The Art of Painting Horses
Andrea Gianchiglia
Class Preview
1:36
- In-depth Instruction; over 175 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Foundations for a Great Painting
21:42
Meet artist Andrea Gianchiglia and start planning your painting, beginning with a good reference photo. Andrea discusses elements to consider and shares lighting tips. Set up an appealing composition with thumbnail sketches, then create a perfectly proportioned gesture drawing.
The Eyes, Muzzle & Ears
26:30
Begin painting the windows into a horse's soul: the eyes. You'll create a monochrome underpainting on a toned canvas, setting the values, then begin painting in color. Learn Andrea's tips for capturing a realistic look for the eye, then paint the horse's soft muzzle and expressive ears.
The Mane, Tail & Coat
22:54
From short and glossy to long and wind-blown, achieve a natural look for your horse's mane and hair. Andrea shares techniques for using the edge of a flat brush to suggest the colors of hair, a dry brush to soften the edges, and a rigger brush to suggest hair strands. You'll paint hooves, too!
Markings
33:05
Learn to capture the many colors and markings that make painting horses so fun. Reproduce the subtle rainbow of colors in a white horse's coat, and in a black horse's. Andrea also shows how to marry different areas of color on horses such as pintos, Appaloosas and dappled grays.
Horse Accessories
25:30
Horse paintings can include a lot of accessories. Andrea demonstrates how to paint the brass and silver buckles and rings on bridles and other tack. You'll also see how to realistically depict stitched and distressed leather, and get a quick overview of painting rope.
From Start to Finish
22:49
Now that you've mastered the many details of painting horses, put them all together and paint along with Andrea to create a complete portrait. You'll learn where to start, how to add layers for rich depth of color and, finally, how to create a background that complements your horse.
Fine-Tuning & Details
21:50
With Andrea's guidance, get those last details in that bring your painting to life. Cool and warm glazes will add richness to darker colors, while dry brushing can bring out highlights. A finer brush adds details such as the hair of a forelock or dangling reins, and of course, your signature!
Find out how to paint horses using easy-to-learn techniques for composition, color, value and texture. With professional artist Andrea Gianchiglia as your guide, you’ll start by learning tips for choosing a reference photo of a beautiful animal and building a compelling composition. Once your composition is clear, Andrea will help you create a monochromatic underpainting of the horse’s features, and add color to the eyes, muzzle and ears. Next, learn how to capture the look of the horse’s sleek coat and mane as well as its hooves. Get tips for recreating the unique colors and markings of a variety of horses, before Andrea helps you paint tack and hardware. Then, discover how to give your portrait a realistic finish with layering, glazes, highlights and final details.
Andrea Gianchiglia
Andrea Gianchiglia is a full-time artist and instructor specializing in animal portraiture. Andrea teaches art to both children and adults, and she enjoys working on both private commissions and freelance illustration. Her work has been shown at individual and group shows throughout New Jersey, and she's won several awards for her animal portraits in national juried shows.
Bonus materials available after purchase