# Help with Work-in-Progress Sketches



## aspin231 (Mar 20, 2010)

Hi everyone! I'm working on a few sketches currently, and would appreciate some sets of constructively crtitiquing eyes to look over my work. 

First sketch is of a horse pulling back- doesn't want to be tacked up 
I still need to fill it all in, but anything glaring? Also not finished the rider in the tack room pulling down the saddle, just have that _very _lightly drawn in at this point. The other picture of this same sketch attached is where the back hooves are digging in to the ground- how can I achieve this look?

Second sketch is mare and foal- first of all, again, anything stand out that obviously needs fixing? The things I'm noticing is my lack of ability to shade in the mountains, how to finish the mare's swishing tail, and something about the colt's head also looks off.

Third sketch is obviously in baby stages. ****y horse performing a piaffe. Other than the raised front being too thick, is anything else standing out at this point? 

Thanks for any and all opinions. 

Also, pardon the quality of the photos- my camera is only slightly better than craptastic 

ETA: In the mare-foal sketch- yes, I am aware that foals ears do not grow out the top of their heads, just can't decide if I care enough to go back and fix that bit yet


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

The biggest point that I can see - is that all of the horses are very good doers!  Try slimming them down a little, all are very ahem... rotund

The drawing of the horse pulling back - I love the head, you can see the typical twist of the poll a horse gets when it pulls back. Very well done. 
The back is a little to long and straight, and the hind legs not far underneath the horse. Usually you would see the horse nearly squatting with the hind legs close to the point of the girth, if they are pulling back that hard, thus making the back round up rather than flat. Deepening the shadow under the fetlocks of the hind legs will make them look like they are digging further into the ground. 


Mare and foal look very sweet  Mum is just a bit fat and cresty, with not enough definition in her body - I.e. the point of the hip, elbows etc. 

The piaffing horse, The hind end looks good, but you haven't got the forehand elevated enough for a horse in that level of collection. For the length of the back and shoulder, you need to draw the neck a lot longer so that you can achieve that lovely 'swan' silhouette of a horse in collection. 

Keep practicing, they are a really great start for drawing!


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## aspin231 (Mar 20, 2010)

The mare and piaffing horse are supposed to be more rotund- the mare, as she just had a foal, and the piaffeing, because of breed type (more baroque). Thank you for the comments, everything is free hand so sometimes things get a little wonky


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

They can still be round, but they need to have some more definition in them - that will give you a far more realistic drawing - trust me, I've been drawing fat, skinny and normal horses for years and getting paid for it


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I like the head of the pulling back horse, too. YOu could put even more feeling in it by having the mouth "tight" and downward angling (displeasure and stress). 
That back is a bit long, but don't go erasing the whole thing for that. To me, it's not overly fat. Actually, I like your sense of porportion. Many people don't have that, and youve got the distances from one joint to another just right. As you draw more, you cann exxagerate a bit, like put a bit more "elbow" into it, (that's a joint, too) and show the point of the stifle bone. (a problem in the piaffing horse. his stifle is wrong, too rounded and too low). YOur hooves are nicely drawn, too.
The pulling back horse would probably "splay" his legs somewhat, at least the back ones. So, the hooves would point outward a bit and the hockes inward a bit. Little things like that add believeability.

However, you have really tried to capture a "moment", and this is a lot more challenging that just drawing a stationary horse. A great effort!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Tiny, by 'fat' I mean the lack of definition within the body makes the horses appear very rounded and quite circular. By adding a small amount of shading into the main lines over the hip and shoulder, this will be corrected


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes, the horse looks a bit like a stuffed animal; lacking in the definition provided by a skeleton and the muscles that cover it. 

or is that "Phat"?


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

It could be "Phat" tiny


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## aspin231 (Mar 20, 2010)

Kayty said:


> ...the lack of definition within the body makes the horses appear very rounded and quite circular. By adding a small amount of shading into the main lines over the hip and shoulder, this will be corrected


I titled them 'work-in-progress' for a reason  Shading is not finished.

I appreciate the comments, from both of you. Though at some points have no clue which sketch you're referring to!

I completely understand the comments about the 'not elevated enough in the front' and 'stifle is wrong' after doing this- (my sketch in blue, ignore red lines)










Still lots of revision to be done on that one! Haha.

Thanks, and still willing to receive feedback/comments.


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## Akuinnen24 (Jan 14, 2011)

Great work so far! your proportions are really good for using no reference. I like that you've paid attention to all the different joints in the legs. Pasterns seem to be one of the more difficult things to learn when drawing horses, and you've done a good job with them. 

One thing I notice with the anatomy in your drawings is that the line from the hocks to the tail needs a bit more defining. There is usually a pretty clear angle where a horse's buttocks end and the legs begins. Here is an example: 



Something that might help you with making your drawings look more trim and defined would be to practice drawing some horses with using only straight lines. It's something my life drawing teacher had us do for studying human anatomy, and it really does help!



_


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## aspin231 (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks for the tips! Will keep them in mind


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Far out they are looking good


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