Reversed Rivalry: The Power Of Shared Success

 

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

Reversed Rivalry: The Power Of Shared Success

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