<sub>Hello everyone, and welcome to “Horsin’ Around”, a bi-monthly article that brings you the latest news in and around the dA Equine Community! I’d be grateful if you could give me feedback on what you think of it, and if you have any suggestions for future issues, I’d love to hear them. If you know of anyone that you think deserves a feature, let me know and I’ll feature them here! I hope you enjoy this issue, and thanks for reading!

~Boribaby</sub>


Love for the Underappreciated

<sub>A selection of artists and some of their works that I feel deserve more faves and views! Please spare a minute, go check out their wonderful galleries and show them your support.


Suggested by *cascadance</sub>

A really beautiful gallery awaits you when you visit this talented traditional artist’s gallery! Her pencil works are just a joy to look at.



_{Suggested by =Horses101}

A talented artist, with everything from lovely horse photos to drawings; a visit to her page is very worthwhile!




Beautiful traditional paintings and drawings of horses fill this wonderful gallery. Be sure to stop by!



Featured Digital Equine Artist



This artist has a small, but amazing gallery! Her equine art is just out of this world!


Featured Traditional Equine Artist



It’s hard to believe that these pictures were made by hand! They look almost photo-realistic. A very talented artist indeed!


Featured Equine Photographer



Beautiful, beautiful photos of stunning horses await you in this gorgeous gallery! You’ll be amazed!


Featured Equine Photomanipulator



Seamlessly blending equine stock images with creative backgrounds, this talented artist has a good eye for piecing images together!


An Interview With...

<sub>Every issue of H.A, I will be interviewing one of your favourite equine artists! This issue, it is (Since many people have asked me to do the interview, I thought I might as well do it! ) I have been a member of dA for just over four years, and I still can’t believe how far I’ve come since I first joined! My door is always open to those who need advice or help, and it’s a pleasure being a part of such a wonderful community. You’ve supported me in so many ways, and I feel grateful to be able to share my art with such a wonderful network of people! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.


Hello and thank you for joining us! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Lol, this feels weird interviewing myself! Well, my name is Michelle, I’m 26 years old and I live in Scotland. I work as a Healthcare Advisor.

Cool. How long have you been drawing horses for?
Gosh, not very long at all – only about 3 years! I started drawing them in ‘06 after watching the Dreamworks animation, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it or seen it! I fell in love with the film, and started drawing from screenshots, and my work has progressed from there.

Wow, really? Can you tell us why you enjoy drawing them so much?
They’re just so majestic – I love the challenge of trying to capture the beauty, movement and power of the horse in my drawings. And of course, dA is full of interesting and fun equine OC’s that are just begging to be drawn!

Do you have a particular way of drawing horses?
I sketch out very light and basic circles first (big circle for the belly, smaller circles for the head, even smaller ones for the leg points etc.) and go from there.

Interesting. Can you share with us what your very favourite piece in your gallery is?

I have to say, it’s this one! I just love it to bits.

Looks amazing! Do you have an OC (original character)? Can you tell us a little about him/her?

Yup! I have several, actually! But my main one is Aerynne, and she has been my OC for about two years now. She has a lot of “me” in her – her green hair and Celtic heart represent my Irish heritage, her bangles for my love of jewellery, and of course, everyone knows I just adore butterflies! So all this was put into her design.

That’s great. Is there any particular part of equine anatomy that you find difficult to draw?
Hooves, hooves, hooves! I try and avoid them whenever I can, which is silly because I’ll never master them if I don’t practise!

Good to know we all have trouble, then! So what would be your favourite part of drawing?
I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but it would probably be backgrounds! I used to hate them with a passion. But now I find that taking the time and adding in those extra little details really help complete your artwork, and helps create your own little story for the picture. I also enjoy shading, and bringing a character to “life” by giving them personalities.

Awesome! You’ve been an inspiration to a number of budding equine artists out there – can you share some tips to those just starting out?
I’m always extremely flattered when people ask ME for tips and advice, because I can remember the early days when I was just starting out and I wish I knew how to draw horses! Biggest tip I give to you is keep practicing – you may feel like you’re getting nowhere, but with each and every upload, you’ll find yourself doing something different (even if it’s just something small) and within time, you’ll notice a huge improvement! Take a look back at a pic you did a year ago, and I’ll eat my hat if you think you haven’t improved! Also, don’t be afraid of using photos for references – I do, and there is no shame in it. It takes a very long time to learn equine anatomy, and I’m still learning! Look at photos of real horses, rather than screenshots from Spirit or horse models – you’ll find you’ll learn a whole lot more from the real thing.

Thank you for your time. Any last pieces of advice you can give to your fellow equine artists?
Gosh, yes – be patient! I’ve lost count of the number of people who come to my page and say they “wish they were as good as me”. Trust me, I didn’t start out good! I started from the bottom, and kept on drawing horses until I got to the level I’m at today. To all new digital artists; buying Photoshop doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get good overnight either – you still have to put in the hard work! If you’re passionate about the subject you’re drawing, it will show in your art. Put your heart into your work. And most importantly: never give up!

Featured Equine Web Comic

There are many wonderful horse-related comics around dA, and I hope this article will help bring them more exposure!

Recently re-styled and updated, the gorgeous and popular comic “Everlee” by is one to watch! Check out the two beautiful new pages.


Themed Features

September’s theme: Water.


September’s colour: Orange.


September’s breed: Gypsy Vanner.</sub>


Photography Corner

_{Showcasing some of the finest and most majestic images of equines from talented photographers and photo-manipulators around the world.}





Contests

There's always a contest or two going on in the equine community! I've listed a few of the current ones going on at the moment, and ones ending soon. Are you hosting a contest and want it advertised here? Let me know!


Theme: Design a Belleforte character. Read about it here: [link]
Closing Date: September 30th 2009


Theme: Carnivorous Unicorns. Read about it here: [link]
Closing Date: September 21st 2009


Theme: Halloween Costume Competition. Read about it here: [link]
Closing Date: Octomber 30th 2009


Theme: Design a mate for her stallion. Read about it here: [link]
Closing Date: December 25th 2009


Help Desk

<sub>In this section you will find links to horse stock accounts and helpful tutorials.

Helpful Resources</sub>

Having trouble with a difficult pose? Stuck on how to draw from a certain perspective? Don’t fear! There are a number of wonderful stock accounts around dA with plenty of beautiful stock photos for you to reference. Always abide by the stock artist’s rules, and always remember to link back and credit the photo you use.



_{Helpful Tutorials}

Need help with drawing manes and tails? Can’t figure out how to colour in photoshop? Unsure how to shade? Then look no further! Here’s a collection of helpful tutorials for you to look at.