New Sketchbook

Someone at WetCanvas (KerryOriginals) whose sketches I have particularly liked mentioned using a particular sketchbook and pencil. So on a whim, I decided to order said sketchbook and pencils. The sketchbook, here, is awesome, with probably 300 pages in it, and it looks like it should be a magical book:

And here are my first two sketches in it, I have begun officially studying horse tack:
And my third sketch, done with my new ebony pencils, a Lipizzaner stallion doing (I believe) a half-pass:
I have been drawing in this book every day this week, in fact (two other sketches are in the Hackney and Appaloosa breed posts), I've really been on a roll!

Horse Breed: Hackney

The Hackney is an English trotting horse with a really beautiful gait. For these two drawings, I used my new ebony lead pencils, which are so cool. Unlike regular graphite, it's very easy to get good darks with these pencils, and I really like how they work on the smooth-yet-slightly-textured paper I've been working on.

Horse Breed: Appaloosa

I suppose everyone knows what an Appaloosa is. :) Especially if you took Idaho History. (Seeing as how it's my state horse!) These horses have a very interesting and rather sad history, along with the Nez Perce tribes of Idaho/Washington/Oregon. We are lucky to still have them today, though in a slightly different form than the "original" version bred by the Nez Perce. They are definitely beautiful!

Horse Breed: Australian Stock Horse

Unfortunately I didn't get much done for this week. (I have an unfinished drawing/painting of this breed, as well, which may or may not eventually get completed.) Think "Man from Snowy River" when you think of this breed. :)

Horse Breed: Gypsy Vanner

These horses are delightfully cute. I did a couple of interpretations of the same foal, because I really liked his wild hair (well what do you expect from a Gypsy horse?) and wanted to see how the same pencils would look and work on different types of paper. The first image is my regular mechanical pencil, and the other three are my Graphitint pencils on various surfaces...sketch paper, Hahnemuehle cold press watercolor, and Bristol vellum finish (a smooth hot pressed paper).