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Painting horse hair: how is it done?

Discussion in 'Painting Techniques' started by rossbach, Jul 23, 2016.

  1. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Hello All,
    Two pics of Pegaso's 90 mm Genghis Khan by Diego Ruina taken from an MM Euromiliatire special.

    Can someone tell me how this is done?

    To me it looks like more or less painting an enormous amount of small stripes in the direction of the hairgrowth? Paint looks transparant lighter then the base coat.

    Looks very effective I'd say. The model itself is devine in my opinion

    Cheers Paul

    IMG_20160723_210217.jpg IMG_20160723_210239.jpg
  2. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Painstaking to say the least....but...for me personally....never looks right....introduces a 'cartoon' effect IMHO (n)
    Redcap, rossbach, DEL and 1 other person like this.
  3. Tommy Brown Active Member

    It is a dry brush and semi-dry brush technique. Personally I think is a waste of time. You will not be able to see horse hair on a 90mm scale horse.
    rossbach likes this.
  4. kenshin393 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Whilst I realise that you couldn't see individual hairs on this scale, I think this technique produces superb results if the subject is an ungroomed, wilder looking horse if you get my drift. A Mongol, Hun or Celtic mount for instance. Gives them a nice shaggy pony look.
    Inaki, Scotty, Oda and 1 other person like this.
  5. Ferris A Fixture

    Here's another, in my eyes very convincing example. In this case the painter added actual texture before painting.

    image.jpeg
    mievans, rossbach, Redcap and 10 others like this.
  6. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Even then.....extremely hard to equate it to reality....as per this Mongolian wild horse.....
    Mongolia-Wild-Horses.jpg

    even harder to realise a true wild horse coat......
    water-hole.jpg

    Ron
    anstontyke, Redcap, Oda and 1 other person like this.
  7. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    The picture that Ferris poste shows Pegaso's 75 mm Decurio Equitum finished by Daniel Ipperti. He uses a painting medium (paste) to create a hairlike stucture. I would like to point out that technically speaking in relation to the scales we work in it is indeed unrealistic and probably even rediculous to reproduce horse hair.

    However I do like the effect of giving the impression of hair either by painting or sculpting. I like what Daniel for instance did. Is it realistic? I couldn't care less. I just like the 'cartoonesk' effect it gives.

    It's funny though that no one minds having to paint a Roman helmet crest that depicts horsehair in a totally unrealistic way. You will never see a crest painted like a solid block. Painters always try to define the hairs. By drybrushing or whatever technique. But this seems to be 'not done' when it comes to painting horses.
    clrsgt, cinimod, anstontyke and 6 others like this.
  8. martin tabony Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Can I just add that it depends on whether the horse has it's summer (smooth) or winter (shaggy coat) coat. It's true that you can't see individual hairs, but they clump together.

    Martin

    images.jpg wintercoat.jpg
    rossbach, clrsgt, anstontyke and 4 others like this.
  9. martin tabony Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Here are some Household Cavalry horses that have been "at grass".

    12622285_1030988620297950_7852255638272820286_o.jpg 12640463_1030988593631286_3762012025556929586_o-670x350.jpg
    rossbach, clrsgt, anstontyke and 4 others like this.
  10. Oda A Fixture

    Paul and Kenshin I absolutely agree.I love the effect.Yes it's probably wrong for scale work and it is -again probably-very time consuming to reproduce.After having witnessed it on so many Russian masterpieces though,one can never rule out the possibility that there is some kind of maneristic technique which ,after having been mastered through repetition, allows for the creation of the effect in a considerable less time than imagined when someone sees it for the first time.How else can someone explain the fact of the Russian output(whole dioramas of charging horses with visible pelts) being so plentiful and so often seen (unless they have many painters working on each subject,a maneristic technique or a degree by Hogwarts it would be impossible to produce so many pieces within such a short space of time).

    Oda.

    PS: Paul,Pegaso's Ghenkis Chan is trully devine.
    rossbach, Inaki and kenshin393 like this.
  11. kenshin393 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    All true oda, though I would pick up your remark "it's probably wrong for scale work". There is no right or wrong, it's your hobby, do with it what thou wilt! If you likes it, you buys it, you paints it how you wants :)
    rossbach, clrsgt, anstontyke and 4 others like this.
  12. Oda A Fixture

    True my friend.Very well said indeed.

    Oda.
  13. Ron Tamburrini A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    On Helmet Crests it is the horses tail or clipped mane that was and still is used , this you can see ; but re the actual coat hairs although impressive on a model they look like porcupine quills when painted on 54mm scale , we have been seeing the weave on clothing on 54mm also :eek::D
  14. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Well ............................ if I am ever going to paint a one of these hairballs below (that still seems to be used in your neck of the woods to provide the daily supply of milk, while in Italy they not only have better coffee, but also sell BOTTLED MILK !!!!!!) I will paint paint hair by hair if only to annoy you:sneaky: .

    I thought the coast was clear because you were on holiday?

    Cow_on_Pupers.jpg
    anstontyke and Oda like this.
  15. Tommy Brown Active Member

    One word OVERKILL :)
    rossbach likes this.
  16. Ulrich A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    I will search one for you to see it :D;)
    rossbach and Oda like this.
  17. Ron Tamburrini A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    well we have great coffee here all imported as it is in most of Europe , we have great beef , and i never drink Italian milk .
    How did I know you were going to take the hump at my innocent reply :D but what I say is true ;you just cant see horse hair coat at 15 yards in one to one scale let alone 54mm
    rossbach likes this.
  18. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Don't be too harsh on yourself:angelic: . There was no way you could have foreseen that. I seem to have developed a 'digital symphathy' for you on this forum and only need an ever so slight excuse to start raving at you :D:D:ROFLMAO:. Normally words like 'Fiat' get me going. This time however it was 'porcupine'.

    And yes it is impossible to see individual hairs over a distance of 15 yards. Even when wearing specs.

    I notice that Glasgow still hasn't fully embraced the Metric System by the way?
    anstontyke and Oda like this.
  19. Ron Tamburrini A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    You can rave all you like at me as I never oppose Yang with Yang , and new you would jump at the Imperial measurement thing :p
    At least I am not afraid to say where I come from .
    Show us one of your horses painted with this technique ; and perhaps a short SBS as I do marvel at the skill and patience required to do this .
    Glasgow is a warm and friendly city with hard but warmhearted people .
    rossbach and anstontyke like this.
  20. Alex A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Well I am one of the guys who not only like but love this technique of reproducing horse hair.
    I do not think that you have to represent each individual hair but should only 'suggest' the orientation of the hair. You can achieve a very realistic effect this way.
    I think that this technique can be done quickly with acrylic paints.
    rossbach, kenshin393, Oda and 2 others like this.

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