Hoof Prints: Painting The Distal Foot

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

Hoof Prints: Painting The Distal Foot

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

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

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