Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 20

Introduction

Welcome back to this exploration of the equine head, anatomically, biologically, and artistically. And here we are, at the end of this expansive 20–part series about it. It’s been quite a trek to be sure, but we’ve learned oodles of useful information that will inform our work in positive, provocative ways. So let’s think about a couple more issues before we wrap up…

Mulling It All Over

Being a realistic equine artist means more than simply parroting what we see with technical accuracy—perhaps it means a little bit more. Could it be then that a conscientious realistic equine artist needs to know more than simple structure? Don’t we also need to know the whys of that structure? It cannot be ignored that this additional insight gifts us with concepts relevant to our work while simultaneously providing context—and isn’t that critical for creating not only realistic work, but responsible work? In a sense then, our work speaks for this animal by representing values that can impact public sentiment. That's to say our work may go beyond mere representation and into culpability. Surely, we cannot ignore that our visuals endorse certain structures, and when it comes to the equine head, that influence is particularly important to weigh. As such, when we speak with a biological perspective of our work, we not only create a sounder basis for our creative choices, but a Voice that’s confident and clear. In other words, when we make our work an example of what it means to be an equine, do we not more completely express the fullness of his experience? There’s much more to equine realism than our reality—isn’t his reality just as important?

And that reality is rich and complex. Indeed, the equine has a curious and convoluted story to tell, full of tangents, dead ends, and an ultimate near–miss with oblivion—how unlikely he is! How fortunate we are he beat the odds—55 million years is a long time to play biological roulette and keep winning! It’s worth it then to consider what animal we’d sculpting if not for the happy chances that created the horse. He could so easily have disappeared altogether, or ended up with an entirely different anatomical blueprint, then what would we be sculpting? He’s here in his peculiar way purely thanks to serendipity, so we are blessed, aren’t we? That something so beautiful and gracious could have been produced by serendipity makes the fortuitousness of his presence all the more profound. It’s inspiring to remember that we’re lucky to have him around as his Fate could have been quite different. So maybe we can think of our work as both a celebration as well as an expression of our thankfulness for the existence of this splendid creature. 

And that being said, no where else on his body is this evolutionary story expressed so clearly than in his head, its every feature a direct result of nature’s design, perfectly built for his ecological niche. To understand its backstory and functions then lends a deeper appreciation of this animal, giving greater meaning to our efforts. If we can keep this close to heart as we work, we’ll come to better understand what it means to be a horse and that can inform our work in wonderful ways we may not anticipate. So perhaps being a realistic equine artist also means being an educator of sorts who helps others come to appreciate this beast on deeper levels deeper. The reality of this animal is far more than structure alone, and even his head embodies a story far more complicated than our value judgements. Therefore, only when we fully grasp this idea do we more fully mature as a realistic equine artist. Reconsidering it all, it's an incomplete understanding just copies what’s seen without due consideration of what we’re duplicating. To grasp the evolutionary history of his head then is to create with more validity and conscientiousness, and that speaks well of our endeavors.

To that end, it’s encouraged to continue with proactive research since there’s even more to the equine head than discussed in this series. Our work also benefits from our sensitivity for individual variation since each head is as singular and distinct as ours—no two heads are alike! And not only in terms of bony structure, but also fleshy structure since squishy bits can have varied manifestations between individuals, too. We have countless variations to play with, and what wonderful possibilities await us! Undoubtedly, remaining open–minded and resistant to formula will serve us well when it comes to sculpting the equine head, and that motivates us to do the same for the rest of his body. In this way, sculpting his head can teach us lessons that apply to our inspirations and skill sets, further expanding the potential of our efforts.

Better grasping the structure of his head not only makes our work more realistic, but more authentic, too. Indeed, we cannot truly appreciate its nature as related to a specific breed without also recognizing the special history of that breed that contributed to the shape of his head. This means our work not only improves when it comes to breed type, but helps to celebrate the particular history of a breed more faithfully, and that can have a positive influence on how our work is received. When we understand both the biological history not just of the genus, but also of a particular breed, even of a specific individual, that authority makes our work all the more genuine and our creative choices all the more reliable. We cannot deny that breed type factors heavily into our priorities, and what better way to pay homage to it than to fathom the whys of that novel structure?

What’s more, getting the head right on our sculptures is important for the appreciation of our work. It’s the first thing people gravitate towards and it’s the one thing that most impacts their response to it. That’s because it embodies not just the biological niche of the animal, but also his breed, gender, and age, and even more, his spirit and expression. Undoubtedly, if its structure is flawed, not only will our illusion be compromised, but its aesthetic appeal will be as well. Truly, there are few ways to turn people off than an incorrectly sculpted head. And since the head itself is so difficult to get right, getting it right speaks well of our talents—the better our heads, the better our standing. Likewise, if our sculpted heads are correct, people learn to better trust the totality of our work, too. Let's face it, if we can sculpt a convincing, accurate head, it’s likely the rest of the anatomical structures we sculpt are correct, too. One reaffirms the other. In addition to all this, we gain a pronounced advantage if our heads are more technically factual. Being so difficult to sculpt, many artists make errors so if we can avoid them, we’ve gained a measurable upper hand. To these ends, it certainly pays to take extra care when sculpting the head since it has so many implications for the rest of our work and even our standing in the field of equine realism. 

Conclusion

The equine head is truly a marvel of biological engineering and to understand it more thoroughly helps us not only to improve our work, but to also nurture a new appreciation of just how amazing the equine actually is. This creature has been shaped by nature with an economy of structure, yet look how beautiful pure function turned out! The horse is easily one of the loveliest creatures alive, yet this is accomplished by making so much of so little.

Hopefully this series has impressed just how truly important and wondrous is the equine head. To think that such a relatively small part of his body could be so pivotal yet so economical, beautiful, expressive, and capable of so much, all simultaneously, is extraordinary. How many other animals have such a boast? And as artists, we can highlight this novel combination to help others appreciate the biological marvel that is the horse, too.

And the good news is that as we progress in our work, sculpting the horse’s head can become easier, something not quite so daunting to sculpt. If we’re feeling a little frustrated or intimidated then—don’t worry. We’ve all been there! Each of us are a bit daunted each time we sculpt one since so much rests on its successful recreation. Just keep at it though—keep practicing! We’ll make mistakes, but that’s how we learn, right? If we use the right techniques, our job is made easier, and if our intentions are informed, we’re on the right track. And if we get stuck, there are always fixes. Never forget that what we create we can fix! We also have a plethora of options for bony and fleshy expression of his head—each head is unique so we’ll never get bored. To that end, stay curious to stay a conscientious, creative explorer, the most important habit we could nurture. The horse is an exquisite example of evolution, and his head is a perfect illustration of his biological story, so have fun exploring this most curious, quirky feature of this most marvelous animal! Those lucky stars were very good to us since now we get to honor this lovely creature in this splendid form! Until next time then…stay a proactive learner to stay ahead of the pack!

“An attitude of gratitude brings great things.” ~ Yogi Bhajan

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Magazines and Newsletters

EQUINE COLLECTIBLES

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Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 20

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 19

Introduction

Hi there! Here we are again in this 20–part series exploring the equine head from anatomical, evolutionary, and artistic perspectives. We’ve covered a slew of ideas so far and have come full circle to biological matters, curious things to ponder about this magnificent animal. For instance, it may seem like overkill to have considered the equine head in such detail, but we should come to understand that every tiny feature is there in a specific configuration for a biological reason. Nothing is superfluous about the equine head, nothing is specious—everything is there for a critical purpose. So let’s wrap up this examination with some additional ideas to ponder…

Extinction

Equidæ enjoyed a long run and developed into a diverse and numerous genus, a real stand–out in the grand scheme of evolution. Few families are as lushly populated as this one! Equidæ also enjoyed a relative goodly degree of plasticity and experimentation with diversity. For example, what were once considered different prehistoric species may actually have been natural variation within a single species much like how a Clydesdale and Arabian are both Equus caballus. That said, the modern horse has relatively little plasticity insofar as strong alterations to phenotype such as that of the dog since his structure is so specialized by his evolutionary biology. Indeed, there’s relatively little fudge–factor in his blueprint in order for him to remain viable. What's more, people like to use the horse for sport or recreation, and they're expensive to keep further dampening the profound extremes we see in the dog such as with the bulldog or pug. For example, the Miniature Horse is still built closer to a typical horse than a pomeranian is to a wolf.

Even so, no lineage is invincible when it comes to extinction. The fossil record tells the tale: Originally the Perissodactyla were the most plentiful and diverse hooved animals on the planet, filling a multitude of niches and exploding into a dizzying array of forms. Then the evolution of Artiodactyla boomed to replace the Perissodactyla as the dominant hooved animal. Even today the Artiodactyla are more plentiful than the Perissodactyla, with most wild equids rare today or facing extinction such as many asses, hemonids, many zebras, and the Takh. Ultimately, it’s believed that climate change, and perhaps also disease and human predation, drove Equidæ to extinction in North America, and nearly so in Eurasia. Today, only sixteen (or seventeen if we count the Takh as a separate species) of Perissodactyla exist: Equidæ (seven living species, all of which are believed to have diverged from a common ancestor about 4-5 million years ago), Rhinocerotidæ, (five living species), and Tapiridæ (four living species). Now compare that to the estimated 172 existing species of Artiodactyls! 

How poignant that of the multitudes of animals thought to be descended from Hyracotherium, so few have survived to the present day that Perissodactyla is considered to have one of the highest extinction rates among mammals. Truly, to think we almost lost the horse completely is a sobering reminder. In fact, the species was in such peril that, quite possibly, he might very well have gone extinct if not for domestication. Yet even in this respect, Equidæ is unique among domestic animals, not only having a long continuous evolutionary history before domestication, but also because Equus caballus was essentially pre–formed before domestication unlike most other domestic animals which became shaped by later breeding criteria. Not the horse, though—he came “as is” for the most part. Even today, he’s still very much basically the same as when he was first domesticated, relatively speaking. That’s to say, there’s a huge change between a wolf and a chihuahua, but not so much between modern Equus and those who were first domesticated. Indeed, the species can turn feral very quickly and successfully, still being so close to the wild. Yet the animal also has an unprecedented degree of genetic diversity for a domestic animal, something quite unusual, suggesting that domestication took place over a long time deriving from many herds over wide regional areas. This also suggests that the genus as a whole was relatively tameable and trainable, hallmarks of the species even today.

We also should remember that the equine is utterly unique in the animal kingdom. This is a large herbivore with a big sloshing gut who can run at high speed for long distances with uncommon agility and nimbleness. He's also intelligent, expressive, brave, friendly, and trainable, and is capable of trust and willingness. No other in the entire animal kingdom can come anywhere close to those combined traits and abilities. He's also very old! When we look at a horse, we're looking at a 55 million year old creature. And to think how this animal is so taken for granted in everyday life! There's so much to appreciate about this animal, so much to celebrate.

What Does It All Mean?

So what’s the point of all this for gosh sakes? Why discuss the head in such depth? Is all this backstory really that important for us to know? How is knowing any of this useful for actually sculpting a head? Is it really that relevant to art? 

Yes—absolutely! 

His biological history gifts us with perspective, and perspective is the foundation of an informed creative philosophy. So the question really is—why would we need such perspective?

For many reasons, actually. For starters, this animal is deeply entrenched in domestication’s framework, bringing with it all the problematic ideas that come with it. As artists working within realism then, the influences of domestication are never far from our decisions. They’ll impact the saleability of our work, our reputations, and how well our work is regarded in direct, powerful ways. So if we’re unable to objectively weigh those influences, not only do we risk validating visuals that may run counter to our convictions, but we lose control of how we want to frame our work, of our Voice. Indeed, to accept arbitrary ideals of perfection is a risky proposition at best, especially when we don’t understand their biological context. Yet we have a unique opportunity—we can circumvent these distractions to portray our subject in deeper ways that celebrate his evolutionary past and “biologic.” Truly, only when we gain perspective do we become empowered, allowing us to defend our work from a biological basis. And, ultimately, being informed lets us delve deeper into our own artistic motivations, giving us introspective moments that renew our commitment to this noble creature. It becomes rewarding, too, to design our sculpted heads in ways that are confident and factually–based since we know we’re doing right by this animal, and that adds a deeper dimension to our creative experience. Speaking of which, only recently has science started unlocking objective, empirical data regarding this animal. As such, it’s alarming just how much conventional notions were alarmingly wrong, calling into question many of the ideals from years past to present day. Unless we have perspective then, we’re simply going to parrot these outmoded ideas and compromise the credibility of our work. 

The story of his head also reveals that the horse is far more than our own capricious whims, especially when it comes our art. As such, regarding his cranial blueprint as engineered by nature as nonnegotiable parameters is a smart tactic. The thing is, our notions about a head’s beauty may not actually synch with biological limitations and, therefore, don’t promote his well–being. Only being grounded in cranial biology teases out what’s harmful because without an evolutionary perspective, it’s alarmingly easy to be seduced by rhetoric which is pervasive and pressuring, especially when it comes to art. Ultimately then, perspective gives us the ability to finally accept that equine head structure isn’t a matter of our taste, but one first of function.

Perspective also deepens our appreciation for this amazing animal by illustrating just how unlikely is the horse. This implausible and archaic animal is a living relic from the ancient past, representing a direct line 55 million years old. Even more, he’s just one surviving remnant of Perissodactyla and the last living genus of a previously enormous and diverse lineage now gone. And this long journey could have ended quite differently—we have Equus today thanks purely to chance! He’s a living time capsule, a priceless treasure from the past, and we only have temporary guardianship of this animal far older and more complete than us.

That in mind, we also shouldn’t forget that evolution is an on–going process. Equus hopefully has countless millennia ahead of him, bringing into question many modern standards that appear to ignore biological reality, placing this precious Perissodactyla lineage in a precarious position. It’s exactly here where the greatest caveats lurk for artists since the equine head is too often targeted for “improvement” based on aesthetics or fashion. Yet the equine head is something produced by millions of years of environmental pressures, honed to a pinnacle of mechanical efficiency—and long before our mercurial notions of beauty came to be. So stepping back to view it from an evolutionary standpoint lets us see the entirely of his biological history in all its complex glory. Undeniably, the horse’s head is an ancient, unique prize from prehistory, singular in all the animal kingdom. Splendidly perfected by nature, it’s the epitome of biological grace and economy. It’s beautiful exactly the way it was produced by evolution—why mess with perfection? Our question then becomes whether or not we should advocate for his biologic or instead for prevailing fads? 

In turn, we should recognize that many breeds have a great deal of pressure to conform to an ideal of head type. Yet these ideals are often distorted by the typical human sentiment of “more is better,” of exaggeration as improvement, and only in art do these trends become unnaturally amplified. Sometimes, too, head type is influenced by off–type fashion such as Arabian–like heads on Quarter Horses or Iberians, or Saddlebred–like heads on Morgans. What do we want to validate in our work? That’s an important issue to ponder because it compels us to keep learning, questioning, and reevaluating. In fact, sculpting accurate, accountable heads encourages us to remain continual learners, to keep forging ahead with our proactive education, and that benefits the rest of our efforts in untold, unpredictable ways. When we grasp that we’re beholden to something bigger when we sculpt our heads, we also gain more humility and receptiveness, and that endows our efforts with more profundity.

Nonetheless, the answers to these issues are up to us. We cannot deny that if we weight biological function over aesthetics, or promote foundation archetypes we may be going against the grain, and that impacts how our work is received. Are we willing to accept that? Yet it can also be said we can be advocates for our subject, promoting those features that lend themselves to his well–being and functional authenticity of breed type. And in order to defend our work, biological and historical context gives us a rock to stand on, a means to more objectively justify our creative choices. This lends more authority to our work, and who can argue with that? As “keepers of the grail,” we can champion this animal against the continual onslaught of misinformation and mercurial fads, some of which are spurious and deleterious. We can speak for something that cannot defend itself, and speak in a language that’s clear and immune to that which is fickle, impulsive, or wayward. So what do we want to say with our work? It’s a question worth considering.

Conclusion To Part 19

Extinction is a part of life, integral to the system of natural experimentation and pruning of the great tree of life. And lucky for us, this genus has survived eons of circumstantial culling to become the exquisite example of bioengineering he is today. How fortunate we are to be able to celebrate this ancient creature!

Our work has several layers of meaning to us, and as we work we may perhaps discover more. And shouldn’t biological understanding be one of them? When we grasp the full importance of his biological history we can truly shape our clay in ways that pay homage to this wondrous creature, realistically and responsibly. More still, we gain insights to create with more technical accuracy, improving the realism of our work. Truly, knowing the whys of his structure means we’re even more motivated to get things right, and that spurs progress. Absolutely, part of being a good equine artist means being both good researchers and good learners, and part of that entails the whys of his anatomy. We can take nothing for granted. So until next time…come up to speed with his evolution for a deeper understanding of his course today!

“You evolve not by seeking to go elsewhere but by paying attention to, and embracing, what’s in front of you.” 

~ Anonymous

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 19

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 18

Introduction

Welcome back to this exploration of the equine head, anatomically, biologically, and artistically! We’ve learned a lot since Part 1 and we’ve now moved onto the practical considerations of our job as realistic equine artists. Truly, we not only have to convey technical accuracy, but we have to translate all that artistically in a way that prevents us from making unique mistakes not present in the real thing. It should be noted then that evaluating a real horse is entirely different than evaluating a realistic sculpture of one. How so? Well, we can take anatomy totally for granted with the real thing, can’t we? By the very fact we're observing a living horse, for example, means we're already looking at an anatomically correct specimen, right? But the same cannot be said of art work. We can take nothing for granted in a sculpture. That's because, eing made by fallible human hands, errors—both technical and artistic—inevitably get infused into the clay. Subsequently, the artist has much more to consider in both the living subject, references, and their art. For this reason then, we simply need a more interdisciplinary knowledge base and skill set than most other equine professionals.

To this end, let’s discuss some troubleshooting ideas to help keep us on target. We'll inevitably make mistakes—it's just the nature of the beast—so attaining accuracy is more about correction than anything else. Yet this means we must perceive a problem in the first place, and that’s hard to do when immersed in our aesthetics and blindspots. Consequently then, our check n’ balance techniques become our most valuable assets by more objectively guiding us through a sculpture. So to this end, let’s consider some…

Troubleshooting

As sculptors of equine realism, we must accept one inescapable truth: Only nature can create an accurate horse. What that means is this—despite all our best attempts, our work will always have technical errors because we’re human, we’re fallible. And that’s okay. Truth be told, that prospect gives us a carrot to chase, and that helps to give meaning to our efforts. Indeed, to tease out our blind spots means we have to peel away more and more of our pretenses and conceits, coming ever closer to a state of humility and insight that lets in more objectivity into our Sight. We cannot achieve maximum realism with an ego—they are mutually exclusive. What does that mean? It means the more we strip away what we insist on seeing—by shedding our ego, or what we think we know—the more we actually See. For more ideas on this issue, refer to my blog series What’s Reality Between A Couple Of Friends...And A Bunny?

For this reason, one of the best skills we can develop is an ability to effectively troubleshoot, especially when it comes to weeding out our blind spots. Absolutely, being able to identify to then fix a problem serves us well since no artist sculpts perfection the first time around—everything needs a bit of tweaking! The good news here is though—whatever we create, we can recreate, again and again until it’s as right as we can muster at that moment. Nothing is permanent and nothing is “too precious” not to change.

So the first step is to log hours of life study that entail actually touching the animal. Running our hands over his body can do much to clarify structures and program them into our hands. Indeed, long hours of grooming many horses is probably one of the best things we can do for our education. We also need to amass a goodly library of quality reference photos. In particular, references should depict the same or similar positions, gestures, or postures from multiple angles so we can “3D print” our sculpture more accurately. That means only using one or two images for inspiration isn’t enough—we need dozens, and we need to know how to decipher and translate them into our clay accurately. Undeniably, it’s one thing to look at something and something quite another to actually duplicate it in clay. To help us with all this then, we also need a proportional measurement system that’s accurate and adaptable along with a pair of calipers to apply that system. It’s also a good idea to sketch heads along with other artistic exercises to help program these structures, expressions, proportions, and alignments into our brains.

Nevertheless, expect to go off–track throughout the sculpting process—it’s just inevitable. That means the real trick to sculpting realistic work is developing the ability to identify errors in the first place so we can correct our work as we go. This means that each sculpture presents us with an opportunity to ferret out our blind spots and get one step closer to more accurate realism. In kind with this is also developing the ability to actually make those corrections—similarly, it’s one thing to identify an error and quite another to actually correct it. There’s a huge difference between Seeing and Doing. Complicating things, the equine body is holistic—no part works in isolation so an error can be systemic and not spot–specific. For instance, misplacing the ear can throw off the placement of our nostrils or mouth, or an asymmetry of the right eye will throw off bilateral symmetry. For these reasons, we need to constantly recheck our alignments, proportions, and reference photos, and from all angles, not just from the side or front. So we should become accustomed to turning our sculpted heads over and over as a means to inspect it from multiple angles.

But it’s useful to know where to start, too. Different alignments, proportions, and associations have a sort of hierarchy, a way of stacking on each other to build on the one previous. If we can start with the most basic correlations first then, we can work our way through the others and, in this way, checklist our way through just about any problem. Before we start though, we should realize that the head is a strange part of the equine to sculpt. Since so much of it is subcutaneous, it’s both the easiest part to get right, owning to its many landmarks, and the easiest part to get wrong, it being so complicated in structure. If we’re going to see artistic stylization or errors then, we’ll often see it most profoundly in the head. Because of this, it’s best to focus on the big ideas first then progress to finer details later rather than the other way around or all at once. We also need to keep rechecking our work to make sure those landmarks and structures align. Only when we get enough experience under our belt would we be able to do more simultaneously, so start with baby steps at first. 

That said then, if our head looks odd, we can approach troubleshooting in this order:

• Check the width of the head and crown—are they too narrow or wide? Also check the space between the jaw bars—could an imaginary clenched fist fit between them? And is the width between the jowls harmonious with the width of the cheeks or divergent?
• From above, is our head properly tapered being wider between the jaws and widest at the brows?
• Check proportion. Is the head the proper size for the body from the side and from the front? Are cranial and fleshy features in proper proportional relationship with each other? Is the head sectioned into thirds, or consistently to our reference photos?
• Consider scale—is everything in scale to the size of the piece and to each other? We should understand that the smaller the scale, the harder it becomes to sculpt a good head because as scale shrinks, the more important becomes precision and proportion. And as the size shrinks, the size of the sculpting tools becomes more of an issue as well. Both of these reasons is why the head is often too big or clumsily sculpted on miniature scales, something avoided with extra care and special micro tools. It cannot be over–emphasized how important scale is to realism. To sculpt any one aspect out of scale is a technical error just like a knee bending the wrong way.
• Identify and trace the skull in our sculpture in a photo, a handy trick the refreshes our memory of key landmarks. If possible, trace the skull on reference photos, too, using the landmarks as guides. Sometimes this can really help clarify the head, especially if it’s a type unfamiliar to us or a head with lots of eccentricities. This can be especially helpful when sculpting Arabians, Kladrubers, or Iberians, too, since their concave and convex heads are prone to becoming stylized in sculpture. 
• Check to see if features are “seated” into the skull properly. Are the ears set into their bullas and not perched on top of the head or too low on the sides of the head. Are the eyes placed into the orbits accurately? Are the nostrils nestled into the nasal notches?
• Check for symmetry on the bilateral sides of the face, inspecting the head from multiple angles. Do key alignments, landmarks, and features correlate with their pair? 
• Check the internal axis of the skull—does it match that of our reference photos?
• Check placement, or where cranial features are situated as landmarks and key alignments. In doing so, recheck the EENA, this being such a basic alignment it often reveals the core problem. In fact, it’s a smart habit to recheck the EENA often. 
• Check the alignment of the jaw with the zygomatic arches and ears since this arrangement organizes the placement of the mandible and so, by association, the tear drop bone from which we can build the lower part of the head. Also make sure the teardrop bone is aligned with the EENA since a tilted teardrop bone can distort the building of the head. Also check the alignment of the jaw as it can be shifted backwards or forwards, away from alignment with the zygomatics and ears, and that can skew the building of the head as well. 
• Check the proportion, planes, and placement of the eye since so much of the head can be built around it. First then, check bilateral symmetry. Then check placement against the EENA, double–checking its alignment and set with the last molar to avoid placing the eye too low (towards the nostrils or jaw) or too high (towards the ears or the forehead), too forwards (towards the forehead) or too downwards (towards the jaw). Remember that a typical horse's head is divided into thirds. Then check its angles and planes, making sure the eyes lay on the sides of the head and aren’t angled forwards like a dog, but angled in just enough to be correct for an equine, about 33˚ with the median. They also shouldn’t be oriented flatly either, like a squid or fish, but with a top rim protruding a bit outwards and a lower rim dipping a bit inwards. Then check the canthi angulation against the EENA. After that, check its proportion and shape of the globe to make sure it isn’t too big or too small, or too buggy. Be careful to align the pupil relative between the canthi, ground, and head position, too, so things aren't tilted oddly. Check technique to make sure sculpted details like lids and wrinkles are neatly done and fleshy–looking, avoiding tears, pills, ridges, and grooves that are too wide, or other symptoms of flawed technique. Also confirm the eye doesn’t have Basset–like eye rims that sag from the orb, often due to using a tool that’s too wide to draw the line of the eye, but instead are tightly flush. Next, confirm the structure of the zygomatics with the set of the ears and the alignment of the jaw with the back of the eye. Also, from the front, are the arches angled towards the crown at the top and outwards at the bottom, opposite of the orbits? Does the “U” trial up to the forehead and does the “Y” direct itself towards the front of the ear? Does the back of the jaw align with the zygomatics at its “button”? When seen from all sides, it’s also important that the eyes be bilaterally symmetrical in their size, shape, orientation, and landmarks, so take extra care here.
• Check the planes of the head—are the angles at which things plane correct for an equine head, for the breed, and for the individual we’re sculpting? Getting the planes right is painfully important since they essentially establish the “equine–ness” of the head itself, blocking in the facial features at their most basic level. Indeed, we can sculpt a piece almost entirely using planes alone to create a realistic sculpture—simply study the works of Herbert Haseltine for some good examples. And be sure to check planing not just from one angle, but from multiple angles. 
• Make sure the lower line of the jaw flows and properly terminates at the imagined lower incisors. Many sculptures have a broken lower jaw because this line is broken.
• Check the jaw musculature to make sure it isn’t too bulky as to be the widest part of the head. It should be flat and run down from the eyes, with the exception of heavily–muscled jowls of many Quarter Horses. Also be sure that there’s not too much bulk on the sides of the face under the nasal bone—this area is often quite narrow. 
• Recheck the orientation of fleshy features. Also check to see if they’re too flat or too protruding—the equine head is a study of balance between pookey out bits and pookey in bits.
• Recheck shapes—are features shaped properly? For example, does our sculpted nasal bone resemble an hour–glass, and not straight or triangular? Does it have curved edges along its border or harsh ridges? Are we sure its median line is subtle and not gouged in, and does it avoid going all the way down between the nostrils? Are the nostrils the correct shape and consistent to the exertion depicted in our sculpture? The jaw is often wrong, too, usually being distorted in shape. For example, it can be sculpted as a semicircle or oval, or sometimes too boxy, like a square. Instead, the jaw has a distinctive shape like a slightly skewed half–circle. Along with that, seen from the bottom, the jaw bars should form a triangle between the jaws and where they meet at the chin, and not be parallel. Are the jaw bars also rounded, or are they improperly knife–thin or squared off? 
• Inspect the head to make sure the fleshy parts look fleshy and the bony parts look bony. Confusing the two can create an unconvincing result.
• Recheck the head to make sure it lacks the common problems already discussed. We can work down that list like a checklist.
• As for the muzzle, if it begins to look strange, first check the alignment of the nostril and mouth with the EENA. For instance, many times a muzzle can be thrown off–course by a mouth that’s misaligned or misplaced too high or too low. Then check its proportion, placement, and planes, and relative symmetry. And remember the axis of the head and whether it’s convex, concave, or straight when it comes to nostril placement. That’s because a convex head will have nostrils laying more midline to the EENA whereas a concave head will have nostrils seated more midline above it. Also check to make sure the nostrils aren’t seated too high towards the eye, or too low towards the tip of the face as though they’re “sliding off the end” of the muzzle. Or are they tilted upwards like a pig snout? Also check to make sure they’re consistent to breed type. For example, Arabians tend to have nostrils oriented more parallel to the EENA whereas Quarter Horses usually have nostrils more perpendicular to the EENA. And be sure the nostrils are functioning in concert with the level of activity depicted in the piece, or synchronized to the narrative or expression desired. And are they the correct shape? Also check if the nostril and chin are properly seated in relation to each other because a chin shifted too far forwards or backwards can distort the muzzle as well, or even indicate a Parrot Mouth or Undershot Jaw. Furthermore, check that the muzzle mimics the look of the flesh in this area, being elastic, soft, and fleshy rather than hard, polished, or smooth. Also consider the relationship between the upper and lower lips in their contrasting alignments or how they express the individuality of the head. Also confirm that the shapes are consistent such as the boxy and blunted upper lip and a rounded lower lip to avoid creating camel lips or human lips. From the front, make sure the muzzle isn’t too wide or too narrow either, and make sure the nostrils are set at the correct distance from each other as well. Are the flutes of the nostril flare indicative of the overlying musculature with their unique shape, depressions, and bulges, or are they incorrectly a solid, triangular flute? Are the flared nostrils too small or too big? Sometimes we can get a little carried away and sculpt nostrils that are too big to be accurate. And from the front, do the nostrils angle inwards at the median at the top and away from the median at the bottom rim? As for technique, are the rims of our nostrils rounded, even, and fleshy, or do they suffer from pilling, tears, knife–thin edges, ruffles, or unevenness? 
• Now if we’ve sculpted an open mouth, it’s often a good idea to lay in the first four incisors first (top and bottom) then work outward, finally ending with the tushes. Also be sure the adjoining border between the first top and bottom incisors lays on the median plane of the skull so the rows are centered. Are the teeth the correct scale? What’s more, the incisors shouldn’t exhibit a problem with wear like a “smile” or “wave,” and shouldn’t be crooked, asymmetrical, uneven, or have other malocclusions. They also should be sculpted and detailed to match the age of our depicted sculpture, and be shaped like equine incisors and not like human ones. We also need to attend to the crown details as per shape and coloration because they’re important details that reflect the age, narrative, and well–being of our depicted subject. So that means we also need to recheck our teeth against an age and shape chart regularly to ensure accuracy.
• When regarding the ears, placement is a primary issue since misalignments are common such as being skewed from the EENA, from the jaw line, seated too inwards towards the median, or out too far out, forcing the head to become unnaturally wide. They can also be perched too high on the crown with the bulb seated outside the plane of the skull when it should sit inside its bulla, or they can be set too far back towards the neck as well. Aside from placement, sculpted ears should also mimic the delicacy and curvaceous distinction of the real thing. They shouldn’t be misshapen or coarsely done as afterthoughts. We also need to make sure the ears are appropriate for the breed, age, and gender. They need those distinct anatomical details, too, such as that curious inner curve and fold of the inner rim near the “V.” Rims should be rounded and delicate, and wrinkles should be fleshy and neatly done.
• Check the head against the other artistic errors detailed in Part 16 and make the necessary corrections.

Making it a habit to constantly recheck our heads in this manner helps to keep us on track. The point isn’t to just barrel through it then, but to take it in steps, paying special attention to the skull’s features. If we get the skull itself as correct as possible, chances are everything else will fall into place by having reliable landmarks. Also remember to keep facial muscular in scale and pay special attention to those aspects that pooch out and those that dip in because the equine head is very "3D" and not flatly muscled.

Conclusion To Part 18

Without a doubt, the ability to mediate our errors is as important as knowing what to infuse into our clay in the first place. So much can go awry, and so quickly and covertly, we should always be on our toes. Good work is as much about what isn't there as about what is, and it’s our measurement and rechecking techniques that steer us in the right direction.

Yet by the same token, we learn a lot from our errors, don't we? It could even be said that what we learn from them is more important. Without errors, much of our knowledge base would be superficial and stagnant since learning lends meaning to our efforts. Without a doubt, the journey exploring both our strengths and pesky points opens up avenues of discovery otherwise untapped. As such, forging ahead boldly and armed with a slew of troubleshooting techniques is the ticket. Timidity is a liability in equine realism because we won't stretch and test our boundaries, and if anything required boldness, it's sculpting this animal! So until next time…boldly go where you've never gone before and explore!

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” 

~ Aristotle

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 18

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 17

Introduction

Hello again! We’re back with this 20–part series about the equine head, dissecting it both anatomically, biologically, and artistically. In the previous installment, we discussed artistic flaws that are often found in equine sculpture, giving us a leg up for our own creative efforts. But our endeavors aren’t just about artistic issues—we also have to factor in real–life concerns. This animal is typically evaluated according to a series of value judgements that determine worth or "suitability." This means that the horse is one of the most objectified animals in domestication, finding judgement in nearly every facet of his experience with us. So we have to also factor in all these value systems into our creative considerations with all the nuance and complexity apparent in life. Yet we also need to know when to ignore them, too! 

And all this is no easy task. For starters, there’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding structure. Misguided convention and rhetoric seasons much of prevailing thought, some of which is being exposed as science peels away obsolete ideas. What’s more, there’s a systemic opinion that equine structure is as much about taste as anything else when in fact the only thing truly relevant is function. Remember that the equine physique is a carefully balanced series of specific systems designed precisely for his biological niche. There's not a lot of fudge–factor for our fancies. Indeed, when we push past these biological parameters, we often end up with “lawn ornaments,” nonviable individuals who may certainly fit our tastes, but are physically compromised. Is this what we want to endorse in our art? Even so, we should also recognize that many concepts of conformation are at best hypothetical. Science is disproving much of conventional thought on this issue, and we certainly can’t ignore the many specimens with “perfect” structure who are chronically lame compared to those with “flawed” structure who remain sound. The quality of horsemanship also plays a tremendous role in how conformation affects performance, a factor often ignored in conformational evaluations.

To manage all this then, we should realize there’s a hierarchy of structure. First and foremost, there’s functional conformation, the build that's consistent to nature's blueprint and purpose. Then next there’s breed type, the structural differences that define a breed or type. And last, our tastes, or those features that form a horse more to our liking aesthetically. This means we shouldn’t only know what’s viable, but also what’s desirable as well as what's variable. That’s a lot to juggle.

Now that we’ve already explored some artistic flaws in Part 16, let’s discuss some functional flaws we may find in life with the equine head…

Functional Flaws

A sound frame of reference—a biological context—places the equine evolutionary blueprint at the base of our value system, helping us avoid unintentionally validating harmful structure. That's because it's two different things to sculpt equines and then to sculpt equines within a biological context. Indeed, it's perilously easy to be lulled into "improving" upon nature rather than remembering its parameters. All too quickly we can lose sight of biology in pursuit of our own ideals, something particularly strong when it comes to art. This isn’t reserved just for artists, however; it’s equally true with horsepeople. Breeding and judging decisions in pursuit of “perfection” can result in deformities that then become validated by kudos. And since people are prone to oneupmanship, these deformities can even become ever more exaggerated. This means we need to regard things with a biological objectivity, especially when expounded by an entrenched industry. That's because, though often well–meaning, many of those involved are simply too immersed in their own dogma—and immersion brings with it bias, fads, knowledge gaps, denials, convention, excuses, conformity, peer pressure, and misinformation. Yet, as artists, we have an opportunity for a more objective view since our knowledge base, by its very nature, needs to be more expansive, technical, and interdisciplinary. We simply have to be "lifted out" of the immersion if we're going to be able to create our most informed work.

That said, however, we also should recognize that we can become immersed, too, particularly when it comes to our tastes that can contradict biology just as easily. Truly, it's easy to fall under the spell of our knowledge gaps, blindspots, and prejudices. Artists also tend to idealize which is fine if the definition of “perfect” is firmly seated within a biological context. But if not, we can end up validating harmful structure. And if aren't especially careful, we can slide into objectification, and that's definitely a slippery slope. For example, we perceive a difference between the Mona Lisa and Barbie because recognizing idealized, objectified caricatures of our own form is easy, being so familiar. Yet this distinction isn’t so forthcoming in equine art. Perhaps it’s because we burden the animal our ideas of perfection, our persistent predilection for “more is better,” or maybe because people are prone to objectification anyway. Then mix in status, profits, and competition and we have a rather problematic brew. Whatever the reason though, all this presents an interesting conundrum to us—realistic art demands faithfulness to life, but where’s the line? 

This question has important implications because history demonstrates that artistic visuals can be a potent force in shaping people's perception. That is to say visuals are informed by life, but they also influence life in a kind of feedback loop. Art also tends to absorb ideals of beauty to then exaggerate and idealize them, and so endorse them. What usually happens then is a symbiosis that produces an ever extreme paradigm of beauty. The HYPP problem in the Quarter Horse and the "extreme headed" Arabians are classic examples. In terms of movement, the Big Lick TWH is another clear illustration of this effect. To clarify it further, it's also alarmingly illustrated in the images of fashion models with the profuse use of Photoshop. 

This begs another question: Do we have a moral responsibility to this animal? We can't ignore the possibility that when we tip towards exaggeration we may run into ethical dilemmas. And the problem isn’t whether art work is “alive” and therefore cannot suffer. The issue is what our art work validates. Whatever we create is an endorsement, a promotion, an immortalization, so in this way, our art speaks not only for us, but for the animal as well. So do our visuals promote his well–being? Or do we promote Barbie ideals? Are we pandering to problematic ideals or are we advocating for this animal we profess to admire?

Before we can answer this for ourselves, however, we need to develop an ability to weigh things objectively and it's a biological perspective that will provide us with that measure of objective judgement. This not only gives us the tools to make more informed decisions, but also the rock to stand on when we have to defend our work. It's hard to argue with biological reality! For this reason then, some problematic structures are presented here as a means to jump–start this process, as follows: 

• Malocclusions: A “parrot mouth” or an “undershot jaw” are severe faults because they interfere with eating. A parrot mouth occurs when the upper jaw overshoots the lower jaw whereas a undershot jaw is when the lower jaw undershoots the upper jaw. This shouldn't be confused with a "pooky" lip, however.
• Big Head: Also called Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (NPH), Big Head is a condition caused when the horse doesn’t get enough calcium. Firm bony swellings appear of the bridge of the nose near the eyes. Other symptoms include thicker jaw bones which sometimes become so thick and misshapen that the tongue hangs out because the incisors can’t meet. The condition also causes unsoundness that periodically switches from leg to leg, sometimes making the horse unwilling to move. And because the bones are weaker, they can fracture easily.
• Narrow jaws: A large fist should fit between the ridges of the jaws between the ramus to allow for a proper airway. When there isn't, the horse may have problems consuming enough air or swallowing.
• Buggy eyes: There’s a tendency to select for big, buggy eyes in certain breeds such as the Arabian. However, this feature can indicate hypothyroidism or Anterior Segment Dysgenesis (ASD) in a real horse. 
• “Dishy head,” “classic head,” or “extreme type”: The distinctly dished, domed head (the “jibbah”) of the Arabian is a prominent feature of the breed. A prevailing misconception believes the jibbah creates a larger brain case (or, alternately, to increase air intake). Predictably then, selection for this structure is strong as enthusiasts seek the deepest dish, the most pronounced jibbah, and the most bent concave axis. The result found in many halter classes today then has become markedly extreme compared to heads past. Simply comparing the Arabian profiles of ancestral desertbred photos to those of today makes the difference patently clear. In natural circumstances, however, the Arabian profile is much more discrete in design because, in reality, the jibbah evolved in a desert environment as a means to cool and add moisture to the hot, dry air to protect the sensitive inner tissues of the respiratory tract. In fact, many desert species have cranial dishes for this reason—from asses to hemonids to antelopes—so it’s not something unique to the breed. This means the jibbah is a function of the sinus, not the brain case or breathing capacity.  Being so, extreme concave profiles are a functional lability by actually contradicting nature’s design. Remember that air passing through the respiratory tract can be as fast as 400 mph, faster than an F5 tornado, and this air flow can move unimpeded in a normal head. Yet an “extreme” head causes air sweeping through the sinus cavity to hit the delicate membranes at abnormal angles, causing painful inflammation. Also the easy flow of air within the head's respiratory system is restricted by causing pinch points at key intersections, often producing wheezing and gruntling. In some cases, such a head structure also forces the roots of the upper molars to puncture the floor of the sinus cavity, resulting in various physical and behavioral problems due to pain. Unfortunately then these animals are reduced to "lawn ornaments," unable to function as as nature intended, or even have to be euthanized, their disfigured skulls often found as cautionary tales in equine dentistry schools. This is why Arabians used for sport tend to have less–extreme heads whereas halter horses tend to have the more extreme heads. Yet because a “classic head” is considered so desirable today, Arabian artwork has idealized and amplified it to brow–raising proportions as a means to seduce sales. Indeed, some art work has swerved so deeply into exaggeration that it’s no longer realistic by any measure. For example, Arabians with dolphin–like deformed heads with extremely domed foreheads and crushed nasal bones with tiny muzzles and enormous eyes are quite common in art work. Or seahorse–like heads due to also gouging–down the jaw bars, giving the head a fluted appearance. Stepping back then, it begs the question of how much should our tastes influence our creative choices regarding a structure that must first be functional? For this reason, perhaps it's better to derive influences from those Arabians used for performance rather than halter showing.   
• Fine muzzle: A relic from the Victorian era, a small, refined muzzle is thought to constitute good breeding whereas a “coarse,” large muzzle apparently indicated poor breeding. In particular, the Arabian ideal demands a “tea cup muzzle” which has inspired breeders to select for ever–smaller muzzles, some alarmingly so. This creates what can be described as an “ice cream cone” head in which the muzzle almost seems to end in a point, something even exaggerated in art work. Yet a “tea cup” muzzle never meant a muzzle small enough to fit into a teacup, but one sensitive and delicate enough to sip from one. Remember that, biologically, the entirety of his evolutionary history can be found in his head, and nature designed all the necessary means for sustenance in his muzzle: The intake of air, food, and water. Being so, a small muzzle compromises their intake by reducing the net capacity of the muzzle. What’s more, an undersized muzzle can cause interference with the rooting of the teeth while, in large breeds, a small muzzle can compromise the consumption and processing of the copious amounts of food, water, and air needed to sustain their mass. Therefore, the animal requires a muzzle of goodly size and proportion to his mass. Truly, biologically speaking, there’s no such thing as a muzzle that’s “too big."
• Fine head: Current ideals of animal beauty aren’t necessarily self–evident or timeless. More often, they’re rooted in historical cultural, social, or class prejudices, especially during the Victorian period, which was ripe with ideas about elitism and eugenics. One such example is a comparatively small head which was more a function of class prejudice in the Victorian 1800s rather than intelligent breeding. In the past, the common horse used by the working class had a relatively heavy, large head—and what upper class aristocrat would want to be seen with a “common horse”? This fueled the desire for a smaller, “finer” head which only intensified with the emphasis of showing status from utility. Horse paintings, which were the primary means to glorify prize animals before the camera, idealized horses even more with curiously small heads as an artistic expression of this underlaying preference. The work of George Stubbs is a classic example. Consequently, breeders aimed for this ideal even more, causing a progressive shrinking in the equine head, comparatively speaking. As a result, most horses today have smaller heads than those of yesteryear, or in relation to feral or wild cousins. Indeed, Susan McBane noted this trend in her book, Conformation for the Purpose, The Make, Shape and Performance of the Horse: “Domestic horses, however, nearly all have longer necks and smaller heads than their primitive ancestors because we have selectively bred for this characteristic of beauty…” Indeed, we still hear this sentiment today in the comments made about wild or feral cousins being described as “primitive" or even "ugly." Notwithstanding, evolution designed the equine head for things far more important than our ideas about beauty, and serious complications can arise when a large body mass with high performance demands depends on a head that’s too small to accommodate. We should also remember that the equine head is integral to his balance and coordination, being a weight on the end of his neck, and by extension his entire spine. For these reasons then, his head should be in balance with his mass and more faithful to proportions informed by nature. (Note: It’s also curious that other related structures are present in those old paintings as well such as long, fine necks, giant eyes, small muzzles, light bone, small hooves, and often long cannons, all vestigial ideals born of the Victorian age that still influence breeding today in some breeds. So the lesson here is: While art can be technically realistic, it can still be unfaithful to the subject through a misappropriation of proportion.)
• Homogenization: There’s been a fashionable trend within some breeds of adopting the features of another breed as a means of “improvement. For example, the Saddlebred influence on the breeding of Morgans, or the “exotic” Arab–like heads on American Iberians or Quarter Horses. But shouldn’t each breed be celebrated for its unique features, which are often rich in history and cultural context? And shouldn’t artists be “keepers of the grail” when short–term breeding fads threaten the distinct phenotype of a breed? Even so, sometimes homogenization can be an artistic blindspot caused by a fixation on a particular physique that seeps into the expression of others. For example, an artist enamored with Arabians may “arabian–ize” the sculptures of other breeds, even drafters and stock horses. Artists can also become so fixated on a certain type within a breed that other variations are excluded within their body of work. This is fine, of course, if this is what we consciously intend, but if it’s unintentional, that’s a systemic blind spot. For all these reasons then, knowing the ancestral types of a breed can help us create within context to better express a breed’s diversity and distinction.
• Breed type: We need to remember that the concept of breed type—or “points of type”—is a relatively new invention born of the Victorian era. Being so, the thinking of the time turned breed type into a kind of branded market identity, improving a breed's profitability in a market veering away from utility. This resulted in a progressive exaggeration of type in many breeds, to the point today that many specimens, especially from the halter venue, are nonviable. So what’s the most responsible way to regard these points of type? Capriciously according to our tastes? Or skeptically with the equine blueprint firmly in mind? For this, familiarity with a breed’s factual history and historic archetypes, firmly rooted in biology, are good balances for making informed decisions. 

Conclusion To Part 17

That’s a lot to factor into our knowledge base, isn’t it? Most definitely, sculpting the equine realistically involves a lot more than simply sculpting what’s there! There’s so much to weigh with each decision. No wonder artistically expressing the equine has challenged artists so profoundly through the ages!

However, we can stay on a steadier compass heading if our navigation points are thoughtfully chosen. In this, if our path homes in on functionality as our destination, the more likely we’ll be able to avoid flawed detours. Boiled down then, it’s all a matter of what we want to say about our values through out work. For this reason, such things are up to our own individual decisions. But what’s a more sincere celebration of this animal? Portrayals that advocate for his well–being or those that pander to human capriciousness?

So to continue our explorations, we’ll progress to troubleshooting our sculpture in Part 18. Knowing we’ll make errors from the onset is helpful since we can then preemptively arm ourselves with preventative countermeasures. So until next time…favor function over fashion to fast–track progress!

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” 

~ Abigail Adams

Heads Above The Rest!; Exploring The Science and Art Of The Equine Head for Sculpting: Part 17