afford. But one caution with lighting: A lot of lighting today, particularly LED lighting, has adjustable "temperatures," those usually being natural (neutral), "warm" (skews to the reds and golds) and "cool" tones (skews to the blues and greens). So make sure the temperature of all your lighting is all the same if you use multiple lamps, and ideally with the natural setting. Like don't mix warm and cool light and expect to ping your tones accurately. Those temperature differences will confuse your brain and hose up your colors, and right under your nose. So pick one temperature and stick with it for all your lights, whether natural, cool, or warm. In this then, don't mix incandescent and LED lighting as the former skews to the warm spectrum and the latter to the cool spectrum (unless it's adjustable into a warm setting). As for the second trick with the White opacity, having a "gas pedal" with its intensity was useful. For that then, I found myself drybrushing a lot for the control it afforded. So how did I do it? I just put a bit of paint on my brush, brushed a bit of it out on a shop towel (use this specific brand because it doesn't shed) and proceeded to strategically smear it onto the surface. If I needed to buff it to even it out, I simply used an E.L.F. Eye Crease brush because its size gave me more control in tight areas (and it also doesn't shed and it costs only $3!). In fact, E.L.F. make-up brushes make great buffing and drybrushing tools for oils! I use them almost exclusively now when I oil paint.

However, after all was said and done, after even two layers, the result was icky. Like seriously stupid, being all patchy and totally wrong! Aaaaah! What a mess! Oils don't drybrush like acrylics, like not at all! Instead of setting down paint, you just smear it around, creating "donuts" of color and unevenness, at least in large expanses. Blast it! It works fine in small swatches, but not large ones. Darn it! So here's where I ended up...

Not happy. So not happy with this result! But in a roundabout way, this was actually a good thing! Why? Well, I chatted with Heather about some solutions, and she suggested a couple of glazes to fix the problem. Glazes! Never in my life would I have thought to use glazes to fix this problem, but of course! So that's why getting in the weeds was a good thing: I learned something extremely useful I wouldn't have learned any other way! This is just another example of how FAFO can be so helpful in your long game by burbling up solutions in unexpected ways. Really, if I hadn't screwed this up so badly, I would never have learned that glazes can be a fix, and believe me, that morsel is now neatly tucked into my bag of tricks!

So now I'm wondering if glazes were the answer from the beginning! I may have to retry this approach again, but starting out with glazes rather than drybrushing? Hmmm. I shall cogitate that.

FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH LAYERS

So after an off-white glaze made of Titanium White, Ivory Black, and Burnt Umber, his patchiness was evened out and now I also had an off-white base to strategically lighten for highlight. I'm still debating if I'm going to add some shading into him as well at this point, as his dark base was supposed to do that. But where I am now, that kinda got kiboshed so, yeah...I think I'll add in some strategic shadowing to add oomph and mass. Anyway, here's where I ended up after the first glaze pass...

He's darker in life than he appears in the photo, he's that off-white. So I had to let that dry for a few days then I went in with the second corrective glaze, a dark glaze made of Ivory Black, Burnt Umber with a touch of Titanium White that I applied in strategic areas for his dark skin...

Now I think I'll continue by adding another darker off-white glaze layer. I just want him darker so I have more room to play around with the Whites more. So using Titanium White, Ivory Black, and Burnt Umber in a darker mix, this is what I ended up with...

Now I think I'm finally ready to restart in earnest. Phew! My plan still is to add progressive and strategic layers of fast-dry Titanium White mixed with MicroPearl to add lighter areas and highlights but this time not with drybrushing. No no no! Said like Edna Mode, "No drybrushing!" Instead I'm going to proceed with the paint-n-buff approach Heather taught us. That is you just get the paint on there with a brush then carefully buff it out with a mop brush. But I'm going to do it in a highly controlled way...hopefully. We'll see how that works! Pray for me!

Regardless, I think those E.L.F. eye crease brushes will be instrumental here because their smaller size allows me to buff with greater precision. In essence, they're just small mops. Like I want to highlight the tops of certain muscles, but on a Classic size like this guy, a big ol' mop brush would be overkill. So fingers crossed!...here I go!...

SEVENTH LAYER

I'm bound and determined to make this approach work, darn it! There has to be a way, right? So this is all FAFO as I fire shots in the dark to see what works. I have to admit that I'm still getting used to oils smear-y texture. I'm so used to acrylics' "stickiness" insofar as you lay down a color and it's on there. Not so with oils. And you want to keep your oil layers thin for smoothness and shorter drying times, so you work more in like Photoshop layers, if that makes any sense. Then letting each layer dry before proceeding helps to keep things clean and punchy otherwise effects can get too diffused or muddy. Like it's temping to just lay down more paint to make a correction, but that's exactly the wrong thing to do! You risk over-diffusion, speckling, brushstrokes, and long drying times if you use too much paint in one go. Let it dry, then proceed. So anyway, here's where I am now with the following restarted layer of White and MicroPearl on him...

As you can see, I'm re-strategizing my approach insofar as I'm approaching him now as dabbing an off-white greige onto key areas and then buffing it smooth. This is producing a skim of pale greige but not in the patchy, icky way that drybrushing deposited. It's much more even. But even now, I can tell this is going to take a lot of layers. And I just have to trust the process. Really trust that process...because right now? He doesn't look so good, does he? A bit grainy and uneven, I grant you. But with additional layers buffed out, it should all make sense little by little! But note the dark skin showing through in certain parts like the elbow, flank, the base of the ears, and areas of the face? That's the whole point of going this direction, of allowing the dark "skin" to echo in the white coat in an organic, natural way. So we'll see how that pans out. As for his off-white greige color, it's Titanium White (Gamblin Fast Dry Titanium White) mixed with a snidge of Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, and Ivory Black. I mixed the Umbers together to create a neutral brown which would then work with the Ivory Black to skew the White away from pure White in the way I wanted...a neutral whisper of a grey in the greige spectrum. And then I also mixed in some PearlEx MicroPearl and then two drops of linseed oil to reanimate the paint into the proper buttery, fatty texture. The brushes I used were a #7 filbert to dab on the paint and a #6 make-up puffy brush as a buffer. But overall, this approach doesn't offer the exact amount of precision and control I was hoping for, but maybe I've got it wrong. Maybe the full expression of my vision can't come until the last couple of coats and I'm expecting too much, too early. Probably the case. I need to be patient and methodically work in stages with this approach, and trust that dang process. You see, I've discovered that predominantly white horses aren't so easy in oils...in fact, they're darn tricky! At least going at it from this direction, dark to light. Any which way, I'm hoping that this new fresh way of applying the White layers will work better. But then again, it could all end in tears. Abject failure is always on the table.

EIGHTH TO TENTH LAYERS

So in these layers, I just continued with business as usual, layering on the off-white to build up the layers. So far then, this is three layers of off-white, done in the dab 'n' buff method, over and over again.

Lookie there...my idea is working! This dark to light direction can be done! But it's not over 'till it's over, right? So let's see where all this takes me. Now that said, I am coming pretty close to his pure-White and mica highlights to finish this stage off, but I think one or two more layers of griege will be just the ticket. Then after that, his dapples and darkened legs. Now you may be wondering why I'm not doing his dappled areas along with all this white work, and that would be a good question. The answer is three-fold. First, it's above my skill level right now. I think I don't have that level of control yet, and it would just end up being a big mess. Artist, know your limitations so you can either blow past them or stay within them, and know the difference! Second, it would invite creep, and I need those dappled portions to stay discreet and contained. And third, I want to create a grainy look to the dappled areas for realism, but that's very difficult to do with a wet "ground." So if I just do all the white work, let that dry, then go back in with he dappling and dark legs, I think I'll have a lot more control and realism. Well, that's the plan. It could all go sideways.

I do have to admit something though...as much as I adore oils, the issue of the handhold is a real annoyance to me. Like those forelegs. After his body dries, I have to go back in onto his forelegs to catch them up to the body, and that really strokes my fur backwards. I want to move forwards, not backwards! Argh! But boo hoo for me...I'm just being a big stupidity whiney baby waby. The truth is, it's a small price for all the benes oils offer. Get over it, Sarah, and just play along. Patience, embrace patience. Live the mantra!

Anyway, here he is with all his off-white griege applied followed by the pure-White/MicroPearl highlights on his body for dimension. Didn't the effect just turn out so marvy?! I am flabbergasted at how well it worked! I honestly didn't expect it to go as well as it did! So then I added on his facial work, which is playtime for me. I love shading and highlighting the face because you can achieve the most ethereal, subtle effects that look so touchable and thin-skinned. So here he is with all this on him...yay!...

So now 'tis time to add on his dappling and dark legs! Yes, remember, he's a light dapple grey, not a white-grey, so I have to get those darks on there. I have to say though...I know. Because I kinda feel like I'll be ruining him, too, marring all that beautiful white work. I'm so tempted to stop here. But no! I must stay on target because I need those lessons. He has a lot more to teach me and I'm intent on absorbing it all. So next time, we dive into darks and dappling!

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

–Maya Angelou

Painting In The Dark: The Right Way To Paint Wrong Part I

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:13:32 +0000

Introduction to Part I

Back in September 2025, I took a second round of the grey painting class lead by Heather Bullach, oil painter and teacher extraordinaire. My first round with this class back in 2023 was transformative, but it took me nearly two years to finish my lesson horse, Wahy (pronounced “why-he-on” which is Arabic for “revelation”). He just had so much to teach me, it took me that long of intermittent work to figure it out and for my subroutines to digest it all. But learned it all I did, and I learned it so well that I naturally decided to dive in again to put his lessons to work in a new way, on Ta’alaq (pronounced “ta-alikun” which means “brilliance” or “sparkle” in Arabic). How so in a new way? Well, as a much lighter shade of dapple grey, a white-grey, because I thought this would provide a new challenge unlike what heavily-dappled Wahy presented and I was eager to test my new skills.

But lo…did this turn into an unexpected twists n’ turns journey of discovery and hard-won revelations! As such, I’d like to take you along with me on this curious adventure in the hopes that maybe you’ll find some of what I explored helpful and inspiring. And if you’d like to take one of Heather’s wonderful oil painting classes, go here to learn more. And don’t worry, she makes oils completely friendly, easy, affordable, and fun! And no icky chemicals! Yay!

So let’s just dive right in and get this party started!...

The Goal

Out of all the types of grey to choose from, why did I chose this particular super-light phase of grey? Well, for two primary reasons. First, I love the look of dark skin peeking out from underneath a fine coat, sometimes found around the elbow, flank, chest area, base of the ears and such sometimes seen on “thin skinned” breeds like the Amazigh, Arabian, Teke, and Marwari. I just think it’s cool plus it’s a real challenge to capture effectively in a paintjob so it looks like dark skin and not just paint shading of some kind. I’ve only done it a couple of times (timidly) on my own work previously, and more boldly on a 2025 NaReViMo horse, Ibn Monsata, inspired by the greys Thomas Bainbridge painted in the 80s and 90s. I also gathered a bunch of reference photos of this effect so I’d get the intensity and placement right, too. Then secondly, vast expanses of white on the body can end up looking flat and boring so I was curious to see if I could liven it up by using oils with a certain strategy, the same strategy that could potentially mimic that dark skin effect all by itself.

So what was that strategy? Welp, it was to paint the “wrong” way, from dark to light! See, across media, more or less, we’re typically advised to paint light to dark, of starting with your lightest colors and then getting progressively darker. And this makes absolute sense for certain effects and certain media so it’s not an untrue tenet. For what I wanted to achieve in this particular paintjob though, I thought going at things from the opposite direction would be just the ticket. Why was that? Well, I hoped that applying a dark basecoat and then painting progressive layers of white on top wouldn’t only lend dimensional interest to the expanses of white, but would also recreate that dark skin effect in key areas. Two birds, one stone. Ultimately though, I hoped this approach would lend a more realistic feel to the paintwork overall by mimicking the underlying dark skin grey horses have under their coats. Now I’ve already gone this direction in acrylics with two older VCMs of mine, Rhymnik, a customized PAM I did back in 1989, and Rhynegade, a customized CMOW I created back in 1991. It worked great in acrylics, but I was curious to see if it would work in oils, too. You see, I suspected it would work really well because of oils' luminescence, and end up looking particularly super cool. At least it was in the vision in my head, but we all know about the impossible perfection our visions embody! So Ta’alaq was painted entirely on this curious wing-and-a-prayer idea. Would it all work?! Can I do this? Will this all end in bitter tears? Well, the only way is to futz around and find out, right? You betcha! Make FAFO work for you!

The Start

PRIMER AND BASECOAT

So to start this safari, Ta’alaq was primered in Dupli-color Sandable Primer in White (ideally allowed to dry for at least two weeks to de-gas and truly dry). Then I basecoated him in acrylics with make-up sponges first to create a really good, sturdy layer and then with an airbrush to get an even layer and into areas I couldn’t reach with the sponge (ideally left to dry for up to a month to really evaporate the moisture out).

Acrylic colors used for the basecoat: Liquitex Soft Body Titanium White and Soft Body Mars Black, mixed into a medium grey.

Note on the Dupli-color Primer: This is a thinner, more transparent type of primer so don't gob it on to make it opaque. It'll do its job with one of two thin layers just fine. Indeedy, it's "tight" and chalky in finish, and provides good adhesion to the surface plus a solid "tooth" for pigment.

FIRST LAYER

This entailed two coats of an alkyd paint so no acrylics would peek through in the dark skin areas. Call me a purist. To create this first layer then I mixed together an alkyd black, an off-white, and a brown to create a neutral medium dark grey. Specifically, the brown was added to counteract the very blue bias of the black so it would better mimic a dark skin tone. Then I painted that on and buffed it smooth, then let the initial layer dry about two days then I added the following layer then let all that dry for about two weeks when the class started. Ready for class! Phew...just in time!

Now I used alkyd paints here rather than true oil paints because I just ran out of time. Ideally, I would’ve used full blown linseed oil-based oil paints, but I simply needed this first layer to be dry very quickly for class. But why was that an issue? Because true oil Titanium White and Ivory Black take for-ev-er to dry, sometimes up to a month, and I just didn’t have that time. In contrast, alkyds use a fast-drying resin rather than an oil as the binder so they dry much faster, in as little as three to four days. And with having to apply two layers for a truly opaque, even finish, I needed that quick-dry feature big time.

Alkyd colors used for the first coat: Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Ivory Black, Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Mixing White, and Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Burnt Umber.

Six cautions with the alkyds: 1. They have a rather peculiar and strong odor, so if scents bother you, especially chemically-smelling ones, avoid these paints. 2. You have to work fast and in sections when you brush on 'n' buff out. Those who've taken Heather's classes will know what I mean. So with these paints, just do a body section then buff, then the next body section then buff, etc. You have to do it this way cuz this'll all start drying on you pretty quick and you don’t want a weird finish. 3. Wash your brushes immediately. This stuff dries quite fast! Go go go! 4. These paints stain like bananas, so wear studio clothes or a smock or apron when using them. Like the Black took a pure white brush and permanently stained it charcoal! 5. An alkyd paint basically uses an oil-based polyester resin rather than an oil to suspend the pigments whereas oil paints use an actual oil, often linseed oil or sometimes walnut oil, safflower oil, or even poppy seed oil. As such, alkyds dry far faster than oils, to a hard, durable glossy finish. In terms of use, they were designed for underpainting, but can be used just like oil paints given you work faster. In fact, you can mix them together with oils to speed up oil's drying time. However, only layer alkyds on top of oils when the oils are truly totally dry as the different drying times can lead to cracking over time otherwise. And be careful layering these paints with traditional oils if you're impasto painting as the different drying times can lead to cracking over time. Remember the "fat over lean" rule! But that said, the way we paint our horses is with super thin layers, so I'm not sure if we'd have such a problem. Maybe? No? I don't know as I've not tested it yet. I guess just make sure that your oil layers are completely dry before proceeding with alkyds.

What’s more, I also had some PearlEx MicroPearl and BrambleBerry Super Pearly White Mica I toyed with using in the White but I was concerned it would interfere with the effect I was after. So I toyed with them on a junker first, opting for the PearlEx MicroPearl as I preferred its finer grain. Now I didn’t use a whole lot as this guy is an Arabian and not a Teke, so I dabbed in a medium-ish amount. But, wow, I was happy to discover that there was zero interference and what actually happened was — as promised — a beautiful pearly sheen that mimicked a slicked out coat so nicely. So heck yes I decided to include it in the White! Oh my gosh is Ta’alaq going to be stunning if things pan out as I imagine! I’d just have to remember to put it into every layer so it would all be cohesive.

Oil Paints and How They Dry

Okay, before we actually dig in here, let’s talk about oil paints and how they dry because this sort of stuff is important to know. As we probably already know, oils take longer to dry than other paints like acrylics, watercolor, and gouaches. However, this gives artists a lot more “open” time to manipulate the colors, textures, and whatnot, often resulting in a beautifully blended, smooth surface for the purposes of our particular brand of paintwork.

But what are oil paints? Well, in the most basic sense, oil paints are made of pigments suspended in an oil medium, usually linseed oil. However, walnut oil, safflower oil, and sometimes poppy seed oil are used as well. This oil medium helps to give oil paints their famous luminosity and translucent quality as well as their richness and intensity of color along with their lovely, fatty, buttery texture. Even so, it’s the nature of these oils that contribute to the drying process of the paints. That’s to say, it’s the oil that “dries” in your paintjob, cementing the pigments in a solidified body forever.

So why is “dries” in quotations? Well, technically, oil paints don’t dry, they cure. In this, they cure in a process of oxidative polymerization in which oxygen is absorbed and peroxides are formed, creating a cured polymer body. Said another way, it’s basically the exposure to oxygen that initiates the curing of the oil paint into “drying,” forming a strong, durable layer of pigment. This is in contrast to acrylics and watercolors that dry when the moisture in them evaporates.

Now some will tell you that oil paints never really dry, but they actually do, only it can take a very long time. Like they may be dry to the touch on the surface, but the paint underneath may still be wet and unoxidized. As such, some paintings can take months, even years to fully dry. And oil paint dries in stages ranging from a couple of days to even some years later. Knowing these stages is important in order to make informed decisions about subsequent steps like continuing on (if you restart too soon, you can lift up the previous paint), glazing, creating certain effects (like scratch roaning), and especially when to varnish. These stages are:

Dry surface: The paintjob feels dry to the touch on the surface while the underlying paint remains wet. This process can take hours or days, usually about 24-48 hours, generally speaking.
Dry to the touch: The paint can no longer be easily smudged when touched carefully, but the underlying layers are still wet. This stage can take many days to a week.
Solidified drying: The paint is dry to the touch and also won’t smudge, but some areas may still be soft and damageable. This stage is a good one to apply glazing, but it’s still not ready for varnishing. This stage can last weeks or up to many months.
Fully dried: When the paint is fully cured and solid so no part of it is soft to be damaged by smudging or squishing. The paintwork can now be varnished safely. This stage will take several months or up to a year, or even more, depending on the thickness of the paint layers.

These dry times can be manipulated, either sped up or slowed down, but only to a point. For the most part, the cure time is the cure time and we just have to work with it. Specifically, the dry time is influenced by these factors:

Environmental conditions: Obviously, exposing the paint layer to the O2 in the air will initiate the cure. However, the presence of UV light, ambient temperature, humidity, and air circulation can speed up or slow down the dry time. For example, a dry, warm room with good ventilation and exposure to UV light (like sunlight) will facilitate faster drying whereas cool, humid, dark conditions with poor air flow will slow it down, often significantly. Indeed, UV light, or sunlight, can increase dry time as effectively as a siccative (a metallic salt drier), but they shouldn’t be allowed to dry too long in the sunlight as this can actually cause damage to the oil binder. As for too much heat, like a hair dryer, that's ill-advised for drying oils. A hair dryer will evaporate the water vapor necessary for proper oxidation and can even cause your paintwork to crack. The hair dryer can also cause solvents in the paint to evaporate faster which can cause fumes to be released into the air to impact your health. But more times than not, a hair dryer just doesn’t increase the dry time enough to make it worth it. Conversely, cold delays drying, which is why you can store your unused palette in the freezer for later use. High humidity also delays the dry time, however, normal humidity (65% - 75%) affects oxidation favorably because the absorption of water during the process is necessary. Indeed, oils left to dry in too arid conditions may not polymerize properly, losing a significant amount of their oil volume to gaseous vapor during the process which can become a problem with thickly painted layers such as on an impasto painting.
The thickness of the paint layer: The thickness of the paint film has a direct influence on the speed or slowness of the dry time. In this, the thicker the layer, the longer it’ll take to dry. This is why impasto paintjobs can take years to fully dry. However, we usually paint our sculptures with exceedingly thin layers, just a whisper of paint, which is why they can dry significantly faster and be ready for further steps or varnishing so quickly, relatively speaking.
The use of driers or which medium used: Drying agents improve the absorption of oxygen by the oil and therefore accelerate the formation of peroxides, i.e. they speed up the polymerization process. (The Old Masters added mineral driers to their varnishes like lead, in the form of lead white pigments, minium or red lead, and lead tin yellow, or manganese in the form of umber, zinc in the form of zinc sulfide, iron in the form if iron sulfide, and calcium in the form of lime.) For instance, Liquin, Galkyd or alkyd mediums such as Walnut/alkyd can be added to speed up the dry time. Adding in some alkyd paints can speed up the dry time as well. Driers that use cobalt, zirconium, and others can also be used, but some can be toxic and can cause cracking or wrinkling so research them first. This website is a terrific resource to start your exploration of driers and this is a great one for exploring mediums.
Pigments: Different pigments can speed up or slow down the drying time. For instance, some pigments contain minerals that speed up the polymerization process such as the Umbers (which is why they’re so often used in underpainting, particularly Raw Umber, which is often the fastest oil paint to dry), Cobalt Blue, and the Siennas. On the other hand, some pigments slow it down such as reds (especially Cadmium Red and Alizarin Crimson), yellows (particularly Cadmium Yellow and Naples Yellow), the Blacks (Ivory Black, Lamp Black, and sometimes Mars Black), and notoriously Titanium White. The Hues, cadmiums, and “transparent” colors also take a long time to dry because of their greater percentage of oil binder in them. As for the reason why Titanium White takes so long to dry and why something like Burnt Umber dries so quickly is because the White lacks the chemical properties or minerals (like cobalt or manganese) that act as natural drying accelerators unlike Burnt Umber with its manganese content. What's more Titanium White also contains titanium dioxide, a substance that slows down the oxidation polymerization process of the oil binder. Then the reason why Ivory Black takes so long, too, is because carbon, the primary pigment in Ivory Black, has an antioxidant property that slows down the oxidation process oil paints need to cure. What's more, Ivory Black often contains more oil binder for better flow because the super-fine particle size of the pigment creates a really dense paint film, which also happens to limit oxygen's access and thus slowing down dry time even more.
Binders: The various oil binders can have different dry times as well. The most common oil used in oil paint is linseed oil, the fastest drying oil binder. However, poppy, walnut, safflower, and stand oil can also be found, each with their own properties. For instance, stand oil can be added to slow the dry time and create a glossier finish with less brushstroke texture. (Safflower oil can often be found in white pigment for a purer, less-yellow white paint.)

Now if you really want to slow down your dry time, you can use certain essential oils because they require oxygen to dry and therefore “steal” it from the oil binder, preventing the oil binder from absorbing it and so slowing its dry time. One such popular essential oil is clove oil. Indeed, putting a cottontail dabbed a touch in clove oil on your palette and sealing it up can nearly stop those oils from drying on your palette. It does this by creating an antioxidant-rich atmosphere on the sealed palette with its eugenol content. However, don’t mix the clove oil into your paints as this will negatively affect their durability when fully dry.

As for a fully dry paintjob that has softened for some reason, which has been observed in paintjobs done with poppy, walnut, or safflower oils, put it in sunlight outside (UV light) and it should harden up again.

Conclusion to Part I

Phew! That was a lot to process. We do need some basic working insight into our chosen medium though if we're going to be successful, especially when it comes to oils. I'd also like to reiterate how the thinness of our layers we paint on our sculptures doesn't present such a crisis when it comes to drying as it would on a normal oil painting and especially on an impasto painting. Truly, that thinness is a real boon and a great technique to get our paintjobs to dry relatively fast. Like on some, I can wait ten to fifteen days and then my paintjob is fully dry and ready for Testors Dullcote and eye glossing! Now note that I didn't mention solvents? I don't use solvents. That is a gift given to me by Heather's method, and I find that it works just fine for our purposes. But if you'd like to use solvents, here's a handy resource here and here and here. For cleaning my brushes, rather than a solvent I use Murphy's Oil Soap as per Heather's suggestion, and it works like a charm! It even smells nice, too!

In Part II then, we'll actually dive into my painting process on Ta'alaq and explore some of the challenges I ran into careening through this dark-to-light approach.

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

― Vincent van Gogh

Reversed Rivalry: The Power Of Shared Success

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:52:48 +0000

Introduction

So — you want to make it big in the equine collectibles world, huh? You want to make a big splash and become a nice big fish? But, hey, what artist doesn’t? It’s good to be a big fish. You garner nifty opportunities and connections not afforded to others, you enjoy certain privileges that come with being of a certain stature, you tend to earn more openings, and gallery and company relationships, licensing deals come your way more easily, and your sales improve as the regard for your work amplifies and expands.

But the truth is we don’t do this with skill and talent alone. Nope. Those things will only take you so far, particularly when it comes to earning real opportunities and relationships. And there are plenty of highly skilled and talented artists out there who fail regardless, so those factors just aren’t enough to get you going or sustain your momentum. Why? Because to actually become a big fish, it takes a lot more than going it alone — you need a community-minded attitude.

Indeed, I’ve seen so many artists blow apart their potential not because they were incapable artistically, but because they underestimated the power of connection, even abused it. They got into feuds, they lashed out, or just generally behaved as a persona non grata that not only put off collectors, but also professional peers and companies as well. So what could’ve been valuable professional networks and lucrative company contracts simply dried up, and all because the concept of shared success wasn’t appreciated and practiced.

Shared success? Yeppers. Those at the top of the game are collaborating, not competing. They’re building up, not tearing down — or more specifically, they’re building each other up rather than tearing each other down. Absolutely, if you want to succeed, you need to share your success! Without a doubt, sharing is the highest form of participation be it sharing information, doling out kudos and support, giving credit, lending a helping hand, providing a referral, or actually creating work together. In other words, the big fish keenly understand the power of shared success and actively seek to spread that around with their peers at every opportunity.

Conversely, those at the bottom compete, the lowest form of participation. Lowest? But the equine collectibles niche market is founded on competition! How is competition a problem for artists? Now yes — that’s quite true. We're an art form founded on comparative competition, let’s face it. However, that doesn’t mean this focus is the best one for the actual artists creating the work. See here’s the thing: While the collectors enthusiastically compete in the ring, the artists themselves do better with a different perspective. Why? Because competition between artists is fundamentally toxic and founded on inferior motivations. Honestly, one-upmanship and art rarely mix well. Insecurity, professional envy, resentment, annoyance, frustration, humiliation, disillusionment, despair, or perhaps even a flat out feud will poison the well, no matter how well-meaning that competitiveness may be. Unfortunately, I've seen so many competitive-minded artists really muddy their own experience with their cutthroat drives, usually ending up miserable, confused, and embittered on some level. There's this, too: The need to beat another artist smacks of insecurity and fear, definitely not a good look, and few good things come of that in the long run. On the other hand, the truly poised and confident artist doesn’t care one wit about beating their artistic peers as opponents. They’re too focused on improving their own work on their own terms, building bridges, and thinking up ways to elevate the art form for everyone. As such then, you can tell a lot about an artist’s character simply by which category they fall into — pay attention.

In the hopes then of inspiring more community-mindedness to improve our own chances at a happy future, let’s talk about the power of shared success and how we can dampen artistic dueling to create a more beneficial and balanced atmosphere for everyone.

Reversed Rivalry

The fully developed artist isn’t only skilled and talented, they also know exactly where any form of rivalry should exist: Within themselves. It’s them pitted against their older work and their worn out conventions and blindspots, not them pitted against their peers. As Ruelle sings in her song, Rival:

The tide is high

It's sink or swim

My only rival is within

Giants calling round the bend

My only rival is within

I won't let my demons win

My only rival is within

I will fight through thick and thin

My only rival is within

Kingdoms rise and kingdoms end

My only rival is within

This is where it all begins

My only rival is within

The tide is high

It's sink or swim

My only rival is within

That’s the headspace of the secure and successful artist! So if you want meaningful progress and actual evolution, you’ll be striving to better your own work rather than beating the work of others. You’ll also seek personal growth by inverting your focus into your own portfolio rather than gauging your worth through comparison with others. “Comparison is the death of joy,” as Mark Twain observed, and he’s absolutely correct. Without fail, with comparison usually comes envy on some level which is soon followed by resentment and disillusionment, things hardly conducive to sustained happiness and meaningful growth in the studio. If it gets really bad, in fact, you can even compromise your own Voice, a devastating blow for the unique purity, authority, and power of your work.

Now this isn’t to be confused with being inspired by the work of our fellows. Honestly, this is a wonderful thing! But it’s to remember that your fellow artists are your colleagues — they’re your innovative inspirations and fellow trailblazers to be supported and learned from, not your rivals to be crushed. Always remember that the truly successful artist seeks to elevate the art form, and a great way to do that is to look to peers as beacons of revelation and kindred souls. Hey, we’re all in the same boat, right?

Cheerleading

This brings us to a very healthy behavior with our fellow artists and within the community at large: Cheerleading. Become a cheerleader and advocate for our artistic community — talk up work, show it off, share it on social media and in your business networks and social circles, and give referrals regarding the availability and talents of your peers. When we lift up the accomplishments of our fellows, we’re not only building a more cohesive arts community, we’re also role-modeling better behavior, building bridges, and, even better, potentially making someone’s day. It’s just a win win all the way ‘round!

So when an artist posts a finished piece or ongoing project on their social media, or an award, a triumph, or any sort of accomplishment they’re proud of, slather on the praise, talk it up, and share it within your own circles. Spread the love! Imagine what a positive and supportive landscape we could build if we're cheerleaders for each other!

The thing is, too, cheerleading also encourages people to actually take up our arts. Like, they see the positive reinforcement for arting and maybe that’ll inspire them to ignore their hesitations and just try it. And if we’re working to expand and elevate this art form, we’ll be writing or filming how-tos, or hosting how-to get-togethers even, to help others achieve their potential, also making a tremendous resource for beginners. In this dynamic way, sharing our success can actually grow the arts base and who knows how that’ll elevate the art form over time! Indeed, feed the arts and you also feed your own potential in the long game! Which brings us to…

Sharing Knowledge

Sharing success also means we share our knowledge not just with each other, but with beginners, too, to give them a leg up in this very difficult art form. So become a teacher, give seminars, host workshops, retreats, or classes, write or film how-tos, write an educational book, blog or vlog, become a depot of continued education, or mentor a beginner. Any which way, share what you’ve learned from your techniques and materials to your creative sensibilities and suppliers to your knowledge base about equine color, structure, and movement. The whole kit ’n’ caboodle! Because really — why are you holding back? Dig deep — why?

Because the truth is that confident, progressing artists share, they don’t hold back! They keenly realize that anything shared is going into fresh, new brains that’ll put their own spin on that information and probably in innovative, novel ways to ultimately come back to them, improved and refreshed. In short, they know all too well that whatever they share will come back upgraded to improve their own work. Hey, it’s an inevitability when so many brains work the same problem! But this is exactly why the artists most open with their methods and materials tend to evolve and grow the fastest — they understand the power of shared learning. Absolutely, we’re so much better together than apart!

Indeed, great artists rarely grow in isolation. Creating our work may happen sequestered away, but artistic growth hardly ever does. For instance, seeing how other artists tackle challenges, even how they process mistakes and techniques, can be immensely illuminating, or observing how they translated the same lesson in a wholly different way can be so insightful. Then having conversations with fellow artists can help us along our Path, even inspiring us in ways we never imagined. Really, what seems like a small observation from a peer can become art-changing for us! Indeed, observing how other artists work and interpret the subject can bust us past our own worn-out habits, leading to whole new levels of achievement and sustained growth in ways out of left field. But perhaps most helpful of all, community reminds us that we aren't alone in our struggles and confusions inevitable in the creative process in this difficult art form. We clearly see that every artist struggles, processes, and evolves, just like us, a deeply affirming realization. Honestly, if you really want to bust past a plateau or level up your work, stop trying to go it alone all the time! Dive into community, whatever that means to you, gleaning and giving back what you can in that creative symbiosis that elevates everyone's efforts, including your own.

There’s this, too: When we share what we’ve learned, we also have to plug up our own knowledge gaps and attend to glaring blindspots to provide others with the best information we can drum up at that moment. Honestly, there are few better ways to learn than by becoming a teacher ourselves. In all these ways then, when we endeavor to help others, we’re really helping ourselves in pro-active, tangible ways. It’s no coincidence then that those artists who pro-actively spread knowledge tend to become the most knowledgable themselves.

The Benes

According to many gallery professionals, the vast majority of gallery representation, show openings, and contract work are garnered from professional referrals, not from “cold calls” so to speak. That’s to say an artist or collector recommending another for representation, a show, or a contract has a much stronger influence than a portfolio from a complete stranger, or even an agent promoting their client. It’s not just a matter of who you know, it’s how you know them. This means that being a well-liked, respected, relatable, and well-known professional is more important than we may realize. Because it’s going to be other people who open the door, right? So it’s the artists who keep showing up for other artist’s openings, who celebrate their peers and colleagues, who make the introductions — their names are the ones that stay front and center, and so it’s usually them who get the most opportunities.

And it's not necessarily because they’re “networking,” it’s because they keenly understand that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum — not the making of it, the promoting of it, the showing of it, or the selling of it. It’s a community that creates the art market, and you truly need to become a positive part of the community to earn the most opportunities. And here’s the thing: When you dedicate yourself to promoting others, you become a happy force in that community, and people notice — the right people notice — and with your good reputation, they’ll want to associate with you through new projects. To that then, always remember that your brand reflects on theirs, and if you do a good job curating your brand, it’s amazing how many new doors will open for you. Indeed, there's no savvy gallery owner, agent, company, or collector who’ll want to associate with someone known for problematic behavior, personal or professional. Heck, even one ill-advised outburst can destroy everything you built! Truly, I've seen more artists wipe out a good reputation with a single bad post than I care to count, so learn to self-regulate like a boss. In short then, if you behave like a liability, you’ll find those doors quickly closed tight, but be nice, play nice, and support your fellow artists, and you’ll go a whole lot farther. Because when you’re well-liked and respected by the community, you’ll find more support whether from professionals, fellow artists, or collectors. This is one of the big reasons why feuds are far more costly than they appear on the surface — you just don’t know how many doors are shutting tight against you in the larger community when you act out! Not a smart move! Remember this, as Einstein advised, "Weak people revenge, strong people forgive, intelligent people ignore." Words to live by when you're building your bridges.

What's more, being an active part of the community also gives you access to a bigger pool of news and knowledge from details about materials and techniques to those events where the collectors are congregating. Other artists also understand your frustrations, self-doubts, fears, challenges, and your triumphs and defeats, and with their wider net experience, can provide some real tangible help. Fellow artists also likely know who or what might be a good match for your work in terms of gallery representation, shows, collectors, commissions, contracts, or museums, and so make no mistake, other artists can make or break your opportunities. Don't treat them poorly! Just as importantly though, being an upstanding, supportive and active part of the community tends to bring opportunities to you rather than you having to chase them down, always a blessing and a bit of a relief.

So always honor the practice of helping, supporting, and uplifting other artists. They’re not your competition, they’re not your opponents. They’re your colleagues and peers, and in supporting them, you're helping to build a ton of positives in our genre. Indeed, vision, skill, and talent are rarely the problem. Those who get stuck are often overflowing with these. Instead, the real problem is that they’re trying to do it solo, not understanding that getting their art out there successfully is also a social dynamic built on support, reputation, and reciprocity.

Public Image

All this brings us to your public image, the baseline for your success. Indeed, the smart artist astutely knows that all behavior is a function of their brand, their public image. That’s to say positive, professional behavior builds our brand whereas problematic, unpleasant, or combative behavior destroys it. And be careful with what groups you follow and people you associate with — people notice and it will blowback on you. Because here’s the thing: No matter how you spin it, negativity is negativity, and when it comes to selling art, negativity will whip around to bite you in the face, especially in our niche art form. You see, the work created by the most well-liked artists — likable as themselves, that is, not just well-liked work — tends to sell the best and earn the most opportunities while those with sketchy public images will have a much harder time of it. Remember, people usually support those artists they personally like and avoid those they don’t. Why? Because when they buy art, they also buying a part of the artist to have in their lives — art is a reminder, a memory — and so that memory should be uplifting for sustained good vibes. Never forget that our work is a representation of us and so it should embody all the best of who we are.

Now this isn’t to say that toxic positivity is the answer nor is it to say that being fake-y to be liked is necessary. Nope. Absolutely not! You must be authentic and sincere, be genuine. Rather it’s to say that being a jerk, being tone deaf, being a problem, and having problematic associations has its consequences, which can be far-reaching as it expands exponentially through the grapevine. Just not a smart move.

Conclusion

The fact remains — who you are as a person will make or break your standing and opportunities in any art community. In other words, the community is a microcosm of the world as people gravitate towards those who radiant goodwill and away from those who exude toxicity. In short then, don’t be That Guy as that will assuredly compromise your opportunities, potentially burn bridges, and diminish the performance of your work in the market. In contrast, those who propagate altruism usually have the opposite experience in spades, so get out there and start spreading the good will! When we share our success, we aren’t only building a more solid community, but a better future for ourselves as all that good juju gets reflected back onto us, often amplified.

Never forget that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it needs a community to support it. So when we foster that community, we’re actually cultivating a better future for everyone involved, including ourselves. Quite literally, what’s good for our community is good for us, too! So elevate others! Indeedy, the more positive, supportive vibes and information we pump out then, the more we get back to improve our own situation with improved work, expanded opportunities, deeper and more expansive relationships, stronger bridges, higher regard, and a host of other positives that come no other way. So never hold back when you feel that compulsion to spread the love and education! Success is really meant to be shared to uplift those around us and we can absolutely help that along in wonderful, tangible ways.

Ultimately, it’s those who understand the community-minded power of shared success who end up being the most successful in the long run. So never be miserly in your kudos or information, but splatter that good stuff all over the place! It’s good for your standing, good for your long game, good for your potential, good for the community, and most of all, good for your heart. It just feels good to spread those happy vibes around, doesn’t it? So reverse that rivalry and share your success, and you’ll soon reap great rewards from such positively-minded community participation! Your art deserves the success and our community deserves all that good stuff — so let ‘er rip!

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

— Henry Ford

Hoof Prints: Painting The Distal Foot

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:20:20 +0000

Introduction

We’ve already discussed how to paint a clean, show hoof both dark-footed and pale, even striped. But we have another part of the equation, don’t we? Yep. We have to paint the bottom or distal surface of the hoof, too! This is because this area is often detailed in nowadays, even on OFs, and so we should know how to give that area its due treatment to complete the whole package. But even if that area isn’t sculpted and so is “on the flat,” we can still paint in the features to give an illusion of dimensionality if we so wish.

Now granted, aside from lifted hooves, the chances that anyone will see our work in this area other than the future owners is pretty slim. Like what judge is going to grab the piece and turn it over? But regardless, it can be a nice feature to add all the same. To that end then, let’s talk about how we can paint up the distal foot whether sculpted or not so we can add that final touch of realism to our work. Let’s go!…

Anatomy

First we have to know the parts of the distal foot, right? We have to know the anatomy in order to know what we’re painting, why it has to be there, and how to paint it. To that end then, I’ve written a ton on foot anatomy so please refer to those posts for more in-depth discussion on those details (see recommended reading). Nevertheless, the basic anatomical structure of the distal foot is, as follows:

Frog: The large triangular, densely callused, almost rubbery mass that takes up a large portion of the distal surface. It has a central cleft (the central sulcus) and clefts at the back, near the heel. As it naturally exfoliates, it tends to peel away first at the tip then progresses back to the middle portion.
Sole: The cornified expanse of the distal foot.
Collateral grooves: The deep grooves on either side of the frog, separating the frog from the sole.
Bars: The hoof wall inverted and then running along the sides of the frog, just along the collateral grooves.
Toe callus: A thickened portion of the sole just under the coffin bone, centered on the sole at the toe and located just at the end of the apex of the frog, in front of the Duckett’s Dot.
Hoof wall: The hard keratinized shell that runs the perimeter of the foot with an opening in the posterior for the frog and heel.
Waterline: Just inside the hoof wall runs the waterline, the perimeter zone that the horse actually walks on in a healthy foot (not the hoof wall). That’s to say, in the healthy barefoot, the horse actually walks on the entirety of the distal foot, including the waterline, not the hoof wall, contrary to conventional belief. In fact, the water line is of superior construction to bear weight and mediate loads compared to the outer wall and as such, the wall tends to wear away, “rolling the toe and edges,” as the waterline becomes part of the more active system for weight bearing.
White line: Between the sole and the waterline is the white line, a buffer zone between the interior of the foot and sole and the hoof wall.
Seat of the corn: This area doesn’t often slough off, but tends to callus into a denser material.
Buttress of the heel: A bit thicker than the wall where it inverts inwards along the frog, this area often becomes substantially more dense with wear.
"Fairy slippers": In the newborn, the distal foot is covered by fleshy tendrils or fringe to protect the dam during pregnancy and birth. They wear off in about a week of birth with active wear.

Recommended reading:

Artist As Farrier Part I (free downloadable PDF)

Steppin’ Out: Hooves From An Artistic Perspective Parts I-XII (keep clicking "newer post" to go to the next part)

Conformation

It’s not enough to know the anatomy of the distal foot, however, we have to know what makes a quality distal foot, too! You see, a quality foot exists within certain parameters that are readily apparent even on the bottom of the foot, and we have to get that right if we’re painting “on the flat” or to best flatter a sculpted distal foot. Said another way, we have to know what to downplay, what to accentuate, and what to add in with pigment to compensate if there are errors in the sculpted features.

Because errors in foot quality are common in sculpture for two primary reasons. First, the sculptor isn’t educated on the points that make a quality foot, so they have a pretty significant knowledge gap. Or second, they’ve parroted what they saw in life without understanding what they were looking at, and so simply duplicated a pathological foot in sculpture. Indeed, foot pathology is ubiquitous in the domestic population so unless an artist is well-versed in foot matters, they’re going to duplicate bad form inadvertently.

I’ve written extensively on foot anatomy and conformation in previous blog posts, so please refer to those for more in-depth discussion on all that (see recommended reading). But simply put, a quality distal foot consists of:

An even hoof wall around the perimeter of the foot. The healthier the foot, the more even in thickness is the hoof wall. As for thickness, use good references to avoid a wall that’s either too thin or too thick (on average about 12mm all the way around the perimeter, including the waterline).
A large, long frog that's wide, being no less than two-thirds of its total length, measured from the heel to the tip (apex), and measured at the widest point at the heel. Plus, the tip should come within one inch of the whiteline at the toe, and point straight to the toe without deviation. It naturally sloughs off or is trimmed as needed. (A foot is considered contracted when the frog is less than 67% of its length in width, a very serious fault.)
A foot balance with a 1:2 ratio in which the distal surface of the foot has 2/3 of its mass behind the frog apex (Duckett’s Dot) and 1/3 of its mass ahead of the frog apex to the point of breakover (not the toe). However, this ratio changes with draft horses because a 1:2 ratio can leave too much toe on such large hooves. Instead, draft hooves should have a 1:3 ratio: 3/4 of the hoof’s mass behind the frog apex and 1/4 of its mass ahead of the frog apex to the point of breakover (not the toe).
Bars that extend more than halfway down the frog on either side, ending about 3/4” from the tip of the frog. They should also be angled forwards at bit, not straight up and down. Presently, it’s thought that quality bars should be angled between approximately 45˚ - 60˚, forwards. They should extend past the sole just a snidge, by about 1/16”, and not be too long as to become overlaid. They should also be straight along the sides and wide at the heel to accommodate a broad frog.
The sole should be about 1/2” to 3/4” thick and even 1” thick at the toe callus, which supports the coffin bone at peak loading. It mirrors the vault on the distal surface of the coffin bone and the distal edge of the lateral cartilages. (This vaulted surface is created by a coffin bone suspended high within the hoof capsule, at or above the coronet, “sucking up” the sole.) This vault should emerge as a smooth dome from the frog and bars, flowing to the edge of the toe callus, or wall (depending on lifestyle) like an inverted salad bowl, with the frog at the bottom of the “bowl,” about 1/4” deep from the walls (the 1/4” vault is thought to allow for the typical 1/4” expansion at the heels, at peak loading). But keep the sculpture’s lifestyle or narrative in mind. Like if the feet are adapted to hard-packed ground or concrete, the sole can grow to “fill in” more of this vault to maintain the coffin bone at the proper height within the foot at impact. However, the proper depth of the collateral grooves proves it’s not a “sinker” foot, but merely one “filled in.” As for its texture, the sole can either be “slicked out” and shiny like smooth, polished leather, or exhibit its natural exfoliation process, depending on lifestyle. As for color, it can be various shades of tan, charcoal, brown or grey, and have dark pigmentation in mottled, splotchy patches on occasion. A poor quality sole has ridges, lumps or bumps, or is made of crumbly, soft tissue. This kind of sole is typical of domestic horses (and is characteristic of shod horses, in particular), in sharp contrast to the soles of feral or barefooted horses. So try to avoid that kind of texture on your painted sole. Also don’t paint in anything that can be interpreted as an injury, cut, or puncture, or indicate that the sole is made of soft, crumbly, weak tissue.
A toe callus underneath the coffin bone.
Deep collateral clefts on either side of the frog to denote a thick sole. Shallow collateral clefts indicate a sole that’s too thin, a very serious fault.
An even, skinny, tiny, and tight white line that lacks deviation or stretching. Dirt typically stains this dark brown, so it’s not usually pale in life unless immediately trimmed to expose the clean tissue.
A thick waterline that, in the healthy barefoot, is what the horse actually walks on, not the hoof wall (which is typically worn away into a “mustang roll,” beveled away by wear).
The seat of the corn that is smooth and free of lumps and bumps that would indicate corns or other injuries.
A buttress of the heel that is approximately 1/4” beyond the distal plane of the heels, though this can vary with lifestyle.
The front foot is broader and rounder while the hind foot is more pointed and sometimes a snidge more narrow. This is due to the physics they undergo, not genetics, as the front foot is more about weight-bearing and the hind foot is more about propulsion. These shape changes can start to occur as early as three days in the newborn.

Recommended reading:

Artist As Farrier Part II (free downloadable PDF)

Textures

The distal foot is also typified by various textures created by the cornified structures and wear and tear and the situational habitat, all of which may play into the narrative, so give it some goodly thought. For example, the sole of many horses living on packed or rocky ground is slicked out like polished leather where as that of horses living in marshy areas are a bit rougher and textured. Pay close attention to textures in your reference photos, which should be of feet that match the narrative of the sculpture.

Media

Use whatever media you’re comfortable with, it’s up to you. But for the sake of this how-to, I'll be using acrylic paint. Here's other media that might prove helpful for your own process:

Acrylic paint (Carbon Black, Titanium White, Raw Sienna, and Burnt Umber are good starts)
Color pencils
Conté pencils
Pastel pencils
Blender sticks
Testor’s Dullcote

Tools

Whatever tools you like are the right tools. But for the purpose of this tutorial, I'll be using a beaten up filbert and small round brushes. Here are other tools you can use:

Pointed Q-tips
Small stencil brush or beaten up brush (like your dappling brush); basically something that’ll create a speckled effect
Size 4 round brush or filbert
Small round brushes with good pointed tips and a good belly of bristles to hold a big reservoir of paint
Good pencil sharpener
Good, clear references

Painting a Sculpted Distal Foot

If the distal foot has been sculpted in, great! That just makes our job all the easier, given it’s been done accurately and properly. If not, we have our work cut out for us, but we can make the best of it with pigment all the same.

On that note, pay attention to the cleanliness of the distal foot in those references. Indeed, the area can manifest very differently whether caked with mud, picked out, brushed out, trimmed, washed clean, stained, or wet. Even grass and mud can get stuck in the structures, adding some fun touches. Likewise then, make sure any of that matches the narrative of the sculpture.

To that end, consider this sequence to start painting it (of a brushed out distal foot):

Pick the darkest color as indicated by your reference and paint the entire distal foot that color (usually indicated by the color deep inside the collateral clefts). Let dry.
Mix up a medium color specified by your reference and use the stencil brush or raggedy brush to speckle that color onto the features. Before you do though, dab out the brush a bit so you produce tiny speckles rather than big dots or globs. You want to stay in scale, remember.
Mix up a medium-light color indicated by your reference and do the same.
Now mix up the lightest color indicated by your reference, and do the same in key areas. Let all that dry. Now you have your blank speckled canvas for detailing.
Use a small round with the darkest color again to re-accentuate the collateral clefts.
Lighten that color a bit and do the same with the central sulcus of the frog.
If your reference shows that the frog is darker than the sole, as is rather common, thin the dark color down into a wash, and give the frog a light wash to tint it darker without obscuring the speckling too much.
Use the lightest color again and thin it down into a wash, and paint in highlights such as key areas on the frog, the heel buttress, and the bars.
Mix up a dark “dirty brown,” and line just behind the waterline around the perimeter of the hoof wall to indicate the dirty white line, if possible considering scale (the smaller the scale, the less likely this becomes feasible).
Now you can paint in details such as crackling, staining, pigmentation, smudges, wet spots, and whatnot. These details can be painted in with paint or the pencils, or both, your choice. Use the Q-tips to blend and smudge as needed or use washes to paint in mottling. When you use the pastel or conté pencils, and even the color pencils, just be sure to lightly spray with a sealant (like Dullcote) before proceeding to the next step to seal them and to reestablish “tooth.”
Make adjustments.
Now paint the perimeter of the hoof wall, blending it into the buttress of the heel. And voilá — done!

Colors Used:

Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
Golden Fluid Acrylics Dairylide Yellow
Liquitex Soft Body Raw Sienna
Liquitex Soft Body Burnt Umber

Painting “On The Flat”

If the bottom of the foot isn’t sculpted and is flat, we can still paint in the features to create a 3D illusion, which is quite fun despite the tight space. We do this exactly the same way as if it was sculpted, only we might have to be a snidge more pronounced in our darkest and lightest colors to lend more 3D punch to the impression.

Tips

Painting the distal foot isn't the easiest thing to do, but there are definitely some insights that make our job easier and our results better, such as:

Consider the narrative of the sculpture as you paint. For instance, the distal foot is often stained or dirtied by the habitat such as the ground, dust, mud, grass, or manure. For example, a pasture-type might do well with some grass staining or wet spots from manure, damp ground, or dew. Or muddy horses will have wet distal feet, so you’ll have to work with darker hues to make it all look damp. On the other hand, be mindful of the colors you paint a base because the dirt or landscape there should be reflected on the distal foot, too. For instance, if you paint the base in a red clay look, the bottom of the feet should indicate this kind of dirt on them as well.
Horses don’t live in a reality vacuum so don’t be afraid to paint in some wear and tear into the features, if possible. The distal foot only looks “pretty” when freshly trimmed, otherwise, it busily at work in life, so be sure to account for those details in your paintwork.
Precision and tidiness is the name of the game, particularly with the thickness of the hoof wall, the evenness of the white line and waterline, and the straightness of the bars, clefts, and frog. So steady your hand, hold your breath, and take your time.
Use brushes with fine points and long enough bristle bellies to hold a goodly amount of pigment so you don’t have to stop and redip into your paint, disrupting a clean line.
Don’t be afraid to paint in dirt, mud, grass, or manure staining, manure wet spots, and other real-life touches.
Study a lot of distal feet in life and in references (farrier and barefoot sources are a handy resource for this) to not only familiarize yourself with the structures and conformation, but for all the textures, colorations, and other details you can add.
A newly trimmed frog won’t be so speckled or dusty in texture but be more slicked out, with more of its potential mottled pigmentation showing. Lean into your reference and consider the situational narrative of the sculpture before decide which route to go down: au naturel or trimmed.
The sole can manifest in lots of different ways, so again, lean into your reference and consider the narrative.
Your references should match the narrative you’ll be painting. For example, a newly trimmed distal foot isn’t going to work for a feral horse, right?
Keep your pencils sharp to maintain a good tip to deposit color cleanly and precisely.
Use the blender sticks as needed to burnish the color pencils into the paintwork as needed.
Certain color pencil colors interact with sealants. For example, yellows, golds, and ochres become more garish whereas pale colors almost vanish, so color accordingly.
If you need to create a glossy, wet look on the bottom of the foot, try Liquitex Gloss Medium. You just brush it on and clean up with water.

Conclusion

Clearly there’s a lot more to painting the distal foot than simply indicating the frog and hoof wall, or just painting the distal foot one flat color! If we’re doing our job well, there’s actually a lot to juggle in a small space and conditions we have to ping if we’re going to create a successful result. It’s not easy, but once you get the hang of it though, it’s actually pretty fun! There’s just so much variety in the coloration options from pale soles to dark soles to mottled soles to crackled soles to slicked out soles and on and on. As long as your distal foot is married to the narrative, you should be golden!

Painting the distal foot is just one of those touches we add for the sake of the art form, for completing the illusion of reality if we so wish. That said, it’s sorta mandatory if the distal foot has been sculpted in, obligating us to paint the features. But if the foot is “on the flat,” painting in the foot features is optional with no right or wrong answer. So in this latter case, whatever floats your boat is the right choice. Indeed, some artists like to sign on the bottom of an “on the flat” foot rather than the belly, so there’s that to consider as well.

With a bit of know-how and insights, this marvel of evolutionary engineering can actually become something quite fascinating to paint. It can even deepen our commitment to our art and our appreciation for this marvelous creature by compelling us to meditate on all the structures, textures, and narratives we have to balance in such a small space. So take your time, educate yourself, and have fun with it, and in no time at all, you’ll be creating beautiful distal feet in all the detail and attention they deserve, and in so doing, put your best foot forward!

“Creative work is a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”

– Steven Pressfield

The Making Of The Lot #19 Prototype: The Silver Dapple Croi Damsha

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:43:01 +0000

Introduction

When Breyer asked me to design a colorway on my Croi Damsha sculpture for their 2026 Breyerfest Auction, I about squealed with delight! Whoop whoop! Absolutely yes! I so enjoyed painting her up for that Premier Collection version years ago so to have another opportunity to interpret her just tickled my toes! And I knew in an instant she had to be classic Silver Dapple. I mean...c'mon. Croi. Pony. Silver Dapple. Three fun things that go better together! So I couldn't wait to get my plastic whiteware Croi from Breyer so I could just jump into Silver Dapple goodness headfirst! Creative cannonball!

Now I did briefly ponder what shade of Silver Dapple to do. The more red kind? The more brown kind? The dark kind? The pale kind? Que?! But then it hit me like a flash...of course, the classic pony kind! That oh-so time-honored "dead grass" variety — just like Merrylegs. I would make my very own Merrylegs out of plucky Croi! (Now I know that Merrylegs was grey, but I always envisioned Silver Dapple.) Black Beauty was one of my favorite books as a child, but also a deeply moving one that has stuck with me into adulthood. Living life from the horse's POV just really left a lasting impression on my soul, as a person and an artist. Indeed, I think you can probably see the influence of that book in all my work. And I've always loved little Merrylegs, so well...with Croi, it was just meant to be, I guess. What a lovely feeling!

So the whiteware Croi arrived in December 2025 and I got right to work in January 2026! So yes — I've been sitting on this top secret little mare for quite some time. Gah! Not an easy thing to do! Especially since I just fell in love with her as I worked, and couldn't wait to see Breyer's amazing translation and then, of course, to share her with you! It was so hard staying mum! But mum I stayed though Breyer did give me permission to give you this play-by-play of her making as I did for my Cosimo auction lot last year. I'm very grateful for this because I think it adds interest to her Croi history as ephemera, which is cool. And honestly, I just like talking shop because maybe it'll help someone out there with their own painting adventures.

Now as for her dead-grass color, that's actually an excruciatingly difficult color to ping. It's this strange neutral tannish-greige that will radically shift warm or cool if you aren't super careful. Like the slightest touch of Burnt Umber shifts it pink (warm) while the teeniest touch of Ivory Black shifts it grey (cool). So I leaned heavily into Raw Umber, a cool brown, neutralizing it with snidges of Burnt Umber as needed to create a neutral base-color brown, and from that, I was able to build her curious dead-grass hues. So these are the colors I used:

Liquitex Soft Body Raw Umber
Liquitex Soft Body Burnt Umber
Liquitex Soft Body Burnt Sienna
Liquitex Soft Body Ivory Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
Golden Fluid Acrylics Light Ultramarine Blue

Note that I didn't go bananas with non-horse colors as I usually do — that was on purpose. Why? Because while I typically paint with color theory concepts using blues, purples, yellows, violets, oranges, greens, and reds, the Breyer paint is quite different and I didn't know how it would behave in that regard. Like I had no idea how it would react to a blue being mixed with the Burnt Umber for a black. It just felt like that was asking for trouble. Instead then I opted to stay with standard colors that I thought would give Breyer the best shot at nailing her color without inadvertently creating a wonky result. I was pretty confident that Breyer had the equivalent "horse colors" in their paint stores so if I could stick with those, I hoped not to hair out the Breyer painting team too much.

For extra pop though, I requested a pearlescent mane and tail (yes, again...hey, I'm just bonko over pearly manes and tails!), a glossy finish (to pop the color), and for spice, I put a blue eye on her left side (hence the Light Ultramarine Blue), painted in the Vintage Custom style that I thought Breyer could pull off perfectly. I decided to keep her markings to a minimum though, largely because I loved how her color came out so much, I just couldn't obliterate so much of it with markings. See, I toyed with making her a pinto but, well...nah, she didn't want to be pinto, and I'm a big believer in listening to the piece. It knows what it needs.

You see, when it comes to your art, you're the only pathway, the only conduit in all space and time for your art to come into the world. That original Vision is yours, and yours alone in all existence, and it's your privilege, your joy, and your duty to manifest it into reality. So when your piece speaks to you — listen. No no no...stop imposing. Listen. So follow your gut instincts — not your head, not your heart, your guts — because that's how your piece communicates with you. As Martha Graham observed so wisely...

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.

So artist, that's your whole, entire job gifted to you by the Universe: To use your authentic, original Voice boldly and joyfully, and to always keep that channel open. So listen. Stop comparing your work to that of others, create for yourself rather than for the kudos, dive in despite that self-doubt, work through that insecurity, ditch that perfection paralysis, dig deep into your moxie, then keep that channel open. In that spirit then, here's the journey into the creation of the prototype for Lot #19 in the prestigious 2026 Breyerfest Auction! Off we go!...

Ajaxing

Before I primer, I always use a toothbrush and an Ajax paste to duly scrub scrub scrub an OF, resin, or custom clean of any residue that inevitably gets onto the piece from production and handling. It also gives the surface some tooth which is important for the primer to really stick. This is a really important step by the way so don't skip it! Then I washed her off really well to get all that Ajax off, using the toothbrush again to scrub it all out of the nooks n' crannies. But when washing, be sure to use cold or room temperature water rather than hot water because you don't want to create bent distortions and wonkiness. Then I let her air dry in a dust-free area. Don't use a towel or whatnot to dry your piece as debris will inevitably stick to it — let it air dry.

The whiteware Croi before primer

Primer

For primer, I used Dupli-color Sandable Primer in White in two light coats. Just one thing: This is a more transparent primer, it's not opaque, so don't load it on trying to get it opaque, you'll just make a mess. Trust me, it'll get the job done with two to three light coats even if it looks patchy and transparent. It's also a "tight" primer that'll preserve your fiddly details really well plus it has a grippy-chalky finish that accepts paint wonderfully. So yeah, I love this stuff! (Just shake the can really well before you use it.) So then I let that primer dry for a good week. Why so long? Welp, that primer needs to fully process and de-gas, or become "cold and hard," before I lay down the basecoat. I find that allowing things to fully settle down before jumping into the next step lends itself a lot more in the durability department in the long run. Besides, if anything weird is going to happen, I want it to happen during this time so I have the best shot at fixing it because I'm just dealing with primer and not a laborious paintjob.

Note: I started this mare in bitter cold December so I had to wait until it warmed up a snidge in the afternoon to primer-spray her. If I'm quick and I keep the can indoors at room temperature, and bring her indoors to dry, I don't have a problem. It's when the can and the model get cold (or when it's left to dry outside in the cold) that I start to have problems. Primers are designed to be stored, sprayed, and dry at room temperature, so I'm really pushing it with the 28˚ temps outside. The risks we take for enthusiasm! All the more reason to really let that primer process for a week.

Note 2: Nope, I didn't prep her as I would a repaint. She still has the seamlines and all that as I primed her exactly as I got her from Breyer. Remember, she's a prototype, not a repaint — big difference.

Basecoat

After that long wait, I basecoated her using unthinned "soft body" acrylics and a beveled, triangular make-up sponges to create a sturdy first layer that has enough tooth to help the following layers really stick. Indeedy, I find that a sponged basecoat is tougher and "stickier" to the primer than a fully-airbrushed one, so I do the sponge application first. Now I do dampen my sponge just a snidge to soften its texture, but not too much otherwise you'll just create pesky bubbles (if you do, just blow on them to pop them and continue).

Anyway, so after that first layer is applied and dry to the touch, I used my airbrush to apply another coat to make it opaque and even all over, getting into all the crevices the sponge missed. Then I set her aside and let that basecoat dry for another week before I started painting in earnest. This allows the paint to fully dry and process with the primer, helping to stabilize it all before I lay down the actual paintjob. Because, again, if anything weird happens, it's better to attend to that now.

Basecoat

Objective: Opaque, even coverage that really sticks to the primer

So to paint her, I approached her with the same philosophy I did with my 2025 Cosimo prototype: Use methods that best match Breyer's processes so they'd have the best shot at duplicating her faithfully. Put another way, I would paint her “factory style.” For that then, I used my airbrush almost exclusively because that's what they'd used in the factory. The only thing I handpainted then were her markings, eyes, and her mane and tail, everything else was airbrushed.

Colors used:

Liquitex Burnt Umber
Liquitex Raw Umber
Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

Note: I started on the dark side rather than the mid-tone side. I tend to start my paintjobs on the dark side because I like how this gives it a bit of depth and dimension with the way I paint. I dunno...it just seems to have more pop right out of the gate, and I want this Silver Dapple coat to really catch your eye with some contrasting tones.

Note 2: I laid on the basecoat (lightly) onto the mane and tail for tooth. I think it creates a more consistent "skin" for durability plus I think it creates a unifying underlying tone.

Note 3: The airbrush I use is an Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS. I love this thing! I've used this puppy for years and years, and it's such a great workhorse! And yeah, I abuse the heck out of it but it still works great! And I use the bottom-feeder model so I have a whole slew of little ready-to-use bottles of color I can just pop on and go!

First Layer

Now I knew that the Croi silver dapple run, Sparrow, was already out there so I had to make mine markedly different and punched up a few notches since, well, I wanted to, plus she was an auction horse and warranted the extra flair. Even more though, I wanted to make her quintessentially "Silver Dapple pony" as well. You know...a dream pony! So what did that mean? Dapples! Lots and lots and lots of big, bright silver dapples!

But I had to be careful — Silver Dapple has a rather distinct dappling pattern. You can't just use a dapple grey pattern, sooty dapple pattern, seasonal dapple pattern, or any ol' dapple pattern and just throw it on there with dead-grass colors and have it read convincingly as "Silver Dapple." You also can't just throw dapples on willy nilly. It doesn't work that way! That's like using an overo pattern on a Barock horse and calling it a tobiano. Indeed, the Silver Dapple dappling pattern can be so distinct that it becomes its own thing so I had to pay close attention to that. And in this, it can have a kind of randomness to it that's odd, unlike many other dappling patterns which can often align to more order. So, for example, there can be patches of big bright dapples right next to very subtle, small dapples, and much more happenstance over the body. In essence, at times it can kinda look like a dapple pattern put into a blender!

But just as much, the pattern can morph between breeds a bit. That's to say, the pattern on a Shetland Pony or Miniature Horse can look quite a bit different than on a Rocky Mountain Horse, feathered cob, or other big breed. I don't know why that is, but it can just look quite different on ponies and minis. So since I wanted her to read "pony" in big flashing lights, I picked a pony version of the pattern off a Shetland. I could just see it on her and I knew it was perfect! So I paid careful attention to plot out the dapples as closely as I could flavor-wise, leaning into the peculiar configurations of the pattern to get it to read "Silver Dapple" while also keeping in mind that Breyer had to duplicate it. In other words, I couldn't go all bananas with the detailed "jigsaw" dapples I was seeing in my reference but had to veer more towards amoebic dots, splotches, and streaks only because Breyer had to translate it all well enough on their end. See, here's my reasoning: It's better to have a 1:1 translation that's been simplified rather than a fancy prototype and a very different auction interpretation. It just makes more sense. Really, a prototype is pointless if the factory can't do a 1:1 translation, so that was my aim. And I really wanted Breyer to nail the coloration I achieved on her, so that was a prime directive.

So to get this party started, I started with a super light color, keeping things pretty tight. Then I went berserk with dappling! Wheee! I followed the flavor of my references to capture "pony Silver Dapple" best I could even at this preliminary stage. Then I had to match that on the other side...oof! That took some doing. But keep in mind that this is just the template, the first stage of the dappling. Next I'll go in with some other colors to tint and mute key dapples to make the overall effect far more rich, subtle, and realistic. It's all done in layers when it comes to airbrushing, much like Photoshop layers. You just keep building and you gotta trust that process.

But speaking of dapples, here's the thing: When it comes to heavily dappled coats like dapple grey, dapple sooties, seasonal dapples, champagne reverse dapples, etc., I like to ease up on the muscling highlighting and shading to focus mostly on hitting the dappling pattern and correct coat tones. I find that too much muscle-work with heavily dappled coats can confuse the pattern and things can end up looking odd and messy when I want that pattern front and center. So that's why I didn't go hard into muscle-work as I did with the 2025 Cosimo prototype, but you did see me agonize over getting the dappling pattern as right as I could with a factory-style approach.

Colors used:

Liquitex Raw Umber
Liquitex Burnt Umber
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

First layer

Objective: Inputting the basic idea of the dapple pattern.

Second Layer

Now I use the basecoat color, but lightened with White into a medium greige color, and went lightly over most of her (not all) to add dimension, tonal shifts, muting power, and to steer her color towards the dead-grass Silver Dapple tone. Now imagine her mane and tail all pale, and maybe now you can start to see the vision.

Colors used:

Liquitex Raw Umber
Liquitex Burnt Umber
Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

Second layer

Objective: Add a muting medium color for some depth and richness, and establishing a more Silver Dapple tone.

Third Layer

Now I lay in brighter strategic dapples, but mostly areas of "blowout" that can be typical on a pony Silver Dapple. Like note the blowout along the barrel, the neck, and up around the topline, in particular. It's important not to do this as a grey pattern of white, but as a Silver Dapple white pattern which is different. A lot of people confuse Silver Dapple with dapple grey, which is understandable. They can look similar in some respects. If you know your stuff though, you can usually tell the difference simply by studying the dappling pattern.

Colors used:

Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
Liquitex Raw Umber
Liquitex Ivory Black

Third layer

Objective: Add some key lighter areas and lighten the dapples

Fourth Layer

Now I lay in the darkest darks like on the legs, face mask, sternum and bottom line, and key areas around the body. This really helps to drive home the idea of Silver Dapple even more. Also note the dark ears? On my references, the Silver Dapple ponies had dark ears despite the very light surrounding areas. Curious.

As for the darkening agent, I used Ivory Black because of its very "cool" blueish tone. The references I'm using seem to be on the "cool" side of the color, more greigy than tan, so I didn't want to use a "warm" black like Mars Black or even a neutral black like Carbon Black. I wanted that "cool" cast that Ivory Black gives.

Anyway, as I painted, I imagined her with her pearly pale mane and tail, the glossy coating, and her exotic blue eye, and I swooned! Where's my fainting couch?! What a pony! In many ways, I realized I was actually painting up my dream pony, and I sure hoped you all would love her as much as I did! I crossed my toes for good luck as I painted away!

Colors used:

Liquitex Ivory Black
Liquitex Burnt Umber
Liquitex Raw Umber
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

Fourth layer

Objective: Add in the darkest dark to complete the colorway and to add dimension

Fifth Layer

So now that the darks are in, I can re-instate that dead-grass tone a little better and tint some dapples. Do you see how it's all starting to make more sense? I kinda have to make a mess before I can finesse it. A mess I can work with! See, the trick is to be a bit messy and chaotic so when I start to set things back or tint portions, they "sit back" in a way that forwards the color as subtle details and tonal shifts. Like in person, she has a ton of subtleties and nuanced colorations that I hope the Breyer Team can duplicate. If they can't, I totally understand. The way I paint is a bit weird, I know. But if they even get halfway there, they're going to do a stunning job!

Colors used:

Liquitex Burnt Umber
Liquitex Raw Umber
Liquitex Ivory Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

Fifth layer

Objective: Turn the tone back to the dead-grass Silver Dapple hue

Sixth Layer

This is an adjustment layer to tweak and refine though, to be honest, there wasn't that much to do as I really kinda liked her as-is. But as you can see, I brightened up some dapples quite a bit and accentuated some blowout around her withers and barrel — she is a Silver Dapple after all. I also highlighted her face a bit more and did her ear fuzz and hooves. Now Silver Dappled horses typically have striped hooves, which is more pronounced with foals to fade somewhat into adulthood. So that's why she's got some subtle striping on her footsies even without ermine spots. I also painted the undersides of her hooves, but only in a generalized way with an airbrush for a better chance at a 1:1 translation by the Breyer team.

Then I did her chestnuts, eyes, and eyelashes. As for her right eye, I painted it as just a big liquid black eye with eyewhites. I didn't want to complicate things with a shaded iris that could get lost in translation. Besides, with the cyclovergence of the equine eye, some folks don't care for the look of that horizontal pupil with the head in this position so I just wanted to avoid that all together. But any which way, look at her all awake with that playful expression! Isn't she fun?! And I painted her left blue eye Vintage Custom style, and though not actually realistic, I think with OFs, the VCM style creates an easier goal and a more flattering result. Blue eyes are excruciatingly difficult to paint without looking possessed and staring, and that Breyer paint is super tricky for handpainting. So I just thought I'd make everyone's life easier with a simple swipe of a blue iris and call it a day. That just saves all of our hair and makes for a prettier OF eye with that difficult Breyer paint. Oh, and Silvers have pale eyelashes, which is why hers are so obviously pale.

Colors used:

Liquitex Burnt Sienna
Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
Golden Fluid Acrylics Light Ultramarine Blue

Sixth layer

Objective: Make adjustments and paint the details

Seventh Layer

It's marking time! As I mentioned, I didn't go bananas with markings only because I liked her coloration so much, I couldn't bear to destroy so much of it with extensive white. So I gave her an odd little sock then a star and snip, and called it a day. I think it's super cute. As for my paint, I used a muted White for a more natural look, but on the OF counterpart, those white markings will be bare plastic — and that makes me happy. See, I love the look of the bare plastic! It has a translucency that's just so appealing. It kinda reminds me a bit of parian (whiteware) porcelain, and I'm a slobbering fan of parian porcelain.

Then it was time to tackle the mane and tail! The tail wasn't so bad as it stuck out from the body. But I did that last because it's such a great hand-hold. Almost like I planned that! wink So I started with the mane, using a paintbrush to get a nice sharp line and then using an airbrush to add striations and shadings. For the tail then, I used a brush around the dock for a sharp, crisp line, then easily painted the rest of it with the airbrush. After that, I also shaded it with striations and shadings. Now I made her mane and tail on the darker side since she is an older silver dapple and that super-pale tone is age-related: Young horses have that super-pale tone which then darkens with age. I also gave her dark roots which is typical, too, of an older Silver Dapple. Lesli Kathman calls them "bottle blondes"! Ha ha ha! But I envision Croi to be a more mature mare so that means her mane and tail needed to be a bit darker.

Colors used:

Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
Liquitex Raw Umber
Liquitex Burnt Umber
Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black

Note: I've been washing my hands with soap and water regularly while I paint her. I want to keep my hand oils to a bare minimum because I don't wear gloves as I paint nor do I glue her onto a ground to hold her. I dunno...I just can't wear the gloves as I work. Maybe that's a bad idea, but well...it is what it is so I just wash my hands a lot. And I think she's too big and heavy for a supportive ground, so I'm just using her tail as a handhold, as you can see from the wear and tear on that basecoat which got fixed when I painted her tail.

Painting Finito!

And phew! Finito! I then signed her with paint and a small round brush with my signature, the year, and "2026 Auction Prototype" on her belly. Don't use pens, gang, as they fade or discolor over time — use paint. It's more inert. But whatever you do, never ever forget to sign and date your work! I'm a big Vintage Custom collector and I can tell you undeniably that signing and dating your work is far more important than you can possibly imagine. And it's so important to make your mark in our arts. Hey, you created something that didn't exist before, right? Own it! You earned that happy distinction! You did something that many other people just can't or won't do, but you did it! How cool is that?! Sign your work!

Ninth Layer

Now I let my paintjob dry for a week (I draped a piece of unbleached muslin loosely over her to keep the dust off) then it was finally time for the finishing spray. For that, I used Testor’s Dullcote then afterward, I let that dry for three days before handling her again. Now I know she'll be glossed in the Breyer version, but regardless, I still glossed her eyes with DecoArt Americana Triple Thick Gloss Glaze and then let that dry for a day. That gloss may take a while to dry, but it does give the most glossy "wet" finish which really pops so nicely. But even better, that gloss glaze doesn’t dissolve and buckle the underlying paint like clear nail polish can, which is a real bother. Anyway, to apply the gloss glaze, I used a small #2 round brush with a good point and cleaned up with water. Yahtzee!

Now you may be wondering why I didn't gloss spray the prototype here, and that's a good question. It has three answers. First, I needed the Breyer team to see her color and effects clearly, not obscured by strong glossy reflections. Second, I've never used gloss sprays and I don't trust them, especially for wrapping up for shipment. The last thing I wanted was to completely ruin what I'd achieved here simply for a gloss finish. Nope. And third, I wanted her to be distinctive from the actual auction version so that auction piece would be truly and completely unique. I wanted there to be no question between the two. So matte finish it was, and I had to imagine her in my mind's eye how the Breyer interpretation would look for months. I was so eager to see it! Any which way, here she is all completely done!...

Voilá!

Spunky Croi all gussied up as the acrylic-painted prototype!

January, 2026

I'm just so happy with how she turned out! She looks so soft and dreamy, reading almost exactly as I wanted her to read and super close to my reference! Woot! Most importantly though, I'm confident that the Breyer painting team can duplicate this paintjob pretty closely for a darned good 1:1 translation. So yeah...when I finally saw the Breyer version on their blog, I bet you could hear my squeal all the way in your neck of the woods! Eeeeeee! ZOMG! So cool! I mean, just look at her official Breyer OF counterpart destined for the auction!...

Lot #19

Just look at how brilliantly they translated her color! Wowie wow wow!

Image courtesy Breyer Horses

I squealed, I was so happy to see how well they translated the color, and just as much, I knew I had done my job well enough. That made me quite chuffed n' puffed! A factory paintjob is only as good as its prototype, but a prototype is only as useful as it's designed with production in mind. So to know that I helped them the best I could by delivering something they could duplicate so closely was really quite satisfying.

Trivia: Do you know that if this Croi were real, she'd technically be a black pony with the Silver gene? Yup! Black! The Silver gene dilutes black pigment into a muted, muddy color while leaving red pigment alone. This is the reason why Silver Bays, for example, tend to be a vibrant red bay with the flaxen mane and tail and mottled legs whereas blacks get the treatment all over.

Insights

All the limelight needs to shine on Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black, and Titanium White, the four core colors that produced this tone. Take a bow, you guys! Whoo hoo! Raw Umber delivered the "cool" not-red brown component, Burnt Umber offered the "warm" red element as needed, Ivory Black provided the "cool" black factor, and Titanium White was perfect for blowouts and dappling. Great job, gang!

As such, the entire trick to painting Croi here was understanding the nature of "warm" and "cool" colors, and how to use them as needed. Why is that? For two reasons. First, I needed to make mud. Yup. Silver Dapple is really just a series of specialized muddy colors. I know I know I know...we always hear, "Don't make mud!" with our paints. But the fact of the matter is this: A pretty large proportion of horse color actually is mud! Champagne, grulla, and many other dilutes, even some liver chestnuts, are really just a specialized form of mud. But the thing is, you can't mix targeted muds if you don't know how "warm" and "cool" colors work. For instance, I mixed cool Raw Umber with warm Burnt Umber to create a neutral brown which I used as my base brown. Then I could shift that more warm for certain patches with red-based Burnt Umber (carefully, to avoid pinks) or more cool with blue-based Ivory Black (with a touch more Raw Umber or Burnt Umber to keep it from turning grey). You see, when you mix type-to-type, or cool-with-cool or warm-with-warm, your colors stay vibrant and glow-y. But when you mix the types together, warm-with-cool, you get muddy colors...but those muddy colors were exactly what I needed for Croi here. So don't be afraid of mud! And second, the Silver Dapple color is really sensitive to color shifting, much like grulla. One teensy touch of this and now it's too warm, one itty bitty dollop of that and now it's too grey, one little splash of that and now it's too brown. If you don't know how to compensate with "warm" or "cool" colors then, you aren't going to ping it. So understanding "color theory" is key to targeting a lot of horse colors, so study up on that and you'll open up whole new horizons for your palette! And then there's this: Artists, know your blacks!

Now as pale as portions her mane and tail look, they aren't stark white, but an off-white with some shading touches here and there. I think the off-white balanced her better but even more, I thought it would look prettier and have more dimension with that pearlescent finish Breyer was going to pop on, on their end. Plus, I think it gave her a more charming, old-timey look, rather than the more artificial-looking stark white. I dunno...it just looked better and less contrived. Less fake-y looking, more natural, if that makes sense. Besides, like I mentioned, Silver Dapple manes and tails darken with age.

Conclusion

Bringing this little Croi to life was such a hoot! Despite some of her tight places and hard angles — and painting that tendril-y mane (what was I thinking?!) — she really does paint herself so nicely. The only really tricky bit was that dappling pattern, but I think I pulled it off okay. I like how it turned out. And I particularly like her little striped hooves and her funny little sock — they came out pretty cool, I think. Wrap it all up, and this Croi here is very much like a dream pony for me. How did that happen?! I guess that was just my inner little girl coming out to paint her, that same little girl who clutched her Black Beauty book and her jam-packed sketchbook, her head and heart full of horsey wishes. The same little girl who begged for a pony every Christmas and Birthday for years and years (my poor parents). So I suppose I finally got my pony! And what a thrill for it to be on Croi here, for Breyer, and for the 2026 Auction to boot! What a full-circle moment!

So thank you a thousand times, Breyer, for this wonderful opportunity to play with Croi again! She was tricky to conjure up, sure, but always a blast every minute! And that's the fun part with challenges — proving to yourself you really can do it is a delightful affirmation and inspiring revelation. And little Croi here guided me every step of the way with her pluck and pep, playfully encouraging me to push the envelope on her coloration a little bit more. She believed in me 100% and that inspiration really punched up this paintjob to hopefully whisk you away into wistful Silver Dapple pony daydreams! Croi, you remain one of my favorites, and it was such a delight and an honor to bring you to life! May your Breyer counterpart bring years of joy and inspiration to the lucky high bidder and may the dosh she brings in serve goodness well. And, of course, kudos to Breyer for yet another triumphant treat for the legendary Breyerfest Auction!

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

― Vincent Van Gogh

Put Through Your Paces: My Top Five Artistic Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:32:49 +0000

Introduction

I often speak of “artistic exercises” when I write how-tos, but what do I mean? Well, every realistic equine artist should have an arsenal of basic tactics they can use to check themselves or better prepare themselves for the job at hand. I refer to these tactics as “exercises” because that’s what they really are: Putting us through our paces to get us back on track. And we should be applying them liberally in preparation to and during our process to stay on point. In this way, they also happen to make tremendous problem-solving strategies to find our way out of the weeds whether it be in sculpture or painting.

The thing is, it’s alarmingly quick and easy to get off kilter as we sculpt or paint. It often happens right under our nose, too, as our perception skews things off alignment or out of scale. For instance, this can be typical with very complicated areas or areas demanding of intense attention making them vulnerable to regimentation such as dappling, ticking, and pinto patterns. But if we can apply these exercises throughout our process, chances are we’ll ping our goals much more accurately.

So to help beef up your own exercises, here are my top five that I find particularly helpful beforehand to prepare and during the process to stay accurate. So letsa go! (said like Mario!)…

Top Five Exercises

#1 Tracing: Digitally on your computer in a photo editing program, make a tracing of a reference photo, like say, of a head, from the side. You want that photo to be as perfectly on-the-side as possible. Use the paintbrush tool with red “paint” to make your tracing so it really pops out, and do it on another layer so you can pop images underneath it. Then use that reference photo and sketch it out. The sketch doesn’t have to be fancy, simply focusing on the structure and placements and proportions will do. Now take a photo of that with your phone (making sure it’s a quality full-on flat view and not at an angle), get that into your computer (I usually text the photo to my computer) and pop it underneath your red tracing. Now scale and align things the best you can. Wherever they align is where you nailed it, but wherever they're off is where you went askew. Make note.

Do this enough times and you begin to see patterns in your perception skews that you can then work to correct. Like maybe you have a propensity to place your eyes too low and make them too large, or maybe the nostrils are often too sloping off the end of the schnoz and too angled, or maybe your mouth and teardrop bones are misaligned a lot. Well, doing this exercise many times over will make all those unwanted tendencies pop out. And that’s just it, you want to ferret out your habitual skews to bomp them back into alignment.

In fact, you can use a variation of this tactic to keep your sculpture in check, too. Simply snap photos of your piece with your phone, and pop it under your tracing. This is especially useful for heads which can skew out of alignment or proportion very quickly.

#2 Window: For painting something complicated like a dapple grey, ticking, sooties, pinto patterns (especially lacy ones), or just any coat color typified by complex aspects, try this tactic. Print your reference out on photo paper in the scale of your piece. And use photo paper, not printer paper as you want to preserve as much detail, crispness, and color saturation as possible (even better, use a tablet). Now take a piece of printer paper, and cut out in the middle of it a little square. For a 1:9 scale, that square can be about 1”, for smaller scales scale it down and for larger, you can scale it up a bit. Now lay that little window onto your printout and go over areas of the body, making mental note of where you are on the body.

What this method does is to remove distraction of The Big Picture for the actual effects and textures and tonal shifts by making you focus on a very specific area on the reference. Do this enough times and your Eye will train on the very complicated color shifts and details quickly so when you lift that printer paper off, your Eye will be more sensitive to hyper-focus on an area better. Indeed, this really makes roan and dapple grey “grain” pop out, the complicated color play on sooties more obvious, and the complex interlay of ticking or lacy effects much more readable. In short, it’s a tremendous translation tool for scale, lay, and accuracy. And now that your Eye is thusly trained, often times you won’t need to lean into this tactic so much because it’ll already apply that “window” to its processing and you’ll just see all this much more naturally.

#3 Comparison: For sculpture, make a very specific pile of references, of say “Arabian mares,” or “Marwari stallions,” “Warmblood gelding,” or “Clydesdale foals,” all of them full side-view as possible, no angles or odd perspectives. Now take your set of sliding calipers (something like this) and start making proportional comparisons all based on the head. That’s to say, take the head measurement from right behind the ears to tip of the (unpooked) muzzle and use that measurement to make comparisons of that head length to areas of the body and legs. What this does is train a mental library of the intrinsic individual variation within each breed or type and between breeds or types. And being able to See individual or breed variations is incredibly important to not only ping breed type, but to do so in a respectful, individualistic way. The thing is, all our Arabians, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Lipizzaners, etc. should all look breedy, but they should also be individuals with their own unique characteristics and proportions. That’s to say, they should portray unique, individual souls and not cookie-cutters in our portfolio. Not only does this explore equidom better, and really inject more interest and challenge into your work, but it’s also more thoughtful to the dignity of this fine creature. When we stop objectifying them based on a “perfect” ideal and really start seeing them as individuals, it’s amazing how a paradigm shift happens for the better!

Now for painting, make a very specific pile of references of, for example, “frame overo,” or “wild ticked sabino,” or “sooty dappled palomino,” or “medium dapple grey,” or “classic silver dapple.” And sometimes you have to separate them into breed piles, too, as genetic pools can skew these colors into their own characteristics. For instance, Shetlands and minis often have a very different expression of silver dapple than say, a hairy cob or Rocky Mountain Horse. So stay sensitive to breed/gene pool variations. So now take one pile and lay those photos out and start making your comparisons between them. What makes them similar? What makes them different? What specific characteristics about each one make them distinctly in that “family” of color or pattern? How does each one diverge? Where is your fudge factor? Where is it not? Creating a mental library of the key characteristics of each color family or pattern family while at the same time understanding where you can bend these characteristics is key to pinging it all more accurately in our paintwork. Do this enough times and you can often then paint a color or pattern without being so dependent on a reference, giving you a lot more autonomy for doing the other side. Sure we can flip over our reference for the other side, but that doesn’t always work so well all the time, does it? But if we already knew where to go, we have a lot more agency for getting it right “blind.”

#4 Invert: For coat effects like dappling and complicated pinto or appaloosa patterns, consider this approach — invert the colors of your reference. To do this, take your reference and pop it into a photo editing program then find the “invert colors” option and there ya go! The lights become dark and the darks become light and — bam — does that stereotypical pattern pop out a lot more! And being in such a fresh new visual, it can really knock your habitual perception for a loop, which is exactly what you want when painting these effects to help avoid formula or regimentation. In other words, by coming at the problem from a different angle, you gain a better shot at hitting your mark. This is an especially powerful tool for pinging dappling patterns such as on greys, roans, sooties, champagnes, and even seasonal dappling. Now yes, it’s a bit of a shock and takes some getting used to, but it can be a very useful tool for getting those dappling patterns on point better.

#5 Scaling: Take your reference photo(s) and use a photo editing program to scale them to the exact size, or as close as you can get, to the actual piece you’re going to paint or sculpt. Then print it out on photo paper to that scaled size and work from that, in addition to your normally sized references (to see detail better). Or consider this kind of scaling on a tablet for new view. See, what this does is automatically scale things down or up for you, giving you something far more objective and tangible to work from than having to scale up or down in your mind which can inadvertently skew things out of proportion. Make your references do the work for you!

This is a super powerful tool for painting, such as for dappling, roaning, sabinos, complex pintos or appaloosas, and for sculpting, such as for heads, legs, muscling, and detailing. It just gives you a more accurate key to work by to keep things in scale. Because that’s the big deal with realistic equine sculpture — scale. Get that right in as many aspects as possible, and you’re almost guaranteed to create a realistic piece. So anything we can do to helps us target it better will be a super handy ability in our skillset!

Bonus tip: Sketch! Do lots and lots and lots of sketches! Seriously — lots. And they don’t have to fully fleshed out sketches either, but just those that work on proportion, placement, planes, and articulations mostly. In essence, think of approaching these exercise sketches as a kind of practice for blocking-in the initial structures on an armature more than fully realized pieces. What you’re doing is practicing over and over these key qualities so you develop more of an Eye for it on your sculptures.

Conclusion

The more we put ourselves through our paces, the better for our art, and this means one thing: Doing something over and over and over again. That’s what most of this boils down to — volume. Because make no mistake, volume counts! Excellence isn’t achieved by a potter focusing on one pot fanatically, but on making a bajillion bad pots before learning how to make them well. That’s how learning art works. So think of these exercises as a kind of shorthand to do that without having to make sculptures or paintjobs by the metric ton. They can help you get to where you want to go developmentally faster and often more effectively than most anything else.

So spend some time for this kind of R&D in your busy schedule, and make it a regular habit before and during each sculpture or paintjob, and sooner than you think, you might find your work improving in good measure, faster and more targeted than before. This is because these techniques tend to target another things besides scale: Our blindspots. And it’s in our blindspots where our errors reside. So the more we can dredge them up to the surface for scrutiny, the faster our work is going to progress and in more technically accurate ways. And discovering our blindspots isn’t only often surprising, it’s exciting! It’s kinda like a treasure hunt of sorts because you not only see where you’re off, but how to fix it all in one go! Because there’s nothing like a problem seen than a problem solved, right? So put on your proverbial artistic running shoes and hit the track to discover just how much potential is still brewing inside of you!

“Success is a worn down pencil.”

— Robert Rauschenberg

Jeepers Creepers: How To Paint Equine Peepers

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:07:46 +0000

Introduction

Painting equines realistically is certainly a challenge! So many facets to balance and juggle and account for! Like realistic effects and patterns, color theory, smooth surfaces, shading and highlighting, flattering the sculpture and on and on…it’s a lot to deal with.

But perhaps one of the most tricky features to paint are the eyes. Ooof! So much expression, detail, precision, and color use in such a small area — it can be a serious tiny mountain to climb. It’s no surprise then why so many beginners really struggle with painting eyes, finding them sometimes frustrating and sometimes even confusing. Yet eyes are both critical for expression and popping the sculpture to life, and in doing so, they can truly make-or-break a piece.

The good news is though, all this is fixable given we know two things: Eye anatomy and a reliable process we can apply across the board. So let’s talk about both in the hopes of making your eye adventures not only easier, but maybe even more fun to boot! Because if we know our stuff, eyes can instead be a real blast to paint! It’s so cool to see the sculpture just come alive right in your hands as you get them on there! So let’s go!…

Before or After?

There is no right or wrong time to paint eyes, as long as you account for your painting process. Like I know some artists who paint the eyes first because they like to have the sculpture come alive early in their painting game — and that’s perfectly okay! On the other hand, many others leave the eyes for one of the last steps, in part perhaps because their painting process has to blast on the facial shading first, or any number of other reasons. But all that is perfectly fine as well. So you paint on your eyes whenever you feel like it — your best time is the right time.

Basic Eye Anatomy

Before we start painting, we should know the general structure of the equine eye so we recognize what we’re looking at in our references to translate it accurately in our pigment. For that then, the structures of the equine eye are:

Cornea and Aqueous Chamber: Together, they form the obvious round shape of the eye. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped structure that sits in front of the iris and pupil, acting as a light-focusing element for the eye. Then the Aqueous Chamber is the fluid-filled space in front of the cornea containing the Aqueous Humor (the gel-like fluid). If you see these structures in a certain light from the front, you can kinda see right through them.
Sclera: Comprising approximately 75% of the globe, it’s the white portion that comes into view when the horse rotates the eye, the “eyewhites.” All muscles responsible for moving the eyeball within the socket attach to the sclera. It has a blood supply so it often has vascular details, and sometimes a mottled pigmentation around the iris. You can see the sclera when the horse moves his eye or even at rest on some breeds, like the Appaloosa, in particular, and some Tekes and Arabians.
Iris: The colored tissue surrounding the pupil that constricts or dilates the pupil to to control the amount of light that enters the pupil, accommodating light intensities.
Lens and Pupil: The pupil is the hole for light to penetrate that’s controlled by the sphincter muscle of the iris. It appears clear, dark, or “mirrory” in normal light, and is a rectangular-ish oval in the horse, in normal lighting, to extend the horizontal field of vision. The lens has tiny muscles to change its shape to alter focusing abilities at different distances. And depending on the light intensity, this pupil can close to be more of a slit in bright light or open to become rounder in low light.
Central pupillary zone: Often obvious on the iris on blue eyes, a central ring of more intense color on the iris.
Peripheral ciliary zone: The larger portion of the iris, often a lighter color than the Central portion.
Collarette: On the iris, the intersection between the Central pupillary zone and the Peripheral ciliary zone, sometimes prominent in humans, but usually not in the equine.
Trabeculae, corneal limbus, or limbal ring: The rim of grey running around a portion of the iris, visible on most horses. This line denotes where the iris joins the peripheral cornea and connects to the sclera, forming grey crescent-shaped lines on either side of the iris (front and back). In fact, the grey is created by the tiny ligaments bridging the iris and cornea. This zone also serves as drainage pathways for the aqueous humour to drain from the eye. Just within and behind this grey line area are tiny radially-oriented fibrovascular ridges known as the Palisades of Vogt that contain limbal stem cells which maintain the corneal surface.
Nigra Bodies (or corpora nigra or granula iridica): Normal and unique in horses, these small dark folds or bundles of tissue lay on the iris. They’re usually found on the upper part of the pupil, but sometimes on the lower part as well. They’re believed to be sunshades for the eye, guarding the lower portion of the retina from overhead sunlight glare while grazing.
Tapetum lucidum: Showing through the pupil, this is a reflective structure at the back of the eye that increases the light capturing ability of the retina’s photoreceptors. Visually, it glows in headlights at night, or creates what we call the “blue glint” in certain angles in daylight.
Nictitans membrane or nictitating membrane (third eyelid): A triangle pink or brown mass of soft tissue with a T-shaped shield of cartilage embedded within it. When the lids blink, the membrane sweeps across the orb, removing debris from the eyeball and distributing more tears. This structure is unique to the horse and only a few other animals.
Lacrimal caruncle: A small dark pad in the anterior corner of the eye that drains the excess fluids from the eye through the nasolacrimal ducts to a small opening just inside the nostril (so that’s not really snot coming out of the nose, but tears).
Upper and Lower Lids: Protecting the eye with reactionary closure, these lids shut fast and firmly. The upper lid tends to have a straighter curve while the lower lid tends to have a deeper curve.
Eyelashes: Being sensitive, they can trigger a blink reflex protecting the eye.
Whiskers: Surrounding the eye are a few long whiskers used as feelers for eye protection.
Medial Canthus: Front corner of the eye.
Lateral Canthus: Back corner of the eye.

Things To Keep In Mind

Similarly, there are some key points to remember as we paint in order to render a more realistic result. As such, these factoids are:

The pupil isn’t round, but a long oval, usually rectangularish. Though it can dilate to become a bit more oval, it shouldn’t resemble a human pupil or dog pupil.
The pupil is set on a horizontal plane, always remaining more or less horizontal, approximately parallel to the ground regardless of head position. This is because horses have cyclovergence, or the ability to spin their orbs to keep the pupil approximately parallel to the ground to best spy potential predators. So study your references to find this nifty ability horses have — it’s cool!
The iris is more ovalish in shape in the horse, not perfectly round so study eyewhites in your references to replicate its shape correctly.
Note any blotches or other discolorations, or even vascular capillaries on the sclera, all useful details. Likewise, the sclera around the iris isn’t always white. Notice how sometimes it can be various shades of pink, brown, or salmon.
The iris has striations radiating out from the pupil like bicycle spokes, like the human eye, which are especially apparent on blue eyes. On the other hand, the amber eyes of some champagne horses don’t always exhibit these striations, appearing more monochromatic, even a bit metallic. Similarly, on many blue eyes, we can see some concentric rings of color radiating from around the pupil as well as the spokes, which can be a nifty (albeit difficult) detail to add due to scale.
Note the darker concentric rim of color sometimes around the pupil, often present on blue eyes, in particular. This makes the pupil look bigger than it actually is from a distance, so be sure to account for that in your paintwork. Anatomically, this is usually the coloration of the Central pupillary zone.
The horse’s third eyelid, located at the front corner of the eye and usually seen as a thin membrane, is often colored brown, mottled brown, or dark pink.
The little bulb at the front canthus, the lacrimal caruncle, is often pink of various shades but sometimes a pinkish-brown, too.
There's the corpora nigra (black bodies) or granula iridica (iris granules) above and sometimes below the pupil. If you can swing it, it can be a neat detail to add if the eye is big enough because scale is often a problem when trying to include it.
Horse eyes can be many shades of tan or brown, from yellowish to amber to chocolate. They can also be various shades of blue from a pale silver grey to mottled cobalt. Greenish eyes also occur as a transition color during the lightening process of the iris with champagnes. What’s more, horses can have marbled eyes in which the blue and brown pigments are jumbled together. However, equines cannot have red eyes as true albinos like rats, rabbits, and such. This is genetically lethal in the womb for horses, so no…no red-eyed horses.
The horse is remarkably expressive with their eyes and many tiny muscles govern its motion. As such, the eyes can move up and down, front and back, and can move symmetrically in unison or even side-to-side like a “cat clock.”

General Eye Painting Tips

What’s more there are specific tips you can employ for the painting of all colors of eyes, in all situations, as such:

Be very precise and tidy when painting the eye and surrounding areas, everything here should be clear, tight, and decisive, not careless, wobbly, messy, or hurried. Absolute precision is your friend here. Indeed, the eye structures are very precise and so should your painting of them. Like we shouldn’t have lid color dipping onto the orb or eye color creeping up onto the lids and pupils shouldn’t be misshapen and blobby. Keep things tidy.
Don’t be married to a preconceived notion of an expression because, often, the piece will dictate what looks best despite your original intentions.
Use a set of tiny quality brushes with very good points and longish bristles to hold a good reservoir of paint. But don’t soak your brush with pigment as this will suck paint into the ferrule then dry, spreading apart the bristles. In fact, having a dedicated set of eye-painting brushes is a good idea for this reason. Take good care of them.
It’s important that your painted eyes “glow," like glass illuminated from behind. This is only achieved through a skilled use of tone and color, so keep practicing until you’ve gotten the knack of it.
You can add metallics to the eye colors for extra punch and are particularly effective when painting the eyes of champagnes.
Shrink down your reference to the size of the eyeball you’re painting to get a better one-to-one comparison for guidance. This is especially helpful for painting blue eyes. (Use photo paper for your print out, not printer paper to preserve color and crispness in the details, or if you can shrink the image on a tablet, that's even better.)
Your paint mixtures should be on the thin side, about a 1% milk consistency. This will prevent a bumpy, lumpy, “braille” result. You want to slowly build up the layers of color and detail rather than bang it out in one go. That’s to say, you want the paint wet enough to flow well and stay put, but still be a bit blendable while not gumming up the works. Again, there’s a Goldilocks Zone of consistency so practice at it first on a junker model.
If you want to paint in that blue glint in the pupil, simply thin down some dark blue metallic paint or Interference Blue and paint a smear of that on there. This’ll produce that “now you see it, now you don’t” blue sheen you want.
For extra points, you can paint the “eyeliner” along the rim of the lower eyelid which is sometimes there as a subtle dark charcoal for dark skin and subtle medium salmon for pink skin.
Avoid creating a “braille” eyeball with lots of brush strokes and big dollops of color. Keep your paint thin enough to be smooth on the eyeball.
Try using drying retardants for your acrylic paint if you want. They can often make your job easier when it comes to painting complicated eyes with acrylics.
Keep the details on your eyeball clear and distinct so you don’t end up with a confusing mess. Precision and clean lines are your friends when painting eyes.
Know when to edit out to maintain clarity and avoid a messy, confusing result.
Don’t veer off-tone with your eyes, but stay true to your reference. It’s easy to get caught up in the business of painting an eye, but keep yourself on target by checking against your reference regularly.
Don’t go out of scale. Keep things as teensy tiny as they need to be.
The brush you use is everything! One with a tiny, hyperfine point with a nice belly to hold pigment is your best friend with painting eyes. So if you’re struggling, try a better brush. Also, don’t use this brush to mix paint as that’ll ruin it. Mix up your paint with a palette knife or a junker brush.

Basic Colors To Use

Equine eyes come on a variety of colors and tones so stay sensitive to that diversity. In other words, don't necessarily paint the same type of eye on different pieces but instead try to express this variety found in life, consistent to a reliable reference. Even so, we can lean into some standard colors that can produce the wide spectrum of colors we'll need. (These colors are in Liquitex Soft Body and Golden Fluid Acrylics, but there are equivalents in oils as well.)

For brown, hazel, tiger, yellow, or amber eyes, think about using these kinds of colors:

Blacks (warm Mars Black, cool Ivory Black, or neutral Carbon Black)
Burnt Umber
Raw Umber
Burnt Sienna
Van Dyke Brown Hue
Raw Sienna
Red Oxide
Yellow Oxide
Taupe
Turner's Yellow
Titanium White

For blue eyes or wall eyes think about leaning into some of these types of hues:

Titanium White
Raw Umber
Blacks
French Grey
Navy
French Ultramarine Blue
Light Ultramarine Blue
Light Blue, Permanent
Brilliant Blue
Cerulean Blue
Whatever blue matches your reference best

For green eyes, think about grabbing some of these colors:

Titanium White
Blacks
Burnt Umber
Raw Umber
Raw Sienna
French Ultramarine Blue
Cerulean Blue
Naples Yellow
Turner's Yellow
Diarylide Yellow
Brilliant Yellow Green
Parchment

For grey eyes on foals, consider these colors:

Blacks
Titanium White
French Grey
Raw Umber
Burnt Umber

For sclera, think about using these hues:

Titanium White
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Raw Umber
Blacks (warm, cool, or neutral)
Taupe
Yellow Oxide

For the "blue glint" inside the pupil (optional), think about using one of these:

Interference Blue
FolkArt Metallic Midnight Blue
FolkArt Metallic Blue Sapphire

Which Approach?

There are four basic schools of thought when it comes to painting eyes:

To paint them like a cabochon jewel
To paint them literally
To paint the iris as a colored crescent
To paint the eyes all black

Whichever approach is up to you and your tastes, there’s no real right or wrong answer here. And you can mix them up! For example, brown eyes often do better with the cabochon approach while blue eyes usually do better with a literal approach. On the other hand, painting an eye all black will produce a beautiful “liquid eye” or “doe-eyed” softer expression. Then if you want a more Vintage Custom look, try the crescent technique. And you don’t have to stick with just one forever — mix them up depending on the needs of your piece and narrative.

But for the cabochon jewel approach, we paint the iris like it reflects light like a jewel. In this, when light hits the eyeball, it passes through and hits the iris on the opposite side. Therefore, based on a light path that enters at the front and top of the eye, a standard placement for light, use the darkest shadings at this point of entry then use the lightest shadings directly opposite this point on the iris, just below the pupil. It really makes the eye come to life and “pop” with interest, luster, and glow. It also dampens down a possessed look often caused by a timid use of shadow and highlight. Just take care to blend the colors to achieve this gem-like quality.

As for the literal approach, you simply paint the eye exactly as you see it in your reference, using little to no shading and highlight to denote light’s passage through the eye. This is actually ideal for blue eyes due to all their details where shading and highlight could just confuse the result. Even so, if you can use the cabochon method on a less detailed blue eye, try it as it makes for a lovely effect.

For the crescent method, create a pointed half-circle of brown color (for a brown eye) or blue color (for a blue eye) along the back and bottom of the iris, producing a hint of the iris in a very simplified approach. This technique was common in the past and as such, is often seen on Vintage Customs. However, today, it's fallen out of favor.

Then for the all-black approach, usually a solid, opaque black like Mars Black or Carbon Black will do. You can still paint in the third eyelid and lacrimal caruncle, too, if you like, or not. It’s up to your aesthetics. This is another good beginner method.

Omlats are sometimes included by some artists, that dot of white paint at the top front corner of the eye to denote light reflection on the orb. This was rather common in the past and is often seen on Vintage Customs, but the practice has largely fallen out of favor today.

Painting A Brown Eye

To paint brown eyes, adjusting some of those recommended colors will create pretty much all the hues and tones you’ll ever need, from yellow eyes to dark brown eyes. As for the actual sequence, you can proceed as follows:

Paint the whole eye black.
Paint in your basic sclera or expression, so you know where to place the pupil and other bits of anatomy.
Next, paint over the black portion with a dark brown of your choice, leaving an encircling thin black rim against the sclera.
Then lay in the pupil with black, being mindful to keep it parallel to the ground consistent with cyclovergence. Also be mindful of the orb’s rotation and subsequent pupil position so it’s consistent with the sclera's exposure.
Next highlight that lower back portion of the iris, opposite the point of light entry, often with Burnt Sienna mixed with some Raw Sienna for more punch, then blend.
Then at the point of light entry, darken the area with darker shadings for more punch.
Then blend the three color areas together, careful not to muddy them and staying mindful not to distort your pupil too much (you can clean it up later so don't fret this too much).
Add in the grey line if you can see it, like if your reference tells you so.
Add in tiny striations for added detail if you wish, depending on what your reference is showing you and if scale permits. Also be mindful of the concentric oval of darker color around the pupil if present in your reference, the Central pupillary zone.
Make adjustments so it’s all just right, and done! If you wish, you can now add in the pupil's "blue glint" to denote the reflective qualities of the tapetum lucidum. Just keep it a light wash because you want just a kiss of shimmer here.

Things To Keep In Mind With Blue Eyes

Blue eyes are indeed arresting, but if done improperly, are notorious for a staring, possessed look. To that end, some important tips to remember about blue eyes are:

Blue eyes aren’t dependent on face markings or pinto patterns. In fact, they can occur with little to no face markings or pinto pattern whatsoever. In turn, bald face markings can have brown eyes or even marbled eyes. So it all depends on an individual’s genetics so work from a good, reliable reference.
Blue eyes come in a wide variety of tones in from blue-grey to silver blue-grey to a slate blue to navy blue to denim blue to even a brilliant turquoise. There’s so much variation! So always — always — use good reference photos when painting a blue eye. A great reference is your best friend in this! To that end, follow that reference religiously in terms of tone and structures otherwise your blue eye won’t be so convincing.
Observe the details of variation. Like note that the bluer the eye, what tends to happen is that the blue patches become more pronounced and numerous as do the mottling and streaking. In other words, notice how the iris usually doesn’t become bluer by monochromatic intensity, but by the bolder mottling, striations, streaks or patches? One of the biggest mistakes in creating a very blue eye is to make it a homogenous strong blue color which usually contributes to that staring, possessed look. An exception to this are the blue eyes on champagne foals which can be a rather vivid "creamy" blue more monochromatically until they change into green then finally into amber.
Blue eyes just have a lot of stuff going on in a tight space, but it’s important to catch as many of these details as feasibly possible, keeping scale in mind. For example, iris striations are easy to see on blue eyes, becoming very important details to reproduce is scale allows it. Also notice the blue line running along the circumference of the iris where it borders the sclera? Then next to this, towards the iris, is the grey line, then often inside that is a lighter grey band, then we get to the blue on the iris. It’s details like this that will take your blue eye to the next level if scale allows it.
Notice how blue eyes often have patchiness of darker blues in zones above and below the pupil. Patchiness and mottling can happen all over, of course, but there is a tendency for it to concentrate above and below the pupil on many eyes.
Know your eye structure when painting a blue eye because they all become rather obvious with those pretty blues.
Be sure to match your blue tones to the blues in your reference. This is very important to create a truly believable result. Like consider using the color sampler tool in a photo-editing program to pinpoint the color families as the results can actually be a bit surprising. For example, some blues eyes don't really lean blue, but into bluish grey and grieges whereas others can be really blue or turquoise. Some hues can even lean into purples, reds, greens, oranges, and yellows! The point is, keep an open mind when interpreting tones, and using that sampling tool helps to guide us pretty well.

Painting A Blue Eye

To paint blue eyes, consider using those recommended colors. In particular, I find that a bluish French Grey can come in very useful at times for those eyes that lean into greys rather than blues. Also consider Burnt Umber or Raw Umber to add a griege component as needed.

To start, find the darkest blueish tone in your reference and mix that color then paint the entire eye with it.
Paint in your basic sclera or expression, so you know where to place the pupil and other bits of anatomy.
Then take your black and boop on your pupil as precisely as you can, being mindful of its placement as consistent to the sclera and with cyclovergence as per the head position. Now you have you basic canvas.
You can approach painting a blue eye in two ways — literally or jewel-like, your choice. Literally is simply following your reference to the letter, and that works beautifully. Jewel-like is shading and highlighting the iris in that cabochon manner to add dimension. I recommend painting literally when you paint your first blue eyes to get a feel for the process. Then as you gain confidence you can add some artistic touches like shading and highlight if you wish — or not, it’s not necessary. Just a matter of taste. And sometimes a literal approach for highly detailed blue eyes is the only feasible option to avoid a confusing result, so it's very much a "your best judgment" kinda situation.
Don’t overlook the splotches, mottling, and streaks many blue eyes have, for detail. Like, capture as many details as you can such as the striations radiating out from the pupil on the iris to any striations that encircle the pupil as well, if scale permits. Also pay attention to the concentric oval of darker blue color around the pupil that's often present on blue eyes (the Central pupillary zone), making the pupil look bigger than it actually is from a distance.
Expect to do a lot of back-and-forth work with painting a blue eye to get it just right, but try not to compromise the tidiness or the position of your pupil too much. If you do though, no big whoop. You can finesse it up later.
Make adjustments until it's just right, and done! If you want, now you can add in the pupil's "blue glint." Keep it a subtle wash because you want just a hint of shimmer.
Or you can simply use the crescent method and finish up quicker, your choice.

Eye Color Variations

We can apply either or both of these painting approaches to all the color and effect variations we see in equine eyes. For example:

If you wish to paint a glass eye or wall eye, simply use more white in your blue mixes and lean more into silvery grey rather than blue. If you need darker blues, ease up on the whites and lean more into your blue pigment and bluish greys. If you need to mute the blue a little bit, think about adding a teensy dab of black (preferably a cool-tone black such as Ivory Black, but a neutral black such as Carbon Black works well, too) to create more of a blue-grey. If you need more of a greige, think about adding a smidgeon of Raw Umber or Burnt Umber. There’s a lot of options so play around with the possibilities and follow your reference as closely as you can, using that color sampler tool for guidance.
To paint a tiger eye, amber eye, or yellow eye, use less brown (the Umbers) and lean more into the yellows, golds, and tans (such as Raw Sienna and Taupe) and white. Also think about using not-red Raw Umber more as a darkening agent rather than Burnt Umber, which is a warm red-tone that can confuse the look if used too much. Or you can mix together Raw Umber and Burnt Umber to create a neutral brown which you can then use to build these types of eye colors, too. The point is, you want to accentuate the not-red golds and downplay the reds for the best result here.
To paint the green eyes on young champagnes, instead of using just blues, mix in a bit of golds or yellows to green up those blues a smidge, or even just use muted greens if you like, leaning into sages and greyed-up green tones. Experiment to see what works with your reference. An important thing to notice though is that a champagne’s green eyes tend not to have the patchiness on the iris blue eyes often have since the green is a transition color. Also when painting green eyes, be mindful of the age depicted in the sculpture as green is typically an age-dependent transition stage in champagnes. For instance, at around 4-5 months they're a blueish or green color then at around 10-12 months they start to turn from green to Amber, very generally speaking. It all depends on the individual genetics of the animal as some of these timelines can be longer.
A marbled eye is achieved by combining the brown and blue techniques onto one eye. It’s a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a wonderful touch of novelty.
If you study eyes closely, you'll see that some of them have a sort of metallic sheen to them in a certain light. Adult champagnes can have this effect, for instance. You can mimic this by adding metallics into your eye colors. Don't go overboard though as we want just a sheen, not a carnival paint effect.
Newborns and young foals tend to have eyes with a greyish-bluish cast to them as their eye color comes through as they mature and more melanin develops. This can extend to the first few months of their lives, to about six months of age. It all depends on when that melanin develops. However, champagne foals can have "creamy" blue eyes or blue-green eyes, so pay attention to color genetics when painting foal eyes.

Sclera

Eyewhites are created by the sclera when the orb is moved, and which lends so much expressive power in our paintwork. However, sclera isn’t always white but can be riddled with a spectrum of reds, pinks, browns, salmons, mochas to even some greys. This is due to the blood supply to the eye, the colors of the membranes, and how the iris blends into the sclera. Also note that some sclera can be flat-out chocolate-colored and not pale at all, so be mindful of that kind of variation, too. Also, the border between the iris and sclera isn’t always crisp, clean and perfectly oval. Sometimes it can indeed be mottled, blended, irregular or patchy in places. Closely study eyes on living horses and in photos to get a better idea of these details.

Tips For Painting Sclera

Be sure that grey line is present as it’s usually obvious when the eye is rolled forwards or backwards, upwards or downwards. So pay attention to it in your reference.
Study how eyewhites vary in position and degree, depending on the horse’s different head positions and expressions.
Sclera should be consistently “shaped” with the pupil/orb's cyclovergence due to the head position; they have to marry together.
The less white you lean into when painting sclera, the more realistic the eye will appear whereas the more you lean into white, the more cartoony the eye will appear. So try not to to use straight white for sclera as it’s too stark but instead mute it into more of a fleshy griege so it reads more flesh-like. However, if you want a more Vintage Custom look, use the straight white as that was the practice back then.
Sclera can really change the expression of a piece so give it some thought and think about the narrative of the sculpture as well.
I like to paint my sclera completely first then paint the rest of the eye. I just find this works best for me, but approach it in any way that works best for you.

Painting Sclera

You can paint your sclera before painting the eye proper or afterwards, your choice. However, I recommend painting it first so you can better place your pupil.

To start, mix Titanium White and Burnt Sienna with just a scooch of Burnt Umber together, producing a medium pale muted pink; this is your basic mix. Paint this onto the orb in the location you wish to create your target expression, staying mindful of the iris’ oval shape, the intended position of the pupil, and cyclovergence.
Take a small portion of this mixture and deepen it by adding a bit more Burnt Sienna. Add this darkened color to either “tail” of the eyewhite to lend dimension. You can also add in a teensy bit more of Burnt Umber or Raw Umber to this mix as well for variation.
Take a small portion of the standard mix and lighten it by adding more Titanium White. Thin this mixture a little bit with water and paint tiny blotches or streaks in the middle, between the deeply pinked “tails.”
If your reference calls for it, mix up some Titanium White and black to make a soft grey and add in some grey splotches…or salmon colored or brown, depending on your reference.
Then neatly dab in the lacrimal caruncle with the appropriate color.
If you wish and if scale permits, use the thinned deep pink mixture and mix in a bit of Burnt Umber and use this brown-pinkish mix to delicately line the outer rim of the third eyelid, defining it. Just be careful not to create Appaloosa-like sclera on a non-appy as this might be off-type. Also, be sure to avoid making the third eyelid too exposed or large since this would indicate injury or disease. Keep it subtle and small.
You can take a small portion of the standard mix and mix in Burnt Sienna or Burnt Umber or some such color to create a burgundy-red to create little capillaries criss-crossing your sclera. Don’t go overboard, just two or three teensy ones will do. This isn’t a necessary detail as it’s not always apparent, but it’s a fun one if scale permits.

Glossing

After your painted eyeballs are thoroughly dry, many folks like to coat theirs in a gloss of some kind to make them appear alive, shiny, twinkly, and wet. Really, it adds a perfect touch! Everyone seems to have their own way to gloss eyeballs, but there seems to be three basic ways to do this, as follows:

Liquitex Gloss Medium: Apply this straight out of the bottle with a fine-pointed small round brush. Be tidy! And don't pile it on in one go! One medium coat will do. Let dry completely (at least one hour) before handling. Clean your brush with water.
Clear nail polish: Don’t use the provided cap brush to apply, but use a fine-pointed small round brush. But before you apply to your eyeball, coat that eyeball first in Liquitex Gloss Medium to create a barrier. You see, nail polish is full of solvents that’ll dissolve and buckle all your paintwork if you apply it directly on. To avoid that, apply the Gloss Medium first and let it dry completely (a good hour) before applying the nail polish. One layer will do. Don’t gob it on either, one thinnish coat is fine. Let dry completely (two good hours) before proceeding with the whatever else you want to do like hairing. Clean your brush with nail polish remover then rinse in water.
DecoArt Americana Triple Thick Brilliant Brush On Gloss Glaze: Apply with a fine-pointed small round brush and be careful as this stuff is super thick and takes some getting used to. So don’t gob it on, but keep it as thin a layer as you can. Let dry overnight before proceeding. Clean your brush with water.

Conclusion

Painting eyes well takes a lot of practice to develop an ability to ping the proper tones, a steady hand for a tidy, precise result, and an Eye to home in on all the details. It’s simply a numbers game. So paint up a lot of junker eyes over and over and over again to perfect your skills before painting your fine piece. And just remember, if you hose it up, no big deal! Simply paint over it in the base color and start again.

Above all though, be patient with yourself. Painting eyes is difficult, even for the seasoned artist because there’s a lot going on in a teensy tiny space! So show yourself some grace, take a breath, and try again.

With study and anatomical knowledge, lots of practice, a solid mental library, good references, and a bit of gumption, you too can be painting up beautiful eyes in no time! They truly are the “windows to the soul” that will make your piece just pop to life in such a beautiful way, often making them so much fun to paint up once you get them pretty well under your belt. So keep at it, study horse eyes for variations and details, and you’ll soon develop your own savvy Eye for painting those beautiful equine peepers!

“An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.”

― Martin Buber

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part VI

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:29:22 +0000

Introduction to Part VI

Here we are, finally at the last part of this enormously long and info-laden six-part series about artist block and burnout, and how to beat them. And that’s just it, the more of these tactics you apply to the problem, the better your chance at reclaiming your creativity! So don’t hold back…whack ‘em with all you’ve got! Because that’s just it — you have to fight for your art. Block and burnout just won’t go away on their own. Those bullies will just keep bugging you unless you give them a reason to leave, and all of these strategies give you an array of options to convince them to go. Because you’re worth it, your art is worth it, and your sense of joy and peace with creativity are worth it, yes? Yep!

So enough of my yammering, and let’s jump right into this last sixth part to wrap up our discussion on amending tactics while also jumping into some preventative measures to keep block and burnout at bay forever! Off we go!…

The Turnaround Strategies, cont’d

Connect with community: Find your people, find your clan. Connect with like-minded folks and become part of their community. Join online forums, participate in and attend art events, become someone of standing. A vibrant, solid community can offer inspiration, support and even humor, rounding out your creative life. But even more, a supportive artistic community can be a pivot point for developing your own creative resilience to combat blocks and burnout by being the antidote to the isolation and doubts that come with the creative experience. Indeed, a community provides a framework of camaraderie and affirmation, offering up a tremendous support system and resource clearinghouse. Embrace the power of community, and you can make new friends, fruitful networkings, exciting inspirations, and newfound resilience to thrive in your creative journey.

Make a mess: Arting is often messy business, so let it be! In other words, give yourself permission to make a mess out of things to then pull it back into more order. Like don’t your pieces go through a series of ugly stages to become the swan? Yeah, that. So don’t worry so much with each step and just enjoy the process. You’ll find your way through, trust in that. And if you have any questions, there’s always the wisdom of fellow creatives or even the community hivemind to get you out of the weeds.

Bad art: Every artist — yes, every single artist — makes “bad” art. Every artist ever has had “bad art days.” That’s simply the way of arting. You have to make some questionable art to make those few “great” pieces, too. So give yourself permission to make bad art — it’s okay. Arting is a process and part of that process is learning and part of learning is making mistakes and taking wrong turns. There will be moments when you fail — it’s not a crisis! It’s natural and normal. So just ease up on yourself and give yourself permission to be human. Quit with the unreasonable expectations of always being perfect. Always be self-kind and practice compassion with yourself — you and your art will benefit from it.

Psyche self-care: Often overlooked, this is crucial all the same. Indeed, there can be no joyful or effective arting without ample holistic mental health self-care! So carve out the time for your other interests, family and friends, activities and events to round out and amplify your engagement in your own life. There’s more to life than arting, so get out there and experience it! All your life experiences matter. Go to the movies, the fair, visit family, go out with buddies, game, have a movie night with your spouse, travel — live the fullness of your life, too. It won’t just nourish your heart, but it can do a lot to give you a needed rest from the studio to avoid burnout.

Reflect: Make some space for self-reflection to really get to the bottom of your block or burnout. Keep asking yourself, “why?” until you hit pay dirt. Angst is useful only so far as an alarm to a problem but beyond that is fixing the problem, right? And we do that by dissecting the problem completely — so get to picking it apart, as painful as it might seem. Was someone cruel to you regarding your art (that includes you, by the way)? Did something happen that was upsetting with your art? Whatever it was, sit with it and process it out. Journaling can be useful here, or talking to someone you trust. Even just talking to yourself out loud can bring the gunk to the surface. Whatever it is, you have to process it to grab the problem by the scruff of the neck.

Create for yourself: There’s no rule that says everything you create has to be for sale or for someone else. You can make art for yourself! In fact, making art without external expectations can be truly liberating and motivating. So making art simply for the joy of making art can be tremendously beneficial in more ways than one, especially if you’re battling block or burnout. Like when I was coming out of my painting burnout in the oil painting classes I was taking, I made all the maquettes for myself, and I found that to be such a delightful, novel sensation! Seriously, making art for yourself can be just the ticket!

Create with your kids: You know who “gets” arting best of all? Kids! Every single child is an artist, one deeply attuned to their creative drive and Voice. They have no artistic fears or qualms — to them, everything is possible! Superhero toasters? Of course! Talking trees? Why not? Whales floating over rainbows? Absolutely! So relearn the joy of creative freedom from the most natural artists on the planet, children! Indeed, you might have your best little guides living with you right now!

Make boundaries: “No” is your most potent ally and, remember, it’s a complete sentence. It will keep you from getting over-scheduled, overcommitted, and overworked, critical aspects for amending or avoiding burnout. Also setting boundaries ensures that your energies are best spent on what truly matters, that your precious focus isn’t squandered on things that don’t serve you. So whatever doesn’t align with your Voice, convictions, values, brand, goals, schedule, or even doesn’t inspire you, just say “no” and move on.

Remember: Celebrate your roots and all your achievements, no matter how small. Like peruse your portfolio, even from your early days, and soak up how far you’ve come. Kudos! Job well done! Reflecting on your accomplishments will boost your confidence and self-worth as well as remind you of your love for your art. So rather than looking at the works of others so much, take time to also gaze at your own portfolio to affirm your amazing journey. Truly, seeing how much you’ve done and how well you’ve developed can inspire further growth and exploration.

Take a break: Turn off social media periodically. Honestly, it’s really good to step away as often as you can. That constant feed of all those highly curated highlight reels can lead to a lot of confusion, negative self-talk, and disillusionment. Besides, social media isn’t real human interaction — it’s a facsimile. It’s why we can feel emptier after indulging it rather than fulfilled or more connected. This is because it lacks all the body language, tonal nuance, physicality, and in-the-moment realness we evolved to respond to — that in person, real-time communication. You cannot laugh with someone on a social media post like you can in person can you? Nope. Like that. So step away from it as often as you can to refocus your attention on your art and real-time life.

Creative mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness while in the throes of your creativity is a nifty way of building an emotionally sustainable arting environment for yourself. For instance, be present while you create your art. Not meditate per se, but accept your feelings and thoughts while working, or live in the moment with each brushstroke and toolstrike. Experience each moment as fully as you can and sit with it because this reorients your focus on the process and the experience of making your art, and not so much on the outcome.

Routine, rituals, and habit: Sometimes we do better with with these things because they lend structure and familiarity to our experience. So if they feed a positive sense of well-being for you, protect your routines, manage your habits, and engage in your rituals to best connect with your inner creative self.

Maintain perspective: Creativity and inspiration ebb and flow with some people while in others, it’s a constant gusher, and then everything in-between. Everyone is different. So just because some artist may be especially prolific doesn’t mean you’re a failure if you aren’t equally so. It doesn’t mean you have less ability, less ambition, or less inspiration or whatever, either. It simply means you’re each different and that’s okay! Just remember to always act in your own best interests and if that means the shape of your creativity is different from everyone else’s, no big deal. That’s the mysterious nature of arting!

Phew! That was a boatload of tactics, wasn’t it? Wow! But bundle all this up and we have ourselves quite the toolbox for fixing our block or burnout, don’t we? Note how multi-faceted they all are, too, as a block or burnout is best attacked on several fronts at once. So consider practicing several of them rather than just one or two for the best results.

Also recognize that both a block and burnout are psychological. There’s nothing physical stopping you — it’s all in your head, rooted in either fear or exhaustion. As such, nearly every artist will have to sit with them at some point, to some degree in their career. It’s how we manage them that determines whether we bounce back or get stuck, so pay attention closely to your sensibilities and creative spark. In fact, the challenges a block or burnout present can actually be catalysts for innovation, growth, evolution, and new-found inspiration!

Also remember that the Path of being an artist isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. You are the tortoise, not the hare — and remember who won the race. By staying mindful, practicing energy and time management, seeking growth and evolution, focusing on the process, and challenging your comfort zones and conventions, you can help to keep your inspirations fired up and your creative excitement hummin’ along. In this way, rather than being roadblocks, our brushes with block or burnout can instead become valuable stepping stones as we evolve and finesse our art, all the while developing our creative resilience and affirming our dedication to our art.

Preventing Creative Burnout

Believe it or not, we can prevent artist block or burnout from ever happening, no matter how rigorous our job. It’s not an inevitable fate for the artist. How? Well, by adopting some proactive tactics, artists can foster resilience to protect their creativity. So what are some of these strategies? Well, they’re as follows:

Prioritize Self-Care: This is a pillar of burnout prevention so nurture your physical, mental, and emotional health. In particular, eat properly, hydrate, and get plenty of quality sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major contributor to burnout so don’t skimp on sleep! Along those lines, inject relaxation techniques into your routine like deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness exercises. Take breaks, too. All this can help reduce anxiety, improve focus, and mediate stress.
Establish Boundaries: It’s not always easy when we work at home, but try to establish clear boundaries between your work and personal life. Like if you can, have a separate distraction-free room or building for your studio, and keep it all contained in there. If you need to, manage your time thusly as well with designated work hours. Even avoid checking emails or taking calls or texts outside of those designated times like if you were at a conventional job.
Explore Creative Options: Explore and experiment with new media, art forms, styles, and aesthetics to avoid monotony. Pursue your other hobbies that bring you satisfaction and relaxation which can be anything from gardening to gaming to cooking to ping pong…whatevs.
Find a Support Network: Build bonds with like-minded folks who’ll understand your challenges with being an artist, often other artists. So join communities online or in-person where you can connect with other artists, offer mutual support and kudos, and share your challenges and experiences. Or seek mentorship for advice, encouragement, and guidance which can help you navigate the complications with being an artist.
Challenge your inner critic: Negative self-talk will exacerbate burnout so challenge it. Instead, give yourself praise even for the smallest victories. Absolutely, be compassionate to yourself and remember that you’re human after all. And focus on the process of making art rather than the outcome to amplify your art joy.
Redefine Success: Stop chasing external validation to instead find self-worth in your intrinsic motivations. So what does success mean to you if not defined by likes, shares, awards, contracts, or sales prices? It should most definitely have a higher meaning than all of that! Indeed, you should celebrate your creative journey so focus on the fun, learning, growing, creating, and exploration of it all instead.
Ease up: Embrace wabi-sabi earnestly. Dump the perfectionist mindset and simply relearn the joy of making art as a process, experience, and journey. Indeed, when you create in joy and freedom, your great art will simply make itself so ease up and stop trying to force it with fearful perfectionism.
Remember: Never forget your job as tasked by the Universe — use your Voice courageously and keep that channel open. That's all it is. It's not about being perfect or creating the greatest pieces ever. It's simply to be wholly yourself in your art.
Go "home": Know how to always find your way "home" no matter where you end up with your art. Recenter, reconnect, recalibrate, and retry to continue to make more art. Because that's the answer and the fix to every single arting problem — simply make more art.

Conclusion

It’s important to understand that artist block or burnout is a process, not a single event. As such, recovery will take time and proactive effort on your part. But by applying these strategies and preventative measures, you can tackle either one to reignite your creativity. Just remember you aren’t alone. Many artists have suffered either or both of these conditions, too, and there are resources to help you find your way back to the light. Reach out. Indeed, navigating block or burnout often requires a multi-pronged approach and thankfully there’s that boatload of strategies for you we discussed. In turn, you should also cultivate resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, and apply those preventive measures as needed.

Because creating art should be an enriching, fun, positive experience. If it’s not — change what you’re doing! Don’t wait for things to get so bad that you collapse into a negative singularity! Be aware of your own state of being so you can identify the best strategies for catching block or burnout early to nip them in the bud. In a sense then, beating block or burnout is in part being super kind to yourself while being quite firm with yourself, too. And it helps to know that either block or burnout is a psychological manifestation of fear or exhaustion, and you can fix it. This busted engine can indeed be brought roaring back to life with a handy toolbox full of these effective tactics!

On that note, stay connected to your creative self to keep block and burnout at bay. Never forget that creativity is your genetic inheritance — we are a creator species! It’s what we do, it’s just in our very DNA. Every child with a box of crayons knows that! Creativity is something you’re born with that never dies. Now sure, it can lay dormant but it can also thrive under duress — it all depends on you. One way or ‘nuther though, creativity is impossibly resilient, adaptive, and powerful! Lean into it.

But while block and burnout can seem like a wasteland — which they are, make no mistake on that — they also do represent a huge potential to make a major change. Put another way, it’s a wild opportunity to reinvent yourself and your art. Once you get this about either of them, perhaps you can shift your mindset away from the crushing negatives and towards the promising positives. Because your mindset will make all the difference. If you challenge and change the false notions that are holding you back from the artist you were destined to be and you realize that it just takes the smallest, teeniest step to get going forwards, you can again find inspiration in your art and conquer either block or burnout. So think of the experience as a door knob rather than a padlock.

Because neither block or burnout are inevitable, even in our enormously challenging art form and even more stringent showing paradigm and art market. By understanding the causes, symptoms, and then implementing aggressive strategies, we can not only prevent or overcome block or burnout, but we can emerge with renewed purpose and energy on the other side. So even if you’re suffering either block or burnout right now, know there is hope! You can reclaim your creativity, passion, and inspiration to create a viable, sustainable, and enormously fulfilling art life again.

I hope this series provided you with some practical tips and insights to help you beat block and burnout for good. But despite it all, above all else, remember to always be kind to yourself. Block or burnout doesn’t mean you don’t care, it’s doesn’t mean you’re indifferent, inferior, or lazy, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you don’t have skill, worth, or talent. Those are little lies they tell you to keep you stuck. The truth is, each can be made into just a temporary state, not a permanent situation if you’re willing to fight for your art. And fight for it you must! “An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one,” said Charles Horton Cooley. Indeed. You can rekindle your creative fire! You see, it never really went out — it never goes out, not ever. It just smolders and smokes a bit. But blow on it, feed it kindling, be patient and attentive, then watch those glorious flames rise rise rise! Now that’s a proper bonfire! Blaze brightly, my friend!

“There's nothing in the world that breeds success like success.”

— Bob Ross

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part V

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Thu, 28 May 2026 15:32:07 +0000

Introduction to Part V

We’re back for another round of turnaround strategies that knock out artist block and burnout once and for all! So far, we’ve explored what they are, their symptoms, and what causes them, and for the last few parts of this 6-part series, we’ve been deep diving into many practical tactics for dealing with them. Because no creative should have to wrestle with either only because they are preventable, they can be squelched or at the very least, managed. And the more people who are creative in our artform, the better off our artform will be by having more awareness for all the challenges that go into it all this madness. It also gets all those walls of nekkid resins and body OFs painted up and gorgeous to compete in our many shows. So let's get to it because in this Part V, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover! So let's just jump right in...

The Turnaround Strategies, cont’d

Creative sanctuary: Your creative space should be your sanctuary, your citadel, your garden, your castle keep. It should be the one place in the entire world that’s peaceful, impervious, and wholly yours, if possible. So fill it with personal touches that bring you joy, whatever they may be. Like I have all sorts of curios and photos encrusting near every surface of my studio only because they make me smile. What’s more, attend to the lighting in your studio because it not only changes the mood, but also the usability of your creative space. For instance, a flooding of nice bright light is a great mood enhancer as well as amplifying your ability to better judge color and shape. But it’s amazing how so much more light can brighten your attitude almost instantly, so add lamps or install lots of windows. (Pro tip: Use LED lamps that have a natural light setting and set them all to that setting.)

Tunnel vision is verboten: Do you create with only the outcome in mind? Do you have a specific idea of how your piece should look when finished? Do you begin your creation with a very exacting endgame in mind? If you do, you’re probably destined to hit block or burnout eventually. You see, arting is fundamentally mercurial and unpredictable. How many times has your piece taken on a life of its own and spun off in different directions? And though it comes out quite unlike your original vision, it’s cool all the same, right? Yeah, like that. Making art is essentially a spontaneous act of creation that can take on a life of its own. In fact, if you’re doing it right, in the thick of it, you become a vessel for something indescribable and the piece will literally make itself right before your eyes — and you have no idea how that’s happening. That’s the sweet spot. Never fight the piece! It knows exactly what it needs, all the time. You just have to listen to it and follow. Allow yourself to be led. Go where the piece wants to go. You and your art are dancing, and it's best if it's the lead. Because believe me, where it will take you may be surprising, but it’s a whole lot more fun and often with results that are far more compelling. Because if you start fighting your piece, guess what? Yep — you’re toying with block and burnout now. Don’t do that! So to become a more process-oriented artist, try these five tactics:

First, forge a new path, go off your customary, beaten train, unlearn your comfort zones and creative routines. Play around with new new new! As Edgar Degas observed, “Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.”
Second, focus on the steps for making your piece rather than on the finished vision of it so much. Sure, we need that vision to chase — our Big Picture — just don’t let it consume your focus. Primarily keep your attention on each step as you go then, chiseling away at your vision piece by piece, immersed in the creation of it.
Third, quit overthinking things! Stop with the rational thinking to instead be in the flow of your creativity. Turn off your mind and allow your artistic instincts to take over. Also be present in the creative moment. Feel your toolstrikes and brushstrokes, be one with your paints or clay, letting yourself be transported into another spacetime made only of your arting moment. This is the creative groove — ride it out in joy!
Fourth, recognize that arting has no predetermined path. The point of art is to create and that entails exploration and transformation, play and fun. In short, art is really about the process and the finished piece is merely the incidental by-product. So let go of your urge to control your tools so much to therefore dictate the outcome of your work too much. Now — yes — we have objectives to ping if we hope to create a realistic horse in clay or pigment, but beyond that, there’s open potential, isn’t there? Explore it all with an open creative mind and with a lesser grip on the outcome. Really, the very best works are created in the guts, your instincts where your soul resides.
Fifth, embrace the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi wholeheartedly, the realization that nothing is permanent and everything is imperfect. Undeniably, wabi-sabi is perhaps the single most liberating concept you can adopt as a creative that not only makes your experience so much more wonderful, but will actually improve your work in unexpected roundabout ways. As Stephen Hawking said, “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn't exist...Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.” Yup.

Simplify then complicate: Even the most hyper-realistic pieces are based on abstract shapes first. So don’t get intimidated or daunted by the complicated aspects — start simple and abstract then add complications in layers as you go. A nifty way to refine this approach is to do a lot of abstracted, simplified sketches or doodles, deconstructing the equine into the most basic shapes and curves. Like in my sketchbook, my horses are extremely simplified to capture movement, gesture, or posture rather than being all fleshed out. I can see them already fleshed out in my mind’s eye, so alls I need for my sketchbook are the basics to capture the inspiration.

Focus on narrative: Rather than being so fixated on representational art, or “this is a Quarter Horse” or "this is a Clydesdale" kinda motive, spice things up by creating with narratives. This won’t only add a ton of more interest to your inspirations and process, but inject a far more compelling appeal into your portfolio, too. So consider your symbolisms, motifs, visual language, and narrative themes then actively play with them.

Maintain perspective: Skill can be learned, talent can be practiced, inspiration can be generated, motivation can be stirred, vision can be cultivated, discipline can be fostered, passion can be ignited, Voice can be ampflied. It’s all doable, it’s all fixable, it’s all reachable. It’s all within your grasp if only you actively reach for it. So what’s stopping you? As ol’ Bob Ross wisely advised, “Talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you're willing to practice, you can do.” Yep.

Always go “home”: As Elizabeth Gilbert so smartly says, and I paraphrase, “Always find your way home no matter if your work catapults you to wild success or wild failure, because both are equally traumatizing.” What’s “home”? Well, it’s that essential drive that you love more than yourself, that joyful, resonating essence of who and what you’re truly all about. And it can be anything — your family, your pets, your gardening, writing, a favorite hobby, whatever trips your trigger in your most innermost core. For many artists then, it’s their passion for their art. So find it by always asking “why?” until you get to your proverbial magnetic core. Then cultivate it, plant your “home” directly on top of it, and always stay connected to it, able to find your way “home” no matter where your creative adventures take you. So, for instance, if you feel yourself uninspired, intimidated by success, or horrified by failure, think about what resonates with you so deeply that you would create again regardless of the outcome then reorient back there to create again from that point. Remember why you art in the first place and hold that drive always close, using it as a sunstone to always find your way “home.” Do this properly, and this becomes your single most amazing and invincible superpower in your arsenal to combat block or burnout. (Pro tip: Pair this with wabi-sabi and you have yourself an invincible one-two punch!)

Declutter your mind: A mind clogged up by “mental clutter” inhibits creativity with distractions, stress, and drained energy. So find a way to purge those distracting thoughts and feelings for the duration of your arting. Practice meditation, deep breathing, and perhaps even journal or vlog them out. Or even make your arting about them to process them through composition, color, narrative, and gesture. Vent them out! Art can be tremendously expressive, cathartic, and transformative — use it! Take your turmoil and troubles, and turn them into art! That’s what it’s there for! Or on the flipside, use arting as a sanctuary-laden therapy for your inner struggles, using creativity as a balm for your angst. Art can be monumentally soothing, affirmative, and reassuring — use it! That’s what it’s there for!

Revisit visuals: What are some of your favorite themes, motifs, narratives, and visuals? Identify them and revisit them creatively. Often times, familiarity can feel more comfortable and nonthreatening, teasing out your arting more easily and coaxing your sensibilities better. There’s a lot to be said for hiking the same path if it brings you serenity, comfort, and enjoyment. Besides, there’s always a potential fun new series to explore in that approach, isn’t there?

Adopt actual goals: Do you want to be a better artist? Do you want to be more creative and productive? Do you want to get rid of your creative fear? Do you want to develop better ideas or a stronger Voice? Well, stop. Just stop. Yes — stop! You see, more times than you think block and burnout are born from self-deceptive goals. And all of that is self-deceptive! Instead, replace it with actual goals that are kinder and attainable. For example, work on your courage and confidence in your creativity, develop a more proactive mindset, get more in-tune with your “home,” or become more intentional in your arting, with a stronger purpose. You see, once you achieve these actual goals, you’ll automatically become a better artist that’s more creative and productive, who has conquered their fears and who developed more compelling ideas with a stronger Voice. Do you see how that works? Self-deceptive goals work from a position of weakness while actual goals work from a position of strength — always pick the latter. This is because actual goals are growth-oriented based on steps you can actually attain, without comparisons or value judgments, building motivation and providing structure to boot. Those are your stepping stones to generate real creative agency. Along those lines, don’t overload yourself with too many projects at once. It’s okay to have multiple projects going, but just pace yourself and proceed in a way where they’re actually completed rather than just spinning your wheels and getting overwhelmed. On that note, consider breaking down your workload into manageable steps with attainable deadlines — create a production schedule. This can help you be more proactive and organized which can empower you and reduce stress.

Be led: Quit with micromanaging your art! Stop trying to cram a square peg into a round hole! Instead, let it lead the dance, let it go where it will, and follow without judgment. Like transform accidental creative events into purposeful ones, learning how to channel spontaneous creativity into intentional practice. This is exactly how I create my art — I follow the happy accidents and work in a way that generates more, following them to completion. As such, my pieces simply create themselves and I’m their means to self-actualize. It’s a beautiful, mysterious feeling!

Create together: You know what’s super fun with creativity? Being creative with other creatives! So consider setting up some arting playdates in your home or even on Zoom. Make it a regular thing! Indeedy, creativity is extremely contagious and there’s tremendous fun and joy to be found arting with a rambunctious group! So also consider joining a local art group or event, or collaborate with other artists.

Conclusion to Part V

As you can see over these last few Parts, the effectiveness of all these tactics rests on one thing: Your proactive gumption to initiate them. You don’t have to do all of them, but the fact is that the more you deploy, the more effective your results. This is because block and burnout can be very stubborn, especially if you’ve been suffering them for some time. They can indeed be like heavy weights on your shoulders. However, get just a handful of these strategies in gear, and you have a really good shot at lifting that burden once and for all! That’s worth the effort, isn’t it? So in Part VI, the last part, we’re going to complete our exploration of these tactics as well as take a look at how to prevent block and burnout, giving us a big ol' mecha-punch against them.

“Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.”

— Stella Adler

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:29:10 +0000

Introduction to Part IV

We’re back in Part IV of this 6-part series exploring artist block and burnout, and many of the practical strategies for jettisoning them out of your airlock. Because it’s critical to protect your arting since your creativity is immensely important both for you and our genre. You see, creativity is very very good for you! Indeedy, it's good for your brain, body, and wellbeing, as more and more studies are discovering. Creativity has even been found to be as effective as regular exercise to slow biological aging! Know it or not, too, but you being creative could mean a breath of new life into our art form since we just never know where the next innovation or fresh insight will come from, do we? It could come from you! So if you develop more fearlessness in your creativity, enough to really jump in head first into our arts, that’s a win win all the way ‘round! Woot! And knowing how to keep block and burnout in check is a survival skill for any artist, working in any genre. Ya gotta have this toolkit! So enough talk! Let’s continue our deep dive into the proactive strategies that can help us carve them out from our art life!…

The Turnaround Strategies, cont’d

Schedule it: Focus on the habit of making art, set a schedule. Folks like us create not for the big reveal, do we? No. We create because it’s in our bones, it’s who we are. Arting is as necessary and natural as breathing. So commit to consistent small arting sessions rather than simply waiting for inspiration to pummel your noggin. “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working,” said Pablo Picasso, and he’s absolutely right. So create art daily, even on the smallest scale, regardless of the end goal or result. Now it may be a challenge in a busy calendar to make time for arting, but like any important appointment, arting deserves a spot in your daily routine, too. So just schedule regular, undisturbed blocks of time to art. Even short sessions can lead to goodly progress and maintain artistic rhythm. Heck, it can be as simple as doodling or sketching, nothing major, just get to it. Truly, integrating creativity into your everyday life can cultivate a more productive artistic journey and lead to tangible growth a lot faster than waiting around for inspiration to kick in. Then when you’re ready, you can make arting a more expansive part of your day rather than just a scheduled session — or not. Whatever works for you, whatever gets you creative regularly is the right choice. The point is to create consistency, practice daily, and don’t break the artistic flow. Show up. Sure, it takes discipline, but once it gains momentum, you’re going to feel a lot more empowered and energized, then just watch your courage and confidence grow! Routine breeds consistency and consistency breeds inspiration, so show up and do the work — your art will thank you.

Trick yourself: Tell yourself that you’re going to destroy the first steps you create whether sculpting, painting, tack-making or whatever. Into the proverbial bin. You see, this releases pressure and destroys expectations, but paradoxically, you often end up keeping those initial steps or pieces anyway. But you need to give yourself permission to first vent the pressure.

Inspire Inspiration: Sometimes our inspiration needs a little help, like its pump needs to be primed. So go to horse shows and expos, galleries and museums, visit open studios and art fairs. Read poetry, look at horse books, watch horse videos or movies, listen to music, take some reference photographs. Plus, engaging other forms of art can inspire your imagination and infuse some new perspectives and aesthetics into your work. Allowing creativity to seep into every aspect of you life can till fertile soil for your inspiration because ideas can come from many unexpected sources. And never underestimate the power of Nature to be monumentally inspirational! Then put yourself to work with sketching, doodling, drawing, photographing, whatever. Do some plein air painting to capture a compelling in situ moment. Whatever trips your trigger. But one inspiration will lead to another which will lead to another, and soon you’ll be in a proverbial room full of countless inspirations ping-ponging off the walls! That’s how inspiration actually works! Once you get it going, it self-sustains as one idea births another, and off you go.

Art play: The truth is, if you’re doing it right, your art is always play. So when you get stuck, or are uninspired or unmotivated, remember to get back to playing around again with your creativity. Experiment. FAFO. Explore and discover. Push boundaries and challenge convention, especially your own. Not only does this expand your skillset and explore your potential, but it’ll reignite your arting to keep your work fresh and evolving. Remember, learning means experimentation so make that intrinsic to each and every piece, and reinvigorated creativity isn’t far behind. For instance, just for fun, switch out the typical colors on your palette — see what happens! Or even just add one new color and see what’s produced. When sculpting, make it about exploring narrative, structure, gesture, expression, mood, or novelty rather than just another routine “this is a horse” piece. Always remember that art and play are meant to pair up, so smash them together in your own creative Hadron Collider!

Start small: Tackle a small, simple piece to create a sense of accomplishment. You can’t deny that the sheer scale of our task can feel really overwhelming so scale it back. Likewise, break down your process or project into small manageable baby steps, as small as you need them to be. Like rather than be intimidated by that daunting sanding job you have to do on that expensive resin, just sand one leg, even one foot. Then when you’re done with that, move to another body portion the next day. No big whoop — you’re getting it done, slowly but surely. Remember, the tortoise won the race! But babystepping can make even the most daunting, ambitious tasks attainable and more importantly, feel attainable. Indeed, setting smaller, manageable goals can be just the ticket so choose the smallest unit of creativity it would take to get you arting again. Remember, no skyscraper was built all at once!

Personal challenges: Establish achievable goals and objectives, and the more novel, the better. In other words, the more they get you to play and explore, all the better, right? This helps to provide some structure while keeping you engaged plus it’s a big injection of learning and skill building, all of which will certainly refocus your attention back onto the process and away from the outcome.

Embrace failure: Your fear of failure is a formidable obstacle, isn’t it? Blorg. But the truth is that every piece is a learning adventure, not a test. What’s more, absolutely no breakthroughs will be found if you stay in your comfort zone. The real joy of arting is in the making of it, of all the discovery, exploration, growth, revelations, and happy accidents you stumbled onto while creating it. It’s miraculous to see your piece just come alive in your hands, step by step! And the thing is, we can correct our mistakes or realign our vision as we go, right? There’s no law that says your first toolstrokes are you only and last ones! Many mediums give you ample room to try again and again and again. Indeed, on a white-grey oil painted piece I was creating as an experiment, Ta’alaq, I seriously messed up his paintjob. It was so awful — ack! But no big whoop! I just painted right over my mistake, the whole thing, and tried again and succeeded on the second go. Never be afraid of trying again.

Mediating criticism: Here’s the deal — you make art, there will be a critic. That’s part of the Faustian Deal. That critic can be someone else, and often is, but your first and most lethal critic is yourself, isn’t it? But here’s the thing, “the audience comes last,” as Rick Rubin so astutely observes. And he’s right — the only person you need to be concerned with pleasing with your art is you, and only you. Ignore all the rest out there as pointless noise. People will talk….so? Let them. Their opinion, either good or bad, just shouldn't hold sway. See, no one knows your Truth like you do, do they? Nope. And there are so many trolls out there as well as careless, thoughtless clods to boot. Don’t allow the wrong person to discourage you but instead allow the right people to encourage you, and that includes yourself! Indeed, if you create work just for yourself, it’s amazing how your art will become so much more powerful, authentic, compelling, and unique! It’ll become far more Voiceful, and that, artist, is your true calling. Not to make perfection, which is impossible to attain, not to chase external validation, which is toxic, but to make Voiceful art, courageously and joyfully. That’s it, that’s all. So get to it! As Andy Warhol wisely advised, “Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

Dampen distraction: In our hyper-connected world nowadays, distraction is everywhere. FOMO, doomscrolling, bingewatching, social media, news, radio, launches, and other endless stimulation…it’s a lot. It’s too much. The human animal wasn’t meant to function on the global stage all the time, if at all. It was meant to live in its little neck of the woods and deal just with that. So all this influx of distraction can be unknowingly very stressful and draining — so cut it out. When you’re arting, make it a non-negotiable rule of no distractions. Leave your devices out of the studio if need be. No phone calls, no texts, no checking social media. Schedule appointments, activities, and chores for other days. Do whatever it takes to block out uninterrupted, undistracted creative quiet time and fully immerse yourself in it without a care. It’s good for you and your art.

Careful consumption: Likewise, be exceedingly mindful of the content you consume. Is that content positive and inspiring, supportive of your efforts and psyche? Or is it draining, upsetting, and anxiety-inducing? What you expose yourself to will define the flavor of your day and even influence your ability to create. So also consider keeping your finger on the pulse of things at a set time of the day, and no more. Yes, we need to stay current, but there’s also a balance to be struck with our everyday lives and functionality — and our creativity. Stay mindful of that balance at all times. Curate your experience carefully because ultimately it’s all about your mental health and your ability to stay creative that can be just as important. And truth be told, staying balanced and joyfully creative is perhaps the most punk rock thing you can be doing nowadays.

Structured distraction: Unfortunately many creatives have the idea that they need to be hyper-focused to create good work, even for hours on end. However, the human brain didn’t evolve for this, sustaining uninterrupted attention for hours upon hours. It’s made to function between focus and periodic distraction, so make those distractions strategic. Take breaks! Instead of working through demotivation, boredom, fatigue, or disinterest, take a tactical break. This will reset you, prevent creative fatigue, improve your state of mind, and help you create even better work. This can be particularly important with really tedious tasks such as ticking, dappling, and prepping. So take your time, take breaks, and allow your mind to reset itself.

Less comparisons, more creating: Quit with the habitual comparison of your art to the work of others! Quit internally lamenting your “failings” when you study other works at shows or expos. Quit thinking you aren’t good enough for gosh sakes! Do you think your skills are too lousy to count, your ideas and inspirations subpar, your artworks average or even bad? You’re feeling inferior and insignificant? Okay then — by what measure? You see, comparing yourself to others is deceiving, self-defeating, and useless. Now, yes, it’s okay to draw inspiration from other artists, but it’s not okay to compare your work to theirs. Why? Well, it’s an apples and oranges comparison! They are not alike! Your magic isn’t like their magic whatsoever and theirs is nothing like yours — nor should it be. Because here’s the thing, you don’t need their magic, yours is more than enough! Trust me, yours is plenty! Indeed, your Voice is unique in all of space and time — think about that for a moment. Why in the world would you want to snuff it out or pollute it, even deny it? Instead then, take all that energy and direct it right back onto making more of your art, Voiceful, loud and proud! That’s where it’s better spent anyway. And you can only be yourself, right? The only one qualified to be you is you! The only thing the Universe tasks you with, artist, isn’t perfection or creating The GOAT piece, it’s simply this: Use your pure, unique Voice courageously, keeping the inspirational channel open. Bingo! So stop trying to create like another artist, stop trying to be an artist you aren’t because you don’t need to be! You just focus on magical you, on your own unique supernatural Voice, and once you find it, cultivate it and express it fully in your art then let the chips fall where they may. Absolutely, always stay true to your own Voice because not only is this more fulfilling, it makes your work far more authentic, distinctive, compelling, expressive, and even transforms it into that indescribable thing you’ve probably been so ardently searching for all these years.

New stuff: We all know the power of new art supplies, don’t we? Oh, yes! So find motivation in reconnecting with your materials, new or otherwise. The sensory boost you get from even playing with your brushes can spark dormant creativity all by itself. Or play with colors you avoid or haven’t used before, or new types of clays or epoxies. Play around with your color pencils in novel ways. You see, it’s not just about regarding your art as a product, but remembering it as a process, a tactile, fascinating experience that’s as much a part of arting as anything else. So buy some new art supplies and play around with them, or grab ones you hardly use and futz around with those. Either which way, playing with new stuff can really get those creative embers fired up!

Conclusion to Part IV

Interesting stuff, huh? These strategies are so simple, but so effective! In essence, they trick your sensibilities into making this artform less intimidating, or rather, help your brain believe that it truly can do it — because it can! That’s the thing, every human brain is a creative genius simply waiting to be tapped into, so who knows what sort of amazing potential yours holds just waiting to be unlocked! In Part V then, we’re going to explore even more breakthrough strategies you can apply to knock out block and burnout. They’re easy, they’re practical, and they’re highly effective — a triple punch!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

— Dr. Seuss

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part III

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 26 May 2026 20:58:29 +0000

Introduction to Part III

Welcome back to this 6-part exploration of artist block and burnout, which mostly entails a deep dive into a lot of the practical tactics we can employ to snuff them out once and for all. And keeping them at bay is so important! Untold numbers of would-be artists may be suffering from block due to the daunting nature of our art form. Or if they do start, they’re at risk for burnout, another unfortunate circumstance that can be avoided with some smart strategies. Either which way, we want to steer folks clear of them to keep people happily banging out their art by the metric ton to fill our community with hordes of gorgeous horses!

So on that note, let’s jump right in and continue our exploration of the nifty strategies we can use to combat block and burnout effectively! Let’s go!…

The Turnaround Strategies, cont’d

Bang it out: Now this may sound really dopey, but it’s a powerful approach — just make literally anything. It doesn’t matter what it is or if it turns out awful. The point is to start and keep doing, not focus the end product. See, here’s the thing, once you start creating, it generates its own momentum even if you end up not liking it. So make a bunch of stuff and and chances are you’ll start creating things you like. So while it all may not be your best work — it’s something! But the trick is, creativity thrives in momentum so just keep creating and eventually pieces will pop out that you are happy with and learn from in the process. Honestly, many professional artists make a lot of "ho-hum" art for every “great” piece because that’s how arting often works. Not every piece you create will be The One so learn to fail forwards and learn each lesson well. Focus on the process, exploration, and growth rather than the end product so much. See, the thing is, the finished piece is merely the incidental by-product, so shift your attention away from it and back on the experience of making it.

Dump comfort zones: Throw all your comfort zones out the window! Start fresh! Leave behind your normal arting routine and invent a new one if you have to. Just try something new, leave familiarity behind, and explore your creativity with more wanton abandon. Like if you normally only do small pieces, try something bigger. If you use oils, try pastels, or try your oils in a fresh way. If your painting is normally really “tight,” try a “looser,” more painterly approach. If you use a limited palette open it up to unconventional colors. If all you’re familiar with are stock horses, sculpt a Marwari or Belgian. Or try different tools even or new ways of using your old ones. Unlearn habitual ways of making your art and discover new avenues of arting whether with fresh new aesthetics, tools, clays, pigments, approaches or interpretations. Your imagination is limitless so set it free to explore new everything!

Play music: Music activates other areas of your brain and so can be a powerful generator of inspiration, relaxation, and engagement. Indeed, many artists play music as they work, finding that it even inspires their toolstrikes and brushstrokes. Some artists are directly inspired by music, creating pieces specifically related to a tune or style of music. And it can be whatever music gets you going, or even the music that “fits” the piece you’re working on. For instance, I listened to a lot of Ennio Morricone as I sculpted Incostante, my portrait of the black horse from the film, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. I found it really set the mood and flavored the process in a wonderful way.

Breaktime: Physical and mental exhaustion can subdue your creative drive, even stop it, so it’s essential to recognize when you’re feeling drained. Honestly, ignoring that will only make the situation worse. So take regular breaks or as you need them — but take them. Work on something else, distract yourself with something quite different, or simply close your eyes for a time. Like when I need a sculpting break, I write, sketch, or create digital illustrations. Just for an hour or two, then I get back into the studio, but that short break time really helps to replenish my resolve and mental sharpness. In this way, incorporating short breaks to recharge can prevent mental fatigue that helps to maintain better focus. You see, the human brain wasn’t meant to focus on one thing intently for hours upon hours upon hours. That only leads to exhaustion, mistakes, and inferior work. Clear you head. Stretch, read, listen to music. Consider a walk or light hike — light exercise is a great way to reinvigorate yourself with new vitality and maybe even a fresh inspiration you found along the way. So when you start to feel overwhelmed or tired, engage activities that replenish your energy and serenity. Like, go carouse with your horse, play with your dog or cat, knit or sew, cook, take a nap, or watch a movie. Give yourself permission to rest when you need it! Listen to your mind, your art, and your body. And sometimes stepping away is essential — maybe you need a good night’s sleep, a day off, or doing something else for a time. There’s no shame in taking a break. Your art won’t suffer for it, in fact, if it’s a good break, your art will benefit as much as you will. Indeed, short breaks during a creative session or breaks between projects can help prevent burnout by slowing you down to a more relaxed, enjoyable, less frenzied pace. The anxiety generated from knowing you’re supposed to work but can’t is just a pointless vicious cycle and only associates arting with negative vibes, something you want to avoid.

Get offline: Know it or not, but technology is exhausting and can drain you, and it feeds that pesky FOMO syndrome that can be so distracting. There's this, too: Being online is just a whole lotta peopling, isn't it? So gather inspiration away from screens. Read, visit a museum or gallery, look at horse books and magazines, go to horse shows, fairs, or expos. The point is — unplug, it’s good for you and your art.

Dump tech: Similarly, get off your phone and devices! Quit with the social media addiction! Return to the real world of right here and now in your life. Reducing screen time is truly a great way to reconnect with the creative side of your brain. So take some time away to explore your imagination and creative sensibilities offline. FOMO be darned! The art you create is just as cool as anything else, and it may be far more helpful and important for your psyche than what someone else is doing anyway. Besides, what’s a better use of your time? Doomscrolling mindlessly and getting into flamewars, or making art?

Try other artform: Who says your art just has to be about realistic equine sculpture and painting? Try jewelry-making, pottery, crochet, stained glass, gardening, book-making, printing, or any number of other arts and crafts. Art is imminently versatile and so is your creativity. You have far more potential inside of you than you suspect — explore it! And follow where it leads. Whatever piques its interest — go! Creativity does best when well fed — so break out that proverbial smorgasbord!

Journal: Often times a block or burnout is accompanied by a dearth of fresh ideas, so why not capture them as they randomly come in a handy little journal? Don’t let fleeting inspirations or ideas be lost! Really, some days your mind will be full of fresh thoughts and some days it’ll be just “meh,” but with a little journal, it doesn't matter! You can grab what you can quickly. Inspirations, prompts, thoughts, notions, wishes, sketches, ideas — whatever, just get it down. Then if your well of inspiration is running dry some day, just pull out that journal the take your pick! In fact, if you make it a fun rule to jot down any idea or inspiration, no matter how silly or dopey — especially if it’s dopey — then make it! Even if it’s terrible, chances are even your worst ideas hold a kernel of inspiration to get you going elsewhere. And understand that you’ll have to slog through a lot of nonsensical notations to end up with something really good so don’t think everything you jot down is The Golden Idea! It’s just a silly notion…run with it.

Hiatus: Think about this — do you actually need a long break from your creativity? If you do, there’s no shame in that. It’s alright to take a hiatus. You’re human after all. Remember, arting is supposed to be good for you, supposed to be therapeutic, so if it stresses you out, maybe it’s time to step away for a longer time. Now might also be a great time to seek therapy from a professional to provide you with some tools and explorations to dissect what’s really going on.

Clean your art space: There’s nothing quite like a clean art space ready to mess up that can get that itch twitching again. So clean up your creative space, maybe even rearrange and reorganize it. Changing up your creative environment can sometimes jog things loose all by itself. Even add elements that personalize the space or add to the inspirational atmosphere such as hanging certain art works or quotes that speak to you.

Forget sharing: Who says people have to see what you create? It’s still art even if you’re the only one who sees it! So never feel obligated to post or share your work. You don’t even have to talk about it if you don’t want to. It’s your private world if you wish it that way. So create work without a care, without pressure or expectation — no one is going to see it anyway. Heck, you can just throw it away if you want. There’s no law saying that everything you create has to follow you around the rest of your life. Like in some of my conventional art classes I take, I just don’t mention that I’m already a working artist which creates more of an expectation buffer as I learn new skills.

Make “bad” art: Lower your expectations! Quit with the perfectionism and ditch the masterpiece mentality! It’s perfectly alright to make “bad” art or use sketches or maquettes to build momentum. And the truth is, all artists have a “bad art day” — all of them make “bad” art from time to time. In fact, you go through a lot of “bad” art to create those few “great” pieces, that’s just the mystery of arting. Like I make lower grade custom maquettes for the painting classes I take. They have remaking flaws galore and I don’t make all the corrections they actually need, but I don’t care — they’re simply made to be fun bodies to learn oil painting on, that’s it. And my NaReViMo horses are a step down because they're also meant as fun learning maquettes, not my usual bust-my-gut work. So give yourself permission to be a foible human being and just have some fun with your creativity, especially as you learn.

Utilize prompts: Why not get inspiration from word prompts, or music, books, poetry, plays, dance, or symphonies? And Nature is a tremendous prompt all around us. Participate in challenges and NaMoPaiMo, NaMoScuMo, or NaReViMo. Make good use of that energy!

Revisit old work: This isn’t to say to revamp past work — nope! Leave your old work alone, trust me on this. Instead, just revisit that familiar idea or inspiration with a new piece, but in a new refurbished way. Study your past work since burnout often carries with it a lot of self-doubt and low confidence so it’s easy to forget all your past achievements. So go peruse your past portfolio, both the “good” and “bad.” Remember how the “good” pieces made you feel, even with all their difficult challenges. If it’s a “bad” piece, look how far you’ve come! Now reconsider that self-doubt — not so accurate, is it?

Proactive study: One of the best ways to kick yourself out of a funk is learning a new knowledge base, skill, aesthetic, or method. So focus on learning new stuff from techniques to anatomy to color genetics to color theory to composition to media to whatever trips your trigger. And it doesn’t even have to be with realistic horses! It can be anything creative from basketweaving to glass torchwork to programming. Just get creative in any direction! Like I took a series of pottery classes for kicks, learning to throw on a wheel and handbuild, and I found that it not only informed my equine art, but it actually improved it and my experience creating it! One form of creativity informs another, and you just never know what that treasure trove will be until you venture out!

Embrace Imperfection: Realize that not every piece must be a museum-worthy masterpiece and not every piece has to be a wild success, even from the first stroke. Wabi-sabi, baby! Just create art for the sake of creating it and learn from the mistakes and correct them as you go and grow. Indeed, perfectionism is typically your greatest hurdle. See, art isn’t about perfection! No no no. That’s the scam we’re sold, the lie we tell ourselves, the delusion we’re under. The truth is, art is about expression and connection — that’s all! So instead, set your intention on the process of making the art itself and not the outcome so much. Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes because you know what? Your mistakes tend to be those components of your Voice that are so critical to great work anyway. Too often people think that perfectionism is a strength, but it’s not — it’s a weakness. A big one. Like too many folks believe that perfectionism is what makes you good at your art, but it’s not — it makes you worse at it. Indeed, overworking is a very real thing, creative paralysis is typically imminent, and spinning your wheels can happen all too easily. The truth is that perfectionism is just the fear at being bad at what you’re doing, that’s all, and that has nothing to do with creating compelling or quality art. Indeed, that fear can be so strong as to prevent you from arting in the first place, even when you know you’re going to enjoy the process. How is that a good thing? How is perfectionism not inherently toxic? So just remember that perfectionism is simply fear. It’s not a physical block or a law — it’s all in your head. And you’re stronger than your fears, yes?

Quiet time: Give yourself moments of undistracted, undisturbed think time. Meditate, sit in silence, lay out on your deck alone, go lay down on the couch. Just give yourself quiet time to think deeply and allow your mind to relax and wander. Often times, this is where imaginative creative magic can happen.

Conclusion to Part III

Wow, that was a lot to digest, wasn’t it? There’s a lot of tactics at our disposal to wrestle these two knuckleheads to the ground, which is good for us — bad for them. So in Part IV, yep, we’ll continue with even more of these strategies, giving you lots more adaptive responsiveness you can custom-fit to your situation!

“If you hear a voice within you saying, ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means paint…and that voice will be silenced.”

― Vincent van Gogh

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part II

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 24 May 2026 15:35:47 +0000

Introduction to Part II

We’re back with our exploration of artist block and burnout, and how to kick them to the curb. In Part I, we discussed what block and burnout actually are, their causes and symptoms, and in this Part II, we begin our tally of all the various strategies we can use to squish them once and for all. And it’s important to squish them because they are two of the most common reasons for people not being creative in our art form. If we can get more folks banging out cool pieces in our genre though, imagine all the possibilities! Indeed, out next big superstar could be out there, suffering block and simply needing some practical tools to beat it! So let’s just get right to it in this 6-part series, shall we? Let’s go!…

The Turnaround Strategies

Are you currently stuck with a block or suffering burnout? Or maybe you’ve been stuck for a really long time and are afraid of a comeback? Maybe you haven’t arted in so long, you even doubt your ability to create now? Maybe you feel paralyzed and hopeless? Has your confidence crashed to rock bottom? Do you feel disempowered and lost? Maybe even despair? I’m sorry. But the thing is block and burnout can make us feel powerless as if it was simply meant to be, as if there was nothing to be done about it. But nothing could be further from the truth! There’s a ton we can do about it! Some very simple strategies can break the cycle and though they may not be so easy per se, they are highly effective if you practice them. And the more strategies you practice, the more creative momentum you gain. But here’s the thing — you have to be proactive. Busting out of these cycles means you have to make the first move. If what you were doing got you in this bad state to begin with, you have to change what you’re doing to bust loose, right? But the good news is, these moves are often small and super fun, all doable no matter how bad your cycle has gotten. You just have to take a breath, dig deep, and do them. Take the first step, blindly if you have to. It’s a leap of faith. The really good news is this though: Your creativity will catch you. It will always catch you, you just have to learn to trust it again. And if you don’t like your first attempts when gearing back up again — no biggie. Keep going! Just keep going! Arting is like a pump, it needs to be primed. It needs something to feed on to really get going — so feed it! Just keep going and going and going, screaming into the void if you have to! Make it Toad’s Wild Ride if need be! But just keep going! Trust me — it will come back and also become easier and more enjoyable.

Now that being said, the real trick to amending a block or burnout is to avoid them in the first place — an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We’ll talk about how to do that a bit later. But that aside, the important part is first recognizing the problem as a real problem, not just a mere temporary phase. Indeed, we should treat block and burnout seriously, taking active steps to turn them around rather than passively waiting for them to blow over. Why? Because chances are they won’t blow over on their own — they need intervention. Happily though, there are gobs of practical strategies we can implement to do just that! So let’s explore each one…brace yourself…there are a ton of them…

Professional intervention: If burnout persists, seek help from a mental health professional, preferably one who specializes in treating creatives. Therapy or counseling can give you effective tools for finding your way back and for dealing with stress to improve your well-being. Burnout isn’t to be trifled with as it can have very real consequences for an artist! Indeed, the American Psychological Association (APA) has identified burnout as a valid occupational hazard with real health consequences. If you need to reach out because of burnout, resources like HelpGuide.org has comprehensive information on it, its effect, and solid strategies to escape its syndrome.

Change mediums, styles, or subjects: Go for it — try a different medium! Like I painted in acrylics for over twenty years and recently discovered oils, and lo — my painting passion came roaring back! Now I can’t wait to jump into the next painting project! So try oils, pastels, color pencils, even watercolor if all you’re familiar with is acrylics, for example. Or try different styles of painting like that very painterly brushstroke style for manes and tails popular now. Or if you’re accustomed to a more general type of painting, try an approach that highlights and shades the muscles more. Try a new color you’ve not painted before, or a new breed, or dive into portraying different types of equines than just horses. Like if you haven’t tackled a donkey or zebra before, now is the time! Or try a Unicorn, Hippocorn, Kirin, or winged horse, even in a fantasy color! Why not?

Doodle: You don’t always have to create realistic equines! You can simply create meaningless doodles, scribbling mindlessly to release pressure. Indeed, doodling has been found to give certain parts of the brain a rest while gearing up other, more helpful areas related to memory and relaxation. It also increases creative thinking and problem-solving in a way that’s free of pressure or expectation, allowing for more creative associations to be made. It’s also been found that doodling helps you process emotions so if you’re feeling depressed, anxious, frustrated, or despairing, even desperate, doodle all that out to gain some processing-out power. In this way, doodling can reduce stress much like a coloring book as it calms the amygdala, the portion of the brain responsible for the fight, flight, or freeze response which is linked to anxiety and stress. Doodling has also been found to help us learn better. Indeed, studies have found that those students who doodled during a lecture tended to retain more information and make better sense of complex ideas. Similarly, it’s also thought to reduce distraction and increase innovative thinking, priming the brain for stimulation by keeping it out of a default resting state, primed for action. In this way, doodling can help you Big Picture problems or challenges by stimulating both the conscious and unconscious mind, allowing you to make novel connections otherwise untapped. Most of all though, research has found that doodling can improve your mood, making you happier and more relaxed and decompressed, especially when doodling something you love. So never underestimate the power of a doodle! If in doubt — doodle!

Sketch: Likewise, never underestimate the power of your sketchbook! Just make some quickie scribbles with no expectations or pressure…just start jotting down simple HSOs (horse-shaped objects) for fun. Practice capturing gesture and posture and pose, movement and moment. Just have some creative playtime without needing to be perfect. Like stick with first strokes and see where that goes, or not. If using your eraser makes you happier, go for it! And let your imagination wander where it will, like in a dreamstate. Whatever you do, just practice sketching for the creative play it actually is. It can truly be amazing what can actually pop out when we leave our brain the heck alone while it’s creating and quit with all our expectations and impositions.

Just Start: Just take a deep breath, darn the torpedoes, and begin, expecting nothing. Now that may sound easier said than done, right? But believe me, if you just dive in with zero expectations, it’s amazing where your art can go. And make a deal with yourself: It’s okay to throw away what you just made because it’s the act of starting that matters, not the outcome. Now if that pristine piece of paper, canvas, resin, or OF is impeding you — mess it up! Or find one that’s already messed up. Like doodle on used Post-It Notes, paint over cruddy old canvases, have a friend draw pencil marks all over your resin, or buy a beaten up, cheap ol’ OF. Remember that “it’s too perfect to ruin” mentality is a block! You’ve got to jump over it with strategy and guile! You gotta be devious if you hope outsmart your own blocked brain.

Take a trip: Travel is a tremendous way to jumpstart your creativity. There are few things more effective for getting us out of our own heads than a new adventure! And who knows what kinds of inspirations lay in wait for us along the way. Even better — take an art-based trip or horse-based excursion. Absolutely, there are plenty of horseback riding or dude ranch vacations to be tapped into, and loads of artist retreats just waiting for you to dive in. Sometimes what we really need is to just shake our own tree — hard — and travel has an uncanny way of doing just that. (Pro tip: Take a sketchbook or plein air set to jot down images of your adventures.)

Classes, tutorials, and workshops: Sometimes the guided structure of an educational setting is just the ticket for booting us out of our funk. It provides built-in deadlines and motivation, as well as a goodly support system not just with the instructor, but also with your fellow students. Surrounding yourself with creative people is wonderfully contagious! And it’s always beneficial to see other peoples’ processes, struggles, and triumphs as a shared experience and as a learning opportunity. Besides, taking classes and workshops beefs up your skill set and can bust the rust off, proving to yourself that not only have you still got it, but you have loads of more potential inside of you than you never suspected. And maybe you even discover new media, methods, and aesthetics. What a huge double dose of fuel on that creative fire! And it all doesn’t have to be related to our own art form. It can be creative classes on anything such as pottery, writing, stained glass, cooking, dance, sewing, plein air painting — whatever — the point is to just get creative again, in any direction.

Paint n’ sip: The great thing about going to paint n’ sips is that the focus isn’t on making masterpieces, it’s about making memories. It’s pure wabi-sabi arting! It’s all about the experience, not the product. Getting out of your head for two hours and just smearing pigment on a canvas — it can be cathartic. And that’s often exactly the ticket to bust us loose out of a block or burnout cycle. You see, it’s highly structured, it’s led step by step, it’s fast and instant gratification, you need zero artistic ability, it’s casual and low-key, there’s zero emphasis on perfection, and even better, arting with a bunch of other folks also having a good time is addictive and replenishing. It’s just a series of win wins that can be highly effective in kicking block or burnout out the door!

Conclusion to Part II

So we’re at the end of Part II with a good start with some nifty tactics to curb block and burnout! But brace yourselves, there’s a ton more comin’ down the pike! Yep! The great news is that there are a pile of ways to keep block and burnout at bay, and if we apply a few of them simultaneously, we’ve got a great shot at beating them outright to get back to our creative selves. And the more people being creative in our genre, the better! It gets more people recognizing the realities behind the studio door, it gets our classes packed, and it has more people realizing their horsey dreams for reals. And arting is good for you — very very good for you. Indeed, science has proven that it reduces stress and lowers cortisol while boosting dopamine. It also improves the plasticity of the brain and develops creative problem solving. What's more, it's been found in a new study that being creative even slows biological aging, being as effective as exercise! How 'bout dem apples?

So in the spirit of all this good stuff, let’s continue our deep dive into all the strategies that beef up your defense against artist block and burnout in Part III. Yep, there’s a lot more shenanigans to get through!

“Don’t worry about mistakes. Making things out of mistakes, that’s creativity.”

— Peter Max

Block and Burnout: How to Rekindle the Creative Fire Part I

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Fri, 22 May 2026 13:10:49 +0000

Introduction to Part I

Many years ago, I suffered painter’s burnout. I was done. Done painting realistic equine sculptures. I had enough of the tedium, the pressure, the expectations, the demands, the frustrations, and the physical pain it actually caused my hands. It no longer inspired me, no longer moved or interested me. It was soul-crushing drudgery. And so I quit, cold turkey. Instead, I became entranced by sculpture which took over my passion immediately, drawing me away from painting with blithe ease. In short, when I was customizing in my early days, I realized it was sculpture, not paintwork that held my fascination.

But I see now that was a mistake. An easy mistake to make, but a mistake all the same. A big one to boot. You see, I realize now that I wasn’t burned out with painting — I was burned out with the way I painted! And that’s a very different equation. And it’s a problem with some relative easy fixes had I known at that time.

So my mistake doesn’t have to be your mistake. If you’re suffering from artist block or burnout then, there are some highly effective strategies, even paradigm shifts you can employ to bust right through it and get back to being creative again. And that’s important. A creative not being creative is pretty much an existential crisis. As Brené Brown observes…

“I’m not very creative” doesn’t work. There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear. The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing—it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re creating, we’re cultivating meaning.

Yes. Absolutely, yes. Indeed, your creativity block is a tragedy for you, for the community, and for the art form. It’s a loss, but a loss that can be righted. You can reclaim your creativity and get that fire blazing bright again! It is possible, believe that. You just have to know some handy tricks to stoke that flame. So in the spirit of getting you back into the studio happily creating once more, in this 6-part series let’s explore these practical strategies for beating block and burnout!

Block vs Burnout

First we should know the nature of the beast, right? As such, these two states aren’t the same thing but are, in fact, quite different. Basically, a block is the artist’s equivalent of writer’s block. It’s when you want to create, but you’re at a loss — it just doesn’t come. The motivation is there, but inspiration just doesn’t strike, ideas have been exhausted, or some sort of blockage just prevents you from making the first creative move. Instead then, you may find yourself making excuses. “I don’t have time for this,” or “I have chores to do,” or “What’s happening on TikTok,” or “I’ll wait until inspiration hits,” or any number of other contrived reasons pepper what should’ve been heady enthusiasm to follow through.

It’s been said that artist block doesn’t actually exist — it’s a problem of blocking thoughts, not a physical thing. That’s it more like a kind of resistance, an obstructionist manifestation of the anxious mind. Quite literally then, it’s an instinctive reaction triggered by the amygdala, the primitive part of our brain, in response to problematic circumstances. In this, a block is like a self-generated barrier between your mind and your creative essence, and being creative, not expressing that creativity can be stressful, upsetting, even painful. The block simply disrupts that natural bond you have with your creativity, which is why it can make you feel so empty and lost.

Now it’s important to know that artistic block is a normal part of arting as it’s typically just a temporary state that can lead us to procrastinate a bit at times. It’s part of being human. However, if a block happens for longer than a day or two, the problem can be more serious. Indeed, for some a block can last for weeks, months, years — sometimes even a lifetime in the most tragic circumstances. Let’s not allow that to happen!

In contrast, burnout is simply a complete lack of desire to be creative at all, particularly in your chosen art form. Motivation and inspiration have simply dried up and you’re sitting there wondering why you’re even trying in the first place. It’s all pointless, right? It’s just not inspiring, interesting, or compelling whatsoever anymore. Just one big steaming plate of “meh.” Arting is now a miserable experience, soul-crushing or drudgery. Or maybe you think in hyperbole such as “all my art bites,” or “I’ll never be able to be as good as so-and-so.” Or if you’re spending more time thinking than doing, that’s probably burnout.

In short then, a block is a river with a dam and burnout is a dried up riverbed. Luckily for us, however, many of the strategies to break through a dam or replenish a river are very similar, working equally well for either situation. But first we probably need to understand how we got here in the first place to best get our waters flowin' again.

Typical Causes of Block or Burnout

The factors that cause either one can overlap, being somewhat similar, but each does have a slightly different set of provoking circumstances.

When it comes to a block, our unreasonable expectations and sense of perfection can be big ol’ bricks in that dam. Especially if we’re a professional, we come to believe that our work must meet, even exceed a certain standard or it’s trash. Every single time. But — wow — that’s one heckuva pressure pot to create in! Or perhaps we anticipate failure, real or not, or maybe external distractions are a problem. Likewise, it could be we’re living our art life with too much comparison to other works, as their perceived superiority is impeding our own desire to create. Chronic procrastination is a very clear symptom of block as we attempt to avoid what stresses us. Being too goal-oriented can bring on a block, when we should be more invested in the process. Never forget that the outcome is merely an incidental by-product of an engaged process! Then again, maybe we’re simply waiting for inspiration to strike like some miraculous revelation to get us into the creative flow. However, inspiration rarely works that way. It could be we lack the necessary technical skills and we know it, or we’re creating a cycle of self-doubt and negative self-talk. Are we just a lousy artist? Are we just not skilled or talented enough? Is my work even still relevant? Yikes. Or maybe we simply lack inspiration, or on the other hand, we have too many ideas and get overwhelmed. Stress can also be a component, as an unquiet mind often has a hard time hitting that necessary creative groove. A lack of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth can contribute to block as does a fear of showing your work or talking about it. If you’ve lost faith in your creativity or have descended into creative chaos — not in the good way — chances are that’s a block. Fear of criticism, of negative feedback is another brick on that dam...a huge one. A lack of perseverance, consistency, and follow-though are as well. Another brick is a hesitation to explore, discover, and use your own unique Voice, trying to be an artist you aren’t. And finally, simply having too much on your plate, personally or professionally, can definitely provoke a struggle to make art at all.

But boil it all down and a block is essentially caused by fear — a crushing fear of failing, of not measuring up, of coming up short, of negative backblow. The very real fear of picking up tool or brush and hating what you just created. The frustration, the annoyance, the disillusionment, the begrudging acknowledgement of inferiority — we all fear those negative feelings that billow up when we believe we've faceplanted. Indeed, sometimes this fear can paralyze us, maybe even get us wistfully daydreaming about arting without actually doing it — for years. Those gleaming visions in our head can indeed become addictions but without follow-through, that's where they'll stay.

Now when it comes to burnout, that’s usually caused by exhaustion. Your gasket has blown, your tank has vapor-locked, and you’re just fried and tired. It’s a complex state of mental, emotional, creative, and sometimes even physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, usually from your own creativity, that inhibits your ability to create and thrive.

In artists, burnout often manifests as a depletion of art joy to be replaced by exasperation, disillusionment, a lack of motivation, feeling drained, overwhelmed, or anxious, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, creative stagnation, an inability to do basic creative tasks, and even a persistent physical fatigue. In extreme cases, it can lead to other physical symptoms such as insomnia and headaches, changed appetite, even panic attacks. This emotional toll can be so bad, you can feel detached from your work, your audience, even your own identity as a creative. As burnout gets worse, you can experience depersonalization where you develop a negative opinion of your art, your creative process, even of your audience, leading to a loss of optimism, purpose, and meaning which only compounds that exhaustion and apathy. In turn, the creative stasis that results can be devastating as your arting stops, motivation wanes, and even your inspiration evaporates, exacerbating the feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, disillusionment, and frustration, creating a viscous cycle. Wrap it all up and burnout can quickly lead to depression, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.

However, because the fever of creativity can fluctuate based on such factors as sleep and stress, creative burnout can fly under the radar and can also masquerade as procrastination, tiredness, distraction, or a lack of motivation. It can be found in a host of unhealthy negative comparisons, too, from the quality of others work to the volume of their output to the amount of “likes” they garner to the loftiness of their achievements. Likewise, unbalanced content consumption such as doomscrolling or endlessly bingewatching without creating work can be another symptom — it’s called avoidance. Irritability can also be a tell as creatives often become snippy when not doing their creative thing enough. And a pretty big symptom is self-doubt — a lot of it. You start blaming yourself, thinking you’re just not talented enough, your work is pointless, or that people just don’t care anyway — despite having produced quality work and earned praise in the past.

In essence, you’ve become detached from your art. Indeed, the relentless drive for creativity can come at a steep price — it’s a Faustian deal. Art is one of those curious pursuits where passion and dedication entwine into an alchemy that can either be an elixir or a poison depending on how it’s managed. Indeed, in few other professions do so many pressures intersect, and it’s critical we understand these pressures in order to mediate their longterm effects…

Production pressure: The world constantly demands innovation, novelty, and constant content creation and so artists are often swept up in this relentless cycle. The pressure to crank out new, innovative work, meet deadlines, complete commissions, and staying relevant and ahead of the curve can cause anxiety, chronic stress, and can be overwhelming. Indeed, this merciless pace can leave little space for reflection, rest, and incubation so necessary to cultivate and foster creativity. What’s more, many people in our genre apply a lot of pressure on artists to produce extraordinary quality relatively quickly, and as such, commission work can become a pressure pot for burnout if not managed ruthlessly.
Financial insecurity: The economic unpredictability of most artistic careers can be a major cause of stress and anxiety. Irregular paychecks, constant hustle for jobs and commissions, lack of benefits or vacation and a general uncertainty of the future can sharply compromise our sense of security, stability, and well-being. In turn, this insecurity can lead to overworking, compelling us to take on more work than is feasible, further increasing the probability of burnout.
Isolation: Being an artist is typically a solitary, sequestered pursuit which can generate feelings of disconnection and isolation if we aren’t careful. And unlike conventional workplaces, lone artists have to face creative setbacks and challenges on their own without the cushion of support, feedback, or encouragement, even humor of fellow employees. All of this can amplify detachment and self-doubt which can compound burnout further.
External validation: With social media and online platforms, artists are directly exposed to public scrutiny and judgment. This can quickly become a destructive cycle of chasing likes, shares, positive reviews, followers, and beating the algorithms which can then develop into a dependency of external validation for self-worth. This is an incredibly dangerous place for an artist to be by leaving them seriously vulnerable to criticism, ridicule, and rejection which can fuel burnout like gasoline on a fire.
Attention economy: The constant pressure to create work that grabs the attention of the gestalt and goes viral can cause a focus of quantity over quality at the sacrifice of artistic integrity and personal satisfaction and fulfillment, and all simply for a fleeting recognition. Or we can fruitlessly try to game the systems’ algorithms, often a losing and frustrating proposition, especially since social platforms are constantly changing the goalposts. As such, this can contribute heavily to burnout by feeding exhaustion, self-doubt, negative self-talk, and disillusionment.
Perfectionism: We often have a very strong drive for excellence, even absurd, unreasonable degrees of perfection as we seek to produce technically finessed work. This can make us too outcome-focused when it's the process we need to be immersed in. Wabi-sabi, baby! Because if we feel we’ve fallen short of our mark enough times, burnout isn’t far behind. Which brings us to…
Negative self-talk: We are our own worst critic, aren’t we? Our unceasing self-criticisms and unwillingness to accept imperfection can lead to frustration, disillusionment, dissatisfaction, self-doubt and, of course, eventual burnout. Chronically comparing our work to others doesn’t help matters whatsoever, either. “Comparison is the death of joy,” said Mark Twain. Absolutely right!
The very nature of arting: The mere act of being creative intertwines together our identity, psyche, and our art to further to blur the line between life and work, between passion and exhaustion, which can then spin quickly out of control without perspective, and that can also lead to burnout.
Too many obligations: Having too many events, responsibilities, distractions, chores, appointments, commission slots, or what have you scheduled on your calendar can be a terrible series of roadblocks that exhaust you even before you get to arting. Never forget that your energy is finite any given day so spend it wisely.
Hypersensitivity: Maybe we place too much of our energies on what people think of our work, and that puts far too much power into other people’s hands, doesn’t it? The only person you have to please with your art is — you! You’re the only important person in this equation! So work to your own satisfaction and no more. Leave the rest be. “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free,” said Georgia O’Keefe. Yahtzee!

Add all this up and we have quite the petri dish for burnout, don’t we? In fact, when we step back and hard-look at the nature of our own art niche, it has all the factors that can almost guarantee burnout in its artists at some point in their careers, doesn’t it? No wonder so many of our artists have had it tease their toes or just outright devour them. Indeed, I know a few of our artists who have been so burned out by it, they stopped years ago and still don’t create pieces. Don’t let that be you!

Conclusion to Part I

So now that we’ve got a pulse on block and burnout, in Part II we’ll start our exploration of the many varied tactics we can use to get our gears gearin' again. The great thing about these strategies though is how simple most of them are, just requiring a little first step to initiate. But they all do require a first step on your part because it’s going to take a plucky, pro-active attitude to reclaim your creativity. But your art is worth it, right?

"Creativity lives in paradox: serious art is born from serious play."

— Julia Cameron

Lovely Locks: Painting A Sculpted Mane And Tail

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:07:57 +0000

Introduction

Ever since the sculpted mane and tail gained prominence in the early 90s, we’ve been painting away on those lovely locks with a multitude of methods, all successful more or less. And new ways are evolving every year, such as the painterly streaked approach gaining popularity today.

But it’s not easy. In fact, all the different approaches are a testament to how tricky painting hair can be as many different interpretations attempt to make sense out of its very pesky texture and its passive physics. Because if hair is hard to sculpt, it’s even harder to paint convincingly, and it just looks like we’re all still trying to figure it out. I actually hope we never do only because all the different techniques are exciting and cool!

In that spirit then, I’d like to share with you my method. Maybe you’ll pick out aspects that are helpful or maybe get you going along a new route of exploration in your own work. Either which way, let’s get going!…

The Hairy Problem

Yes, hair. Hair hair hair hair hair. Uffdah. This is probably the most difficult texture and feature to sculpt, hands down, and definitely one of the most difficult to paint. All this is due primarily to its passive physics that are chaotic, which is very hard for the human brain to mimic, it's situational, which is prone to contrived regimentation by our pattern-loving brain, and it's highly detailed with all the striations, which are often nitpicky to render. Wrap it all up then, and we have ourselves a bit of a challenging pickle.

As such, some painters simply opt to let the sculpting do the work and paint the mane and tail one flat color, while others use drybrushing or airbrushing to add in soft, generalized striations or color shifts, while still others paint streak-by-streak, heavily shading and highlighting the beautiful folds and forms in a very painterly way…and everything in between all of this.

So to tackle hair, we have to understand exactly what it is, don’t we? To start then, the mane and tail are keratinized strands that are pigmented (with color) or unpigmented (white), depending on the presence of a marking or not. And while color genetics dictate the hair color, some grooming tactics bleach or color it for whatever reasons, so be mindful of that when picking references.

Hair also comes in different textures, often breed-dependent. For instance, Arabians tend to have super-fine, silky hair while drafters can have thicker, coarser hair. As a general tendency, the “hotter the blood,” the finer the hair, which applies to Arabians, Tekes, Marwaris, Kathiawaris, Persian Arabs, and other “thin-skinned” hot bloods. In contrast, the “colder the blood,” the tendency is towards coarser hair. There are exceptions, of course, but just pay attention to texture in field study and in references. What’s more, the tail hair tends to be coarser than the mane, which can be quite fine at times (and some feathers tend to be even finer, depending on the breed. For instance, Shire feathers are rather silky while Brabant feathers are coarser and Friesian feathers are kinda in-between).

Ultimately though, the main goal is to make the hair look like hair: Wispy, striated, complex in tone, shaded and highlighted, layered, and most of all, full of “organic chaos" dictated by passive physics. Always remember that hair has passive movement which can make its configurations truly something to tackle! Movement, posture, wind, and serendipity all have their effects on hair, all of which we have to capture. Zowie! It’s a lot to juggle, and often on rather tricky shapes and textures that have been sculpted in. Ooof. But with certain artistic approaches, this is all doable. For that then, it’s smart to refer to some good references when painting hair if only to jostle loose our brain’s propensity for regimentation caused by its pattern recognition response. Because it’s shockingly easy for our hand to fall too much into a rigid pattern when it comes to painting hair, ultimately reducing the look of organic chaos and leaning more into artificiality. Like the more regimentation kicks in, the more it looks like our hair was painted with a fork, or rather it has evenly spaced striations and tendrils.

For that then, always remember that the mane and tail are comprised of countless tiny strands that all work together to drive home the look of “mane” and “tail.” What’s more, they lay independently, but they also function together as tendrils and clumps, behavior that affects how we have to paint it, too. More still, they can bunch up into twists, "cords," or also “witch’s knots” (also called “fairy knots"), which are happenstance configurations that require special attention. On top of that, the hairs that lay on the top surface tend to be the most sensitive to breezes, but the tips often are as well.

As for coloration…goodness...the options! Lean into those references big time! Like, we have all the different different colors and tones, then we might have to factor in staining or sun bleaching, then we have the potential colorations of the different layers, then we have to factor in striations plus the interplay of colored hair or white hair if patterns are involved, and finally, we can infuse highlight and shading to punch it all up a notch. Put it altogether and the mane and tail can spin into a lot of complication very quickly. Phew!

We also have to account for volume as different breeds have different degrees of volume in their follicles. For example, Arabians, Tekes, and Marwaris tend towards less volume whereas Friesians, foofy cobs, Shetlands, Dartmoors, some drafters, and even some Morgans tend to have a profuse volume of hair. This affects how a piece is sculpted, and so how we paint it because we’ll have to contend with different textures, but also more or less hair to paint.

On that note, we also need to think in terms of layers much of the time, even if the mane and tail have been brushed out, de-clumping them. In this, different layers can exhibit different tones or coloration which we have to account for, or the different layers can move independently, creating more of an impression of wispiness. If we’re lucky, all this will have been sculpted in to the mane and tail, but if not, we can still fudge it if the formations permit it. For instance, the more generalized and “loose” the sculpting, the more likely we can add in this feature in a painterly way but the more detailed and “tight” the sculpting, the less able we are. In other words, we can allow the sculpting of the mane and tail guide our creative decisions.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway is this: We have to attend to scale as a prime directive, and so it’s important to understand that no brush, pencil, etching, nib, or other tool can actually recreate a single strand of hair even at 1:9 scale. Just think about how teensy tiny that single strand would have to be at that size and, well — we just don’t have the technology to duplicate that (yet). A single hair is just too tiny! So what we actually are painting are strands of hair, clumps of hair, working together to give us the look of wispy hair. This is an important distinction because it'll inform how we paint hair in more effective ways. In this, think instead about painting progressively finer tendrils of hair the more wispy we want to render it, more like this:

“Micro-tendrils”: A small clump of single strands into a skinny, wispy tendril. In other words, this is the skinniest stroke our brush, nib, or pencil can manage.
“Macro-tendrils”: Medium-sized clumps of hair that act independently of either the micro or mega tendrils, adding dimension and dynamism.
“Mega-tendrils”: The large tendrils that form the basic shapes of the mane and tail as it wisps out towards the ends, or the biggest swatches or "tentacles" of hair.

Of course, those are just generalizations to simplify the ideas as there’s a whole spectrum of everything in-between micro, macro, and mega tendrils. But even so, the main point is that these different types of tendrils behave differently than single strands, which we need to understand. For example, micro-tendrils are heavier than single strands but are the lightest of the three, and so are most prone to being flung round in a breeze. Then macro and mega tendrils are that much heavier and less prone to movement unless physics really warrants it. For another, tendril behavior changes whether brushed out or au naturel. Specifically, they’re more wispy and diffused when washed, de-tangled and brushed out, or they’re “sticker” together the more au naturel they are. That’s to say the more washed and brushed out they are, the more diffused the hues, tones, and white and pigmented hairs tend to be and the more micro-tendrils take over whereas the more “pasture” they are, the more they clump together into macro- and-mega-tendrils. And then there's everything in between due to all the varying circumstances. Pay attention to that in references as that can play into the narrative or movement of the sculpture. On that note, tendrils “stick together” randomly, or that’s to say that hairs of different colors, particularly pigmented hairs and white hairs, don’t segregate, but mix together, an effect we have to account for in our painting if we want to really capture the look of hair, particularly in braided hair. And finally, different degrees of fineness of hair will affect how it clumps and moves. For example, silky Arabian hair can be more prone to wispiness than drafter hair simply due to its finer texture. So overall, think in terms of skinny tendrils rather than skinny hairs, and we have a better chance at nailing the texture.

Now a concern particular to our art form is being adaptive to how the mane and tail are actually sculpted. Each sculptor tackles hair in their own way from either “looser” and more generalized to “tighter," more highly detailed and striated. Or some sculptors sculpt their hair in long continuous strands while others “break them up” more, and everything in between. This is to say, as painters, we're asked to adapt to how the sculpting is actually rendered because our primary job is to flatter the sculpture best, and that often means working with the sculpture rather than against it. This can make our job all the trickier, but this is exactly why having a big toolbox of techniques as options is so important. Indeed, one approach may not work for every sculpture so well, and being able to switch our gears a bit is just the ticket. In that spirit then, let’s get into it!…

Media

I paint my manes and tail in a multi-media approach because I find that each medium has its own bonus that contributes nicely to the overall effect. For that then, I use:

Acrylic paint: I like Golden Fluid Acrylics and Liquitex Soft Body acrylics.
Color pencils: I use Primscolor, Derwent, and Faber-Castell. A couple of notes about color pencils though. First, sealants tend to interact with them insofar as pale colors tend to vanish whereas golds, yellows, and ochres tend to become more garish, so color accordingly. Second, the Prismacolors are more waxy and so lay down more intense color but are prone to “bloom,” or cloudiness if applied too thickly. In contrast, the Derwents and Faber-Castells are less waxy and less prone to bloom, but lay down less intense color. So use them accordingly.
Pastel pencils: Primarily I use The General’s 4414 White Chalk pencil.
Conté pencils: I mostly use black, rusts, and browns.
Testor’s Dullcote: As a sealant to reinstill “tooth” and set the pencils before progressing to the next step. Just a light dusting will do, don’t soak the surface.

Tools

Likewise, I use specific tools to apply this media, such as:

Round brushes: In various sizes, these would have fine points and nice bellies to hold a good reservoir of paint so you don’t have to stop and re-dip your brush to break up a nice, clean continuous line.
Airbrush: I use the Iwata HPC-BS Eclipse, bottom feeder, my faithful workhorse.
Pencil sharpener: Use whichever sharpener gives you a fine point because that’s the trick to using the pencils, keeping a pointy point to avoid “chatter” and allow for precision.
Blender stick: I sometimes use these to burnish the color pencils—gently! If you’re not gentle, you’ll tear up your paintjob.
Pointed Q-tips: I use these to soften and “set back” the pastel and conté pencils. Just a couple of gentle swipes is enough otherwise you’ll blend all your work away.

Haired Out

So now that we have our media and tools, let’s use them! Now the way I paint my manes and tails is from generalized to detailed in a progression, with some back and forth at the end to make adjustments. Now I'm just going to show you a mane here, but all the ideas and techniques apply to tails and feathers, too. So here we go!…

First pick the lightest color, or the color of the tips, and paint where your reference indicates, flat and opaque. Be precise and tidy, especially if the tips lay on the body.
Then pick your darkest color, and paint where your reference suggests, flat and opaque. Again, be tidy and precise, especially if this color lays along the crest. For extra points, don’t paint a straight line along the crest, but paint in tiny spokes, or striations to make it look like it’s growing out naturally.
Next, pick your medium color and paint that where the reference tells you, again being tidy and blending into both the dark and light colors as streaks rather than blunt chunks. Keep things striated, "spikey," and “hair-like” as possible where the colors meet. Now you have a blank canvas ready for finessing. (Figure 1)
Now I take the airbrush and carefully paint in blending streaks to marry together the colors better in a softer, diffused manner. I have to be careful not to hit the body and ruin the paintjob though as I work to get in crevices or twists n' turns, so what I sometimes do, if warranted, is to bag the sculpture in a plastic grocery bag or Saran Wrap to mask it out first, or use painter’s tape to create closer masking. I’m pretty precise with the airbrush and I tend to stay away from the tips (which is why we painted our tips the lightest color), especially if they lay on the body, but I may do that masking off just in case if things are really complicated in coloration (then I clean up with acrylic brushwork later). Anyway, so once I’m done, I’m ready for detailing. (Figure 2)
Dust lightly with Dullcote and let dry.
Now I use conté (in this case in browns and rusts) and pastel pencils (in this case in white) to make strategic striations if the colors are warranted, softening with a pointed Q-tip in one downward gentle swipe to “set it back” more, so it doesn’t look penciled on. Just be sure to account for the flow and lay of the hair when penciling to stay consistent with the sculpting. You can even add in additional wispy details of micro-tendrils if you wish if the hair is sculpted generalized enough. When done, dust lightly with Dullcote and let dry. (Figure 3)
It’s color pencil time! I use color pencils a lot for coloring manes and tails and I use different colors for all the variegation, highlighting, and shading. I may augment this with acrylic brushwork if I don’t have the right color for what I need. Again, you need to adapt to the lay of the sculpted mane or tail, but you can add in wispy details of micro-tendrils if the sculpting allows it. As you layer these on, you may need to dust intermittently with Dullcote to reinstate “tooth" to the surface. Use the blender stick to burnish the pencils to set them back into the paintwork more, if you wish. Then once done, dust lightly with Dullcote and let dry. (Figure 4)
Then I added an airbrushed golden glaze to color the whites more flaxen. (Figure 5)
Now I make adjustments, using the airbrush to blend and soften and blur, especially the starts and ends of the pencilwork, and add on more painted-on or penciled-on striations to amplify punch, depth, and more detail as the sculpting warrants. Basically what we do here is to diffuse the pencilwork so it "sits back" into the paintwork rather than looking penciled "on top." (Figure 6)
When done, spray adequately with Dullcote and finito! You should have a beautifully colorized and wispy-looking mane and tail. (Figure 7)

Tips

There’s definitely a knack with this approach but these insights make it easier and produce better outcomes:

Practice! This approach definitely is done by "feel," so play around with it on a junker first.
The airbrush needs a lot of precision and skill to use it without blasting areas of your paintwork on the body. This is where bagging and masking can be helpful if you don’t have this degree of control yet, or if the tendrils lay en masse on the body. Or you could just lean into brushwork or pencilwork more in those areas instead, it’s up to you.
Color pencils, and the conté, and pastels in particular, can look artificial and “painted on top” if not set back into the paintwork with blending, especially with blurring their starts and ends. To do that, I lean into the airbrush to blend those portions into the surrounding areas, especially the color pencils, so it all marries together better. But without an airbrush, you can rely more on brushwork and more pencilwork to do that blur for you. Or you could add a layer of oils if you like, if that’s one of your chosen media. Either which way, if that pencilwork isn't "sat back" into the paintwork, it can compromise the illusion of touchable, wispy, silky hair pretty quickly. So don't just lay down the pencilwork and call it a day.
Pencils don’t always come in the colors you need, right? So just use paint and brushwork to fill that gap. Or another option is to rely on the white pastel pencil to create striations, spray with Dullcote to set it, then use the airbrush to tint the white to the color you need, and that can work like a charm, too. Then just continue with your pencilwork or brushwork as usual. But this is a nifty trick to add a lot of glow to your coloration as the white base really allows a tint to “pop.”
Keep those pencils sharp! You want to avoid imprecision, missed areas, or “chatter” and a pointy tip does that for you.
Work in layers as a lot of back n’ forth work with airbrushing and brushwork and pencilwork lends complexity, glow, and depth. In essence, we don't want to see how the hair was painted per se, just that it's nicely painted.
The white pastel pencil and white paint can be really helpful for adding wispy blending or detailing to unpigmented portions.
If there are white unpigmented sections, this is where understanding micro-, macro-, and mega-tendrils really come into play as it blends with the pigmented portions because the blending of the two really highlights striations. We have to recognize brushed-out or pasture-rough textures as well as that will change how we paint the intersections of white and pigmented hairs. In other words, if that hair is really brushed out, that intersection can be more diffused but if it's more au naturel, it can tend to be more sharply defined into tendrils. Either which way, you can use the white pastel pencil to input the white, or you can use paint, or use both, it's up to you. (Figure 8)
Always go with the flow of the sculpted hair, don’t fight it. However, you can add wispy detailing if you wish, as warranted.
Think about shading in the deepest crevices and highlight on the highest points, but don’t go too crazy with this as you also have to account for the hair’s actual coloration, too.
What’s more, your shade and highlight colors should change as the tones change in the different areas of the hair. In other words, don’t use that dark brown color you used in the rusty portions for the blonde portions. Mix up a new blonde-shading color instead. This will keep the colors clean and clear.
Paint like you mean it. In other words, your strokes should be bold and confident and not exhibit an imprecise, unsteady hand. Absolute clarity, cleanliness, and precision are key to a well-colorized mane and tail.
Try to avoid colorizing the mane and tail in “chunks,” but as striations that chunk together, if that makes sense. We don’t want the hair to resemble tentacles, but look like hair.
You can approach the mane and tail literally in their coloration or painterly with lots of shadings, highlights, and painterly striations. Either way — and everything in-between — works.
You can paint in a highlighted sheen to the hair if you wish with pencils, conté, pastel pencils, or brushwork.
If you do brushwork or pencilwork, you have to really commit to it. In other words, don’t just add a few striations and call it a day. That look’s too sparse and unfinished. Really dig in more thoroughly. It looks better and drives home the impression of hair better.
Brushwork and pencilwork allows you to really play with micro-tendril behavior, so have fun with it if the sculpting allows you to.
The real trick to this method it getting the pencilwork to not look like pencilwork, and the brushwork not to look like brushwork, and the airbrushwork not to look like airbrushwork. Like if we can immediately see how it was colorized because it’s so simplified in its application, we missed our mark. It should be complex enough to get folks wondering how we did it. That’s how finessed it should look.
All this works equally well on feathers, mustaches, or long body hair, too.
If you don't have an airbrush, oils are a good alternative choice for painting and glazing. If you don't use oils, try an acrylic drying retardant to give you more open time.
If you're working with a black mane and tail, you can still highlight and shade it with grey conté or color pencils, and/or with brushwork incorporating Interference Blue. You can even use the white pastel pencil if you glaze over it with blues or purples as a highlight, or rusts or browns to marry it with the body or for sunburnt coloration.
If you're painting a white mane and tail, again, you can still shade and highlight it with greys and greiges, and even consider tan or golden tips, especially on the tail, to denote staining.
The colors you choose for your color pencilwork makes a huge difference...they should be as spot on to your target colors as possible if you can manage it. In other words, don't try to always change the color with glazing (with the exception of the white pencils) unless you can't help it, but pick the right color right off the bat. This allows you to maintain as much of a hint of a striation as possible rather than having to cover it too much with paint trying to change its hue.
Layer layer layer! That's the secret to this method. So don't expect it to look good in one or two layers. For example, my finished product in Figure 7 was five layers of back and forth work.

Conclusion

Painting a lovely mane and tail does take some doing, but it’s all within our reach with a bit of know-how and practice. And there are many ways to get to a beautiful result, so this is just one of many methods that work equally well. But hopefully this tutorial gave you new ideas to play with, which is one of the benefits of sharing our methods.

Just be sure to practice a bit with this approach on a junker first as it takes a bit of finessing to get it all married together nicely. But above all, be patient and meticulous. This technique takes time to build up the layers and complexity for it to read well enough, so just work through each step carefully.

So practice, be meticulous and precise, blur and blend, and you’ll be creating gorgeous hair in no time! And this method can be a bit meditative, too, especially the pencilwork. And it’s so cool to see the layers stack on each other so nicely, bringing your hair to life right in front of you eyes! So take what you will from this tutorial and see if you can make it work for you, too. The truth is, this method, while a bit tricky, is also a ton of fun and so applying some of these ideas may help you get really haired out, but in a good way! Indeedy, painting this imposing texture isn't such a hairy proposition as it may first seem! With a bit of practice and know-how, you can be whipping up terrific tresses toot sweet!

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?” – George Bernard Shaw

The Gift: Bad Art And Why It Matters

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:04:00 +0000

Introduction

As artists, we get inordinate pressure to create perfectly, both from external pressures and our own internal pressures. This pressure pot compels us to even twist ourselves up in knots, trying to create as perfectly as we possibly can. Which isn’t entirely all bad, of course. Hey, it’s propelled our arts to the pinnacle of achievement that it is today! But it’s not entirely good either, coming with a price, and one we perhaps should rethink paying, at least all the time. Because what if I told you that some of the most important works you’ll ever create are the “bad” ones?

I know, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But more times than you think, it’s true! So let’s talk about this curious phenomenon and why it matters for not only our development, but our enjoyment in our arting as well. Let’s go!…

Messy Progress

Our creative progress isn’t a straight line. It has detours, backwards steps, big leaps, loops around, and all manner of skill-building chaos. That’s the nature of learning art. Adding spice to this brew, progress can even come to us completely by accident, through experimentation or even complete failure. How ever it comes to us though, artistic development is a messy business so we need to leave our rigid expectations at the door and stay open to the happenstance lessons each piece presents.

But here’s the thing: Advancement can only really come if we’re willing to art badly. All breakthroughs come from discovery, intended or not, but that can only happen if we’re courageous enough to to push our skills forward. It’s in the ugly stages, the uncertain, messy phases, and often when we experiment and explore, and especially when we allow ourselves to get it “wrong,” that we stumble upon new possibilities. In short, progress requires risk so we can shove our habits, formulas, expectations, conventions, and perfectionism aside to test the potential of our techniques, media, and aesthetics. As such, we learn far more than method as we come to discover our creative resilience, rekindle our curiosity, and find more confidence in our own Voice. Heck, we may even find our Voice through this process as we lean more into our creative intuition and artistic guts.

So in this role, our bad art is actually the powerhouse that fuels our progress, not the catastrophic flaw that holds us back — but only if we’re paying attention to the lessons. So pay attention! Ask yourself “why?,” “how?,” and “what if?” more often rather than sinking into “I should just quit” despair. Indeed, more times than not, the moment you do quit is the moment you do fail! So unless a piece is a real loss (because sometimes that happens), keep going. Take stock, recalibrate, reassess, and try again. Always try again! Because it’s in the trying again where all our advancements are found so tap into that and you so totally got this!

Unexpected Outcomes

We often set out in our studios to create a piece with the “it” factor, the piece we hope will ignite people’s kudos and sell really well for us. So we may seek to fill empty niches or study market trends, hoping to avoid creating a piece that was a “bad idea” to make. But the funny thing is, the market is the market, collectors are collectors, and everyone is inspired by different things. So the piece that might be a “bad idea” to you may actually be a brilliant one to someone else en masse. That whole beauty and beholder thing. So artist — beware of your predictions! Create instead what original ideas inspire you and then just let the chips fall where they may. That’s more enjoyable for you, and who knows, it may really resonate with a lot of people out there! See, here's the thing: When we create according to our passions rather than a more analytical strategy, we create better and more exciting work that has a better chance at really pinging people's hearts.

How do I know this? Let me tell you the story of Stormwatch. I created Stormy based on a very powerful inspiration that came to me out of nowhere, complete with narrative backstory to boot. He was fully formed — I just had to make him. But as I sculpted him, I came to believe that he’d never sell. He was just too rugged and rangy, too “out there” in the narrative department. He wasn’t a performance horse and definitely not a conventional halter horse, so I expected people to just consider him ugly and unshowable. But I didn’t care, I created him anyway for my own satisfaction, and I was certainly pleased with how he turned out. However, I wasn’t going to release him as a resin. I was going to keep him as a one-of-a-kind. Why? Because I thought I’d be upside down with his sales and production costs. That I’d just lose too much money even making a mold for him. One thousand dollars for a mold with only a couple sold? Nope! But the Universe spoke through an unexpected conduit: My Mom. Indeed, it was my Mom who advocated for Stormwatch in resin, lobbying hard for his production. She was relentless. She somehow understood what Stormy encapsulated and even offered to pay for his production so I wouldn’t take the loss. I didn’t take her up on that offer, but I did listen to her wisdom, and the rest is history.

So the takeaway is this: Try not to presume what will trigger the community's delight. Not only can you go off-track with what type of work you create — creating for others rather than for yourself — but you can even deny the community of something amazing for little good reason. Don’t think your piece will be popular enough? By what metric do you measure that? So don’t overlook “bad ideas” because there could be a chance that “bad idea” is really a brilliant one! Indeed, many times, that “bad idea” has ended up being a masterpiece for many artists! So dial back those presumptions. Never forget, as Rick Rubin says, “the audience comes last.” Create for yourself first and let the chips fall where they may, without presumption. Who knows what the Universe has in store for your inspirations!

New Growth

If you're going to grow in your skills or bump yourself off an artistic plateau, you have to try new ideas and new ways of doing things. Doubling down on your same old routines, habits, techniques, and formulas won't help you here. They're what got you stuck in the first place, right? So if you don't like what you're producing, you have to change what you're doing. This usually translates into exploring new media, methods, aesthetics, and ideas to jostle your skills loose of the shackles that hold them back. To do that though, you have to be willing to be terrible at something before you get good at it. That's to say, you have to be willing to make very "bad" art before you make new and better art.

Now granted, this is often easier said than done! It's not so easy to switch our gears, especially when our old modes garnered us a degree of success. It can be really hard to let go of our comfort zones. It can even be intimidating and scary! But if you really want to advance, you have to be willing to shed what's obsolete or outdated, and actively cultivate new artistic growth with fresh new approaches. And — yes — you're probably going to make a lot of "bad" art again with these new methods, with a lot of mistakes and missteps as you kinda start over. But this is normal and expected, so muscle through it and absorb the lessons because the prize at the end is a whole new horizon for you!

For instance, after thirty years of steadfastly (stubbornly?) using acrylics to paint, I took some classes and recently switched to oils. Was it daunting? You bet. Was it overwhelming? At times. Did I make bad mistakes? Oh, absolutely! Was it worth it? Monumentally! In fact, I can't believe it took me so long to switch to oils! Because even more, it's been an absolute blast learning as a newb again! Unquestionably, that newb energy is such a wonderful thing, even if you've been at this gig for decades. It imbues a fresh, exciting, wide-eyed energy which you may have forgotten with all your years of experience, so to feel it again is so artistically invigorating! So I took a big gulp and dedicated myself to making "bad" oil paint jobs with the hopeful promise that improvement would surely come with repetition and problem-solving. But had I not been willing to go back to a new starting point to learn something new from scratch — with all the "bad" art that entailed — I would never be in the happy painting place I am now!

Pressure Release

I frequent a paint n’ sip simply to get out of my head for two hours while still being creative. It’s not my best art, not by a long shot. It’s full of errors, quick brushstrokes, and wonky touches. But that’s not the point. The point is it acts as both a pressure valve and a means to explore another kind of creativity — in this case flatwork — with zero pressure and zero expectations. It’s just fun! Silly, irreverent, low-key fun! Perfection? Not today! And all that's immensely freeing and recalibrating, which swings back to inform my regular work. Honestly, I’ve gotten better at my equine art because of these paint n’ sip sessions by loosening up my sensibilities, pushing the expectations of myself, appreciating happy accidents and serendipities more, and asking for a greater economy of action and decision. Curiously, my newly found oil painting mania has been particularly benefitted from these sessions because oil paints work very differently than my familiar acrylics, and in ways that are more aligned to the paint ’n sip methods. You have to ping value, color, and brushwork, for example, things absolutely critical for oil paintwork. Honestly, you just never know how one artform will inform another!

In other words, the "bad" art of my paint n’ sip work has improved my work across the board, so again, dial back those presumptions! Arting is arting. So that also means that just about any art class could be an unexpected boon for your equine art. Flatwork, beading, glass blowing, watercolors, knitting, quilting, basketweaving…whatevs! Who knows? Really, you just never know what lessons you'll learn that you can apply in your studio! The important bit then is to follow your curiosities and inspirations — no matter where they lead — and see what pans out. So maybe give it a try just to see what could happen! "Bad" art can improve your good art into great art!

Perfection

This is the truth of things: Perfection doesn't exist. It's an illusion, a delusion, a myth, and a lie. Nothing ever made ever is perfect because we live in an imperfect reality. No one ever has created perfect work nor will perfect work ever be made. It's impossible. Why is that? Because even if something looks perfect to you, someone else will perceive errors in it, and visa versa. So by this measure of ardent perfectionism, all art is "bad" art, right? All of it's a failure because it's all intrinsically imperfect. "Inevitability, Mr. Anderson," said Agent Smith. But that's a dangerous, destructive, and delusional headspace to create from. Why? Because it'll compel you to spin your wheels and veer into overworking, two ways that'll ruin your work faster than anything else. It'll also stunt your growth so effectively because you're too busy perfecting a piece when you should be finishing it and moving onto new lessons. Indeed, when we quit with the perfectionism to instead adopt the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, not only does our creative journey become a lot more wonderful, but somehow so does our work. This is largely because in doing so, we open our process up to the happy accident more, we create more with our artistic intuition and guts, and we allow that mysterious channel to remain open to allow our inspiration to truly manifest through our hands unimpeded by our egos, mania, fears, negative self-talk, and wonky ideas about what is "perfect" and what isn't as we go. As such, wabi-sabi is the surest path to our best work and our Voice, and it's through our pure Voice where actual, gleaming perfection is to be found, not in the "perfect" line, contour, tone, or toolstrike. That is to say when we create honestly and authentically, that makes our work perfect by definition as it turns out exactly as it was meant to turn out. But when we muddy that up with perfectionism, we poison our process and compromise our Voice, which is why the work of self-proclaimed perfectionists is so often "dead" and overworked, lacking the liveliness and boldness that only comes with Voiceful work. And, likewise, if we truly want to advance our growth exponentially, we've got to dump perfectionism to become more focused on open-minded intent, risk-taking, problem-solving, perseverance, and a willingness to make mistakes. None of that can come though when perfectionism rules the day. You see, perfectionism is simply too rooted in fear and insecurity. In other words, it's not a position of power or empowerment — it's a position of weakness. And when fear intermixes with our creative efforts, there goes our true potential out the window.

So if you call yourself a perfectionist, what you're really telling the world is that you truly don't have a handle on things, that you really don't understand arting. Be careful with that. What you can do instead is to improve your work by creating the best you can at that moment, stretching your sensibilities and skills for that brass ring and persevering through the setbacks, yet know when to call "done" and move on. Because you'll never create perfectly, that's a sure thing. Don't become a Don Quixote chasing those windmills! "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence," said Vince Lombardi. Bingo. "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it," said Salvador Dali. Spot on. So the point isn't to create perfectly, the point is to stretch yourself to create more boldly and openly than you did before. Start asking "what if" with each new piece rather than beating yourself up with "I must create this perfectly or I will have failed." Great work is the product of devotion, not delusion.

Our Humanity

Here’s the beautiful thing about art: Every piece of art is a miracle, “good” or “bad.” It showcases a moment when a frail, flawed, inspired human being was courageous enough to become vulnerable to the entire world by pulling out of the ether something that’s never existed before. It’s also a very human need to make a connection with others and to seek expression of the self. As Brené Brown observes, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity. To create is to make something that has never existed before. There's nothing more vulnerable than that.” This is always a marvel, a pure representation of our humanity whether or not the art is “good.” In fact, in some ways, it’s in the “bad” art where our humanity is most potent because our drives are so strong, they override our fears to try something new or scary. How wonderful is that? Indeed, “bad” art is a noble pursuit! It builds our gumption and character, revealing moments of enlightenment not only in technique but within ourselves as well. Indeed, it’s in the “bad” art where our progress is to be found, personally and artistically, and this is always something to celebrate!

So don’t knock your "bad" art! Don’t trash talk your mistakes! And definitely don’t indulge negative self-talk because of them. These oopsies are exactly the pathways for improvement, so follow them to their kernel of truth. And above all, always remember how human making art actually is, what a beautiful calling! You are doing something miraculous so always hold that close to your heart, giving yourself grace no matter how your art pans out.

Conclusion

Is there really such a thing as “bad art”? Perhaps not. I believe if it was made with love and emotion, our humanity that yearns for connection, there’s just art…it’s neither good nor bad. Art is art. Why? Because everyone interprets any given piece on their own terms so what may be awful to one person may be brilliant to another. Who’s to say? That’s the wondrous thing about art — it’s everything to everyone, all the time! Indeed, as Andy Warhol advised, “Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” Right on!

The point though is this: The first person who should love your piece is you. If we fall in love with what we’re working on, even in small part, we’re doing it right. So even if it’s “bad,” we love it all the same. For example, many of my old Vintage Customs could make me cringe, but they don’t. Instead, I recognize them as milestones in my development, made with love and devotion, necessary stepping stones to where I am today. Truly, I love each and every one of them, no matter how wonky some may be. Even better, I know that each of them is loved by someone who enjoys them, that they’ve pinged someone’s heart, and what better reward is there than that? And like the maquettes I make for my oil painting adventures — they’re far from the meticulous customs I made years ago, full of deliberate oversights and little errors. But I don’t care, I love them all the same because I enjoyed their making, their lessons, and the overall result. I created them for myself, for my own enjoyable learning adventures so even though they’re “bad” in comparison to say Orinocco, Trillium, or Sorcha, they’re still good because of what they mean to me. Really, it’s like the macaroni necklace your child made for you — is that not the best thing ever?!

Wrap it all up, and making “bad” art can be very good for you and wholly productive for your ultimate goals. See, the thing is, everything creative you undertake informs you in some way, so the more creative you are — in any direction — the more informed you become and that bodes great things in your studio! But the important bit is to embrace your art — all of it — because each piece is a pure expression of your humanity and deserving of your self-congratulations, even if its a faceplant — especially if it’s a faceplant. Yes, you made that, but that’s just the point — you made something that’s brand new, practicing all the great stuff to make it real in the process. That's such a beautiful, noble endeavor! So just get up, dust yourself off, learn the lesson, and try again, and maybe delightfully surprise yourself along the way! “Bad” art is actually really good magic so don’t knock it!

So reframe your "bad" art in these new ways and you begin to recognize what a gift it is from the Universe. That being the case, learning to love your “bad” art imbues you with a true freedom and agency available to you no other way, and there are few things that’ll not only bump up your art a notch better than that, but primes you for sustained growth to boot! Truly, you gain a fresh new confidence and courage to pivot, adapt, and stretch that only your “bad” art teaches and that spells one thing in your studio: Better work, increased motivation, and broader horizons! In this way then, your “bad” art is the pathway to great art and greater creative adventures so follow it wherever it leads. Do that and who knows what you’ll find on your journey of discovery, what unexpected gem of insight waits for you! But the only way to find it is through your “bad” art, your surprising gift meant only for you! Open it!

"Art is not made to be received. It is made to be made. There is no bad art, it just is."

— Unknown

Happy Hoofdom: Painting The Equine Hoof

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:08:00 +0000

Introduction

The equine foot is a marvel of bioengineering. Refined through millions of years of relentless evolution, it’s singular in its construction and function. There’s just nothing else like it out there! And when you brass tacks it, they sure are beautiful, aren’t they? So many variations, and all those effects and that lustrous look, they're definitely a wonder of the natural world! Yet when it comes to painting them on our sculptures, they can be a serious challenge in part because of all those colorations and details in a tight space, but also because we have to continuously paint “in the round,” a rather tricky thing to master. For this reason, some folks really dislike painting them, and for good reason. They can be frustrating, tedious, complicated, and seemingly never-ending, trying to get them just so. But in the spirit of making our painting lives more fun, let’s discuss how I paint hooves in the hopes that some of it might help make things easier and faster for you. I think when we share our processes, we all win!

Now the way I paint hooves rests on one thing: Pinging the correct colors and tones so that it reads correctly. In other words, I don't rely on multi-media or different techniques...it's all done in acrylic paint with round brushes (with maybe a filbert thrown in at times). But it's the correct colors that really lean things towards realism, and lemme tell ya...those colors can be surprising when it comes to hooves. So keep an open mind about what colors to use and really pay attention to your references. Dark hooves aren't white and black grey, and pale hooves aren't as simple as they may seem! And every hoof is different, so pay attention to variety. More still, we also have to factor in scale and details, which we'll talk about as we go. So let’s dive right in!…

The Considerations

Okay…hooves are particularly tricky due to their construction. That’s to say, their keratinized layers have a certain look to them, a kind of transparency and “glow” unique to this kind of substance. You know, like how cow horns have a sort of luster to them? Well, so do horse hooves, particularly pale ones. And if we can, our aim is to capture that luster in pigment.

What’s more, any striations or especially stripes within the hoof wall have a kind of “embedded bruise” look to them we need to try and capture, too, because they’re part of the hoof wall, not “painted on top.” This is probably the hardest aspect to duplicate and so far, I’ve found that the careful use of color and tone comes really close. Still not quite a cigar, but close.

So this is where layering comes in, to better ping that embedded look even more. We’ll be working in successive layers, not all in one go, because we want to capture as much texture and detail as we can, but in an orderly way so we don’t end up with a haphazard, confusing mess. As much detail as hooves have, they do have an organic order to them we should capture.

Complicating all this though are life relics like dirt, dust, mud, manure, and grass or nail staining. They lend their own colorations and effects, as well as being situational details that can speak to the narrative of the piece. So pay them special attention because they can provide just the right detailing to forward the story of the piece. For instance, show-polished hooves make little sense on a pasture broodmare whereas pasture hooves don’t really fit a halter show horse. So we also need to keep the situational context of the narrative in mind as we paint.

On that note, we have to consider grooming practices, even breed-specific grooming conventions, when we paint our hooves. Like some breeds still black-out dark hooves with black hoof polish and then use clear polish on pale hooves. In the past, many breeds blacked out all the hooves, even pale ones. But generally speaking, most show horses, especially for halter classes, have their hooves scrubbed, even sanded, then polished in some fashion, so pay attention to that in references and at horse shows.

Speaking of which, perhaps the piece’s narrative or sculpting includes cracks, breaks, rounded toes, and other wear and tear on the hoof wall we have to detail out as well. Horses don’t live in a reality vacuum! And so at some point, we’ll be painting a piece with hooves that show wear that needs our attention, too.

Along with all this, we also have the periople to deal with, that flakey pale substance underneath the coronet on both dark and pale hooves. Sometimes this is scrubbed or sanded off a show hoof, sometimes not. And sometimes it’s quite pronounced or extensive on some horses and on others, it’s rudimentary and more subtle. Either way with all this, just look for it in your references in order to give it its due attention in your paintwork.

What’s more, the equine hoof isn’t just the hoof wall, but also the posterior portion of the foot proper, such as the back of the frog and the heel, both made of cornified material with its own texture and colorations. So we have to paint this portion as well which has its own approach, too.

And lastly, shoes and nails are another feature we might have to contend with, but for the scope of this discussion, I’m omitting them so we can focus more on the hoof painting itself. Likewise, we won’t be dealing with painting the bottom of the foot like the sole and frog and whatnot, but focus instead just on the hoof wall and posterior foot. That’s plenty to deal with in one go and we can attend to the distal foot in another tutorial.

But put all this together then and it’s easy to see how painting hooves can get really complicated really fast, and all in a small area! No wonder so many folks struggle painting them — it’s a lot to juggle in a tight space and "in the round"!

Lean Into References

You’re going to need some really good, clear, large references of the specific hoof you wish to paint in order to come anywhere near success. So when you take your reference photos or mine them, look for plenty of hoof ones, too, of pale, dark, and striped hooves (and shod, muddy, dusty, pasture, cracked, barefoot, and all manner of hooves). But to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed with all the options — because there are a lot of options — work from one or two good photos of either a dark hoof, striped hoof, or pale hoof as per your needs, and build variation off those. What you want are ideas and guidance, not necessarily a 1:1 translation. Why? Because if you use too many references for one hoof, you’re just going to get overwhelmed and confused, so keep it clear and on point by sticking to just a couple solid images per foot.

Also, each horse or pony has a unique set of hoofies so don’t always apply the same type of hoof on all the feet or on all your paintjobs. Mix it up! Besides, this makes it more fun by being able to explore more options and challenges.

The Media and Tools

The media you use is ultimately up to you. Like some folks paint hooves entirely in oils, which works great, some paint them with inks, which works great, while still others paint them completely in pastels, which works great. Color pencils can even be used. It all works as there are many ways to tackle this! For this tutorial though, I'll be working in acrylic paint thinned with water for simplicity, working mostly in washes and "wet." It's a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes really quite fun! So follow along and maybe you’ll pick out an idea or two you can integrate into your existing method.

For that then, here’s the media I’ll be using for these tutorials:

Acrylic paint (Liquitex Soft Body and Golden Fluid Acrylics)
Liquitex Gloss Medium
Sealant (Dullcote)

For paint colors, I tend to lean into these hues:

Blacks (either warm Mars Black, cool Ivory Black, or neutral Carbon Black)
Titanium White
Burnt Umber
Raw Umber
Van Dyke Brown Hue
Burnt Sienna
Raw Sienna
Payne's Grey
Yellow Oxide
French Grey
Parchment
Burgundy
French Ultramarine Blue
Prussian Blue
Brilliant Blue

For tools, I’ll be using:

A small 10/0 round with a perfect point and longish belly to hold a good reservoir of paint.
A #2 round to paint on the basecoat onto the hoof.
A #2 or #4 filbert on occasion.

For the acrylic paint, you can use a drying retardant if you wish, it’s up to you. I don’t because I’m impatient. Doh! So I use water to thin the paint for washes and working wet. As such, I’ll be approaching the coloration of each hoof with handpainting, too, and not with an airbrush, making these techniques accessible to everyone. But know that you can use an airbrush if you wish for certain buffed and blended effects if you have sufficient control of it. Also consider drybrushing for some glow-y, buffed coloration as that can also amplify that luster we want to capture.

Now for this tutorial, I’ll be painting a basic dark hoof, a basic pale hoof, and basic striping for simplicity's sake. They’ll just be a good baseline for you to develop variations and more advanced details and degrees of realism as needed. I just want to provide a beginner springboard for you. Plus adding in dusty, stained, or muddy effects are their own tutorial which I’ll leave for another time. Let’s just deal with the basic techniques and ideas for a common clean hoof then we can build off of that later.

How To Paint Dark Hooves

Just because they’re dark doesn’t make them any easier to paint! In some ways, they can be harder because their luster is that much more difficult to capture in dark pigment. Many dark hooves also have some variegation that can complicate matters, but if we nail it, it produces such a cool result! So here’s where color use and layering will be particularly handy, so painting a dark hoof is just as much a process as painting a pale hoof. So, to do that, consider this sequence:

Colors used: Liquitex Soft Body Parchment, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Golden Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black.
Pick the medium color your reference indicates and paint the entire hoof wall that color. Let dry. (Figure 1)
Pick the darkest color your reference indicates and smear that onto where it needs to be (usually along ground level). Then pick the lightest color your reference indicates (not the periople) and apply that where it needs to be (sometimes towards the coronet). (Figure 2)
Make a pale greenish greige and add in some light vertical striations around the hoof wall, making sure they parallel the hoof wall angle at the toe. (Figure 3)
Do the same, but with some dark greenish greige. (Figure 4)
Then mix up more light greige and paint on some horizontal striations. It's about building layers to create complexity, depth, and luster. (Figure 5)
Add in some tan, brown, golden grey, or whatever additional color your reference indicates to mix up the tones, in horizontal and vertical striations, (Figure 6)
Now paint on the periople under the coronet in a light grey. (Figure 7)
Then add some darker shadings along the hoof rim to add dimension. (Figure 8)
Don't forget to paint in the back of the frog and heels. And whoo hoo...you're done! (Figure 9)
If you want to gloss the hoof, use the Liquitex Gloss Medium in a light layer to polish the hoof. Let dry. Add another coat if you want it more glossy. (Figure 10)
Work from good references as dark hooves have a lot of variety.

How To Paint Pale Hooves

Now pale hooves definitely have a very clear luster to them and also they tend to have a lot of variation from being super detailed with striations to being more monochromatic, so pay attention to references. The one thing you do want to avoid though are discreet rust-colored smears as that indicates bruising. Bruising is pretty common in the domestic population, so be mindful of that in your references and so in your paintwork.

Now the convention in the past had us all painting the palest tones along the coronet to darken towards the ground, but the truth is there’s a whole lot more to it than that as any pile of pale hoof references shows us. So dump convention and lean into your reference and paint more what you see rather than what you think you’re supposed to paint. Conventions are meant to be baselines anyway, a place to start rather than an end unto itself. So forget about what you’ve heard — just paint what you see in your reference.

But as a starting point for your own explorations, here's a basic process to paint a pale hoof:

Colors used: Liquitex Soft Body Parchment, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber, and Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White.
Pick the medium tone of your pale hoof and paint the entire hoof that color. Let dry. (Figure 11)
Make a rusty-golden color and make horizontal striations along the lower portion of the hoof wall. (Figure 12)
Add rustier vertical striations around the hoof wall. (Figure 13)
Darken that rusty color to make it more brownish then paint some horizontal and vertical striations. (Figure 14)
Then go back over that with some pale shell color in vertical and horizontal striations to lend dimension and complexity. (Figure 15)
Then lighten the rim of the hoof with some lighter striations while amplifying the rusty color in the middle of the hoof wall. (Figure 16)
Make all your adjustments then add the periople along the coronet. (Figure 17)
Be sure to paint the back of the foot, and done! (Figure 18)
Use good references for pale hooves because they have a lot of variety in how they look.

How To Paint Stripes

Now the thing to understand about hoof stripes is that they’re made of pigmented hoof tubules embedded in the hoof wall. In other words, they are the hoof wall, inside the hoof wall, not sitting on top. But the problem is that when we paint, we paint them “on top” by the very nature of the painting method, right? Doh! So to mimic the look of being embedded, we use color and tone to make it all look like they're in the hoof wall more. In this, I use muted colors and layering to capture what I can. Indeed, the hue you choose is critical for the right effect! Even so, this method isn't perfect — but our work will never be perfect — but it gets the point across pretty well.

Even more importantly though, hoof striping needs to follow the angle of the hoof wall at the toe in all situations otherwise that could indicate a pathological foot with crunched hoof tubules. For example, collapsed heels, a common fault in domestic hooves, will have heel tubules projecting more forwards than those at the toe, and we need to avoid that. In other words, striping can’t be applied all willy-nilly but has to fit inside a very specific parameter to be correct. This just takes practice and a refined Eye in order to paint with the hoof angle, so be sure to practice on a junker to master it. This also goes for any variegations in the hoof, as they have to parallel the hoof wall angle at the toe as well.

Another thing to account for with striping is rasping insofar as this practice can make the stripe end before it hits ground level, about one-quarter up the way of the hoof wall, which is a nifty detail to add if appropriate for the narrative like if the sculpture has shoes. Likewise, barefoot often have stripes that end about one-quarter inch above the ground due to wear and tear, like the rounding of the toe and hoof rim, another nice realistic detail to add if the sculpture has barefeet.

Stripes also aren't always perfect, discreet bands of dark pigment, but can be jagged, notched, sheared, or buffed, so really lean into those references. Indeed, hoof striping is a lot more organic and chaotic than our painting conventions recognize.

Stripes also come in a variety of colors from blueish grey to charcoal to brown to chocolate to greige and everything in-between, even on the same hoof. So approach striping individually and really refer to your references, making each hoof different to max out realism. Some stripes even have a brownish halo on either side of them as they blend out into the pale portion, so look for those tonal differences, too.

As for actually painting the stripes, I find that painting them after I've painted the pale hoof works best for me. I just find it easier focusing on one job at a time when working in acrylics. Nevertheless, it's still a real challenge to add convincing stripes, so brace yourself! To start then, think about painting a stripe this way:

Paint your pale hoof as you like. Let dry.
Make a bluish-charcoal-greige wash and block in the stripe lightly, diffusing away from ground level to denote wear and tear. (Figure 19)
Make a pale bluish grey wash and use that to paint in horizontal and vertical striations within the stripe. (Figure 20)
Go back in with bluish charcoals and bluish greiges and make adjustments between the darks and lights until you're happy with the result...then done! (Figure 21)
Gloss with Liquitex Gloss Medium. (Figure 22)

How To Paint The Posterior Foot

The back of the frog and heel are important features for hoof painting, too — don’t ignore them! They need precision and coloration as well to really read properly, so to that end, think about painting them thusly:

Paint the entire area a dark tannish-charcoal. Let dry.
Paint in the back of the heel in the corresponding tones indicated by your reference, usually in tans, light greys, browns, and even greens for grass or manure staining. Let dry.
Use the small round to paint in dark triangles for the clefts and a light color for highlights as needed. (Figure 9 and Figure 18, above)

Tips

There are some little insights that help us achieve a better result, such as the following:

Think about using washes to tint and set features “back into the hoof” more to add dimension and luster. It can be a highly effective way to achieve the luster and dimensionality hooves have.
Drybrushing can also be very useful for smudging colors on and helping to create luster and glow, especially on pale hooves.
Consider using a color sampler tool in a photo editing program to color sample your references before painting to get a better grasp of the color families you’ll be working with. It can be surprising! Indeed, greenish-greys and browns can factor into dark hooves a lot more than you may realize. Dark hooves aren’t necessarily black and white! To help that along, for example, I like to use the Liquitex Parchment which is a greenish-greige white and also mix Raw Sienna and Carbon Black together for a green tone.
Layer layer layer! That really helps to add complexity, glow, embedded-ness, and luster to your hooves.
Consider scale when painting hooves because most of the time, the more the scale shrinks, the less detail we can pack in there or things spin out-of-scale pretty quickly. In this case of smaller scales, mimicking the look of things rather than painting them literally can be the real trick to realism.
Your hoof-painting brush should have a hyper-fine perfect point with enough bristle to hold a good well of paint so you don’t have to stop and re-dip often and break your line or momentum.
Actively avoid too much regimentation and seek “organic chaos” with your hoof painting. Yes, there is a kind of pattern, but break it up strategically to look more grown than painted. This is especially so with discolorations, striations, and striping.
When it comes to striping, be sure you’re working from the same coat color and marking as your reference. That’s to say, striping can be very conditional when it comes to color and markings, so make sure you’re being accurate with them. For instance, on many colors the presence of an ermine spot creates a stripe, but on others like some appaloosas and silver dapples, stripes just happen. And stripes don’t have to match up perfectly with ermine spots either. Indeed, a small ermine spot can create an enormous stripe! So study lots of references to develop a mental library of the possibilities.
The striations are one of the hardest things to get on there without going out of scale or without picking the wrong color, so play close attention to them with a fine-pointed brush and target the right hues.
The vertical striations must follow the angle of the hoof wall at the toe, around the entirety of the hoof otherwise you'll be painting randomized hoof tubules, which is a serious fault.
Detailing doesn’t necessarily have to be in the same family of color as the hoof color. That’s to say that pale hooves don’t always have rusty brown striations, but they can also be griege, charcoal, copper, or chocolate, for example. Likewise, dark hooves can have tan, golden, griege, even greenish striations rather than always grey. So think outside of the box of your own expectations and really study your reference with a more objective Eye.
Study a lot of real hooves in photos and in person to develop a better idea of all the variations and options you can paint.

Conclusion

Painting a great set of hooves takes a lot of practice, patience, time, and diligence. So take your time and don’t skimp! And take plenty of breaks because — trust me — it can get tedious. And practice, practice, practice! It’s a numbers game so the more hooves you paint up, the easier it gets. You also develop more of a mental library you can mine but just be sure to really rely on good references to guide you most of all. And remember, use references that are specific to the type of hoof you need to paint, and use different references for each piece to avoid formula and homogeneity.

Another big priority is to stay in scale with all the detailing such as striations and whatnot. Keep things as skinny and little as possible. Remember, those hoof tubules are tiny! And never forget to keep those stripes and variegations parallel to the angle of the hoof wall — that’s super important.

Hooves are certainly a major challenge, yes, so most of all, don’t be so hard on yourself. Above all else, be patient with yourself! Even the very skilled among us still struggle with hooves even after decades of skill-building. The good news is though, once you get a knack for it, it actually becomes a lot of fun in its way, especially if you explore the fuller expression of hoofdom by using different references for each piece rather than falling back into habit all the time. There really is so much variety with hooves, so seek to explore it! Each hoof is different, so don’t be afraid to break with convention, especially your own. Lean into those references and try to paint what you See, not what you’re told to see, especially by yourself. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” wrote Shakespeare. So true, especially when it comes to Nature’s multitude of biological and situational options.

Now it should be mentioned that the painted examples in this tutorial were just the basic, most conventional hooves to paint. They're our stereotypical hooves. However, Nature is rarely stereotypical! Each set of hooves is different and even each hoof is different, so avoid habit and formula, and really lean into your references. So don't think your painted hooves have to look like those I painted in this post. Instead, they should resemble life and your references. I simply presented techniques and ideas about details to look for, nothing more. Indeed, Nature is a wonder to behold when it comes to hoof variation, effects, and details, so explore it!

Any which way, with a bit of gumption, perseverance, skill-building, and improved Sight, you too can be popping beautiful hooves onto your pieces in pigment in no time! Painting the hoof doesn’t have to be a dreadful chore, but a challenging and compelling exploration of variety and effect, potentially pushing your creative boundaries into new methods and media and ways of Seeing. The truth is, once you unlock the skills to paint happy hoofdom nicely, you’ll have essentially tapped into a huge well of potential to paint just about anything else well, too. So give it its due, show yourself some grace, and get in that studio and literally put your best foot forward! You got this, hooves down!

“The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist.”

— Eric Gill

Let's Do An Experiment!: Sculpture-Painting The Equine Eye

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:08:00 +0000

Introduction

Truth be told, I’ve never been fully satisfied with how I’ve been painting eyes on various sculptures. Not even the very best of my painted eyes could actually capture how they truly look like in life, could they? I mean, you look at them from the front and, well...not quite, right? Now yes, I'm doing the best I can with what I’ve been handed: A complete “in the round” sculpture. The problem is, I'm operating within a flawed paradigm from the onset!

But not today! Because to this end, I’ve always wanted to do an experiment: To render the equine eye as anatomically accurate as it’s structured in life as I can, into the sculpture and the paintwork. This would necessitate a very different sculpting of the eye and subsequent treatment in paintwork and glossing, but it’s an idea that’s been tickling my toes for years. And well, the only way around it is through it, right? So let’s do an experiment! Let’s finally put my percolating idea to the test to see if it actually renders an equine eye more anatomically accurate and so more realistic in person! Let’s go!…

The Dilemma

Here’s the fundamental problem: Through the past to today, we’ve had to paint on top of a rounded sculpted eye, right? But the problem is, that’s not actually how the equine eye is anatomically constructed. Anatomically, the iris is more flattish, not rounded, so the pupil isn’t sitting on the outside of the orb, but inside the contour of the orb. Instead then, it’s the cornea and the aqueous chamber that form the rounded aspect of the orb over the iris, not the iris and pupil.

The Hypothesis

So how do we get around this problem? Well, we shave down the rounded eye to be more flat in the iris area, and we paint our iris on that flattened aspect then when we’re done painting, we build up layers of clear gloss to mimic the cornea and aqueous chamber that forms the rounded aspect of the orb. That should come closer to how the equine eye is actually constructed and therefore should look more authentic. At least, that’s my hypothesis. So let’s test it!

Preparation

First, we need to know a little bit about equine eye anatomy, specifically the iris, sclera, and limbus (grey line) in order to get them right in painting. In this, the iris and pupil should be on the flatter surface and the grey line should occur where that flat meets the rounded part, leaning into the rounded part.

Methods

Step 1: Shaving Down The Orb

I had to determine the expression of my piece immediately because how that orb is swiveled will determine where the iris is located which will determine where I shave it down. So I decided to have my eye look a little bit backwards (sclera in front) so I then knew I had to place my iris back a little bit. I penciled in the area I would shave flatter (Figure 1) then I used a Dremel small diamond bit to do this (use all PPE) and I took quite a bit off (Figure 2). I did a little sanding to smooth things out more evenly, gave the area a wash with water and let it air dry, then I was ready for primer to create my blank canvas.

Step 2: Painting

I approached this just as I would paint a conventional eye, but in a literal way. That’s to say, no jewel-like cabochon shading and highlighting as I usually paint my dark eyes. Why? Because I wanted to see exactly how it would all look in the most baseline way first (Figure 3).

However, I did do a secondary experiment on the other eye, treating it in that jewel-like cabochon way because I wanted to see how this method would work with that as well (Figure 4 and 5).

Speaking of which, I also did a third and fourth eye experiment on another junker, quickie painting them blue in the literal way on one side, and then in a cabochon way on the other side (Figure 6). Again, I wanted to see how all this would work with that color of eye, too.

And as a fifth experiment, I added the corpora nigra on the upper portion on the pupil of one of the brown eyes with a teensy bit of black paint to add dimension, because I've always wanted to see how that would look, too (Figure 3). It was so tiny though, it didn't make much of a difference. It might be worth another experiment on a larger eye though.

Then as a sixth experiment, I added the "blue glint" of the tapetum lucidum on one brown eye pupil and one blue eye pupil to see how that would look as well. I simply used Golden Interference Blue for that in a thin layer on the pupil. So many experiments! It’s a madhouse here! A madhouse! (Cue mad scientist laughter.) (Figure 4 and Figure 6, on the cabochon eyes)

Step 3: Glossing

I let that paint dry then it was time to add in the “cornea” and “aqueous chamber” with gloss. This was the tricky part! You see I wanted to avoid three things:

Messiness: The glossing had to be precise and tidy. Any hint of carelessness would ruin the result. However, I wasn't as careful as I could've been, granted, but you get the idea. I imagine had I been more careful, the result might have been better...or maybe not.
Slumping: I had to apply the gloss in successive layers, letting each layer dry in-between to avoid slumping. That orb had to be rounded, not slumped oblong and weird. So while it was hard to exercise patience — I wanted to see if this would work right now (shrieked like Veruca Salt) — I had to go in careful, methodical steps. However, the surface tension of the gloss was enough to keep it in place so I didn't have to place the model on its side.
Clouding: I had to be sure that the gloss wouldn’t get cloudy with gobs of it on there or yellow with age. So I veered away from nail polish and veered towards DecoArt Americana Triple Thick Brilliant Brush On Gloss Glaze. This produces a hyper-glossy finish and it’s thicker and not so prone to slumping like nail polish. I suppose you could also use Liquitex Gloss Medium, too, but I’m thinking it would need a lot more layers to build up that roundness than the DecoArt Gloss. It also doesn't dry to such a hard finish, staying relatively gummy, which I thought might be a problem with longterm durability.

So to actually apply the gloss, I added a dab on top of that flattened iris to create a rounded orb (Figure 7). Then I let that dry for two hours (the DecoArt Gloss takes a lot time to set up) with the model standing up as the surface tension was sufficient to keep it in place. Then I added a second dab and let that dry for another two hours. After that, I then glossed over the entire orb, adding a medium-thick layer to blend everything together. Then I let that dry overnight with the model standing up, as again, the surface tension of this gloss kept it from slumping.

Results

Well whadoya know! It worked! But did it work well enough? You can compare the brown eye effect with the blue eye effect from the front in Figure 8....

And here's the brown eyes up close (Figure 9). You can see that the left eye got a wee bit cloudy here. Note to self...

And here are the brown eyes from a bit aback so you can see the overall effect (Figure 10). What is cool about this process though is the "follow you around" effect it gives the eyes. It's particularly pronounced in the left eye because it was carved out bigger and flatter I suspect.

Here are the blue eyes up close, and you can see a bit better the subtle dimensionality this process imbues into the eye (Figure 11). It's a whisper, but its there...

And here's the blue eyes from farther away for an overall look (Figure 12). You might be able to see how much this process makes those eyes really "pop" out at you, with a glossier and more dimensional look.

You can't really see it well enough in the photos, but you can kinda see through the aqueous chamber when you see them from the front, but the effect is so painfully subtle. Overall then, the mean result is that pupils still look like they're painted "on top" from the front, for the most part. The aqueous chamber effect just isn't that pronounced, which is surprising given how much orb I removed and how much gloss I applied. However, the eyes do have that rather dimensional quality, and they even seem to follow you a bit, which is super cool. So yes, that dimensionality bumps up the effect equine eyes have in person, adding some improved believability and a slightly stronger impression. The thing is though, you have to see them in person to get the full effect as photos just aren't capturing that dimensionality quite as well as I would hope.

Now the thing is, I was a bit sloppy in both their painting and gloss application, I admit, but this was just a proof-of-concept experiment and I think you get the idea. That said though, there are a few things I learned in the process:

Working on a bigger eye was definitely easier than a smaller one, especially when it came to glossing. So scale factors into this method big time. I would say anything smaller than a 1:12 scale just isn't a good candidate.
The properly sculpted anatomical structure of the eye is really important for this process to look best. The more "off" the eye's structure, the more odd this effect looks only because these kinds of eyes have a lot more "pop."
You've got to know your eye anatomy, particularly between the iris and the sclera and the grey line. And getting the proper placement of the grey line was critical, as it had to be just on the edge of the flattened area but still on the rounded part.
Painting the iris and pupil is so much easier on a flatter surface!
I think this approach would work with any color eye from brown and blue, as we've seen, to green, amber, tiger eye, yellow eye to even a marbled eye. And I wonder how a slight metallic sheen, like we can sometimes see on adult champagnes, would work, too. I bet it would.
There was a lot of downtime per eye glossing plus overnight drying, allowing the gloss to dry properly. So I wonder if there's another type of gloss that dries quicker that would work, too? Might be worth a good search. This effect might also be a good reason to create these kinds of eyeballs in batches, in an assembly line, to get a bunch done at a time.
The PAM's eyes got a snidge cloudy around the pupil since I applied more gloss onto them than that SHS eyes, so I've made a mental note of that with this gloss.
I would let the gloss on these eyeballs fully dry for a good week before wrapping and shipping, just to be safe. Make sure that gloss is really dry and hard.

Discussion

Wrap it all up, and I do have to ask if all this work was actually worth it, given the (surprisingly) paltry results. I'm going to venture a "no," the extra work isn't really worth it because the effect just isn't pronounced enough for my liking. But maybe it will be for yours? Dunno. I do really like the dimensionality and "follow you" effect quite a bit, but well, pairing it with how much much harder it was it keep things tidy with all that gloss involved, I'm wondering if that was worth it, too. Hmmm. I kinda doubt it.

And just keep in mind that if you plan to go this route, it requires defacement of an Artist Resin (often a big no-no) or customization of an OF, which may complicate its placement in a repaint-only class. It also isn’t quite possible with ceramic pieces as I don’t see how you can get around the gloss glaze slumping off the eye during the fire, and you certainly can’t add on cold-painted aspects after the fact. As such, I’m thinking this may only be appropriate for Customs or on ARs where you have special permission from the sculptor.

What's more, with this penchant for stripping previously painted models, that practice will also strip away this effect on the eyes. This will necessitate a complete do-over so unless a painter is adept at this method, that's a real problem. I suppose if they aren't they can rebuild the eye into the "in the round" shape with epoxy clay and paint as per usual, but it would be a shame to destroy a perfectly cool eyeball done with this approach. The other option is to simply block out the eye with painter's tape and re-primer the piece to paint over it as that would preserve the eye treatment.

There’s this, too — will sculptors now have to account for this by sculpting in a flat surface onto their orbs? Hmmm. That’s a conundrum. For myself? I think not. I want my sculptures to stand-alone, to be whole and complete even without a paintjob so I’m going to continue to sculpt my eyes rounded out. Also, I want painters to pick their own expressions rather than being forced into one of my own. I dunno, I just think that's more fun.

But as for myself and my Custom maquettes, I think I'll stick with modus operandi with eyes "in the round." I wish this experiment had a more successful result, but maybe it's good that it didn't. The paradigm shift it would've introduced would have opened up a huge can of worms we're perhaps better off without. But even so...I do so wish the results were better! Maybe I'll give it another good think and try another approach sometime in the future.

Conclusion

Well, there ya go — a clear example of how creative FAFO can be so darned valuable in your arting! Experimentation and exploration isn’t only fun, it can be far more important than you may realize whether you succeed or fail. You learn something incredibly useful either way, something that could even shift the direction of your methods or aesthetic!

So if you have a novel idea, try it! Grab a junker and just try it! If it’s not dangerous, why not? What do you have to lose? Even if it implodes in failure, you’ll still have put something to the test and learned something new. And truth be told, failures can often be even more interesting than successes by presenting a lot more intriguing questions for new routes of discovery.

Put on that lab coat then, don those goggles, and muss up your hair like a proper mad scientist, and get into that studio lab and commence your experiments! Cackle madly if you wish! Adopt that Cheshire cat grin! Tesla coils, beakers, and particle colliders, oh my! Sizzle! Pop! Whirrr! Any which way, develop a creative hypothesis and put it to the test. It’s fascinating, surprising, and super fun, and it could hold the key to an innovative evolution in your work! Go for it!

“Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take risks.”

— Mark Rothko

The Dented Can: Creating Imperfectly In An Imperfect World Part III

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:17:00 +0000

Introduction to Part III

Welcome back! We’re at the conclusion of this three-part series on imperfection as it relates to arting, particularly equine realism. We’ve come a long way on this journey, having discussed several weighty issues that pertain to the difficulties of making art when perfection is the goal. Because — blorg! What an impossible task! To attempt to make a “perfect” realistic equine piece is literally to forge off into a futile, doomed mission with no end! No wonder why perfectionists tend to spin their wheels so much. Their goal post keeps moving!

It’s said that Leonardo da Vinci quipped, ”Art is never finished, only abandoned.” Whether or not you agree with that, the point is, there comes a time when you just have to quit with this endless pursuit of perfection and call “done” only because you — if you’ve been paying attention — come to realize you simply cannot produce perfection. It’s just not ever in the cards, no matter how hard you try and redo and redo and redo. Maybe you’re exasperated, maybe you’re fried, maybe you’re bored, maybe you’re confused, maybe you just want to be done. Whatever the reason, it’s your inner voice telling you to stop chasing that windmill. Your horse is exhausted. Because perfection, in all its forms, is absolutely impossible in an imperfect world, in an imperfect universe, in an imperfect reality. So stop. But how do we process this release of perfectionism when our pieces have to be as perfect as possible? Well, we’ve explored that theme throughout this series, so let’s bookend it now with two important components to this journey…so let’s just gun it and go!…

The Imperfect Dream

Another thing I’ve learned in over thirty years in this biz is this: Most collectors don’t necessarily want realistic equines — they want dream equines, and that’s a very different order to fill. So despite all their espousing of realism this and realism that, of accuracy here and accuracy there, when push comes to shove, this community tends to choose what tugs at the heartstrings and the imagination over what tugs at the technicalities. They want to be enchanted more than anything else and reminded why they love horses in the first place. It's understandable. But I see it all the time, even today when ABC judging is the dominant evaluation platform. But here’s the thing: If you can ping both, that’s where the real magic happens! So aim for that! The gist of it is though: Don’t just focus on technical accuracies and workmanship — those are simply the incidental baselines to our art form, the “givens” that have to be there anyway. What you should also be focused on in equal measure are three additional things:

Narrative: What story are you telling in your piece? What sort of context, backstory, theme, or overarching tone or theme does this piece embody?
Heart-grabbing: Does my piece speak to the heart and soul of the viewer in equal measure? It should remind people of why they love equines in the first place.
Novelty: What new territory am I exploring with this piece whether a new way to express technicalities, your knowledge base, skillset, narrative, composition, concept, technique, media or what not? Seek to push yourself in some new direction with each piece.

So all this is to say that what the community says it wants isn’t necessarily what it wants. At its core, despite all the brouhaha and espoused demands, it really just wants to be inspired, to be reminded of why equines are our focus, our muse, and our passion. So if your work can do that along with technical accuracy, you’ve got it on lock.

Recommended reading:

Top Hat n’ Tails: Steppin’ Out With Style

The Imperfect Plan

To get all these sensibilities in tow and moving forwards, we often do better with a plan, a map to get us to our goals. The thing is though, each artist must plot their own course according to their individual needs, so every map is different. But there are certain myths when it comes to map-making because what we definitely don’t need are:

A perfect map or plan
A perfect, flawless portfolio
A perfect, amazing CV
A five-year strategy or business plan
Being “ready” to start

Nope. You see, all that will build and morph along the way on its own plus if we stick too hard to a fixed route on our map, we can find ourselves in the weeds pretty quickly all the same. In fact, our first maps can be wrong, be off-course, or become outdated to what we’re evolving into. And stay open to the random opportunity that may seem out of left field, but segues with our Voice nicely. So the trick here is to keep our map buildable and adaptable to our ongoing evolution while not betraying our Voice. So on that note, here’s what we do actually need for your map:

A direction or goal: What do you want to accomplish in your art career? Be honest. And your direction can be a bit murky as it will probably morph along the way.
Your Voice: Your driving sensibilities that dictate which routes you take, even the nature of your destination.
Adaptability: Your resilience and ability to bounce around lets you reroute, get into new lanes, backtrack, and find new on-ramps and off-ramps as you need them.
Keep showing up: Participate in the community, with your peers and colleagues and partners, make good use of social media, and engage your art in the happenings going on. But even more, keep showing up for your work — keep making it no matter what. Indeed, your love, perseverance, patience, determination, innovations, growth, curiosity, and courage will come into play in a big way as you keep on, failing forwards and growing.
Identification of guideposts: Who are your mentors, teachers, peers, colleagues, and partners who not only correct your map, but point you in the right direction, even new directions.
Doing the work: Hard work, sacrifice, diligence, and follow through to completion are all necessary to walk the Path. Not “someday,” not when you feel “ready,” not when things are “perfect,” not when you have more money, time, or confidence, or skill — now. The truth is there is no perfect time to start, so just start now! Confusion you can fix with information, fear you can fix with courage, roadblocks you can shove aside with help, but procrastination is 100% on you and will 100% burn your map to ashes. You’ve got to do the work.
Willingness: How willing are you to learn, to make the sacrifices, to put in the hard work, to question and challenge (especially yourself), and above all, to fail and still keep going? Your powerful will is the fuel you’ll need to get where you want to go.
Curiosity: How much are you jazzed by learning new things? How pro-active are you in self-education and expanding your knowledge base and skillset? How prone are you to challenge your own conventions, biases, blindspots, and sensibilities? Are you eager to follow your curiosity or do you tend to choose safe comfort zones and convention, particularly your own?
Humility: Are you able to be a newb again…and again and again and again as needed? Are you okay with failing spectacularly in full public view? Can you process embarrassment, shame, mistakes, bad art days, and other artistic oopsies effectively, especially in public view? And even more, can you always give credit where credit is due? Are you apt to openly recognize the contributions of others to your map? Remember the adage, “Be nice to everyone on the way up, because you’ll meet them again on the way down.”

That’s what will serve you best on your Way, that’s what will get you to your destination on the most flexible, responsive, and effective Path. Because once you’ve given yourself permission to learn, to make mistakes, to be a newb, to question, to feel awkward and uncomfortable, and to always try again, you’ve laid down a solid foundation for growth, exploration, and building an exciting studio. Because all those other things like contracts, licensing, CVs, portfolios, agents, gallery relationships and all the rest will pop up on their own along the way, but if you don’t have those foundation gumptions from the beginning, it’s just a self-sabotaging endeavor. In a nutshell then, the question really isn’t “Am I ready?,” it’s “Am I willing?” So, are you?

The Imperfect Art

All said and done, we should realize that realism is an intrinsically imperfect art form. No matter how hard we try, no matter how skilled we are, no matter how big our knowledge base, no matter how long we’ve been doing this, no matter how keen our Sight, no matter how many classes we take, we’ll always — always — fall short of our mark. Why? Well, it’s pretty simple: Only Nature can create a perfect horse, only DNA can achieve perfection. Yet even then, no horse is perfect! Like thumb through an auction magazine to see the plethora of individuality in the equine form, just like us — so who’s to say which one is perfect? And hooooo boy, ask a group of people what makes a perfect horse and watch the flamewar start! Yet to add more fuel to the fire, even Nature is flawed through all its variations, genetic errors, mutations, and all the rest — and much of it still works all the same, just like our art! So one can say that our actual attainable goal is to achieve as much realism as we can muster to trick the eye just enough into believing it’s more than just an HSO (horse-shaped object), in the full knowing that means different things to different people. Like someone may look at a painted sculpture and be fooled in an instant while another may look at it and immediately see all the illusion-popping errors. The more esoteric those errors get though, the less likely they’re going to be identified. But there’s always a tell, that’s the point. So the goal isn’t to achieve perfection, but enough accuracy to do the job, and that’s significantly more attainable…thank goodness!

Then we have the difficulty with our methods and media — our workmanship. Heck, simply achieving a smooth basecoat or white pattern is enough to drive us up a tree! But here’s the thing: Our workmanship has to be even more on point only because more people are simply going to recognize a brushstrok-y white blanket or a missed bit of flashing than they are a missing tuberosity on the knee or a laterally bent lumbar section. It’s just a lot more obvious to more people. And here perhaps perfection is most insidious only because a perfect prep job is possible — you simply have to remove all the flashing and casting relics, right? That’s doable, given enough patience, gumption, and technique. Likewise, a smooth basecoat is attainable with an airbrush while smooth white patterns are doable with the right brushwork and paint consistency, making them also fully within our capabilities. No wonder why so many truly struggle with prepwork and painting! It’s a very different bar to clear when perfection is no longer intrinsically unattainable! Argh! So here perhaps we really need to apply our wabi-sabi sensibilities to keep ourselves not only sane, but happy in our arting because there comes a point of diminishing returns. You see, when our brain starts associating arting with frustration, disillusion, and other bad vibes, we won’t be arting for much longer. Double argh! Yet here’s the real crux of the matter — we need to stop bullying ourselves and each other with perfection. Give people room to enjoy making their art! If that means they missed a brushstroke but still had a blast painting that pattern, then let it be. If they missed a bit of sanding scratches, but they love their piece, then let it be. If they got a bit of dog hair in their hoof paint, but the hoof still looks good, then let it be. Sure this equation is very different with working artists who do have to deliver as close to perfect as possible, but the casual artist? Ease up on them! Let them have their joy in their more casual way.

Nevertheless, it’s important to finish what we start for follow through. Now it’s okay to have several in-progress projects going, but we really do need to finish them at some point, especially if we’re a working artist. Like it feels good to put that period on the end of that very long sentence for our own sake, for our art’s sake, and to move onto other things with a clean slate. And each piece can only teach us so much and it’s time to finish it up and move onto a new lesson. Yet even so, it’s okay to putter around in our art from time to time, a lot of great art has been created by puttering around. But it does become a problem if that's a pattern of behavior if this is our livelihood. Absolutely, a working artist finishes most of what they start not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard — because they have to. They have to start, they have to save it from the mistakes, and they require that follow through no matter what. But this is the surprising thing: This pressure is actually pretty handy because it forces us to, as Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work.” And sometimes in art, forcing things to save a piece, to finish it — heck, to even start a new piece — can actually lead to discovery, innovation, and the excavation of personal or artistic issues that ultimately improve matters in our long game.

But boil it all down and this is the imperfect irony about our niche art form: Realism isn’t as objective as we may think it is. It’s certainly more objective than, say, conformation, breed type, and artistic appeal, but in and of itself, technical accuracy has its own degree of subjectivity, especially when it comes to the gestalt response. Sure, someone quite knowledgeable may see the technical errors, but if that piece consistency wins big, sells big, becomes famous…as many technically flawed pieces have…what actually matters most? Oh, the conundrum! So again, just do the best you can on your learning curve, and let the chips fall where they may — and you just keep on, artin’ on. That’s all any of us can do.

Recommended reading:

Finally Finito: When To Call Done

The Unreality of Realism: Walking the Tightrope Between Fact and Fiction Part I - Part V (click "newer post" to go to the next Part)

Keepin’ It Real: Ways To Support Artists Beyond The Dollar

Taking Off The Blindfold

The Enigma Drive

Demonslaying Part I - Part VI (click "newer post" to go to the next Part)

The Breadcrumbs Home

Gathered Wisdom

DABPPRR: Equine Realism Easily Organized

The Master’s Edge: The Importance Of Quality Workmanship

Twenty-Five Tips For Preserving Your Joy In the Studio

Conclusion

Perhaps now it’s clear that creating perfect art in this crazy ol’ imperfect world is a bit of a self-imposed delusion, isn’t it? It's kinda self-sabotaging in a way. In a sense, it's a bit more about turning into Don Quixote with his windmills than gaining superpowers of impeccable talent, skill, and vision. In fact, if we dig deeper, we find that perfectionism isn’t just a desire to do well — we all wish to do that, even those who have put perfection in its place. Nope. Rather, it’s in equal measure a fear of failing. A fear of shame, humiliation, a fear of not being enough. In this strange way then, perfectionism is a kind of love-hate dichotomy: Love for our art, arting, and our subject, but hate of shame, embarrassment, frustration, and failure. How curious! How imperfect a relationship!

But with some reality injected into this delusion, some reason infused into this preposterous proposition, and some self-love smashed into the self-loathing perfectionism can provoke, we can’t only learn to accept our imperfect art, we can actually come to embrace it for the marvel it is. What’s more, we can reconcile and make peace with this imperfect world that just never seems to stop testing our patience, resilience, and sense of humor.

Because it’s important to make peace with imperfection, to realize that we can go about our arting business joyfully, skillfully, and purposely even when that impossible carrot of perfection dangles in front of us, always pulling us forward in its maddening way. That we can find satisfaction even when we’re destined to always pull up short. Yes, it’s true. Because, yes, you can find that renewed kind of relationship with your art, too. Because there are three truths we mustn’t ignore. First, art should first be fun! It’s gotta be a true pleasure, if you’re doing it right. Second, art should be a sanctuary for you, a rebalancing that brings you inner peace and solace. And third, arting is good for you! It’s good for your mind, your heart, your soul, your health, your guts, and your sensibilities. If we don’t make peace with imperfection though, chances are we may never even start arting in the first place, denying ourselves of those beneficial truths…and for little good reason.

So assuage those fears imperfection fires up with a goodly dose of love, curiosity, courage, and gumption to just start creating some art! It can be something incredibly small or simple, too, nothing fancy or involved. Cut out a paper horse and glue on some yarn and glitter! Done! Sew up a stuffed horse with button eyes! Done! Prep a $10 Breyer and paint it chestnut! Done! Start with baby steps! But just start. This imperfect world desperately needs your imperfect art, and together we can actually find a new kind of perfection in the way only love, beauty, and inspiration can conjure up together! So make a friend of imperfection and you’ll find not only a gentle, nonjudgmental companion, but one who accepts you for exactly who you are and your art for exactly what it is, gladly and openly.

"You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.”

- George Bernard Shaw

The Dented Can: Creating Imperfectly In An Imperfect World Part II

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:29:00 +0000

Introduction to Part II

Welcome back to this three-part exploration of imperfection in art, specifically equine realism. We’ve covered a lot of ground with Part I with the Imperfect Goal and the Imperfect Journey, so now let’s continue with two imperfect features that entail quite a lot to chew on. So let’s just dive in!…

The Imperfect Notion

Many people, including many artists, seem to think that creativity is kinda like a train that goes from Point A to Point B on a neat and tidy rail. That you start your work and steadily work through it to completion. And, yes, it can be like that, and what a blessing when it is! But the fact of the matter is creativity is more like a demolition derby with ideas, challenges, mistakes, and plot twists all crashing together as your smash and bang your way to completion. It’s usually a messy business. Indeed, some pieces can be taxing, even exhausting because of it. Then there are those who have honed their discipline to turn that chaos into more like an off-road rally. In this case, it’s Toad’s Wild Ride as we careen forwards, almost out of control but still plowing steadily onwards to completion. That’s the way I work, right on the edge of utter mayhem but with just enough structure to make progress. But above all, we don’t want our creativity turning into a major freeway during peak rush hour. Ugh…no! So the goal is to just keep moving, in any direction, as long as it’s forwards. And any step forwards, no matter how minuscule, is still forward motion.

Many people also think, including many artists, that “good” art is “perfect” art, that “quality” and “worth” and “perfection” are synonymous. But you and I both know that’s not true. First off, perfection is simply unattainable in this imperfect world as we’ve already discussed. Secondly though, “perfection,” like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What is perfect to one person will be full of flaws to another. I see it all the time in our technical art form, for example. Some true masterpieces meet with crickets out there while really problematic pieces meet with wild kudos. So many out there adamantly profess to want realism, or technical perfection, but they don’t actually know what that is! It’s so strange that in an activity so dependent on realism that so few seem to actually recognize it when it’s right in front of their face! But that’s “perfection” for ya. So who’s to say? Sure, we can have educated opinions, but they have their own biases, conventions, and blindspots that skew their assessment all the same. Third, Nature isn’t perfect so we shouldn’t be perfect either. In other words, it’s only through imperfection that we can attain true realism! Oh, crazy irony! And Nature is full of variation and oddities, things not presented on anatomy charts or discussed in text. Now this isn’t to say to make deliberate mistakes — nope. It’s to say we need to know the rules first before we can bend them like Nature does. But the point is, “perfect” needs to be kept in perspective so it doesn’t drive us bananas or feed our fear (perfectionism) to potentially paralyze us. And this matters — it matters a lot — because it can spell the difference between your joy or drudgery. Indeed, our modern society pummels us with the expectation of perfection on a daily basis, but the unavoidable fact is that arting just doesn’t function this way. Instead, art is based on imperfection to be beautiful — yes! Your Voice, novelty, happy accidents, individuality, style, artistic appeal — all of it — are dependent on imperfection to even exist, things that imbue your art with more authenticity, beauty, uniqueness, humanity, you-ness, and even more realism. “Learning to let your art not be perfect may be exactly what you need in your quest of finding your own voice,” says Scott Christian Sava, and he’s bang-on correct. Learn to let go, but to let go in the right way, yes? That’s to say we do have technical biological rules to follow, but in addition to that there’s a lot of artistic fudge-factor possible. Therein lies the secret place where the magic can truly happen, of that marvelous union between technical accuracy, artistic expression, and meaningful narrative that’s characteristic of all our very best works.

But all that said, it does get more complicated. Of course it does. Like in Western thought, our art comes from us as individuals, we are the originators of our visions and art works, innovations, or inventions. But this concept wasn’t always the case. In ancient Greek thought, it was a divine spirit called a genius, a muse which serendipitously showed up, touching us with inspiration and enlightenment, carrying us to the completion. And because this was an unpredictable event, so was the creation of truly great work an unpredictable event — something every artist knows all too well. Now this did also mean that if our work was super successful out there, we couldn’t take full credit, could we? Nope. Our capricious genius delivered for us, through us. But on the other hand, if we met with abject failure, we weren’t really to blame, were we? No. Our muse just didn’t show up and do its job! In many ways then, this is a healthier way to process rousing success or abject failure, two things each of us will experience in our arting career, and in very public ways. Because the hard truth is that every artist — every artist — will have bad art days. Days where nothing works right or pieces that just end up far below our potential for whatever reason — it happens. It’s a mystery, but we will all create problematic work because that’s simply part of the art gig. But without a healthy processing strategy, this can drive us into a creative inertia if we aren’t very careful. We’ve got to find a way to keep our motivations fired up despite the failures and successes. Successes? Yep. You see, success can be as traumatic as failure. Failure, because, well…failure. But also success because now everyone is going to expect you to top yourself next time, and that can be utterly paralyzing if you don’t have processing tactics. Then you have imposter syndrome to contend with and the “you’re not good enough” goblin, both of which can poison the process further. And nevermind the hellbent desire for perfection throwing even more demoralization into the fray. In all this and more, failure can crush us with confusion, regret, humiliation, shame, disappointment, disillusionment, and lost face while success can usher in a lot — a lot — of pressure and stress steeped in fear and intimidation. It’s literally a no-win situation! So learning a kind of detachment with both our successes and our failures may be a bit counter-intuitive, but it’s actually a beneficial attitude to adopt. That kind of distance can act as a buffer zone where you give yourself the license to be a fallible human being who tried the best you could with what you had at that moment on your learning curve.

Speaking of detachment, we’ve got to learn not to care about what other people think of our work, good or bad. Why? Because we’ll free ourselves of a great deal of ponderous weight, making our creativity far more buoyant. “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free,” said Georgia O’Keeffe, right on point. Artist, that’s the headspace you have to find within yourself, down to your core, to find true empowerment. That well of not-caring inside of you is your fountainhead of your most authentic and innovative creativity, despite all the sentiments out there. “The audience comes last,” says Rick Rubin, and he nailed it. You create your art to please yourself first. That’s your prime directive not only to yourself and to the Universe, but to your art. Putting the audience last makes your art more you, more genuine, more unique, and more meaningful because it makes your Voice more potent and emboldened, a massive plus when arting. And trust me — your collectors will appreciate that authenticity all the more because it spices up their options! Just never forget that your art has chosen you, and only you, to manifest through — don’t dishonor it. Don’t contaminate it with the wants, influences, demands, expectations, wishes, criticisms, conventions, biases, and pressures of other people. You’re the creator of your art and they aren’t, therefore they should have no place at your table. Never forget that. The only person who belongs on that throne with that crown is you! So follow your creative gut — your Voice — with gusto. Your head and heart can be mistaken or panic or conflict to lead you astray, but your gut will always take you in the right direction, where you were meant to artistically go.

Consider this, too: “Comparison is the death of joy,” said Mark Twain, and he was absolutely spot on. Evaluating your worth, skill, and talent as a function of how it compares to that of “better” artists isn’t only debilitating and demoralizing, it’s an apples and oranges comparison. You see, you have your own magic, unique in all of space and time, and your art only has you to manifest through. You are its only conduit, it’s sole pathway in all existence. Think about that for a moment. That’s pretty profound, isn’t it? You are important, your art is important, your Voice is important — all that has all the value it will ever need! As Martha Graham put it:

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.

Always remember that your magic is as special, unique, and as unsurpassed as that of anyone else. So you don’t need to compare yourself to other artists, do you? You don’t need their magic — no, not at all. You have your own! Lean into it! So rather than denying it, polluting it, or trying to turn it into something it isn’t, embrace it! And never forget that it’s uniquely and wholly yours, and yours alone — so use it! You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about! Would you be ashamed of devouring a delicious ice cream cone on a hot day? Well, don’t be ashamed about your art! Indeed, your creativity is as natural to you as breathing. Would you be ashamed to breathe? No? So don’t be about your arting. It’s a part of who you are, what you’re all about — don’t hide it away, denigrate it, or dampen it. Crank it up! Art out loud!

Now one can argue that arting out loud takes confidence, and well, yeah…it kinda does. But confidence not in the way you might think. Not the confidence you have when you’ve been arting for a long time, the confidence that comes with experience. No. It takes a truer, more meaningful confidence. You see, real confidence, true confidence isn’t so much about knowing you’ll succeed, but knowing you can snap back into shape after a failure. Real confidence has more to do with resilience, adaptability, and embracing uncertainty — even potential failure — because you know you can bounce back regardless, all the wiser. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts," said Winston Churchill. And it’s true. And courage in the truest sense of the word: The root word of courage is “cor,” the Latin word for “heart,” so in the early form of “courage” then, the word meant to “speak one’s mind by telling all of one’s heart.” And here’s the thing — fear has no power in the courageous heart that realizes failure isn’t final. You can fix things as you go. You can do it over again. You can morph and bend and adapt to make it work in new ways and directions. You can learn what to avoid on another piece. All of this smooshes together then into a roused powerhouse, allowing you to tackle any piece even in the face of your greatest fears and intimidations. This is the kind of confidence an artist needs most and which isn’t so hard to come by either. Why? Because it’s less about believing in your skill, ability, aptitude, or talent and more about recognizing your own power to bounce back. It has very little to do with how “good” your art actually is and everything to do with how irrepressible you are. Embrace that truth about yourself and you so got this!

Yet too many souls live in fear of their arting. And fear takes many forms: “I’m not enough,”perfectionism, imposter syndrome, procrastination, spinning wheels, intimidation, comparisons, doom scrolling, insecurity, creative timidity, self-deprecation, seeking external validation, bravado, obsession with “likes,” a block, and our comfort zones, habits, and conventions, among many others. Fear knows exactly what buttons to push, doesn’t it? And golly, is it a born button pusher! But this is why those artists who have persevered haven’t actually conquered their fear. In fact, that’s not really possible. Why? Because fear is a very human reaction to a very daunting proposition — and the prospect of making something real that’s exists only in our mind’s eye is a rather daunting proposition, isn’t it? As Brené Brown observes, “To create is to make something that has never existed before. There’s nothing more vulnerable than that.” Indeed. And fear just happens, there’s no stopping it. Instead then, triumphant artists have learned to coexist with their fear and still function despite it, in lieu of it, beside it and — yes — even with it. Absolutely, we can learn to harness our fear to even fuel our efforts, spinning it into an exciting challenge and a problem to solve rather than an insurmountable wall that stops us. So just understand this: Fear and art is a very natural and normal association that’s only really mediated by curiosity, hope, love, courage, confidence, and a whole lotta moxie. Light those up within you then and you’ll launch yourself into the right trajectory!

Complicating matters even more, many folks believe that inspiration is like a light switch, it’s either on or it’s off, and that inspiration is enough to get us from Point A to Point Z on our creative safari. Nope. Inspiration exists on a spectrum, on the one end being like a raging torrent that whisks us away uncontrollably with fireworks and heavy artillery firing off everywhere while on the other end, being like an ethereal wisp of smoke that must be painstakingly cajoled into being or allowed its own time to percolate into something more tangible. And then everything in between. It can even tickle your toes for decades before welling up into action! Whatever it is, each artist feels it in their own way, sometimes in different ways at different times, making it as mysterious and mercurial as a waking dream. But inspiration needs help — it cannot carry our motivations on its own. All it can do is provide the ignition, the flame, but it’s our job to keep that stoked and blazing with our love, patience, perseverance, stubbornness, curiosity, hard work, sacrifice, gumption, courage, and a whole lotta diligent problem-solving and slogging through the tedium. Think of your inspiration more as a quest then. Not necessarily the goal per se — because our visions are impossibly perfect in our mind’s eye — but the beacon that guides us on a creative journey chockfull of surprise detours, obstacles, challenges, enlightenments, and curiosities. And it’s okay to end up in a totally different destination! Sometimes that happens with art, the piece simply changed its mind and decided to take another route. No problemo, my friend. It’s all a normal aspect of arting. It’s a mystery.

However, if you sit around, waiting for “inspiration to strike,” you’ll be waiting around — and not creating your art — for a very, very long time. Because that’s not how inspiration works most of the time. Sure, we can get a random inspirational lightning strike and take off with it like a crazed ferret. It happens. And it’s an amazing feeling! But even so, the vast majority of the time, inspiration isn’t like this, like a light switch, like an on-off button. It’s not really like a dry well that all of a sudden fills with water. It’s more like the water itself and you’re the well. Like Pablo Picasso said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” You see, you’re a dry well when you aren’t creating yet inspiration usually needs something to work with to get going — it needs its pump primed. So if you just start arting — doing anything creative, in any direction — all of a sudden, that inspiration will crank up like magic! And honestly, get your creativity really going and watch your inspiration turn into a self-propagating, self-sustaining machine, spewing out inspirations like an uncontrolled firehose. Then it becomes a game of simply keeping up! You see, inspiration feeds on itself and that catalyst is often creativity, not the other way around. So just get to work — do anything creative. Beading, journaling, pottery, sketching, flatwork, photography, collage, mosaic, knitting, even cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, quilting, and gardening…whatever. Heck, even deeply listening to music can be a highly effective means to get the inspiration fired up. Take some classes or workshops. Go to a paint n’ sip. Dabble. Experiment. FAFO with your media. Try new media or methods. Get in the weeds and find your way out. But the counter-intuitive gist of all this is: The only cure for sluggish even absent inspiration is to just make art. That’s actually the answer to every single creative problem — make more art. Just make more art. “Good” art, “bad” art, it doesn’t matter. Just bang it out. “Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing,” said Georgia O’Keeffe, and that about sums it up. Definitely don’t worry about how “good” it is — the important part is to just do it. “Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art,” astutely advised Andy Warhol.

What’s the point of all this? Well, that the creative state of mind and therefore the creative act is a messy one. It’s not a one-note Perfect Moment, it’s not a straight line. Instead, it’s loaded with a host of “imperfections” that flavor it, and that’s okay! In fact, that’s kinda its hallmark, isn’t it? Creativity is just a chaotic business, so make peace with that and learn to work within its ever-morphing bubble. “In the middle of all the mess, there’s a quiet kind of magic waiting for you. Embrace the chaos, because that’s where your most authentic and beautiful creations come to life,” said Arastasia. Truth!

Recommended watching:

Your Elusive Creative Genius, Elizabeth Gilbert

Success, Failure, and the Drive to Keep Creating, Elizabeth Gilbert

The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown

Recommended reading:

Moving Forwards With Fear

Failure Fatigue: Coping With The Cycle Of Faceplants In Art

Busted

Riding The Rollercoaster

Now About Those Anatomy Charts, Part I and Part II

Paralyzed By Perfection: Breaking Free Of the Cycle

The Imperfect World

Life as an artist isn’t a bowl of cherries whatsoever. It’s hard. Really, hard. Really really really hard. You have to be truly impassioned with what you do, utterly in love with your work, to simply continue doing it much of the time. Like aside from all the technical, logistical, financial, legal, philosophical, and familial challenges it ushers in, there’s the very real mental health challenges. Mental health? Yes. You see, it’s not your art that will take its toll on you, it’s the world at large that will. It will take its pound of flesh again and again and again. Unfortunately, there are just those out there who’ll quite obviously delight in tormenting you and will shred your work because they can or because they’re simply too callously thoughtless to behave otherwise. It’s like having an ongoing, unstoppable trolling comments section in your life you can’t turn off — and our niche community is particularly vocal in this regard. As such, you’re going to be constantly bombarded with thrown knives aimed directly at you that you can neither dodge nor block. You simply have to take the hits graciously — and do it all over again and again with the creation of every new piece. That’s the Faustian bargain, the trade-off for this blessed life, the price you pay living the artistic life. In this imperfect world, there has to be some sour to balance out the sweet, right? In an imperfect world, discordant notes will be loud and repeating, too. Try to reconcile with that.

Likewise, there’s no rhyme or reason to what the gestalt will go bonko over. I’ve seen more outstanding masterpieces meet with crickets, even criticism, with really problematic work gaining wild kudos and glowing reviews than I can count. I’ve seen so much technical accuracy lose in the ring to technical errors, realistic expression lose to conventional comfort zones, and glowing workmanship on a “plain” color lose to flawed “flash.” I mean, the groupthink claims to want realism, but some just don't know what that actually is, or when it’s right in front of them, they think it’s wrong. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this biz, it’s that some tastes are strongly conventional and can rely heavily on the lowest common denominator comfort zone. Anything that actually presents actual realism yet lies outside those comfort zones will have a more difficult time of it. It’s so strange! One wonders if some collectors have actually ever seen a living horse at all. So what’s the point here? Just do the best you can with where you are on your learning curve, and let the chips fall where they may. Create your art your way for you, for your own reasons and motivations, according to your original visions and inspirations, and any successes are merely an incidental cherry on top. Because the truth is the likelihood of you finding applause out there can be surprisingly slim. Indeed, "do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't," advised Eleanor Roosevelt, and well, any comments section proves her absolutely right. So don’t chase kudos! Don’t seek external validation! Don’t give one wit to “likes”! Quit with the comparisons! If you build your “home” on top of all of that, you’re doomed to crash in a flimsy house of cards.

And then there is always That Guy Who Just Wants To Help, i.e. the “friendly unsolicited critique.” Ugh. These people, lemme tell ya. The tone deafness, the presumption, the denial of your Truth, and all wrapped up in a friendly, “helping” bow. Yikes. Sure many claim they have good intentions — but do they really? I would argue that, no, they usually don’t. Like they want to make your vision like their vision — that’s wrong. They want to impose on your creative space — that’s wrong. They want to “save” you from a big mistake without understanding the backstory of your Truth or your references — that’s wrong. They want to make a “correction” without understanding their own blindspots, biases, and conventions — that’s wrong. They want to hear their own voice sound more knowledgeable — that’s wrong. Just pick it all apart, and their claim of good intentions simply falls apart. The fact of the matter is this: Unless something is outright dangerous or really jerky, there’s absolutely no circumstance that justifies an unsolicited critique. Not one. But oh—how so many love to chime in all the same! So learn to ignore it or process it best you can with plenty of coping mechanisms. Turn off comments sections or flat out ignore comments in your posts. Just remember that your work only has one relationship — with you and only you. Keep that a closed circuit when it comes to public sentiments. It’ll keep your work true to your Voice, authentic, unique, and you sane and balanced and still motivated to art.

Likewise, we’re going to abut up against problematic comments, even rudeness and obnoxiousness, when we display our work in public, and especially when we put it up for sale. For example, people will often ask, “How long did it take you to do that?” A simple enough question at first, but pick it apart and it reveals itself as something rather offensive, doesn’t it? Think about it. What are they really trying to find out? Yep. They’re adding up the price tag as compared to the hours you inputted to determine if your paycheck — if your living wage — is appropriate. Eeesh. So never answer this question. Simply distract from it with something like, “It takes as long as it takes,” then change the subject. Similarly, some people will comment that our work is just “too expensive,” or in other words, too expensive for their pocketbook, making the typical mistake of equating their experience as appropriate for everyone else’s experience. Instead, either ignore the comment and change the subject, or counter with something like, “I do offer a payment plan or here are my lower priced items that might interest you.” Along those lines, you’ll probably also encounter the all-too-common comment, “I could do that myself for nothing!” So what I do is counter with, “Well, you should! Make your own sculpture — it’s good for you! Arting is good for you!” And wow—how quickly they limp away. The point is, people will blurt out truly nonsensical blather so you should have an arsenal of coping mechanisms and responses that get the point across while still remaining professional. When you’re prepared and ready for it, you won’t be caught off guard to make a professional blunder. You also won’t be so anxious because you’ll be armed and ready to deploy, a much more empowered position.

Recommended watching:

Why Your Critics Aren’t The Ones Who Count, Brené Brown

Recommended reading:

The Critic In The Creative Space

Arting In A Bubble: An Empowering Way To Create Art

A New View: Transforming Intimidation Into Inspiration

Redefining Success: Some Thoughts On True Accomplishment

The Comparison Trap: How To Make It Work For You

Pickled Art

The Artist As Other

Conclusion to Part II

Phew! That was a lot to process, huh? But give it a good think. Because if we want to become creative or remain creative, we’ve got to reconcile with imperfection in some functional way. Because a lot of people don’t, and so a lot of people live their life as a squelched would-be artist and that entails a measure of existential pain. Somewhere deep down, they long for something they’re too afraid to grasp, and all too often it’s that fear of imperfection that’s the root cause. And that's a darned shame because it's avoidable.

You see, art, creativity, is your birthright. You come from a long line of creatives back to the very beginning. Homo sapien just has this ingrained penchant for making things needlessly beautiful. Like a bow more ornate than it needed to be, or a cup more beautiful than it needed to be, or an axe more decorated than it needed to be, and on and on. We are a creator species — it’s in our blood, our very DNA. And it’s in you, too. So don’t deny it out of fear! Embrace it in love! Arting is so good for you in so many ways! Even more, imperfection isn’t to be feared or appalled by, it shouldn’t be a seat of anxiety or hesitation — it should be your starting point! So start as miraculously imperfect as you can then just tweak things along the way until you get them “just so” to your liking. That’s how art works! It asks you to take that leap of faith and it will catch you — but only if you take that leap! So jump!

“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn't exist…Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”

- Stephen Hawking

The Dented Can: Creating Imperfectly In An Imperfect World Part I

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:47:00 +0000

Introduction

You know what’s strange? Nearly every single other endeavor expects a beginner to perform below average at what they’re learning for the first time. Like, does anyone really expect a newbie to be reprogramming the Eastern seaboard within twenty-four hours after they first learn basic programming? No. Every other profession brings with it an expectation of a learning curve, of taking the time and effort, sacrifice and hardship to improve and reach a level of proficiency.

But not when it comes to art.

Curiously in contrast, when it comes to making art, many people seem to expect themselves to do far far better than their actual experience, training, and Sight warrants. In fact, many expect their art to be perfect right out of the gate, exactly as it is in their head as though the translation from our Vision to our hands was a direct, unimpeded translation.

But art doesn’t work that way.

In fact, in few other pursuits can our final product end up not jiving with our vision more so than in art. We may start with this clear vision in our head but sometimes we end up either far from our mark or with something different entirely! Indeed, I’ve been at this art gig for over forty years, and I’m still learning hustles just to keep pace with my visions and expectations. It takes a lot, and a whole lotta sacrifice, courage, and gumption. In this, arting isn’t really something we just do. Even the most casual creative effort entails a Path, a Way that asks us to dig deep and wrestle with some pretty big themes.

And those themes start early. Isn’t every child a born artist? Yes — yes they are. Any box of crayons or pot of Play-Doh can testify to that. But somehow, for any number of reasons, that natural desire to art gets beaten down in so many of us, who then grow up into creatives who have become fearful of their creative drives, and so we all lose. As Brené Brown observed…

Let me sum up what I’ve learned about creativity from the world of Wholehearted living and loving: “I’m not very creative” doesn’t work. There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear. The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing—it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re creating, we’re cultivating meaning.

And one of the worst fears when it comes to arting is imperfection, that fear of inadequacy, of failing to convey our vision perfectly, of making mistakes, coming up short, of ridicule and shame, and that pesky notion that we’re "not enough,” all of which can solidify into a sturdy creative roadblock that can actually stop someone from being creative outright.

This is the perfidious toxicity of perfection. It sits out there, taunting us mercilessly and so we chase it — but it always seems to stay just out of reach of our grasping hands. This isn’t because we’re inadequate or not trying hard enough, it’s because perfection is an illusion, a sham, a con, a myth — a delusion. It’s an impossible task. It’s the lie we tell ourselves and each other as the secret of success. But what usually ends up happening is that this demand for perfection is actually a subtle, systemic form of bullying. Because think about it — browbeating someone, expecting someone to achieve something unachievable isn’t only monumentally unreasonable, it’s a form of torment. This is exactly why perfection stops so many people from being creative — they instinctively wish to avoid that torture whether imposed by others or welled up inside of themselves. And it also explains why so many are hesitant to be creative in our art form because look at the ridiculousness of the goal! Yet look how we continue to lift this bogus notion up onto a pedestal, even right from the start of our art career then ceaselessly pursue it like Don Quixote on an exhausted horse again and again and again. Then we beat ourselves up when we inevitably fall short, as if it was some big surprise.

Stop. Just stop.

Because there’s light at the end of this absurd tunnel! There is a way to put perfection in its place, even in our perfection-driven art form. There is a way to navigate the expectations out there and within our own heads to find satisfaction in our creativity even when it’s as imperfect as it can get. And there is a way to find joy again in our arting no matter the outcome — you can find it again and keep it burning bright! Because the sooner we realize how unreasonable perfection actually is, the sooner we find freedom, expression, and confidence in our arting. Even better, we perhaps find our Voice, the true gift given to each of us that finds its purest expression in our creativity. So let’s talk about some ideas that can keep us dodging those pointy sticks our little perfection goblins keep jabbing at us so we can not only make some real progress in our creativity, but find our enthusiasm for it again as well.

In this the real trick is as difficult to do as it is simple to say: To accept imperfection as not only a part of arting, but even bigger, as a part of life itself, and a part of you as well. To embrace imperfection not only as an inevitability in an imperfect world, but to recognize the humanity it actually contains. Any machine can bang out seemingly perfect whatsits, for example, but only a human being can infuse imperfection into the mix to make each one wholly unique, all by accident too. And it’s in that where the beaut of imperfection is to be found, a beauty that elevates art even higher, transcending even the inspiring vision itself. So let’s discuss all these big ideas to help us wrestle with our own perfection goblins to put them in a firm headlock! It’s time to stop bullying yourself and each other! So let's explore all these issues in this three-part series about this pesky, highly mobile goalpost...so letsa go!…

The Imperfect Goal

That vision in our head sure seems perfect, doesn’t it? Isn’t it a gleaming, glorious, wildly inspiring concept in our head that seems just within reach, there for the taking? Doesn’t it capture our hearts, our guts, our soul, and fascinate us like bonkers? Yes — yes it does. It has to, on purpose. Because if it didn’t, would we be so prone to stop what we’re doing to realize it through art? It has to be a beaming bright inspiration to get us off our duff to manifest it into reality with a single-minded determination that can only be described as a possession, an obsession, a mania. It has to absolutely captivate us in order to make itself real through us. But the important bit about all this is to recognize this unavoidable truth: There’s no way to translate that vision into reality as perfect as it exists in our mind’s eye. That’s the Catch-22, the perfect dilemma of all creativity from the beginning of time. “No artist is pleased,” revealed Martha Graham. “No satisfaction whatever at any time…There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching…” she astutely observes. And she’s right on the money.

So while our vision may be exquisitely perfect in our mind, our goal should be far more grounded and reasonable: The acceptance that we’ll unavoidably fail, being fallible, imperfect human beings in an imperfect world. So the goal then becomes to fail forwards, to express the creative blessings we’re given as we art and find our hallelujah in that. Maybe it’s to expand our knowledge base or skillset, maybe it’s to explore some theme or narrative, perhaps it’s to express some curiosity about structure, composition, color, or pattern, maybe it could just be the creation of an inspiring pretty horse, or it could be something else…whatever. But whatever failing forwards means to us, that should be our imperfect goal with every piece we ever create. As Vince Lombardi said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Once we accept that our vision is fundamentally unattainable then, we quickly learn to grasp at what we can grab and work with that to the best of our abilities at that moment on our learning curve. Then soon enough, we’ll learn to make peace, to reconcile with the inevitable imperfection of our art to instead find jubilation in the doing and in what we did accomplish despite it all.

Recommended reading:

Vision Conniptions: Managing Our Mind’s Eye In Art

The Perfectionist Paradox

Paralyzed By Perfection: Breaking Free Of The Cycle

Gadding About With The Goblin: The Little Brat Beside Every Artist

The Imperfect Journey

I’m sure you’re keenly aware of this already: Our creative journey is imperfect, too. There’s really no unchallenged smooth sailing with any piece, is there? There’s always a detour, a surprise, a correction, maybe even a pothole to be found with every piece we undertake. It’s all part of the arting experience. That grail vision of perfection may be leading us on in perfect glory, but it’s a rugged landscape we stumble through in reality!

In this, the Japanese celebration of imperfection, wabi-sabi, comes in quite handy to process this contradiction. In wabi-sabi, it’s the journey, not the destination — the making of art, not the finished piece — that holds the value in the arting experience. Like what peace, satisfaction, enlightenment, sanctuary, purpose, and meaning did you find in the making of your art? As such, we’re asked to be present in the process, to acknowledge and enjoy every moment, every tool strike or brushstroke, even if it’s driving us bananas. Be aware, be present, be one with the process. But the point is this: The journey is inherently an imperfect one, that there’s more value to be found in the struggle, pursuit, and exploration of it than in the presumed perfection of the finished product. That imperfection itself is the art.

This is so liberating because it removes the value placed on our completed piece, making it something more incidental, to instead plunk it onto the journey getting there. And what’s more, it accepts that all works made in this world are flawed, are imperfect, will always come up short compared to our perfect vision, but that this isn’t only perfectly okay, it’s perfectly normal and actually preferred. That there is tremendous beauty, novelty, and meaning to be found in the imperfections in our art and effort, features far more important to our soul than impossible perfection. Indeed, there’s the old and revered art form of kintsugi (or kinsukuroi, meaning “gold joinery”) in which broken pottery is mended, but gold leaf is used to actually showcase the cracks and chips that are now part of the piece’s story. In this, the broken piece has actually become more beautiful by being broken, it’s story now more unique and complex than before. Sounds a bit like life, doesn’t it? Well, the same is to be said of our art, too! It becomes more meaningful, unique, and lovely because of our “errors,” our individualism and humanity poured into it, not some kind of “perfection” that has all that scrubbed out. Something to think about.

But the journey happens on a bigger stage as well. Know it or not, but all artists are on the Hero’s Journey as described by Joseph Campbell. He broke down this iconic quest into three phases: separation, initiation, and return. For artists, this is how it plays out:

You feel inspired to be creative, your art calls to you (separation).
You embrace the unknown and uncertainty to create it, facing your demons, especially the ones that insist “you’re not good enough,” “you’re not ready,” or “it needs to be absolutely perfect or you’ll have failed” (initiation).
You create something that enriches the world: Your art, your Voice, your Truth (return).

Yes — yours is an epic journey! This can be why it’s such a daunting one for so many because asks for so much courage. As Henri Matisse observed, “Creativity takes courage.” Yup, yes it does. But you got this! Just as long as you don’t get stuck where most would-be artists get stuck: In the initiation phase. And it’s not because they lack the vision, skill, or talent, it’s because they’re asking the wrong questions of themselves…

Why can’t I make this perfect, what’s wrong with me?
Who do I think I am to become an artist?
Is my work good enough?
Why can’t I do this as good as so-and-so?

You see, those are questions that derive from our fear, they’re dis-empowering questions. Instead, we should be asking questions born of our strengths, empowering questions. So consider these instead:

What’s my next artistic goal?: Not in my dreams, not someday, not tomorrow — now. Next. And be highly specific such as finishing a piece, prepping a resin, scoring your first juried show, composing the next piece, learning a new media, learning color theory, tinkering with your prices, taking a class, trying a whole new form of sculpture or painting, etc. The more you can break it down into a nice babystep, the better — something immediately attainable. This is how we build tangible progress, through lots of well-crafted babysteps.
Why does my art matter to me?: Learn to “come home,” as Elizabeth Gilbert would say. Your epic journey will fling you into wild success and horrendous failure, both equally traumatic, and you’ve got to “find your way home” each and very time that happens. We do that by building our “home” right on top of what makes our arting matter to us in the most profound way so no matter what our journey throws at us, we stay empowered to keep cranking out art. So ask yourself why do you create this kind of art? Also ask, why this subject matter? And perhaps the most profound question of all — why is your art calling to you now? Why this drive in the first place? And dig for the deep answers, too, not just because “horses are beautiful.” Keep asking “why?” Excavate deep into your motivations and inspirations.
What resources do I already have at my disposal?: Many artists tend to fixate on what they don’t have rather than what they do, tending to be deprivation-centered types. Well, stop that. Instead, focus and build on what you do have like your skills, experience, moxie, curiosity, courage, resilience, space, time, connections, tools, ambition, inspirations, etc. If you take real stock, you see you actually have quite the arsenal! So gather it all up and put it to work, building from there.
What do I want out of my success? How do I want that to look and feel? This is a pretty big question and how you answer will shape your creative future, so be painfully honest with yourself for your own sake, for your art’s sake. Do you want a side hustle? Do you want a sanctuary? Do you want to exercise your artistic Voice? Do you want to make a living at it? Do you want expression? Balance? Fame? An exploration? Communication and connection? Celebration? Just what is it? And it can be many things, so tease them all out. But identify these goals with your art and you’ll tend to pick pathways that best align with your Voice and pass over those that are needless distractions. Absolutely, once we know how we want our success to be like, we’ll plot our course towards it with more clarity. On that note then, it’s also important to have our own measures of success rather than throwing our expectations into the four winds. This grounds us and keeps us on the journey that aligns with our Voice, and best serves our mental health and therefore our drive to keep arting.
What will I spend my energy on?: When it comes to being a creative, what you spend your energy on is everything! See, you only have a finite amount of time on Earth, only so many hours in a day, and only so much “water in your well.” As Crista Cloutier observes, “Everything is currency: money, time, attention, emotion.” And she goes on to push, “Are you spending yours on stuff, drama, and comparison…or on learning, making work, building relationships, and taking tiny brave steps? Travel light artist. The less you drag along, the further you can go.” Be extraordinarily careful with what you spend your energy on! The more miserly you are with it, the more you have to focus on your art goals (with the exception of family, friends, and living, of course). That means give your time sinks or penchant for drama, your spinning wheels and procrastinations a deep and sometimes painful rethink. You see, your baggage — which is what determines where your spend your energy — can inhibit your progress in ways more tricksie than having an inadequate skillset or knowledge base. So keep that energy beam as focused on your art goals as possible!
Who can and what will help me on my journey?: Who are your inspirations? Your mentors, sages, and guides? Who are your colleagues and peers? Your connections and networks? Your community? What orgs or groups do you belong to? Who are your cheerleaders? And here’s a big one — do you feed your inspiration or do you starve it and then get frustrated when it doesn’t deliver? Remember, your muse is one of your supports, too! But wrap it all up and the truth is no artist finds success alone, at least not the ones who prosper. It’s a group effort. But critically important, but most often ignored in our niche market, is our public image. How we come across in the public eye — our PR — is the very basis of our success. If it’s great, we’re golden, but if it’s tarnished or grody, we’re toast. So everything you do or post or say in public, sometimes even in private, is a part of your PR so pay it careful attention. The fact of the matter is this: Many folks simply won’t support an artist that comes across poorly or problematically, for good reason. So always act in ways that ensure your brand is on point to serve your goals best. Along those lines, this also means we need to behave in a professional way, at all times. Not only is this good for your own name, but this also attracts fellow professionals to collaborate with you. Never forget then that your behavior and associations aren’t only a reflection on you, but on your collaborators as well. If you misstep bad enough then, don’t be surprised if collaborators distance themself from you. All together then, a successful studio is built on many points of support so reach out, build relationships, feed your inspiration, be mindful of your brand and PR, and act in professional ways, and you’ll find questing companions soon enough!

Do you see how shifting the attitude in your question-asking changes everything? And the more honestly you answer those questions, the better. The truth is your journey is your apprenticeship, your testing ground and learning landscape. Hey, it’s said that Michelangelo quipped at eighty years old, “At last my apprenticeship is finished, I am ready to begin.” This means that there is no perfect time to start your Path — so just start! You’ll figure things out as you go and sure, you’ll stumble and end up in the brush, but you’ll find your way out, right? Of course. So as Kris Kringle sings in that Christmas Rankin-Bass classic…

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor

You put one foot in front of the other

And soon you'll be walking out the door

You never will get where you're going

If ya never get up on your feet

Come on, there's a good tail wind blowin'

A fast walking man is hard to beat

Recommended reading:

Becoming An Artist: How to Make Art like a Human by Embracing Failure, Discovering Your Creative Voice and Finding Joy in the Process by Scott Christian Sava

Wabi-Sabi and Realism: Strange Bedfellows

Your Voice: What Makes Your Art Special

Journation: A Symbiosis For Growth

The Fame Game

Nature vs Nurture: The Question of Talent or Skill

Priming The Pump: Inspiring Your Inspiration

Finding Your Fingerprint: Artist Branding

Conclusion to Part I

Clearly, the artistic Path isn’t as cut and dry as some people would believe. It takes hardwork, sacrifice, resilience, and vision to carve out a presence in any genre, but luckily our niche art form tends to be quite welcoming of good work. Thank goodness!

Even so, creating art is always a challenge in more ways than one so unless we’re willing to meet that challenge, we won’t be arting for very long. And that’s a darn shame. We need more people in our community happily arting away. We literally need everyone on deck! Why? Because of three beneficial reasons. First, it gets more people on the other side of the studio door and that spells better treatment of the creative process and artists as more folks get on the same page. Second, it fills up our classes and pushes the issue of the Novice and DIYer divisions ever more urgently. The sooner our shows can flip their priorities to benefit these groups, the better. And third, a group that creates together, sticks together better. It simply strengthens bonds and connections, it builds community and camaraderie, things we need a lot more of. Art has this miraculous ability to heal hearts and build connections where words and action simply fail.

Anyway, in Part II, we’ll continue our exploration with the Imperfect Notion and the Imperfect World, two biggies that entail some weighty issues. So until next time, it’s perfectly okay to be gloriously imperfect! That’s your humanity showing through so flaunt it!

“Have no fear of perfection — you'll never reach it.”

- Salvador Dali

Gadding About With The Goblin: The Little Brat Beside Every Artist

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:17:00 +0000

Introduction

Every artist is accompanied through life by a little goblin at their side. Yes — each and every one. Even the most accomplished artists. And this little goblin happens to have a big voice, one that yammers in our ear more than we’d like. What does it squeal about? Simple: It seeks to prevent us from arting in the first place. That's its purpose, its passion and it finds many ways to do that.

In particular, this little goblin is especially loud and aggressive with suppressed-artists, those folks who squish down their creativity to the point where they don’t even art at all. Indeed, as Brené Brown observed…

There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.

It’s true. Everyone is born an artist! Every single one of us. Indeed, you were a child once with a strong and fearless creative drive with your markers, crayons, and Play-Doh. You had your childlike imagination and a want to express it, right? Of course you did! The mind of a child is a wondrous thing! But then that drive just waned, didn’t it? It just seemed to go to sleep inside of you, leaving you feeling emptier, less engaged, less you. Well, you can thank that little goblin for that unfortunate turn of events and, yes, it can be that powerful and long-lasting. But that drive didn’t actually evaporate away — it’s still there, waiting to be tapped and expressed. And this is important: Your creativity is important! In fact, it's life-changing. As Brené Brown further declares…

The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing — it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re creating, we’re cultivating meaning.

Bingo! Some call it purpose, some call it a Path, some call it fulfillment and satisfaction, some call it dabbling, some call it sanctuary, some call it decompression, some call it a mystery, but whatever it is, it waits for you. And, yes, it can be something within your reach if only you have the impetus to grab it! Don't you owe it to yourself to be your complete self again? Don't you owe it to all those visions in your mind's eye, eager to manifest through you? Indeed, there's more at stake here than you think. "That stroke you are about to make on a painting is as much you as the next word you utter or the next breath you take," said Harley Brown. Indeed.

As for would-be artists, those who still have an active drive but hesitation to create, this goblin has actually set up a proverbial dam in your artistic flow to block you. And so you have this turmoil inside, as your flow keeps crashing against that dam, making an internal mess. And so you deny it to cope or wrestle with it on the down lo, living a kind of creative angst as your creative side tries to break free of these confines. And it can drive you nuts. Artist, you must be what you are! The Universe is calling you to your purpose! Don’t ignore it! It's time to grab that Acme dynamite and blow apart that darned dam! "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced," said Vincent Van Gogh. Bingo.

When it comes to active artists though, now they’re a different bunch. They have their goblins by their side, make no mistake. And they can be particularly clever and shrill goblins to boot. But no matter…rather than live in subjugation or conflict, active artists have learned to walk forwards with their goblins, and despite all their incessant screeching and obstructionist antics. They’ve learned to live with that pesky thing despite it all, maybe even make friends with it, learning to listen to its blather without being defeated by what it says. They just keep moving forwards with their arting, come hell or high water. "The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable," said Robert Henri. Yup.

So yes — you have this goblin beside you, too, as sure as the sun rises. You hear it, I know you do, but you may be denying it to cope, or perhaps you're misinterpreting its intent, misreading the message. Either way, it’s probably compromising your creativity already and in this, we want to address it head-on to get you back to arting! So let’s turn and look at our goblin, let’s talk about it so we, too, can learn to live with it better to get on with the delightful business of creativity!

The Goblin’s Manifesto

So what is this pesky little bother? Who is this goblin that bleats in our ear so often? Why, of course, it’s the ever-present, and all-too-loud “Not Enough” goblin. That little voice that constantly whispers — or yells, depending on how active your goblin is — “You’re not enough to create art, you’re not enough to be an artist, you’re not enough to do good art, you’re not enough to be anything more than you are, you're not enough to be anything more than you were allowed to be, you're not enough to be more than a one-hit wonder, you’re not enough, not enough, not enough…” And on it goes, ad nauseam like a broken record. Ugh!

And this little goblin can poke you with many sharp sticks: Imposter syndrome, insecurities, procrastination, fear of success, perfectionism, laziness, avoidance, envy, irritation with materials or surroundings, self-doubt, fixation on the achievements of others, comparisons, fighting deadlines, spinning our wheels and not calling “done,” fear of failure, chasing external validation, quitting mid-way, boredom, incessant distraction, and on and on. Quite literally, your little goblin’s DNA is fear, evolving into a host of manifestations to stop you with “I’m not enough” being its pure genetic expression.

But there’s more to this equation than just the goblin, isn’t there? Yes — in the most important way! Why? Because there’s you! You’re part of this dynamic just the same, and you bring to the table an arsenal of Truths that, when embraced in all their prickly authenticity, are far more powerful and compelling than any shrill goblin.

The Truth, Your Truth

The thing is, “I’m not enough” really isn’t about creating art at all. That’s the irony of it. Your art is your art — it exists on its own terms, ready to deploy at your command. You just gotta smack that button! As counter-intuitive as that seems then, the Truth is that “I’m not enough” is more about what’s lurking inside your psyche: Your history, your personal narrative, your hurts and wounds, your wishes, dreams, and longings, and even your desire to be more than you were told you could be, more than you were allowed to be. Perhaps life beat creativity down in you, maybe someone you trusted was cruel or careless, maybe things went sideways to sideline your art. It could be any number of reasons, but the fact remains, the Not Enough goblin is speaking too persuasively in your ear. So how do we get it to chill out?

Well, the annoying thing is, Not Enough won’t ever pipe down. Fear is simply part of being human and part of the creative journey every artist must walk. But those who walk with the most poise are those who hear their goblin yet stride forwards despite it, side-by-side. But how do we get to that point? How do we walk with our goblin in confidence when it’s telling us things that specifically corrode our courage? Well, my friend, the only way around it, is through it. Rather than wait for the goblin to go away — it won’t — or lessen a bit in its yelling — it won’t — or change its tune — it won’t, we’ve got to face our goblin head on and have a decent conversation with it. Yes — we must face it. There’s no avoiding this step — all successful artists have done it and continue to speak with their goblins, and you can, too. Just be ready, because in so doing, you’ll probably have to ask some deeply personal, perhaps even painful questions about the kinds of things that actually stop artists from arting. For instance, rather than fixating on these questions:

Why can’t I do this? What’s wrong with me?
Why is everything I create so bad? Do I not have any talent?
Why can’t I create my piece as good as so-and-so?
This shouldn’t be so hard! Why am I struggling so much?
So-and-so makes it look so easy! Do I just not have the ability?
This didn’t come out at all like I wanted it to, what’s the point?

No no no. That’s your goblin speaking again and you’re making the mistake of being thrown off balance by it. Because really, it’s not a matter of whether you believe it or not, it’s whether you allow yourself to be distracted by it! Work against that distraction! Focus! In that spirit then, consider these questions instead:

What am I afraid of if I fail?
What scares me if I succeed?
What part of me am I protecting if I don’t art, if I stay safe? Why is that so strong?
What narrative am I secretly adhering to? What storyline is really playing out inside me?
Did someone betray my trust and optimism to squelch my creativity? Why am I still giving them so much power?
Did an event or situation tarnish my drive to create art? That’s in the past, so why are I still stuck there?
Am I being distracted from creativity by other things? Why am I allowing that to happen?
What am I sacrificing of myself by not expressing my creativity? Why is that my choice?
If I was creative again, how do I think that would make me feel? What needs would be met?
What would some new goals be, if I was creative again?
Is Not Enough actually trying to protect me from something? Why? And is that really still relevant in my life?
What is Not Enough actually trying to tell me? (Dig deep.)

If you excavate deep enough and address these questions in total honesty — if you look Not Enough squarely in the eyes — you can come to a place of understanding and reconciliation, and what was once a struggle becomes a calling. In fact, with all this, you might even come to thank Not Enough, and even more, to reassure it and cradle it with encouragement rather than regard it with contempt or shame. Add it all up then, and perhaps your next steps will even become more deliberate and strategic, and not so reactive and blindly taken. So boil it all down, and the Truth is that arting doesn’t happen in the absence of Not Enough, with the dispersal of fear, it happens in spite of it. Learn to embrace Not Enough then, and go make some art!

Conclusion

The trick is not expecting to become fearless or pretending to be fearless. You will never not be fearful in your arting to some degree. Fear is simply a part of the human condition, and so a part of arting. So no…fear isn’t going anywhere. Instead then the real trick is to learn how to move forwards with your fear but on your own terms, to move forwards with No Enough right beside you, but you’re picking the routes this time, not that goblin. Take back the wheel! You know what Path to walk, don’t you? So just shove that goblin into line and start walkin’! Get going, just start moving forward, one step at a time. Start small if you have to with baby steps, then work your way up to bigger ones, and sooner than you think, you’ll be running, coursing through your creative landscape with ground-sweeping strides! You see, creativity has a momentum and once it gets going, it’s very hard to stop, like a speeding train on greased tracks. So brave the Path that calls you, the route you know you’re meant to take, and hold that goblin’s hand nice and gently, and off you go!

You creativity sleeps and waits — longing, languishing, roiling. It slumbers inside you like a creative Cthulhu — but your supernatural powers were meant to be wide awake and stomping around, driving the world mad with your glorious creativity! So wake it up! Start casually if need be like go to a paint n’ sip, putter around in your art, work on something small and easy. Get that pump primed! After that perhaps, take some classes and workshops! They're all over the place and are a tremendous means to get the gears going. Then magic will happen — your art will start to nibble at your attention more than your goblin does until it’s taking big chompin’ bites and your fears give way to curiosity and enthusiasm! No goblin ever can withstand an onslaught of curiosity! "Stay firmly in your path and dare. Be wild two hours a day!," said Paul Gauguin. And as Carrie Kei Keim said, "You have a million excuses. Write anyway."

So allow your arting to consume you completely and you’ll finally know what it means to be you again, the fuller and more engaged you, the you you were always meant to be. Welcome back, my friend.

“What separates artists from ex-artists is that those who challenge their fears, continue; those who don't, quit. Each step in the artmaking process puts that issue to the test.”

― David Bayles

Sharpened Savvy: Using Pencils In Paintwork

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:20:00 +0000

Introduction

You wanna know what's a nifty thingie for paintwork? Pencils! Yes! You can paint your piece with tremendous depth, precision, ease, and realism with a host of different pencils! Charcoal, conté, color pencils, pastel, oil...there's a plethora of options to explore! Each one has a slightly different effect and feel, so try as many as you can for a passel of effects and to see which you like best. But they're tremendous for dappling, hooves, facial shading, fleabites, speckling, ticking, primitive markings, and coloring the silky striations in manes, tails, and feathers, and a plethora of other touches.

What’s more, they offer a level of control, precision, and detail but paired with a smudge-ability and blur that few other mediums offer. Colorful, pigmented, and versatile, a pencil can be just the ticket for what you need! So let’s explore them further…

Pastel or Chalk pencils

I recommend the General's pastel chalk pencil in white (they come in other colors, too). Ed Gonzales got me onto this years ago and I've found it to be super useful for things like dappling, hooves, highlighting veins and capillaries, hooves, and facial shading. See, it being white makes it not just handy for dapple greys, but for any color if you can tint over it with a glaze. For example, just do your dappling, seal it with Dullcote, then tint over it with a colored glaze a few times to tint those dapples whatever color you want. So much pop! As such, I can use it for bays, chestnuts, palominos, whatever because tinting allows you to use it for solid coats, too. And it, being a sharpen-able pencil, can create all sorts of little details and "spokes" and branches to the dapples for that necessary jigsaw-puzzle-piece look so many types of dapples have like on dapple greys, sooty dapples, seasonal dapples, and some silver dapples (especially clipped ones). To add even more oomph, use a pointed Q-tip to smudge strategic portions to soften and blur portions so it all doesn't look so harsh and "penciled on" then spray with the Dullcote to set it all before proceeding to the next steps.

For feel, they're soft, powdery, and chalky, smudging very easily but depositing a lot of pigment even so. They often do best with a bit of smudging, too, as they'll look a bit too harsh and artificial as-is without some tinkering.

As another option, there’s the pencil option for pastels rather than just the pan or stick versions! Like, there’s the Faber-Castell pastel pencils, too, and they rock!

Conté Pencils

Try conté pencils for, say, the dark networking between dapples or to add that necessary dapple grey grain or to even detail out dapples even more or add speckles as needed. Then like with the General's pencil, you have to seal your conté work with Dullcote before proceeding. But I just love these pencils for dappling, networking, speckling, fleabiting, ticking, facial shadings, hoof work, all sorts of things. So handy!

As for feel, they work much like the General’s pastel chalk pencil, but are “stickier” in their pigment, or in other words, they don’t smudge as easily which is useful for certain effects. Think of them as an in-between a chalk/pastel pencil and a color pencil.

Color Pencils

You can layer color pencils for added coloration, detail, and depth, producing a whole array of possibility with extreme control and precision. Lesli Kathman tipped me off to these puppies years ago, and I’ve loved them ever since!

You can use Derwents (and try the oil-based ones, too, they're nifty!) and Faber-Castells and Prismacolors. Just keep in mind a couple of things between brands. Prismacolors are more waxy and so tend to produce more vivid color. However, they are much more prone to "bloom," or getting a cloudy cast if applied too heavily. In contrast, the Derwents are less waxy and so are harder and hold their points better, and are less prone to bloom, but they are less intense in color. So experiment between the brands to see which you prefer.

Consider using a burnisher to smooth or blur portions of color pencils (this is too powerful for the charcoal, oil, and pastel pencils). Just be careful not to press too hard or you'll rip up your paintwork. This helps to smooth or "de-grain" and buff strategic portions as you need them.

As for feel, these are stiffer and more precise, and not very smudge-able. They pretty much stay put. One thing though, the different colors of these pencils can react differently to sealers so be sure to test each one first on a junker before applying to your piece. For instance, some of the pale colors can essentially disappear under sealer whereas some colors like the yellows, golds, and ochres become much more vivid and garish, so adjust accordingly.

Tips

Now getting used to these pencils takes a bit of practice and experimentation to develop a feel for them, so practice on a junker first. Also experiment with layering pencils with glazes and paints and airbrushing or drybrushing. Indeed, pencils can be integrated into every aspect of your work and actually look better when you do most of the time. But there are some general tips to keep in mind with pencilwork, such as:

Keep pencils sharp with a really good sharpener, one that won't break your pencil core either. Or use an X-acto to shave a fine point if need be (be careful!). But you want that fine tip to really get all that detail in there without creating a blobby mess or "chatter." These puppies offer precision and detail, so allow them to do that for you with a sharp tip.
You don't have to press hard! Learn that gentle touch or you'll tear up your basecoat.
Stay in scale. It's very easy for pencilwork to go out-of-scale as regimentation sets in, so be sure to employ plenty of mediating tactics like taking breaks, working upside down, scaling down your references to the size of your piece, inverting the color on reference photos, counting dapples, and such.
Consider pencilwork as layers in your overall scheme. In other words, it works really well even when integrated with layers rather than just as stand-alone touches. For instance, I like to layer them with airbrushing, dry-brushing, washes, and even oils. That helps to "set them back" into the paintjob rather than looking penciled-on in an artificial sort of way. Pencilwork can really look "painted on top" if not set back into the paintjob with layering, expert color use, or blending.
Use Dullcote to seal and provide tooth again before proceeding to the next major step, especially if it involves glazes or paint layers. Charcoal, pastel, and conté pencils will just wash or smudge away without that step, and color pencils often need "re-toothing" for the next layer.
Strategically smudge and blur pencil work to make it “sit back” into the paintjob more otherwise they can look too harsh as times.
Be careful of color pencil "bloom" when they just get too waxy and cloud over. Keep your layers thin and Dullcote in-between them to add another layer rather than just trying to slather it all on in one go.
Pencilwork takes a lot of time so take breaks to avoid regimentation or formula. Take your time.
Squint your eyes to better judge the "lay of the land" with penciled dappling, and try to imagine it all "seated back" or tinted with the following layers. This is because pencil dappling can look really harsh when you first lay it on, and it's layering and smudging or burnishing that sits it back and makes it more subtle, blended, and nuanced.
Start your pencilwork early in the process, not as one of the last steps. You want to integrate it into your overall paintwork, and starting early helps you do that best.
Pencilwork is great for blocking in dappling to make a template. Like you can block it in with the General's white pencil to get it just so because if you don't like a portion, just wash it off with a damp Q-tip and redo that area! Easy peasy! Then Dullcote and then you can use paint or whatnot on top. But this gives you a lot less committed process that's so much more changeable than going in with paint right away.
Pencils are terrific for fleabiting, speckled, or lacey effects, even ticking. Just keep the pencil sharp. In particular, I find that conté pencils are particularly handy for these effects because they're "stickier" than a pastel pencil but more smudge-able than a color pencil if you want to diffuse them a bit with a pointed Q-tip.
Not only can you tint all this to colorize it how you want, but you can use different color color pencils to infuse different colors into your paintwork. They come in a huge array of colors so make use of them!
Store all pencils blunt-side down so the points are pointed upwards. That lets you see the colors immediately and protects the sharp tips.
Pencils are immensely helpful for hoofwork for all the different effects, so play around with them to see how great they are! In particular, they make "painting in the round" so much easier with all the up and down and sideways striations. But again, they do better when layered with multiple techniques, so experiment to find the process that works best for your methods.
Pencils are perfect for making the mane, tail, and feathers look striated and wispy. You can get as bold or as subtle as you want, too, and use different colors to shade and highlight as needed. Then consider layering in airbrushed striations to soften and blend, or oil paint tinting and blending to marry everything together.
Pencils are nifty for amplifying that inner core of a dapple grey dapple for that diffused effect. You know, how the middle is that intense color which diffuses on the edges? You can achieve that with an airbrush, but you often find yourself fighting it and you have less control. A pencil on the other hand, one that can be smudged or burnished, delivers every time!
Pencils are great for highlighting veins and capillaries as you can place them easily right on top of the vein, then smudge or burnish them a bit to soften and blend.
Pencils are handy for shading and highlighting facial details, too, like striations and wrinkling or whisker bumps. They're also useful for coloring the insides of shaved ears, highlighting those ribs inside the ear. Try it!

Conclusion

Pencils are just so super nifty for certain effects in realistic equine paintwork, it’s uncanny! It’s like they were made for some of the things we have to do, I'm surprised more folks don't use them. Like they make hoofwork so much easier! And the striations in manes and tails and feathers? Beautiful and wispy! And a pencil will never spread out like a brush, so your line will always be thin and controllable if you keep them sharp. So give them a try! They can offer just the touch or effect you're looking for with all the control and precision you could want! I recommend getting a white one, a black one, and maybe a couple of browns to play around with first, then as you get a feel for it all, you can expand into more colors. The neat thing is, they're relatively cheaper and last a long long time for our purposes, so consider tinkering with them. They're very accessible and friendly!

So grab your sharpener and make a pointed effort to explore the wonderful world of pencils! They're vibrant, versatile, and so very useful in so many ways! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”

— Kurt Vonnegut

Neigh-rative: The Secret Ingredient To Emotive Equine Art

noreply@blogger.com (SARAH MINKIEWICZ-BREUNIG) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:44:00 +0000

Introduction

In our art form, realistic equine art, we seek to accurately capture the equine in miniature, down to the smallest detail. As such, most of the pieces created can be thought of as representational art, much like those technical illustrations found in old books and magazines, or the bajillions of portraits that have been created throughout history. It’s a “this is a horse,” sort of thing. This is fine, of course, nothing wrong with that! Representational art has a strong and highly respected foothold in the art scene.

But the truth is, is that all there is? Is that the extent of our potential? Is that really the only point to all this? Maybe not. Because we can’t deny that it’s those pieces that transcend representational art that hit us harder. Why? They’re simply more provocative, having far more impact, meaning, and chutzpah. In short, they have far more to “say” than simply “this is a horse.” But how does this happen? What’s the magic ingredient here?

Narrative.

It’s through narrative that we can elevate our work past representational art, imbuing it with far more emotive meaning. With that then, it’ll inspire the audience more profoundly, speaking directly to their sensibilities to maximize our creative efforts and the lasting impression of our work.

We cannot forget that all art is a form of expression, no matter how cursory. Even a simple five minute watercolor painting of a flower is a human yearning to be recognized and heard. A child’s drawing of a smiley-faced sun is a statement of individuality and expression. This is because in that expression lies an essential truth: Art is really about communication and connection. It’s one soul speaking to another through a visual language. In turn, it’s narrative that taps into all that to focus the language into a cohesive storyline, and that’s what’s going to intrigue the audience and pull them into our visual story.

Besides, while skill, talent, color, shape, and all the other elements of our art are critical for representational art, just as the mastery of any art is, once that skillset is developed, don't we have to do something with it? So like every song, movie, poem, play, dance, and novel has a story, a scenario, can't our equines tell a story, too? Truly, the intangible quality that separates the competent work from the great work is a deep ethos that guides every toolstrike or brushstroke.

So what is a “narrative” and how can we inject it into our work to lend it more weight? What kinds of narratives are there for our scope of work? What does it mean to have something to “say”? Well, let’s discuss it!…

The Power of Narrative

So what is a “narrative” anyway? And why is it so effective? Well, when your imagination creates stories and expresses them in clay or pigment, that’s narrative art. Quite simply, narrative tells a visual story, compelling the audience to ask questions, to want to know more, igniting their imaginations. Think of it this way: You’re capturing one moment in a lifetime or one frame in a full-length movie, using clay and paint to convey the story of that moment. This approach also allows the audience to add their own interpretation to the prequel and the sequel, capturing their attention and inspiring their own creativity, making your piece hit all the harder. All the technical finesse in the world aside, it’s the really great pieces that leave the audience wanting to know more about the depicted story, giving them something to think about and imagine beyond the moment captured. In this way then, really good narrative art doesn’t have to present conclusions, but leaves things open to individual interpretation, literally allowing the audience to custom-fit your piece into their own life story.

More specifically then, narrative is essentially the driving message, idea, or feeling — the core communication — you wish to convey through our piece. It’s the purposeful intent inspiring the creation of the piece, the backstory behind it. It’s the thread that will connect you to the audience, the foundation idea that sets the tone for a provocative reaction. Quite literally, the narrative transforms you into a storyteller, a director of you own movie of sorts, and therein lies a lot more potential. As such, you don’t seek a “this is a horse” piece, instead you’re trying to drive home some communication to make a connection, using the horse as the vehicle. And the audience doesn’t even have to know the full extent of the narrative to have such a piece hit them harder — it just does. Why? Because the creation of the piece was driven by weightier inspirations than simply “this is a horse” and that affects every aspect of its composition and execution. For instance, Stormwatch was created based on a solid backstory, an extensive narrative, that drove every aspect of his creation — and he hits hard. Really hard. Breyer’s Croi Damsha was also created based on a strong narrative, a core meaning, and she hits pretty hard, too. Breyer’s Cosimo is also supported by a core inspirational feeling, a founding sensibility, and he definitely grabs your imagination quickly. In Dreams was loaded with backstory that fueled her creation, and she certainly teleports you to her imagined moment pretty easily. And Bram was inspired by a very specific moment in time that seeped into every curve and line of his composition, and he certainly has a big impact. So infusing a narrative makes a big difference!

In this way, equine art can still be a “this is a horse” piece to satisfy our baseline focus, but all the while transcending that by employing a narrative to become a conduit for conveying meaning, to focus attention, to present a question, to raise awareness, and to inject weight and emotion to the visual message. Absolutely, used with intent, a narrative will direct the piece’s creation to add depth and consequence to the audience's interaction.

How To Infuse Narrative

So how do we actually apply a narrative in practice? Well, there are a few handy tricks! One is to think like a movie director insofar as your piece literally depicts a single frame in an ongoing movie, speaking to a specific moment in time. In this though, the most effective narrative pieces hint at preceding events and those still to come, so think how can you convey all that in your design.

Another trick is to consider how does your composition make you feel? What sense of place and moment and expression does it generate? Every toolstrike and brushstroke should then support that narrative. Indeed, what we do with our work is to use a visual means to convey information so chose the best composition and point of view to forward your story. For our brand of work then, we use pose, expression, gesture, posture, movement, line, curve, tone, shade, effect, even gender, age, and breed, and any number of other touches to communicate our message and imbue our work with personality and that elusive touch of soul. So is it dramatic, serene, dynamic, cute, lovely, workmanlike, or frightening, or whatever else? What is the driving impression behind your particular inspiration, behind your story?

This brings us to, third, create context. In this, both the emotional and situational context give a sense of space and time for your story, setting a specific tone and creating mood and atmosphere. This being so, we can even play with time. For instance, we can depict either a climatic event or, on the flip side, we can imply it by either portraying the moment before or after instead. In practice, this happens to be one tactic for building tension and depth to your narrative. Like what visual hints can you build into your moment that speak to your storyline? In this, try to immerse yourself in your own story. Imagine as though you were right there with that animal, experiencing the sounds, scents, sensations of that moment so you can better clarify and focus it all for your audience.

Then fourth, compel the audience to ask questions. Not beg questions — ask them, because they’re imaginatively curious about how your story started or continues. So we give the audience enough information to get their imaginations to work on extrapolating their own interpretations but not so much as to stop the story there. Again, what hints can we give them to continue it in their own minds?

Fifth, understand some useful elements of storytelling. Like what is the inciting incident that destabilizes the moment depicted in your story? Is it for good or ill? In response, how does your subject respond? Through a series of actions or expressions or postures? Is there a critical moment depicted in your narrative? How is your central figure reacting to that critical moment? Is there a resolution to your storyline? What events lead up to it? What happens afterward? How is your equine communicating this?

Sixth, query your inspiration with these ponderings to flesh out a storyline:

What universe is this piece living in? What’s its reality?
Posit the hypothetical, “Once upon a time…”
What specific story are you telling through this sculpture or paintjob?
What happens before and after the depicted moment?
What’s your focal point? The place you want the viewer to focus on at first glance and how does that forward your story?
What is the purpose of the storyline? The message? What’s the core theme, the driving impression? What do you wish to communicate?
How will I use traveling eye principles and composition to guide the audience’s eye and emphasize key dramatic features or components?
How will I focus on action and emotion? What expressions, gestures, posture, body language and whatnot can I employ to forward my story, to flesh out my moment in time?
Can I incorporate symbolic elements to add more layers of meaning and insinuation?
What compositional elements can I incorporate to create relational tension to beef up my narrative such as the rapport between figures, colors, effects, objects, opposing forces or line, curves, and contours?
How can I leverage color, effect, pattern, line, shape, contour and curve to guide the audience’s attention and forward the atmosphere of my story?
What will be the emotional landscape of my subject in my depicted moment? What is the story from my subject’s point of view? What is my equine thinking and feeling at that moment? What will be their next move? What is their motivation?
How do I want my audience to feel when interacting with my piece? What components can I engineer to forward that?

Then once you know your storyline, try to leave it open-ended a bit, allowing the audience to continue it with their own imaginations. In other words, try not to put a period at the end of that sentence but an ellipsis. We want their imagination to kick in, drawing them into our piece to provoke their curiosity and to build more onto our story in their own way. In turn, they can make your story their own story so your piece then becomes unforgettable in their mind, part of their own life experience. And that’s how we build a more impactful impression, by making your story their story, too, and now we’ve made that essential connection so intrinsic to great art.

Conclusion

If you want your work to “pop,” it’s not just the skill, talent, and workmanship that will do that for you — those are givens we need to have in our work anyway. Nope. The bottom line is this: You’ve simply got to have your work move people, to remind them why they love equines in the first place. And what helps to do that for you are the narratives you inject into your work. Do that, and you’re going to grab people’s souls with each piece and touch their hearts and captivate their minds, and that’s the equine art that sticks with people the longest. We love equines so very much, they’re magic to us, and it’s through our narratives then that we tap into that magic to compel folks to cherish that love all the more.

Injecting narratives into our work is also a lot of fun. Truly, when we focus our communication onto backstories, messages, awarenesses, questions, and whatnot, somehow our creative excursions become all the richer and more compelling. In turn, this is how infusing narratives adds a ton of more meaning to our creativity, punching up our Voice and making our work far more unique, compelling, and authentic. In turn, narratives can also fire up our inspirations all the more only because we’ll be tapping into what our creative drives actually have to say other than “bay rabicano PAM.” And yes, we can inject narrative into even a paintjob by using tone, effect, and expression to lend mood, moment, and charisma to the piece. So narrative works on every level of our work, making it infinitely versatile and adaptive.

So create your story, be expressive and show action and moment in your work. Your equines have a story to tell so set them up in the best way to tell it. But allow them to leave it open-ended so the audience can imagine more of that imaginary world on their own. So dig deep and dare to explore your own imagination and what you have to say through your art — then say it, using the glorious horse as your Muse. Or going even a step further, you can depict the world from the equine's point of view, delving into the essence of horsedom to advocate for and affirm the agency of the animal.

Now all this isn't to say to anthropomorphize your subjects. In equine realism, we have to stick to natural equine nature and coordination. Instead, it's to suggest that speaking from the animal's point of view or telling a story of the equine has a lot more power than just "bay rabicano PAM." That imbuing a living, soulful personality and storied moment into our piece can project it beyond simply what it is, capturing the audience's sensibilities so much more effectively. Indeed, all the brilliant technical achievement in the world still falls short of its potential if it can't also capture our hearts in a meaningful way.

So consider creating your work based on narratives rather than a representational focus all the time. Indeed, if narrative can help our art grab more people more effectively, why not? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! In fact, even the very best portraiture work seeks to be more than “this is Jane Doe” by capturing the personality, moment, impact, and weight of the individual in life, right? Put another way, it seeks to grab the essence of the individual than simply their likeness, and we can do that with our equine realism, too. So give it a whirl and see what your inspirations concoct in response! It could be that you strike a hidden well of creative magic inside you that will bump up your work to unforeseen heights of meaning! And what better way to connect through your art than that?

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way—things I had no words for.”

— Georgia O’Keeffe