Seeing spots part 7 - Finishing touches

The most famous Appaloosa characteristic is, beyond doubt, the spots. Lesser known, but also important, are the visible white sclera around the eye, striped hooves, and mottled skin. I'm now going to show you how to create these effects starting with the eyes.

I like to build the eye up in layers. Step one is simple. Paint the eye white.



Next, add a pink spot in the front corner for the third eyelid/nicitating membrane. Dry brush a tiny bit or red on top of it to give the impression of capillaries.



In order to tone the whole thing down and make it more lifelike, go over the entire eye with a very thin wash of mostly water and a teeny tiny dab of Golden Airbrush Raw Umber.



Use the same color full strength for the iris and, while it is still wet (you'll have to move fast!), blend some metallic gold into the center. This is the secret to that lifelike sparkle.



Now make a horizontal bar of black for the pupil. I like to add a bit of metallic blue at the center for depth, but it's not mandatory.



On to the hooves. Apply loose chalk pastel using a paintbrush to any hooves you have painted white. You'll want to choose a dark gold or raw sienna. This is just a base so don't worry overmuch about what shade you choose.



Now take a colored pencil in a similar shade and draw some stripes onto the dark hooves. Be sure to vary your line. Some stripes should be fat, some thin, some clustered together, others off on their own. Symmetry in NOT your friend here! Just make sure that they follow the angle of the hoof wall exactly. You will do the same on the light hooves using a dark gray or black pencil. On the lighter hooves, I like to go over the stripes with pastel in a matching color. It fleshes them out a bit.



Finally, choose a dark reddish brown pastel color and go around all the hooves horizontally. You can use this same color to shade the undersides of any raised hooves.



The mottled skin around the eyes, muzzle, and dock area can make or break the whole look of your horse, but is actually very simple to create. You will need a pale pink or flesh colored watercolor pencil. My brand of choice is Derwent. Get the pencil nice and sharp and then briefly dip the tip into a cup of water. Using the damp tip, make little spots. Just like the hoof stripes, you'll make different sizes, some you'll spread out, and some you'll cluster. Allow me to reiterate: Symmetry = Bad

Once the mottling has dried, brush a thin coat of red pastel over it, and then tone it down with another coat of pastel, this time in black or a very dark gray. That last bit is important. I've seen a lot of lovely appaloosa ruined by skin mottling that dominates the entire face by being too bold.



That's it. Give your horse a good once over for any damage resulting from handling (unavoidable), spray him/her with the sealant of your choice, and top it off by glossing the eyes, hooves, and nostrils. Your Appaloosa is now complete!