LOOKING FOR A PORTRAIT MODEL OF YOUR FAVORITE HORSE?
Q: So how do you get a model painted to look like your real horse?
A: You contact a finish work artist such as myself and I'll work with you to find a body which resembles your horse in breed, conformation, and personality.
Q: What types of bodies are available for painting?
A: There are two basic types of bodies to paint:
Most non-hobbyist customers would probably be more comfortable with a plastic model, though if you tend to be an art connoisseur, you may wish to look into Artist Resins as the quality are detail are usually miles ahead of plastic models!
Q: What are "scales"?
A: Model horses tend to fit into certain size ranges. If you are familiar with Breyer model horses, then scale is easy to explain. The largest size Breyers are Traditional at about 9 inches at the ears. The next smaller size down is Classic at about 6 inches at ear. Smaller again is Paddock Pal/Little Bit/Pebbles scale at about 4 inches at ears, and the Stablemate scale are about 2 1/2-3 inches at ears.
Large Traditional is larger than a Trad scale Breyer (mostly resin models, but some Breyer drafts would come under this category), Micro Minis are tiny- about 1 inch tall! Also there is a scale called Curio or Thumbscale which is in between the Little Bit and Stablemate scale. Those will be priced according to which size they are closer to. Foal or pony models will be priced according to actual size they are closest to rather than scale.
Q: What models are are available to be painted?
A: There are literally hundreds of plastic molds available! Some of them are nicer than others, with newer molds being typically better conformed than the really old molds. There are exceptions to that rule, though :)
You can peruse some sites to help you pick out a mold and I'll try to find what you want at the best price possible. Sometimes you may have to go to a second choice or prepare to pay more as some molds are rare or in high demand. Prices for bodies will typically range from $5-$40 for a plastic model depending on scale, to $65 and up into the hundreds of dollars for an artist resin.
PonyLagoon- Breyer models
Stone Reference Site- Plastic models made by the Peter Stone Company
Equine Resin Directory- Artist resins, search for examples by breed, type, artist, scale, etc.
| Scale | Solid Colors | Rabicanos & Sabinos | Apps, Pintos, & Roans |
| Large Traditional | $135 | $155 | $165 & Up |
| Traditional | $125 | $14520 | $155 & Up |
| Classic | $95 | $110 | $120 & Up |
| Little Bit/Paddock Pal | $65 | $75 | $90 & Up |
| Stablemate | $55 | $65 | $75 & Up |
| Micro Scale | $30 | $40 | $50 & Up |
*These are guidelines only and price may vary with the difficulty or extensive dappling or markings done on a color. Solid indicates minimal markings such as average stockings or facial markings. Rabicano or sabino marking prices are for models which will take several hours on the white markings alone. Extreme rabicanos and sabinos would be priced higher, accordingly.
What
is prepping?
Prepping is removing seams and flashing from a factory or artist molded
model. These seams are mostly taken off in a quick manner at the factory,
but often some of them are still on the model after being sent out from the
factory and can be very distracting from the overall artwork of the piece. I
will not send a model out of here that hasn't been prepped as it reflects
poorly on me as an artist. Prepping is not included in the price, but
occasionally I may be able to get a body which has already been prepped so
you will not have to pay me for it if it's been done right the first time!
Prepping guidelines*:
|
Scale |
Resin | Plastic |
| Large Traditional | $40 | $45 |
| Traditional | $35 | $40 |
| Classic | $30 | $35 |
| Little Bit/Paddock Pal | $20 | $25 |
| Stablemate | $15 | $20 |
| Micro Scale | $10 | $15 |
*These are guidelines only and price may vary with the quality of the resin or plastic. Models needing lots of filler, resin seconds, split seams, etc, require much more work and will be billed at $10/hr for the extra work.
CUSTOMIZING
If the body you pick for your portrait model differs in some way from your real horse, some details can be changed for an additional fee. A simple sex change from stallion/gelding to mare or vice versa will run $10-$25, depending on scale. This is the most basic customization that most non-hobbyists would want on their portrait models. Other details such as lengthening a short tail or changing which side the mane lays on could be done as well. These will be billed based on $10/hr for the work.
PHOTOS
To adequately render your real horse into a model, I will need photos... lots and lots of photos! Okay, the amount of photos depends on your horses markings and color. First off I need good photos of each side taken in sunlight. Not too washed out as I will use these to get the overall color and tone right. Then I will need front, both sides, and back of any leg markings. I will need head shots straight on for any face markings, as well as a basic headshot to get his eyes. And if your horse has a white nose, lower lip, wrap around the cheeks or chin, etc, I will need additional photos of those. I will also need close ups of any body spotting or roaning if it is present. I may ask for more photos as I am detailing, but this is the basics.
I will send digital photos of your model to you via email when I am finished with the paintjob, this gives you the chance to OK the work and I can tweak anything that you might want before I ship the model home. If you want photos of the work in progress, just ask! I will be happy to email them anytime!