Base coating!

I've got the Akhal Teke's first layer of color going.  It's a mixture of white and pearl champagne.  It's the first time I've used this particular color mix and it's the coolest for Tekes since they're metallic.

The next guy up getting color is the Single-Footed stallion.
He's got another layer to do tomorrow.
Well on his way to being white.

The Throughbred mare is almost finished.  Still working on the neck, the tail is next. Joint work and such still needed. But she's looking good.  She's going to have a Heartbreaker Foal with her as a set.  Still sanding down and playing with that left hind knee a little.

The TWH foal is almost ready for primer.  He got new cannons today and his hooves refined and shaped. His fetlock joints were shaped and buffed down.

The adios is getting a new layer of neck in place.

I re-primed the wound on the Mare giving birth set but didn't photograph her yet. I'll wait til I get her first layer of base coat one.
A commission TWH stallion was primed today.

The cow is going through a transformation also.

Hoof Tutorial: Carving

Here is a photo tutorial on carving out the hooves.

This is a traditional Breyer ASB model and the horse's left hind hoof is being carved out. 

Photo Number 1.

Here you have the hoof clean and sanded flat. Smooth out any rough areas around it, and reshape it if needed. Some Breyer hooves are almost square shaped or have a couple of edges at the back that aren't round.  But this is to show the underside of the hoof or "frog" of the hoof.

Photo Number 2.

This is the Dremel tool tip you'll need.  It's the diamond tapered tip and they sell them at any Walmart, or Lowes or Home Depot.  This is the best tool for the job. Holding the leg in your hand using your finger to support the back of the hoof against the pressure. The position of the hoof is best if the hoof is pointing down to your lap with the heel towards the ceiling

Photo Number 3 & 4.

Now, starting at the back of the hoof which will be the top. Take the dremel and carve out a 'V' shape. You start at the top of the hoof and just lay the tool tip down against the hoof. Rock it from side to side and sand out the 'V' shape. Simple.

Photo Number 5 & 6.

Now take the tool tip and again starting at the top of the hoof (the back), lay the tip on the outside of the 'V' and press the tip down while leaning it down and slowly pull it around to the bottom of the 'V'.  Do the same to the other side. You don't need to carve the bottom (which would be the front) of the hoof as much as the back. It tapers out. The motion you're doing is a swinging motion with the tool. You are pressing it in the corner of the top of the 'V' and you swing it down and around in a steady motion.

Photo Number 7 & 8.

The next and final step to carving out a hoof is to break the connection at the back of the hoof where the top of the 'V' tips connect to the outer edge.  Imagine if you will that the shape you've carved so far would look like a outline of "Pac-Man".  You have a ring around the hoof, and it cuts in to make the Pac-Man mouth. What you are doing now is cutting the mouth.  You take the tool tip and grind out the top of the 'V'.  Next just do alittle fine sanding and cleaning out the carved areas, and there you have it.

Ready for paint!

My single-footed boy is primed and rebuffed and ready for paint.

The TWH foal is almost ready. He's got new finished ears now and a completed mane.  He's got some more tweaking to do to his legs and hooves but he's in the home stretch.

The cow has gone through some interesting changes.  lol
Remind me NEVER to do this again.

The Teke stallion looks amazing now  (if I do say so myself)

Tragedy in the studio today.  The mare giving birth set I just primed and was setting her up to dry.  I had to clamp her tail in the vice grip to hold her in place.  I didn't want to tighten it too much for fear her tail would snap.  I'd rather the tail go than what happened.  I turned around to look at the thoroughbred mare's progress, and heard something hit the floor. It was the set. The mare's head broke clean off.  Luckily the break was easy to repair. So she's mending. Tomorrow I'll resand her down and reprime the neck.

The thoroughbred mare is coming along better than expected now.

 
I've started another project now also. I wanted to do him as a portrait model of a particular Quarter Horse I've seen, but after I got him, I think he's just going to be too bulky and chubby for the horse I want him to be.  So I've got coming now a Breyer Ideal Quarter Horse to use.  That looks better.  So thi sguy i think I will turn into a paint.  But this is how so many customs get started.

Cupid's still waiting on antlers.  I'm working on them......AGAIN.

Non paying bidder on Ebay Alert:

After all this time (several weeks) this Ebay bidder  babykat80  has sent no emails, no responses at all to numerous invoices, and emails from both myself and Ebay... and after a non-paying bidder report was filed and a case stayed open for days,  I've now added this person to my Ebay blocked bidder list and voided the entire auction for the item.

I recommend that everyone beware of this person's account name.  Her name on Ebay is Babykat80 aka Valerie Boyster from Ohio.  I advise artists to add her name to your blocked lists as well or excercise caution when doing trades or sales with that name.  This was a first time bidder account on Ebay and appearantly she thinks the system of buying online at auction is a joke.  Nothing makes my blood boil more than a jerk who outbids serious bidders to get something they never had any intention of paying for in the first place.  It's a headache, a waste of time,  and a pain in the ass for Ebay sellers dealing with these constant tire kickers.

My babies.

Took some pictures of my babies today.  I was waiting for Apoxie to set up.  Sonny...

Gizmo (We try to avoid direct sunlight, getting him wet, and feeding him after midnight.)

And Cricket, with Sparky asleep.

Single-footed and exstatic!

The single-footed stallion is done! He's got to get sanded and buffed and primed and resanded and rebuffed and....well it's a rinse, lather, repeat kind of thing.
But his mane and tail are done and he's got a footpeg. (I hate those things)

The thoroughbred mare is looking better.  Although I hate it when I'm working on something and just leave it for the night looking unfinished.  She's desperately got to have her left hind leg reshaped and sanded on the underside because right now it's too fat and wide, but the right side looks pretty good so far.

I think he neck still needs to be longer.  Still there's only so much I can do with the apoxie at one time.  There are gaping holes that need to be filled but they have to set up or else the apoxie will just sink into the model and you'll never get it filled without loading it full of apoxie.  

The TWH foal has got what's going to be new ears since they needed to be bigger.  He's now got a full fluffy tail, and I've been shaping the cannon bones in the legs.  The hooves need more work. The face has been bulked up some. I have to wait til he hardens so I can shave down and shape his ears better. Tweaked his croup a little but it's still not right yet.

And the teke.  After looking at him some more, I decided his neck was still not long enough.  So it's been lengthened. He's got a new shoulder now to match his newly moved leg.

I still need to sand him and probably add a touch more apoxie to the new neck gap.   Til next time.