LSQ Guidelines for Medallions Part I

Introduction

The relief sculpture, or “medallion” is a very popular art form in our geekdom, equine collectibles. It’s affordable, it’s eye catching, it’s adaptable to many applications, and you only have to paint one side! Indeed, they’re a great way to teach painting for these and many other reasons. No wonder they’ve taken off since the ‘90s and show no signs of slowing down! In turn, many shows now host classes or entire divisions just for medallions which have also proven to be immensely popular, making for an enriched and dynamic showing experience.

However, like with pieces “in the round,” the issue of “live show quality,” or “LSQ” is a bit ambiguous with medallions. It’s implied that a LSQ relief piece is supposed to be of the very best in–person quality, but without consensus on what actually constitutes LSQ in the first place, there’s no standard understanding of all the points that conjure up this critical level of quality. Now, granted, many artists are clearly creating LSQ medallions and many judges are pinning them, so there is an unspoken understanding of what it takes to create such a piece. Nevertheless, some collectors, showers, and beginners don’t have this understanding and so may fail to achieve their high expectations in the ring. 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 for relief art, this discussion explores those aspects of a medallion that are judged as LSQ 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 does that even mean? Well, this exploration will dissect that definition in detail in relation to medallions. 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 the creation of successful medallions 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 medallions, and so isn’t applicable to Customs, Artist Resins, Original Finish, China pieces, performance, or tack making. Those aspects of showing require their own LSQ guidelines tailored to their needs. 
• Medallions are often very difficult to judge due to all the extra components and factors, but with some know–how, it all becomes more doable.
• 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.

We’re going to first dive into a little bit of backstory of relief art to provide a broader perspective of the possibilities you may encounter. So let’s begin our discussion…

Relief Art Backstory and Basics

Relief sculpture is nothing new. In fact, it’s been around for a very long time with the earliest examples dating back to the cave art from around 25,000 BCE. Many of the oldest reliefs can be found in France, but examples in clay also exist in Russia and other reliefs have been found on many megaliths from the Neolithic era. So this is a very old art form with a time-honored past that’s still rich in potential for exploration and innovation. 

Now it should be mentioned that our niche arts community uses the term “medallion” as a catchall for all relief art. So even if you sculpt a plaque or a standee or a freeform piece, people are most likely going to refer to it as a “medallion.” In contrast, in the conventional art community, “relief” is actually the correct term whereas “medallion” specifically refers to a round-ish piece of relief of various sizes, but most often one that fits in the palm of your hand. So just keep that in mind when you bounce between the communities. 

As for the kind of relief work itself, there are six basic types: 

• Basso-relievo or low relief or bas-relief: When the design projects only a little bit off the flat surface. Coins are a good example of basso-relievo.
• Alto-relievo or high relief or alto-relief or haut-relief: When the design has at least half or more of its circumference projecting beyond the flat surface, almost completely sculpted “in the round.” Many flourishes on old buildings are good examples of alto-relievo work.
• Mezzo-relievo or middle relief or mid-relief: Between basso-relievo and alto-relievo. Many of our niche's medallions are mid-relief work.
• Sunken relief: When the design has been sculpted into the flat surface, sunken below the level and often with a strong carved-in outline. Some common examples are Egyptian tomb wall carvings and some small ivory reliefs from India.
• Stiacciato or relievo-schiacciato or "squashed" relief: Typically associated with 15th century sculptors, Donatello and Desiderio da Settignano, it entails a series of fine chisel lines surrounding areas partly carved in low relief.
• Counter-relief or intaglio or cavo-relievo: When the design is sculpted into the flat surface so deeply it goes beyond sunken relief, sort of like a sunken version of alto-relievo work.

Yet here’s the thing, we don’t have to stop there — we can mix them up! In fact, a lot of relief work, especially in our niche art form, is a mixture as the artist simply did what it takes to further their vision. Really, there’s no reason why sunken work cannot be blended with mezzo-relievo for example. 

What’s more, relief work isn’t just limited to medallions, but can come in many different forms from standees, plaques, jewelry, beads, barretts, belt buckles, soap, chocolate candies, switchplates, pottery decorations (such as on Wedgewood pottery), ornaments, wall charms, and coins as well as accents on monuments, altars, tombs, gravestones, palaces, cathedrals, or shrines, and many other applications. Relief work also comes in many different kinds of media such as resin, metal, ceramic, wood, stone, and even glass. And, finally, relief art can range in size from miniature to large wall installations to even large architectural accents such as the Elgin Marbles. Relief pieces can be festooned with various trappings, too, such as ribbons, cords, beads, shells, precious stones, mosaic accents, or even found objects. What’s more, a piece of relief work can be stand alone or be part of a panel or triptych, or even one of an ongoing series, all depending on the artist’s creative motivations. Some relief pieces are even two–sided such as coins, ornaments, or certain award medallions, or have cut–out areas to amplify the design. Wrap it all up then and the only real limitation is the artist’s imagination, making relief art endlessly fascinating and appealing!

All that said though, there are twelve compelling factors consistent to all high quality relief art, as follows:

1. Composition and design: Considerations such as layout, shape, size, composed positioning of the central figure(s), textures, use of positive and negative space, flow, anchor points, “traveling eye” theory, border design, backdrop design, and architectural touches all play a role in how attractive and catchy a relief piece is designed. Indeed, a truly effective relief piece is more often designed as a 3D painting or logo than as a sculpture.
2. The Flattening: The "sticky-outy" parts within the flattened relief paradigm which should be “smooshed” in a way that’s convincing, logical, and well–executed from the intended viewing angle. For instance, if the piece looks odd in directional light, if the highlights and shadows don’t make proper sense, there’s something wrong with its Flattening.
3. The Deepening: The "sticky-iny" parts that provide dimension, perspective, and depth in the flattened relief paradigm from the intended viewing angle. Again, if the piece looks odd in directional light, there's something off with its Deepening.
4. Novelty: The uniqueness of the narrative, composition, or the use of borders, flourishes, architectural touches, sculpted–in or painted–in scenes, or other such aspects that lend a fresh and innovative touch. Indeed, often the best relief pieces aren’t just a side–profile head on a plain backdrop with that “seen it before a million times” impression. What's more, blank backdrops are often approached with an innovative spin with faux finishes, effects, painted–in narratives or features, or textures and such to punch it up.
5. Precision: The “cleanliness” of both the sculpting and/or painting of the relief piece is imperative for a quality result. Areas shouldn’t be fudged or clumsy but look like the artist meant every aspect with keen intention.
6. Workmanship mastery: Both the sculpting and the finishwork should be finessed in mastery throughout the entire piece and marry together in quality. No aspect should look like the artist rushed things or dropped the ball.
7. Cohesiveness: The piece should work together cohesively as one piece with no one aspect stealing the show, especially from the central equine figure(s). Every component should complement the whole.
8. Color design: The colorway or suite of colors used will have a big impact on the attractiveness of the relief piece so they should be complimentary, coordinated, and well–chosen. This includes colored resin castings.
9. Effects design: Any special effects, faux finishes, painted–in scenes or extra figures need to marry well with the entire piece and forward the whole composition rather than distracting from it.
10. The ABCs: A quality medallion is consistent to anatomy, biomechanics, and color genetics just as a conventional piece “in the round.”
11. The BCCs: A well–executed medallion has good breed type (if applicable) as well as considerations for conformation (if applicable) and registry colors (if applicable) as can be feasibly expressed in the piece.
12. All fantasy pieces or components should be convincing for what they are, well thought out and artistically executed with finesse to forward an attractive result.

With all this under our belt then, the guidelines that follow will dissect and detail these twelve components to provide a strong foundation for relief art within an LSQ standard. So let’s get started!…

The Essentials

There are two common denominators of The Essentials: Solid design and technical realism because these are the principal components of LSQ with medallions. In other words, the better designed the piece and the more technically realistic the components are, the more LSQ the medallion tends to be. As such, The Essentials are comprised of the following:

• Composition and design
• The Flattening
• The Deepening
• Precision
• Accuracy
• Anatomy
• Biomechanics
• Color genetics
• Sculpting
• Details
• Prepwork
• Scale
• Proportion
• Perspective
• Custom corrections
• Finishwork
• Pose
• Believability
• Fantasy
• Hairing

Composition and design: This addresses the layout, size, and shape of the relief piece and how well the components are laid out to be attractive and strong in composition. The piece should also marry together with effective “traveling eye” lines with adequate anchor points and flow. There should be an astute use of positive and negative space that forwards the overall composition, too, as well as an effective positioning of the central figure(s) in the overall design. Any textures, borders, flourishes, backdrop design, or architectural touches should forward the composition as well to produce an overall catchy design. What’s more, all the components should fit nicely in the size of the piece. Lastly, the relief sculpture should stand on its own merits without pigment, holding its own in directional light, allowing the finishwork to be the nice final touch to an already strong composition. Common compositional errors include, as follows:

• “Kissing” edges, or edges that just touch each other rather than overlapping or not meeting at all.
• A “traveling eye” that shoots out of the composition.
• A clumsy or timid use of negative and positive space.
• Excessive empty space. Yes, there can be “breathing room” in the composition, but lots of useless empty space around the central figure(s) is a common error, unless it’s intentional for painters to add in their own painted narratives or effects.
• The compositional position of the central figure(s) that doesn’t take advantage of design precepts well enough.
• Components in the design that feel crowded or too free–floating because space, shape, and size wasn't being used effectively.
• Components that steal the attention away from the central figure(s).
• An effective relief design often resembles a well–designed logo so think about the composition in those terms to better tease out quality composition.

Remember: A quality LSQ medallion is first designed with strong composition skills.

The Flattening: Each “sticky–outy” element in the relief piece should be “smooshed” in a logical manner to forward the flattened relief paradigm but still maintain the illusion of mass, perspective, and dimension. Common flaws in this include, as follows:

• Elements flattened “out of logical sequence” as to destroy the illusion of sensical dimension. For example, with a central figure looking at you, the nose would be more flattened than the ears.
• Elements that are distorted beyond reality in terms of perspective in the flattened paradigm. For instance, in a piece looking at you, the nose would be unnaturally too small.

Remember: The LSQ medallion is “flattened” with a logic that amplifies its believability and perspective that forwards the design.

The Deepening: A sensical logic of the “sticky–iny” parts that amplifies a sense of dimension and depth to the overall composition. Common flaws in this include, as follows:

• Elements deepened “out of logical sequence” as to destroy the illusion of sensical dimension and depth. For instance, with a piece looking at you, the nostrils are more carved out than the ears.
• Elements that are deepened beyond reality in terms of perspective in the relief paradigm. For example, the backdrop isn't depressed enough to provide a sense of logical depth.

Remember: An LSQ relief work is “deepened” with a logic that amplifies its believability and perspective that forwards the design.

Precision: Every sculpted or painted aspect of the relief piece should exemplify absolute cleanliness and precision to line and expanse to best forward the overall design. Typical errors here are, as follows:

• Clumsy or sloppy lines that border body structures or elements in the composition. For instance, the coloring of the border bleeding up onto the central figure(s), or the eye color veering onto the lid color.
• Edges meant to be straight are instead rather undulating or bumpy.
• Curves that show incongruities to discontinue the curved leading edge.
• Imprecise borders between the elements of the design and/or the central figure(s).

Remember: In the LSQ medallion, the artist has done their best with their media to create precise lines, curves, edges, and borders between the elements to produce a “clean” composition and has all components accurately and precisely executed.

Accuracy: Additional elements like tack, bell collars, Teke collars, ear tags, apples, carrots, etc, should be absolutely accurate and be treated with great precision as well. Indeed, a tack or component error here can compromise a medallion significantly such as these, as follows: 

• Tack or other elements treated in a clumsy, imprecise, inaccurate, or hurried manner.
• Other elements that don’t match in quality to the central figure(s).

Remember: All elements in an LSQ relief piece are accurate, cohesive, and precisely rendered.

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, the central figure(s) 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. This includes any companion animals or humans included in the work, which should be absolutely consistent to their anatomical patterns in turn. 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.
• Any other animals or people in the work need to be consistent to their own anatomical blueprints.
• Fantasy pieces should make some logical anatomical sense with leeway afforded because it is fantasy after all.

In short, if a real equine 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. And all this goes for additional depicted animals or people, and fantasy pieces (to a point).

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 anatomy, equine or otherwise, 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.
• Any other animals or people in the work need to be consistent to their own accurate biomechanics.
• Fantasy equines or other figures should be faithful to logical biomechanics with some leeway afforded because it is fantasy after all.

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. And all this goes for additional depicted animals or people.

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.
• Accurate tone and effect of shoes, nails, pads, or tack (if present).
• 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.
• Any other animals or people in the work need to be consistent to their own accurate colorations and patterns.
• Fantasy coloration has its own additional concerns. (See Fantasy)

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, 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, feather, scale, etc. This also includes tack (leather and metal), apples, carrots, flowers, companion animals, people, or other sculpted components. There should be no aspect of sculpting that compromises the illusion of realness 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 realness. So, in short, all sculptural work should appear confident, skilled, deliberate, and factually educated, as though the artist meant every step. 

Additionally for customized medallions, altered areas should be consistent in style, skill, and texture to the untouched original areas, and so smoothly executed that they're indistinguishable where the original ends and the 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 the artist saw fit to instill in the relief piece. In addition, scars, chipped hooves, knotted manes or other wear–and–tear touches are welcome as well. This also includes tack, other animals, people, and other components. 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.
• Tack lacking necessary details like the tongues in buckles or incorrect bits.
• A lack of detailing incohesive to the rest of the piece when it comes to other animals or people.

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

Prepwork: This is the initial treatment of the piece to provide the canvas for painting, and 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 or component 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 or element, 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: Mold seams that have been clumsily cleaned, leaving chatter marks, gouges, harsh ridges, crinkling, or creases. 
• Seals: All identifying information the artist inputted 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. 
• Bite 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, 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 medallion.
• 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”). But a sprue can 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 medallion 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 medallion’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 medallion’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.
• Pieces of the mold stuck in tight areas.
• 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. 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 medallions 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 or element 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 or component aspect, each stroke of the sculpting tool, each flick of the paintbrush to every detail from sculpting to painting to other effects 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 medallion should be out of scale. Anatomically, biomechanically, color–wise, and design–wise, this means each feature should be of proper relative size and precise, as though a real equine and element 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.
• Elements out–of–scale to the central figure(s) or that don’t forward the overall sense of scale of the whole piece.

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

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, other animals, people, or components. More specific points of proportion are, as follows:

• Bilateral pairs should be symmetrical in proportion such as on the face and legs, bulk on both sides of the body, wings, fins, etc.
• Proportion can relate to proper conformation as long shoulders and hips, and short cannons testify. (See Conformation in Part II)
• Proportion can 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, proportion that’s off-type, etc.
• Other animals lacking proper realistic proportions for their species, breed, or individuality, as applicable.
• People lacking proper realistic proportions appropriate for their gender and individuality, as applicable.

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

Perspective:  Many relief pieces depict the elements in a sharp perspective angle and so every aspect of the composition should be consistent to that perspective unless intended otherwise. This doesn't just entail the lines, angles, and contours, but also The Flattening and The Deepening which can be used to amplify perspective even more.

Remember: The LSQ piece is faithful to proper perspective and accounts for camera distortion, unless that distortion is intended.

Custom Corrections: Customized medallions often entail additional work to correct molding problems to make the finished result more realistic. For instance, some medallions need attention with casting relics that require resculpting of the area. 

Remember: A LSQ customized medallion should first entail the remaking of the original into a technically accurate equine if that was compromised in production.

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 or component 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 or component.
• 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, etc.
• 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.
• Components that lack believability for what they are whether another animal, person, or element.

Remember: LSQ finishwork should always be technically skillful, complementary, meticulous, attractive and as realistic as possible; if it’s not on a real equine or component, 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? The same goes for any additional animals or people in the composition. However, if the intent is otherwise, say with a cartoony kind of medallion, this can get a pass.

Remember: An LSQ piece reflects believable equine-ness and other elements throughout its composition and creative decisions, unless the intention is otherwise.

Fantasy: All fantasy colorations, components, or structures of the central equine figure(s) or to the composition itself should be well thought out, believable, cohesive, and executed to the quality standards outlined in these guidelines. Common errors with fantasy elements are, as follows:

• Wing feathers that are too chunky and thick, and not convincing as wispy feathers.
• Unicorn horns offset on the forehead.
• Cloven hooves not accurately rendered.
• Scales that aren’t laid out like actual, healthy scales, but more haphazard and clumsily done.
• Wings misplaced too far forwards, almost up the neck.
• Other fantasy creatures in the design that lack these LSQ standards.

Remember: Fantasy touches to the piece itself or to the fantasy equines or other animals should all be equally convincing and well–executed according to all of these standards in the LSQ medallion.

Hairing: This is relatively rare with medallions, but it happens on occasion. 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 medallion as close to a factual, technically accurate equine as possible or as close to a believable fantasy animal as feasible. 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 or a believable fantasy equine, to include other animals or people. 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 medallion ever closer to the LSQ standard.

Conclusion to Part I

Zowie! That was a lot to digest, wasn't it? But judging medallions is inordinately tricky with everything that must be weighed and considered, often more than a typical "in the round" piece. And we've only just started! In Part II then we'll discuss The Optionals, those features that have more wiggle room in their evaluation.  So see you in Part II!

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” 

― Vincent van Gogh

Note: These guidelines are available as a free PDF download here.

LSQ Guidelines for Medallions Part I