LSQ Guidelines for Artist Resins and Customs in Halter and Workmanship Part I

Introduction

The live show is popular with many enthusiasts within our geekdom, equine collectibles. So much so, in fact, that the very definition of “good quality” is based on whether a piece can pass muster in live show competition, known as “live show quality,” or “LSQ.” So if a piece is described as LSQ, that’s supposed to mean that it’s the highest echelon of quality, right? Well, not quite. The thing is there’s no consensus on what constitutes LSQ in the first place so there’s no definition and so no real grasp of all the points that make up this critical level of quality. That said, however, many of the artists creating excellence and many of the judges placing such pieces inherently know these unspoken standards, as to be expected, yet some collectors, showers, and beginners lack this undefined understanding and so may fall short of their lofty showing expectations. This can lead to confusion, frustration, even accusations of favoritism, none of which are conducive to a happy showing atmosphere.

In an effort then to educate and perhaps even start the standardization process, this discussion explores those aspects of our arts that are judged as LSQ, applicable to the Artist Resin and Custom halter and workmanship divisions, to help get more people on the same page. So to start this discussion, here's a workable definition of LSQ:

Realism-based workmanship so skilled and thorough that close personal inspections by equine collectible experts are hard-pressed to find fault in the creative or technical aspects of the piece. 

But what the heck does that even mean? Well, this exploration will dissect that definition in detail. However, before we begin in earnest, a few important notes:

• This definition of LSQ and the contents of this guideline are wholly my own opinion, yet have served me well in both the creation and judging of successful equine collectibles for over thirty-five years. As such, this guideline does serve a relevant and useful purpose that may help you reach your goals and sharpen your insights. 
• All the points of LSQ are divided into two categories, The Essentials and The Optionals. The former are those points that are mandatory whereas the latter are those points that are open to debate and will depend on your own personal preferences. 
• This guideline is intended to apply only to Customs or Artist Resins, and isn’t applicable to Original Finish or China pieces, medallions, performance, tack making, or fantasy divisions. Those aspects of showing require their own LSQ guidelines tailored to their needs. 

• You may be wondering why Halter and Workmanship are combined in these guidelines. Well, to be quite frank, I don’t get the split. When I judge Halter I am judging Workmanship already, they go hand in hand. In fact, they’re the same thing in my practical experience. I honestly don’t know how to split them apart. In particular, the quality singularity has gotten to such a point out there today that I’m not sure how relevant Workmanship classes are anymore. I mean, it used to be a great paintjob would be applied to a problematic body, making Workmanship make a little bit more sense. But today? Maybe not so much. So make of that what you will.

• At present, our community tolerates some contradictory standards, ABC judging (anatomy, biomechanics, and color genetics judging) and BCC judging (breed type, conformation, color registry judging), which will be discussed later for your consideration.

So with all this in mind, let’s begin our three-part exploration in this Part I with The Essentials…

The Essentials

The common denominator of The Essentials is technical realism, because fundamentally, technical realism is the principal component of LSQ. In other words, the more technically realistic the piece is, the more LSQ it tends to be. As such, the Essentials are comprised of the following:

• Anatomy
• Biomechanics
• Color genetics
• Sculpting
• Details
• Prepwork
• Scale
• Proportion
• Custom corrections
• Finishwork
• Pose
• Believability
• Hairing

Anatomy: This is the physiological blueprint of the equine, based on biology, evolution, and genetics that define the genus Equus. Because realism is the goal, a piece should be as anatomically faithful to equine structure as possible in order to be LSQ. As such, we may hear the term “viable” in relation to anatomical points, meaning that the piece should constitute a viable equine as an overriding prerequisite. Being so, anatomy includes all the physical structures authentic to a real equine, as follows:

• Technically factual characteristics of the skeleton, bone, musculature, flesh, horn, callus, hide, hair, teeth, etc.
• Technically factual biomechanics. (see Biomechanics)
• Bilateral symmetry of paired body parts.
• Credible proportions and scale. (see Proportion and Scale)
• Correct rendition of veins, whisker bumps, wrinkles, chestnuts, ergots, and other such details.
• Accurate secondary sex characteristics, or gender differences.
• Accurate age characteristics.
• Accurate points of structure that define each equine species or hybrid.
• The effect of “organic chaos” on the flesh, hide, and hair.
• Any other facet of sculpture that would convey a technically factual depiction of an equine.

In short, if a real horse has it, so should the piece, as accurately as it is with the real equine. On the flipside, too, if a real equine doesn't have it, neither should the piece. Absolutely, no piece can be LSQ if it lacks this fundamental technical authenticity even if all other points are superior.

As for “organic chaos,” that refers to the aspects of the living body that are infused into the piece. In other words, does it resemble an inert articulated anatomy chart, like a paper doll? Or does it convey the impression of a living animal in a “living moment” with actual mass, fleshy, organic goo, the passive physics of hair motion, the textures of the hide, and other qualities that impart life and immediacy? It makes a difference.

Nevertheless, technical accuracy is a difficult property to pin down since it depends on one’s perception and anatomical knowledge base which are developed over time with research, analysis, observation, and artistic exercises. Consequently, if you aren’t aware of equine anatomy well enough to identify technical accuracy, do some research or seek advice from more experienced fellows. Since anatomy is the primary basis of realism, it’s smart to objectively scrutinize a piece from an anatomical point of view first. Just beware, some pieces can be deceptively convincing, a “good convince,” yet are actually flawed. This most commonly happens when the “skeleton” isn’t articulating properly, the muscle groups are misplaced or misinterpreted, the cranial structure is off, the bony landmarks are missing or askew, or the leg joints are misshapen. 

Remember: Factual technical anatomy is the foundation of realism.

Biomechanics: This is the kinetic expression of anatomy, and so must be equally accurate and precise. That’s to say a flaw in biomechanics is a flaw in anatomy. Biomechanics includes all the kinetic structures and effects related to equine motion, to include:

• The location and nature of the joints.
• The structure and function of regional systems.
• How regional systems influence each other and work together as a holistic system.
• The movement and its effects on the flesh.
• The effects of physics such as mass, acceleration, force, leveraging, and tork.
• Believable posture, pose, or motion. (see Pose)
• Balance and natural coordination.
• Cause and effect as they relate to the body’s structures and motion.
• The cohesive consistency of the depicted physics.
• The effects of momentary forces and reactions; spontaneous effects or “moment.”
• Overall faithfulness to equine characteristics as they relate to motion.

Succinctly put, the living equine blueprint has characteristic parameters for motion which must be reflected in the piece with technical precision. Moreover, because the living equine lives in a factual physical environment, so should a piece faithfully represent such a convincing universe.

Remember: Factual technical biomechanics is the foundation of realism, being an expression of anatomy.

Color Genetics: Factually technically accurate coloration, effects, and patterns are intrinsic to realism and help to define the genus Equus. But while equine color is genetically based, some effects are also influenced by mutation, region, environment, grooming, nutrition, and condition. Said another way, it has some liberal allowances while at the same time some strict limitations based on the reality of the animal’s genetic makeup and lifestyle. What’s more, how certain colors or patterns interact with or suppress each other is critical for technical realism as well. Therefore, a flaw in color accuracy is a flaw in realism which means all finishwork should be consistent to authentic data, and not be fudged or made up, or derived from “AI.” As such, color accuracy includes every feature that relates to the pigmented or unpigmented effects of hide, hair, horn, or other qualities, as follows:

• Accurate tone, effect, point color, sheen, cast, coloration, primitive marking, dappling, sooty factors, sun fading, texture, or other aspects of color consistent to equine biology, seasonal changes, grooming, mutations, nutrition, condition, and family or breed gene pools faithful to the depicted color, marking, pattern, or quality.
• Depth, clarity, dimension, and richness of color.
• Correct color and pattern interactions.
• Accurate and convincing nature of that depicted color, effect, or pattern.
• Correct scale of the depicted effects or features such as with ticking, dapples, patterns, and other aspects that require correct scale to be accurate. (See Scale)
• Technical faithfulness of patterns such as markings, pinto patterns, appaloosa patterns, and dappling patterns.
• Technical faithfulness of effects such as mapping, whisker bumps, veining, beauty spots, cat tracking, corn spots, Flycatcher spots, Belton spotting, or Bend Or spots, ermine spots, dun factors, mismarks, mutations, the metallic sheen of certain coats, hoof coloration or striping, eye colors, mane and tail coloration, etc.
• Adequate use of color, tone, and effect that accurately depicts environmental factors or other lifestyle features such as scars or brands, environmental staining, mud splatter, etc.
• Correct depiction of dappling characteristic to each coat color.
• Accurate and effective depiction of sooty effects, as characteristic of each color.
• Accurate depiction of composite color effects such as greys, mapping, roans, fleabit greys, lacing, ticking, etc.
• Reflection of the hair growth patterns or hair whorls characteristic of the coat where appropriate.
• Bloom, seasonal changes, and conditioning specific to each coat color as applicable to the piece.
• Color and texture of the mane, tail, feathers, or shaggy coats.
• Pigmentation of hooves, soles, bars, chestnuts, ergots, eyes, skin, or inside the ears or mouth.
• Colorations of the teeth, tongue, and mouth tissues.
• Pigmentation, effect, and texture of depicted grooming practices such as “oiling” the face, glossing of the hooves, seasonal clips, shark’s teeth, etc. 
• Accurate attention to how coloration changes with age as consistent to the sculpted piece.
• Accurate depiction of the color, pattern, or effect consistent to breed, type, region, environment, or lifestyle depicted.
• Precision and neatness with coloration, effects, and patterning.
• Any other facet of coloration that would convey a realistically accurate depiction of the living animal, to include glossed eyes.

All together then, the issue of color accuracy gauges whether or not a piece is factually consistent to both the depicted genetic reality and the additional lifestyle conditions portrayed by the piece. So again, if a real equine has it with coloration, effects or patterns, so should the relevant piece, as technically accurate and detailed as possible. That’s to say, a piece cannot be LSQ if the depicted color genetics aren’t as technically realistic as possible, even if all other points are superior.

Even so, technical accuracy can be difficult to determine at times since it depends on one’s perception and depth of a color genetics knowledge base, which are developed over time with research, analysis, observation, and artistic exercises. So if you aren’t aware of color genetics well enough to identify technical accuracy, do some research or get advice from those who are. Just beware, some pieces can be deceptively convincing, a “good convince,” yet are actually significantly flawed. This most commonly happens when a pattern is fudged on the other side, with artistic stylization that goes beyond realism’s boundaries, when the tone is off, when a color, effect, or pattern is applied to the wrong breed or family gene pool, or when effects go out of scale.

Remember: Technical and genetic authenticity of the depicted color, effect, or pattern is a foundation of realism.

Sculpting: Sculpted areas should duplicate the look of what they’re representing as convincingly as possible such as flesh, horn, hair, bone, callus, sinew, etc. There should be no aspect of sculpting that compromises the illusion of a real horse with inferior technique or carelessness. Sculpting should also be consistent in skill, texture and style; harmony and cohesiveness are essential. Inappropriate coarseness, bumps, lumps, pits, pilling, divots, scratches, or other careless incongruities should not be present. However, some artistic leeway can be afforded to hair since there are many effective ways to interpret hair though it should always be skillfully rendered. And, finally, the overall piece should be skillfully designed to avoid any unrealistic oddness that would “stop the eye” and inhibit a credible duplication of a real equine. So, in short, all sculptural work should appear confident, skilled, deliberate, and anatomically educated, as though the artist meant every step. 

Additionally for Customs, altered areas should be consistent in style, skill, and texture to the untouched original plastic areas, and so smoothly executed that they're indistinguishable where the original plastic ends and the epoxy customization begins. That’s to say, a good customizer is also a good mimic, and the more minimal the custom, the more important is mimicry. 

Remember: LSQ sculpting or customizing must always be a realistic and artistic asset to the overall piece, never a liability.

Details: The “devil is in the details” and they count a lot. Details include ligaments, tendons, veins, nerves, capillaries, whisker bumps, chestnuts, ergots, wrinkles, eyelashes, shoes, nails, braiding, mane and tail bobs, or any other aspect of a real equine the artist saw fit to instill in the sculpture. In addition, scars, chipped hooves, knotted manes or other wear–and–tear touches are welcome as well. Overall, the details should be accurate, precise, skillful, convincing and reveal the artist’s powers of keen observation. Details can be poorly done however, and sometimes are, such as the following:

• Shoe jobs that are incorrect, such as those that exhibit unawareness of the farrier arts, glue-on shoes of the wrong size and shape or those that are not flush with the bottom of the hoof.
• Shoe nails located on the wrong parts of the hoof wall, being at the quarters rather than towards the toe.
• Veins, capillaries, or nerves that do not follow the anatomical blueprint or don’t appear delicate and fleshy.
• Wrinkles that are hard looking and contrived rather than appearing fleshy and soft.
• Whisker bumps located on the wrong areas of the face.
• Chestnuts of the wrong texture or located in the wrong position, or a lack of chestnuts all together (with the exception of exotics or hybrids). When painted, they're done so in a sloppy manner as to have paint run onto the leg.
• Ergots that are omitted or misplaced.
• Hide details that fail to be convincing as touchable, variable, textured, gooey flesh.
• Coat characteristics such as body clips or shark’s teeth and such that fail to be convincing, or are sloppily rendered.
• Hooves that are cursorily or sloppily painted, and fail to appear as actual horn.
• Eyes that are clumsily painted within the eye itself and with imprecise borders with the lids.
• Facial shading that fails to appear fleshy and consistent to life, whether natural, clipped, or oiled.
• Grooming details that are inconsistent to the piece’s narrative.

Remember: If a real relevant equine has specific details, so must the LSQ piece.

Prepwork: This is the initial treatment of the piece to provide the canvas for painting, and it should be meticulous and thoughtful. That's to say, all surface imperfections caused by the molding process should be removed so as to appear they never existed in the first place. A good baseline standard is this: If a real equine doesn’t have it, neither should the piece. Indeed, quality prepwork is among the first line of defense with realism because it removes every tidbit that wouldn’t exist on a real equine, so the better the prepwork, the more LSQ the piece. As such, the quality piece lacks these issues, as follows: 

• Flashing: These are raised or depressed rims or edges that outline areas of the body where the mold pieces met to cast the piece.
• Chasing: Often on plastics, mold seams that have been clumsily cleaned, leaving chatter marks, gouges, harsh ridges, crinkling, or creases. 
• Seals: On plastic Customs, this is the manufacturer identification stamp, often found on the inner thigh or groin. However, on Artist Resins, all identifying information such as signatures, logos, dates, titles, numbering, etc., should remain intact.
• Pinholes: Small pits the size of a pinhead or smaller, often caused by a molding process that lacked adequate use of a vacuum chamber. 
• Divots: Like pinholes, but larger, sometimes up to the size of a BB.
• Pits: Like divots, but larger, like the size of a pea.
• Bubbles: Air bubbles that have partially erupted from the surface, which can be small or rather large.
• Gouges, trenches, scratches, or scrapes: Areas that suffered careless sculpting or damage from the casting or cleaning process. 
• Sandpaper marks: Little scratches where rough sandpaper was used for prepping and not followed up with a finer grit to remove them. 
• Pilling: Small bits of material in places of detail or complexity (usually manes, feathers, and tails), that aren’t consistent to the surrounding areas or what we find on a real equine. They are either caused by careless sculpting that neglected to smooth them out or by problematic casting that compromised the mold.
• Pock marks: Areas that bear a patterned bubbled texture, often caused by problems during the casting process or primer that rippled because of flawed application. 
• Mismatched seams: When different mold parts don't meet evenly along their seams, one side of the sculpture will be collapsed inwards or protrude upwards along the seam. Also, when different mold parts “slip” past each other, causing asymmetries, often most obvious in the face. And the more askew the mold seam, the less LSQ the piece.
• Channels: A strip of the surface that lies deeper than the surrounding contours, sometimes following a mold seam, as the prepper was too aggressive, causing a distortion.
• Ripples: Sometimes an artist will hurriedly coat the original in gesso which leaves grooves, ridges, or ripples on the surface that are reproduced when cast or show up prominently when painted. Not to be confused with intended fleshy or coat qualities.
• Razor swirls: Sometimes the casting medium behaves strangely, leaving razor thin, swirling grooves randomly over the model.
• Steps: Ridges in a 3D print that weren't removed.
• Missing parts: Sometimes areas don’t cast properly and end up missing on the cast such as ear tips, hoof parts, mane/tail tendril ends, nostril rims, etc. They need to be recreated in epoxy so as to be invisibly repaired, matching the original intent.
• Tear-outs: When a mold is damaged internally, an accidental fill at the site of the damage will occur in the castings. These tears usually happen in complicated, tight areas of the sculpture and when cast, often manifest themselves as uncharacteristic pools or blocks of resin. 
• Puddles: When uncured resin material has been plopped on the curing piece, leaving a resin blob of incongruous texture or feature.
• Imprinted remnants: Sometimes accidental artifacts are left on the piece, which can get reproduced when cast. Such things include fingerprints, pet hair, dollops of unintended clay or other foreign matter. 
• Primer flaws: Primer should be appropriate for the material and be applied smoothly and evenly. Flaws in this include drips, ridges, ripples, bubbles, pooling, pock marking, wrinkling or anything other than what is smooth and even. It should also be devoid of debris such as hair, pills, dust, etc.
• Reinforcement wires: These are often used for resin casting in the legs or hair tendrils and sometimes (though rarely) protrude through the resin surface. If they are not filed down or filled over, they can leave an inconsistent patch of smoothness, surrounded by a thin ridge where it meets the resin.
• Sprue: A channel through which resin flowed to fill the mold during the casting process. Left intact, they appear as resin sticks or branches radiating from the casting and are usually removed in rough cleaning (those castings that are not rough cleaned are called “raw castings”). The most common sprue is on the belly or croup, and is usually seen as a coin sized circular area, if removed in rough cleaning. But a sprue can be used in additional areas, and be particularly deceptive on manes or tails with complex tendril design, so take care to know the original intent of these areas before prepping.
• Cracks: Cracks are partial breaks and can occur around areas of fill or those that are particularly delicate or vulnerable, often around pressure points or areas of load stress. Those that are repaired should be done so as to be unseen, sturdy, and match the original intent.
• Breaks: Breaks are when a piece of the model becomes detached from the rest of the body. Those that are repaired should be done so as to be unseen, sturdy, and match the original intent.
• Lifting: Lifting occurs when the epoxy fill material releases its hold on the model’s surface, either just a little bit or a lot or sometimes in large chunks, causing a lifted section. This can occur with improper preparation of the model’s surface or improper care or storage. Lifting requires repair by a restoration artist, and those that are repaired should be done so as to be unseen, sturdy, and match the original intent.
• Bloating: If a plastic model is allowed to get hot, the plastic will soften and the air inside can expand, causing it to bloat up. Can be directly linked to lifting.
• Shrinking: Certain plastic models are known to suffer “shrinky syndrome,” or “vinegar syndrome” wherein they wither and collapse into a greasy, gummy substance. Such a model is a lost cause and not suitable for showing. Can be directly linked to lifting.
• Destruction of style: Each artist has a unique sculptural technique and style so it’s essential to be aware of it to determine what was intended and what is prepwork. On Artist Resins and minimal Customs, it’s important to remain faithful to that technique because inconsistent surfaces created by careless prepping are undesirable. Remember, good prepwork is invisible, melting into the style and technique of the sculpting and not destroying what was intended to be there. Artistic technique and style include such things as:
• The surface texture characteristic of an artist’s interpretation. For example, some models have a rougher surface whereas others are mirror–smooth.
• The sculpting approach typical of an artist’s methods. For instance, some artists have a “slashier” or “blobbier” sculpting approach while others have a more blended style. 
• The degree to which the artist interprets clinical biology into sculpture. For example, some interpretations are sharply delineated while others are more organic. 
• The level of observation infused into the artistic intent. That’s to say, some artists infuse a high degree of precise detail into their work while others choose a more generalized, almost impressionistic interpretation. Good prepwork honors that intent.
• Fleshy hide textures and details as some artists infuse a lot of these aspects into their sculpture, and solid prepwork protects these features.

Above all, LSQ prepwork should be absolutely invisible, leaving not a trace of the cleaning process. It’s thoughtful, careful, respectful, precise, and exhibits no aspect that would betray the prepping stage.

Remember: If a real horse doesn’t have it neither should the LSQ piece, yet keep in mind artistic interpretation and style.

Scale: This is critical since it directly speaks to technical authenticity, i.e. realism. What’s scale? Well, it’s how consistent to proper size each feature is, relative to the size of the piece. That means each anatomical aspect, each stroke of the sculpting tool, each flick of the paintbrush or pencil to every detail of the piece from sculpting to painting to hairing should be authentically sized to the scale of the piece. If the scale of the piece itself is too small to accurately render scale, then the features should be adequately implied to best mimic the overall look of the effect. Indeed, no aspect of the LSQ model should be out of scale. Anatomically, biomechanically, and color–wise, this means each feature should be of proper relative size and precise, as though a real equine was somehow shrunk down to that size. Common errors with scale are, as follows:

• Abnormally large joints, facial features (especially eyes and nostrils), hooves, or details such as veins, nails, whisker bumps, capillaries, etc.
• Enlarged, out–of–scale ticking or hairs in the hair–by–hair technique.
• Hairing using out–of–scale hair such as dog hair or human hair.

Remember: Every feature of an LSQ model is absolutely in scale to amplify the illusion of a real equine.

Proportion: The comparative lengths and dimensions between the different structural components of an equine as to render a realistic depiction. The LSQ piece therefore exhibits the proper proportions of a real relevant equine. More specific points of proportion are, as follows:

• Bilateral pairs should be symmetrical in proportion such as on the face and legs, both sides of the body, etc.
• Proportion can also relate to proper conformation as long shoulders and hips, and short cannons testify. (See Conformation in Part II)
• Proportion can also pertain to breed type as drafters are quite different proportionally from light breeds, for example. (See Breed Type in Part II)
• Common errors in proportion are heads that are too big, necks that are too long, hooves that are too small, legs that are too thin, backs that are too short, or proportion that’s off-type.

Remember: An LSQ piece exhibits the proper and realistic proportions of the type of equine it depicts.

Close Inspection: A solid LSQ piece looks even better up close than it does from far away. That’s to say, from standing back, it should hook us quickly but as we get closer, its qualities should become more meticulous and convincing. And then really up close and person, the piece should exemplify absolute cleanliness, precision, and believability. Specific problematic aspects to look for include, as follows:

• Areas of sloppiness and imprecise treatment.
• Inappropriate out–of–scale grain in the finishwork.
• A lack of fleshiness to the sculpted aspects where warranted.
• Lack of believability in an effect.
• Clumsy use of the media that busts the illusion of realism.

Remember: The LSQ piece actually looks better up close than from far back, exemplifying mastery down to the smallest detail.

Custom Corrections: Plastic customs often entail additional work to correct sculptural or molding problems to make the finished result more realistic. However, much of this depends on the choice of the initial plastic model slated for customization since many molds are inherently more realistic than others. A good rule of thumb is that the more realistic the original plastic, the less corrective work is required during customization. If you’re unsure which models are good initial picks, seek advice. Nevertheless, all plastics typically need attention in these areas, as follows: 

• The sculptural fixing of body parts that have been distorted or damaged during the production process such as curvaceous long bones of the legs (often referred to as “spaghetti legs”), misshapen ears, faces, hooves, joints, or other asymmetries and distortions.
• The sculptural correction of anatomy in areas where the original plastic is lacking, to include veining, capillaries, nerves, whisker bumps, wrinkles, chestnuts, and other such details. 
• Restoration of compromised details such as resculpting areas that have been filled for the casting process or resculpting details that have suffered erasure during cleaning. For example, resculpting of the groin, frogs, soles, ears, inside nostrils, the groove between the jar bars or the depression between the lateral cartilages of the foot, or restoring eyelids, nostril rims, veining, capillaries, nerves, whisker bumps, wrinkles, chestnuts, etc.

Remember: A LSQ Custom should first entail the remaking of the plastic into a technically accurate equine.

Finishwork: Applied finishes should exhibit genetic accuracy, mastery of the media, skillful interpretation of life, keen attention to detail, and artistic eye-appeal. Finishwork should also never be cursory or rendered in a flat, dull, hurried manner, but show attention to painstaking workmanship, use of a rich and expert palette, absolute precision, in-scale effects, and practiced technique. The pigments should also be expertly blended and with as smooth a surface finish as the media will allow. Common errors in finishwork are, as follows:

• Finishwork that does not follow colors, effects, visual textures, or patterns based on genetic facts or genuine circumstances. Truly, it’s undesirable that such things be made-up or derived from “AI” rather than being consistent to reliable real–equine reference photos and authentic data. However, it must be mentioned that nature does throw oddities at us, which can often be found in specific breeds, bloodlines, or regions. For that reason, studying realistic coloration is very important for identifying LSQ quality. As such then, it’s good policy to provide real photographic documentation and historical data for finishwork that depicts a very rare or odd type of realistic coloration, particularly for a breed.
• Areas left unpainted, often in intricate areas such as on manes, tails, or inside mouths.
• Painted in a flat, boring, stale manner and lacking the necessary shading, highlight and tonal use of pigment.
• Drips, ridges, dust, dirt, lumps, bumps, blobs, scratches, wrinkles, fingerprints, pilling, hair, or other inconsistencies or relics embedded in the pigment that would mar a harmonious, smooth, and methodical finish. 
• Bald areas in the paint where the artist neglected to layer on enough pigment for an opaque finish, often seen on appaloosa patterns (in both the spots or white areas) or pinto patterns (in the white areas).
• Sloppy or unconvincing mapping, sometimes with grey pigment regardless of the body color.
• Forgotten features such as chestnuts or the insides of ears accidentally left as the body color.
• Basecoats that are textured too far away from the natural texture of a living equine, to include overly bumpy or pebbly surfaces.
• White markings with bald patches because the artist did not layer on enough white pigment to create an even, opaque finish. 
• White markings with drips, wrinkles, pools, ridges, pilling, debris, or blobs.
• A lack of precision in areas that demand clean lines. For example, sloppy borders between eyes and eyelids, careless borders between the coat color and markings, a sloppy crestline, hurried detailing of the tail hair on the dock, or sloppy lines between the coronet and the hoof.
• Imprecision and sloppiness with accoutrements such as braiding, bobs, ribbons, tack, etc.
• Inaccurate tone and effect of shoes, nails, pads, or tack (if present).
• Disharmonious or uncomplimentary use of multiple media on a mixed media piece.
• Eyes with a possessed or staring appearance because of unskilled shading or detailing. 
• Features of the eye, such as the pupil, iris, sclera (eye white) and tear duct, painted incorrectly or clumsily.
• Detailed areas such as faces, eyes, veins, whisker bumps, chestnuts, ergots, horseshoes, nails, etc., painted in a sloppy, imprecise manner.
• Highlighting on veins, wrinkles, or eyebrows that’s not directly and neatly on top of them, but veering off onto the body.
• Shoes painted grey or white, rather than silver. However, black hoof polish can sometimes obscure the nails and shoe so they will not appear as shiny silver as they would on a natural hoof or a pale clear–polished hoof.
• Pinked areas on white markings that are not shaded and do not appear fleshy. However, keep in mind that some grooming techniques use cornstarch as a whitener (especially on leg markings) that may occlude flesh tones.
• Patterns or markings that do not mimic the lay of hair growth patterns.
• Hooves given a cursory treatment with one flat color or simply two hastily applied colors, and lack the attentive shading and detail that duplicates the look of real horn. But keep show grooming techniques in mind, such as sanded and polished hooves. And remember that different hoof shading is required for the specific situation or narrative a piece is designed to portray. Indeed, each equine’s individual genetics, lifestyle, or habitat dictates how their hooves are colored and the same applies to an LSQ piece. 
• Heels, soles, and frogs painted only a monotone dark color (or only the hoof color) and lacking independent shading and detail to duplicate the characteristics of these features.
• Detailed areas painted in a hurried fashion such as inside ears painted only one color or just the body color.
• Use of pigment inconsistent to the tone of the living subject such as too orange/too yellow/too red/too grey pinked markings or neon turquoise blue eyes.
• The typical “20 minute” airbrush job that’s flat, uninspired, and hurried, using perhaps only one to two colors. 
• An airbrush finish that’s grainy or having areas of “wash” where the pigment was allowed to pool.
• Airbrush dapples with a bald spot in the middle (“life savers”) and/or “spider legs” radiating from it, caused by an airbrush that randomly spit out pigment at too high a pressure.

Remember: LSQ finishwork should always be technically skillful, complementary, meticulous, attractive and as realistic as possible; if it’s not on a real equine, it shouldn’t be in the finishwork.

Pose: Many pieces today are depicted in a more natural way rather than according to a strict show ring posture. For example, pieces that portray rolling, rearing, cavorting, lying down, shaking, jumping, bucking, or misbehaving equines. Plus, the full gamut of expression can be seen today as well. As long as they’ve been created according to these standards of LSQ, they should all be viable competitors in the show ring.

Remember: LSQ applies to all poses, and makes each pose equally legitimate in the show ring.

Believability: How faithful to authentic equine behavior and instinct is the piece in question? Does it exhibit natural and normal behaviors for an equine? For instance, does it lack anthropomorphisms that compromise its believability as a real, living equine?

Remember: An LSQ piece reflects believable equine-ness throughout its composition and creative decisions.

Hairing: This is relatively rare today but making a comeback. As such, all hair must be of high quality material such as mohair, ramie, alpaca, angora, mulberry silk, or viscose, or high quality fake fur, and be of realistic tones, ombré, scale, texture, and appearance. It must also be applied with skill to best mimic the look and lay of real hair and be trimmed and groomed to duplicate the look of real manes, tails, or feathers. It should also be styled to be consistent to the specific grooming practices that are relevant to the piece or the movement depicted. Issues that compromise a quality hair job are, as follows:

• Excessive glue along the crest or dock.
• Glue that has yellowed or discolored.
• Glue infused throughout the hair.
• If rooted, the slot along the crest is too wide.
• If the hair is dirty, matted, disintegrated, or discolored.
• Bugs or debris in the hair.
• Fuzzy, uncombed, tangled, or knotted hair.
• Hair the wrong tone or color for the coat color.
• The hair is out of scale for the piece.
• Hair improperly trimmed, groomed, or styled, inconsistent to the specifics of the piece.
• A sloppy, wavy, undulating, or choppy crestline.
• A dock with a sloppy border or improperly trimmed straight across, rather than forming a crescent.
• Hairing that’s too sparse or with bald patches, unless intended for the narrative.
• Hairing that’s too profuse and excessive as to be unrealistic.
• The end of the bald tailbone protruding through the hair.
• Styling mousse or gel that can be seen on the body surface of the piece from a sloppy application.

Remember: LSQ hairing must be precise, neat and clean, properly styled, and realistically done with quality materials.

The Essentials Wrap Up

Clearly, these factors pertain to absolute realism, those qualities that get a model as close to a factual, technically accurate equine as possible. They also entail artistic workmanship that enhances that goal rather than detracts from it. That’s to say every tiny tidbit on the piece is consistent to a real, live equine. Now granted, not every piece is as perfect as The Essentials demand. Indeed, each exists on a spectrum of all this. It’s in your best interest, however, to acquire those pieces that embody as much of The Essentials as possible since this brings that model ever closer to the LSQ standard.

Conclusion to Part I

Phew, that was a lot to chew on, wasn't it? But judging Artist Resins and Customs in halter and workmanship is a lot of work with a ton of variables to weigh. And we're not done yet! In Part II we'll explore The Optionals, those factors more open to debate and personal taste, meaning they have a lot more fudge-factor in how they can be evaluated. See you in Part II!

“Art is not a thing; it is a way.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Note: This series is available as a free PDF download here.

LSQ Guidelines for Artist Resins and Customs in Halter and Workmanship Part I