Horse in Colored Pencil

Chestnut Horse
Coloured Pencil tutorial on Pastelmat
Discover how to create a beautiful chestnut horse using coloured pencil on
Clairefontaine Pastelmat with Victoria Manser ASEA, UKCPS, CPCAM.

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Hints and Tips
Pencil Pressure How much pressure to use when applying your pencils can cause confusion and a common pitfall is to
apply the pencil too firmly. It’s worth spending some time before starting your projects to experiment especially if you’re
new to working with coloured pencil. A useful exercise is to create a graduated strip which will give a good ‘feel’ for the
different effects created by the different pressures. Starting at the left and holding your pencil near the end, apply just
enough pressure to transfer a little pigment to your paper (1, 2,3), gradually increasing pressure to a normal ‘writing’
pressure (4,5,6,7) and then towards a very heavy pressure where you hold the pencil near the tip (8, 9,10).
Coloured pencil works best when applied with lots

of Light Layers so aim to use a pressure of 2 or 3
for your initial layers, increasing your pressure as
necessary when you get to your final layers.
Patience is required when building the layers as it

can be very tempting to rush to firmer pressures
which will then fill the tooth of the paper too soon
and limit how many layers you can apply.
Colour Swatches Another useful exercise is to create a colour

swatch of your chosen pencils on the paper you are going to work
on, especially if the paper is coloured. It will work in the way a
palette does with paint and allow you to see accurately how your
colours will look before you apply them to your artwork.
Blending Coloured pencils are translucent rather than opaque so

colour mixes and blends are created optically by layering different
colours together. Experiment on a separate piece of paper with your
colour blends to ensure an accurate result.
Sharpening To avoid over sharpening your pencils, rotate your pencil as you draw. You’ll notice the point will wear away
at an angle and rotating the pencil utilises this sharp edge so that you keep your point without too much sharpening. I
use a rotary sharpener to avoid breaking the lead accidentally by twisting it with a manual one.
Smudging It’s easy to inadvertently damage the drawing by smudging it as you move your hand across the paper. To
prevent this, use a sheet of light paper (tracing paper or glassine) under your hand.
Accuracy Observation is the key! Continually check your reference and notice the changes in value and colour, the
direction and length of the fur and the overall ‘feel’ of the texture. Some animals have smooth hair where you can barely
see the individual hairs and in others the separate hairs are very obvious. Pay attention to this and you’ll find your
drawings take on a whole new level of realism.
www.victoriamanser-art.co.uk 2
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Value
As tempting as it is to jump straight into choosing and applying
colour, it’s worth spending some time to understand what is
meant by Value and how it can help bring your work to life.
Value is the tonal value within an image, the light and dark,
highlights (tints) and shadows (shades). Value creates the
illusion of light and therefore depth and form in the drawing,
both of which help create a realistic and vibrant image and avoid
the end result looking flat and lifeless.
The ideal is to aim for a full tonal range across the drawing, with a
small amount of pure white and the same with pure black. I’ve created an illustration of how a simple circle can look solid
and three dimensional when value is added by shading. The quickest way to see how value affects your subject is to create a
black and white (greyscale) version of your reference but the more aware of this you become, the more easily you’ll see it in
all of your work.
Materials
Coloured Pencils
We’re using Faber Castell Polychromos for this project and this brand forms the mainstay of my work. They are
professional quality, hold a sharp point and have a great range of lightfast colours with 120 in the full set. Other brands I
use are Caran d’ache Pablos, Caran d’ache Luminance and Derwent Lightfast. All of these are professional quality, have
high lightest ratings and are easily obtainable in the UK in either sets or open stock.
Panpastel
The background for this image is created using Panpastels. These are round pans of highly pigmented and finely milled
pastel which can be applied with a variety of sponge applicators. They’re less messy than traditional pastels and are
perfect for creating soft backgrounds.
Clairefontaine Pastelmat
The paper we are using was originally designed for pastels but works beautifully with coloured pencil. It has a slightly
rough texture and is perfect for layering, and allows the artist flexibility in how they work, especially in applying light
colours over dark. It comes in a variety of colours and also as a paper or board. For this project I am using Dark Grey
Pastelmat.
Glassine or Tracing paper to place under your hand protect your work from smudges
Graphite transfer paper to trace down your line drawing
Rotary or electric pencil sharpener
Scotch Magic tape
Plastic eraser, putty rubber
Embossing tool
Graphite Pencil
Sofft sponges and applicators for the Panpastels
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Chestnut Horse
For this project I’ve chosen a stunning chestnut from a beautiful photo with kind permission from Karen Broemmelsick.
The horse, being chestnut, has a relatively consistent coat colour throughout without any dramatic colour changes. Whilst
your colour palette will remain quite similar, this image will help you to evaluate and use values effectively to create form,
as well as recognising the subtle variations in hue. For example the coat is much redder to the left of the image in contrast
to a more yellow tone on the right.
This image will also give you the opportunity to explore a variety of textures. The face is very sharply detailed and has
visible hair patterns in contrast to the softness of his back. Reproducing this variation in texture will help the feeling of
depth in your drawing. We also have a rather coarse but fluffy textured mane and forelock, and you can explore how to
create the feeling of hair without having to draw every single hair.
You’ll receive a copy of the photo and the line drawing as a separate download.
Pencil List
Caran d’ache Pablo
White
Faber Castell
Polychromos
Sky blue Burnt ochre
Flesh Pink Sanguine
Dark indigo Terracotta
Paynes grey Burnt sienna
Black Bistre
Cold grey VI Walnut brown
Cold grey III Van-Dyck brown
Cold grey I Burnt Umber
Warm grey I Dark sepia
Warm grey III Light Yellow ochre
Warm Grey VI Caput Mortuum
Ivory Violet
Panpastel List
Titanium White
Pthalo blue Tint
Raw Umber Tint
Raw umber extra Dark
Chrome Oxide Green Shade
Chrome Oxide Green Ex. Dark
Reference photo © Karen Broemmelsick
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Background
I’ve chosen to use Dark Grey Pastelmat which is actually quite a warm mid grey. It’s a great neutral colour which works
beautifully as a base for animal art. As it’s a mid tone, it allows you to add highlights and shadows to easily set the values for
your artwork.
I create my line drawing on layout paper and using graphite Tracedown sheets, transfer the outline to the Pastelmat. I don’t
like to draw directly onto the pastelmat as it doesn’t give any room for error or experimentation as erasing would damage
the surface. Once I’m happy with my outline, I begin with the background. I’m using Panpastels as they cover large areas
very quickly and allow me to create the soft ‘bokeh’ background that offsets this horse so well. 
With the Panpastels I stick to the general pastel application rule of working dark to light. I apply the dark green and dark
umber using a soft sponge for the most part and a small sponge applicator to edge the horse neatly. If you go over your
lines it’s possible to erase the Panpastel to neaten things up.
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I then add the mid green, working in a circular motion with the light blue, umber and white as the last layer. The pastels blend
most effectively once there are a few layers on the paper so try another layer if you’re finding they aren’t blending that well.
You can add darks, lights etc as you go so have fun and enjoy this part - it can be quite addictive!
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Eye
There’s no hard and fast rule about where to start on your

drawing but where possible, I like to begin with the eye. I
feel this creates a connection with the subject and by having
one small part of the drawing finished, it helps me keep
motivated and focused on how it will look once complete.
I begin by outlining the eye in Black, with a layer over the

darkest part of the eyeball, leaving the highlight free from
colour. I keep the pencil sharp and use small circular
strokes. Cold Grey III is layered over the lower eyelid and
Warm Grey I is used under the eye and to touch in a couple
of highlights on the inner rim of the eyelid.
Next step is to build up the rich brown tones of the eyeball.

Even though we don’t see much colour in the finished eye,
having a rich underlayer will create a glow as light reflects
through the darker upper layers.
I add a couple of light layers of Burnt Sienna across the

surface of the eye. My aim is to fill the tooth of the paper so
use circular pencil strokes with a sharp point for this.
Dark Sepia next across the upper part of the eyeball and
Warm Grey VI to build up the creases and shadows in the
lower eyelid.
I want to create a softer finish over the lower eye lid so use
a layer of Cold Grey III to glaze the whole lid. This will give
the effect of blending the colours together. I then reapply
Cold Grey VI to establish the creases and shadows.  
The highlight on the eye ball is a layer of Sky Blue and

Cold Grey I, with a touch of White in the brightest area.
Cold Grey I for the inner lid shine and a little Burnt Ochre
and Ivory for the upper lid and eyelashes. If the Ivory
looks to harsh you can soften the effect with a glaze of
Burnt Ochre.
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Base Layer
With the eye complete I turn my attention to the rest of the horse. Horses have a complex structure of facial bones and you want
to represent these without relying on hard lines and edges. I do this by starting with a base layer which focuses on the values of
the horses face.
As you create your work you’ll find you’ll use your layers in different ways, to add value, colour or to blend. The Value
layer add the lights and darks, which create structure form and depth. Values are an essential, and it can be argued
that they are of more importance than colour in creating realistic art.
For the horse I’ve chosen a

light brown (Van Dyck
Brown) that is reasonably
similar to the colour of the
paper. Using a light pressure
I work quickly, adding the
shadows of the facial bones.
If I need an area to be
darker I don’t press harder
with the pencil but instead
add more layers. I apply the
pencil strokes in the direction
of hair growth. Whilst we will
overlay this layer several
times, establishing the
direction of growth at this
stage sets the structure for
additional layers.
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Once I’ve covered the whole horse with the Van Dyck Brown, including the shadowed areas of the mane and forelock, I can
step back and evaluate the result in relation to the reference photo. Which areas are darkest? And which lightest?
I add a layer of White to the stripe to preserve the white marking, and Warm Grey III to establish the values around the
nose, with several more layers to create the darker area within the nostrils. Last step for the initial values layer is to use
Burnt Umber, a darker brown to deepen the darkest areas, namely the shadow cast by the mane and neck, and the muscles
on his shoulder and back. Although we still have a long way to go to completion, by establishing our values our horse is
already coming to life and looking 3 dimensional. The texture of the pastel mat will still be very apparent at this stage and
is to be expected. Additional layers will fill the tooth of the paper and create a refined result.
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Colour
It’s now time to add some

colour and reveal that
glorious chestnut coat. If you
refer to your reference you’ll
see that the left side of the
horse is redder in hue and
the right side, along with the
face has more yellow tones.
I begin with the redder

orange left side the horse.
First step is to glaze a very
light layer of Burnt Ochre
over the whole area. I leave
the dorsal stripe free of
colour as this will be blue
tones and if we underpaint
with orange it will end up
looking a little green!
Although we don’t physically
mix our colours like paint,
basic colour mixing rules
apply.
Glazing is the application of a very light layer of colour with a sharp pencil point and the lightest pressure. It helps to
hold the pencil away from the point and use the edge of the lead.
Next layer is Burnt Sienna, a rich red brown which I apply over the darker values remembering to stay with the direction of
travel and leaving the lightest areas free. Using the underlying values as a guide I enhance the lighter areas with Burnt Ochre.
This will look a little too stripy at the moment but we’ll tone it down again with later layers.
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I next apply Walnut Brown to the darkest areas to add some subtle shadows. Be careful to avoid any hard edges by using a
light pressure and several layers rather than increasing the pressure.
Final step for this stage is to glaze another layer of Burnt Ochre which will help blend the previous layers together.
Blending layers are applied using a light colour with very light pressure and are particularly useful when we are
recreating subtle changes in colour caused by soft shadows.
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Working left to right across the page, I’m now focusing on the left side of the horses face and ear. This area is a rich deep brown
with a few areas of reflected light.
I begin by glazing the whole area with a layer of Burnt Sienna, a rich red brown. Next I’ve used Warm Grey I to bring out the
highlights. They look a little harsh to start with but will tone them down by glazing with Terracotta which will blend them with
the surrounding hair.
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Next I use Walnut Brown to deepen the darker values and keep the facial form.
For the eye I’ve used a layer of Burnt Sienna followed by Walnut Brown with a small highlight with Cold Grey I. The eyelashes
are drawn softly at this stage with Van Dyck Brown and the lower lid is Warm Grey III, outlined with Warm Grey VI.
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Now to the right side of the horse! The light is causing this side to be a little more yellow than the left so we want to recreate
that in the drawing. The subtle variations in colour will help the drawing come to life and avoid it looking flat.
A light glaze over the whole area (face, mane and neck) with Burnt Sienna to add a rich tone (inset). I glaze with Terracotta
next, paying attention to where the colours become more intense over the cheeks and at the base of the ear. I add a couple
more layers here rather than using more pressure.
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I now want to enhance the highlights to increase the feeling of depth. I use Warm Grey I over the facial bones and where the
muzzle blends into the cheek. I switch to Ivory, which is more yellow to add the highlights to the forelock, mane and right
shoulder, and the very edge of the ear where it’s backlit. Sticking with the theme of Value, I now use Burnt Umber to deepen
the shadows and add texture to the facial hair. This is created by used short, directional strokes - pay close attention to the
direction as it hair flows across the facial bones and curves under the neck.
As a final layer for this stage, I glaze the whole area with Burnt Ochre to harmonise and blend all the previous colours together.
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This layer is all about adding some colour! I’ve chosen two brights, Sanguine (a rich red orange) and Light Yellow Ochre (a
natural toned yellow) to enrich the existing layers and make the whole thing look more vibrant.
Saguine is applied to the cheek, ear base and the base of the neck and shoulder. I’ve also added a little in the mane in the
deeper areas. Light Yellow Ochre is glazed over the whole of the mane and forelock. I’ve started to add a few stray hairs to
create a natural feel to the mane which is quite coarse and fluffy, and the pencil is easily applied over the pan pastel
background. I also use the Light Yellow Ochre over the highlights across the facial bones and brow bone. The backlighting
also adds a small yellow glow to the edge of the ear so don’t miss this out. Using the yellow tones in this way helps to bring
his face to the fore and create depth. Still away to go but it’s already looking alive!
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I’ve returned to the left side for this section as I need to add the blue/violet highlights to the dorsal stripe along his
back and top of the shoulder. A light layer of Sky Blue is used for the based which is followed by a glaze of Caput
Mortuum Violet, blending in to the furthest part of the horse’s back.
Caput Mortuum Violet is a really useful colour as it adds warmth whilst remaining natural in tone. It’s a great colour
to use when drawing animals.
I’ve also used a little Caput Mortuum Violet to deepen the shadows with a little purple brown hue and help the
highlights shine. It’s a common problem to find a drawing looks a little flat and the obvious solution can be to add
white to the highlights to bring them out. This can work but can often end up diluting the overall colour and making
the coat look stripy. Another solution is to deepen the darks, which alters the contrast but leaves the light areas as a
natural colour.
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One of the main pitfalls in trying to create realistic art is that the end result looks too flat, usually because the darks aren’t
dark enough and therefore there isn’t enough contrast between the values.
The horse is at this slightly flat stage, with the values clearly marked and plenty of colour but it’s not yet popping off the
page. To increase the contrast I choose Burnt Umber to add more depth to the shadows over the whole image. I also use
this pencil to add more hair texture to the darker areas across the face.
I then go a shade darker with Dark Sepia to further deepen those shadows, and glaze with Burnt Sienna to blend these
layers (inset).
It’s starting to have more depth but still needs to be darker in a few areas, namely the shadow cast by the mane, the inner
ear and the shadows under the neck. I apply a layer of indigo blue followed by Paynes Grey to create a cool dark blue
shadow to contrast with the warmth of the horse’s coat.
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Next I’ve used White and Ivory to add hair details to the mane and forelock. The mane is lighter than the body hair
and the back lighting really catches the outer hair to make it look almost white.
Finally I tackle the stripe using White and Warm Grey I. I use the grey to draw the little whorl on his forehead and
draw a few white hairs out over the chestnut hair.
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The final area to work on is the nose. I want to create the I use Bistre and Burnt Umber to create the base for the
velvety soft feel of the muzzle as well as an intense dark short brown hairs on his top lip. I’ve added another layer
within the nostrils to help give them a sense of depth.   of Flesh Pink to the snip and lower lip, leaving the lower
I have previously laid down the base layers and now edge free from colour where the light is hitting it from
apply Flesh Pink to the snip and lower lip, followed by a underneath.
glaze of Cold Grey I. Cold Grey I (with a very sharp point)
is also used to lightly drawing the whiskers.
This next layer is added to blend the previous ones and Now I return to building the values and use a layer of
create softness. I use Warm Grey III with a sharp point to Cold Grey VI on the darkest areas, the inner nostrils and
glaze and very light layer. This removes any hard edges the shadows at the front of the nose. Caput Mortuum
and will help that velvety feel. Violet is used lightly to create a shadow on the lower lip.
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To deepen the shadows in the nostrils and front of The final layer for the darkest areas is in Black to really
the nose, I use a layer of Dark Indigo followed by create depth.
Paynes Grey.
With Cold Grey VI I add texture to the edges of the As a final step I want to create the hair texture on his
lips where they wrinkle. If your edges become too upper lip. I use Dark Sepia to create depth and Cold Grey I
harsh then use Cold Grey III to glaze and blend to to add the lights, which I glaze with Burnt Ochre to blend.
soften them. Cold Grey III or VI add extra textures across the top lip and
Cold Grey I adds the final highlight and tiny hairs around
the inside of the nostrils.
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Once I think I have finished a piece I will often put it to one side for a while and then return to it with fresh eyes.
You’ll often find any discrepancies with the values or colour harmony will jump out at you at this new viewing. It’s
also important to evaluate your art as something separate from the reference photo. Whilst we want to create a
realistic finish that isn’t always best obtained by simply copying the photo (after all, the photo wont be displayed
alongside your artwork as a comparison!). Pay attention to your values - are the darkest areas where they should
be? Are the highlights correct? Are all your colours blending as required? Where is your eye drawn when you look
at your artwork? You may find a little more softening and blending of the furthest areas focuses the eye on the
foreground. Each piece you draw will bring new lessons and you’ll develop your own style as you progress. Above
all enjoy it and I hope this tutorial has helped you along the way to creating the art you love.
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Chestnut Horse

Coloured Pencil tutorial on Pastelmat

Discover how to create a beautiful chestnut horse using coloured pencil on

Clairefontaine Pastelmat with Victoria Manser ASEA, UKCPS, CPCAM.

Coloured pencil works best when applied with lots

Patience is required when building the layers as it

Colour Swatches Another useful exercise is to create a colour

Blending Coloured pencils are translucent rather than opaque so

Graphite transfer paper to trace down your line drawing

Rotary or electric pencil sharpener

Scotch Magic tape

Plastic eraser, putty rubber

Sofft sponges and applicators for the Panpastels

There’s no hard and fast rule about where to start on your

I begin by outlining the eye in Black, with a layer over the

Next step is to build up the rich brown tones of the eyeball.

I add a couple of light layers of Burnt Sienna across the

The highlight on the eye ball is a layer of Sky Blue and

For the horse I’ve chosen a

It’s now time to add some

I begin with the redder

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