Friday favorites

In 2024, Elżbieta Zarzecka, wrote a guest post about painting a model horse in a hair-by-hair style. Most people - myself included - associate that sort of detailed finishwork with patterned horses: dapple greys, appaloosas, roans and the like. Not Ela. For her, every horse is a hair-by-hair horse, even this not so plain bay.

From a distance, he looks like a normal, albeit exceptionally well painted, artist piece. 

But the closer you get...

the more amazing, he becomes.

Every surface is covered in tiny, perfect hairs.

Tiny oil painted hairs.

The effect is truly amazing.

Seriously, how is this not hide?

How are these not actual hooves?

I could look at this horse all day.

I asked Ela how long it takes to paint a model this way.

She said:  I counted the time I spent actually working on the model, not including breaks and cleaning up. The prepping was around twenty hours, painting hair in oils took fifty two hours, the acrylics parts like base coat, eyes and hooves took sixteen hours and mohair from glueing to styling took ten hours. That was the hardest part, because the mane didn't want to cooperate.

She also noted that all of this was spread out over three years, and that's actually pretty fast for her!

I love every single thing about this piece.

But my favorite part isn't a part at all.

It's the fact that this horse is not a commission or sales piece. Ela painted him for herself and plans to keep him forever.

I love that so much! Congratulations on your new pony, Ela!