It’s fitting that my first blog post for this newly styled website features the image of my lovely mare, Montana, showcased on the home page. I created this image using the Procreate app some time ago.I created this artwork while learning to make digital images with Procreate, primarily through experimentation. In this post, I will detail the process, showcasing pictures of various stages of the image’s formation and including a short timelapse video to illustrate how it all came together. Briefly, my interest in digital art with Procreate stemmed from the desire to explore a new medium with intuitive tools.
Although the style of this image diverges from my current focus on equestrian ukiyo-e, it captures Montana’s character and temperament more effectively than I could achieve with my current limited skills in equestrian art, as it evolved from an actual photograph. I feel this picture captures something of Montana’s calm alertness and the peaceful connection I have with her.
This is the essence of why I have chosen to study equestrian ukiyo-e in more detail. When I look at the artwork with equestrian themes made by the various artists of the art form, I see more of the spirit of the horse than I can in photographs and classical Western paintings. It is as if the process of simplifying an image so that it can be reproduced in the typical ukiyo-e form has facilitated a direct view of the nature of the subject.
The painting was inspired by a photograph of Montana, taken late in the afternoon after a ride. I aimed to transform it into a framed piece for my home. In the shot, Montana stood alert, ears forward in anticipation of a treat, capturing a lovely, peaceful moment.
I aimed to capture the peacefulness of that moment in my image derived from the photograph. At the time, I was unaware of the ukiyo-e style and was simply experimenting with what worked. I kept alterations simple to preserve Montana’s head pose and expression, which told a clear, restful story. Reflecting now, I realise our work together was balanced, as both her stance and expression showed no signs of tension. The strong diagonal line created by Montana’s head and neck in the photograph was a compositional choice intended to add dynamic interest. The 4000px x 5000px canvas size in Procreate was chosen as a standard dimension suitable for potential printing.
In Procreate, I used the selection tool to trace the head and neck before cutting the original background from the photograph. Initially grainy from editing, I aimed to create a painted effect with a textured background instead of a flat one. This preference stems from the added depth and visual interest that texture can provide. Reviewing the timelapse, I experimented with various flat backgrounds before adding texture beneath the photograph. Although I don’t have the exact colour palette on record, I recall using the eyedropper tool to select shades from the photo, building the artwork from that evolving palette.
The texture adding phase felt organic as I experimented with various brushes from Procreate’s native collection and free online downloads. The combinations of texture brushes and a simple palette yielded interesting results. However, adding a line around the shape of the head diminished the image’s softness, contrasting with the feeling I captured in Montana. Procreate’s layer system allowed me to easily try and remove elements without losing my progress.
I dedicated significant time to detailing elements like eyelashes, eye shading, and the sensory hairs around the muzzle, known as vibrissae, which aid equines in spatial awareness. Many equine organisations worldwide, including those in Australia, have banned trimming these hairs. My interest in ukiyo-e style stems from how artists incorporate such vital details, which contribute to the narrative they depict. I look forward to exploring this further. These details were added with thin pencil lines, and the colours I chose were white and off white.
Unfortunately, I can’t list the brushes I used to add the painterly effect to the picture as it was some time ago that I made it, and I was not as familiar with Procreate brushes as I am now. I do know that I looked for ones that blended well as I wanted to maintain the soft look that I had managed to achieve. I also added brush marks to the forelock and mane in white with a thin brush.
Montana has a slightly pink tinge to the skin around her muzzle. I wanted to show this, and I think I used the water colour brush to do that. This brush has some transparency, which prevented the addition of the pink from looking like a deliberately added pink stripe.
Conclusion
In this blog post, I document my artistic journey in transforming a photograph of Montana into a digital painting for my equestrian art website. While this initial image of Montana served as a starting point, initially, I sought a style that resonated with me, leading to my exploration of ukiyo-e. Future blogs will delve into the human-equine relationship through ukiyo-e inspired digital paintings. I aim to explore the nuances of the ukiyo-e style and share my processes in creating these digital artworks, ultimately producing images worthy of printing and framing. I look forward to sharing more of this journey here.
A pony is a childhood dream. A horse is an adulthood treasure — Rebecca Carroll
Equestrian Art & Movement