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Description
The long awaited tutorial is here! Its an updated version on how I draw, colour and shade my horses: if there is anything you'd like added comment below and I'll update it

1) Sketch
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas size: 3000x3000 (cut down to 2416x3000 for composition)
As the name suggests, this is my cleaned up sketch, all ready for lining. I say clean, which essentially means that I have gotten rid of blocky shapes and reinforced outlines and played with the pose until I am happy with it. For this I use a 'soft brush' which is essentially a regular 'hard edged' brush on 45% opacity with a min size of 23%. My brush size was 20px.

2) Lineart
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Once again pretty self explanatory. I lower the opacity of the sketch layer and line over the top using a hard edged brush on 74% opacity and 23% min size, usually a size 12-14px.

3) Flat Colouring / Hues
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
When drawing horses, I always do a flat 'base layer' which I then put layers on top of using a layer clip. The advantages of layer clipping are that unlike locking the layer opacity and colouring onto it, you are more easily able to edit and change things in case you make a mistake or want to alter something: the colour actually continues well out of the lines if I were to release the clips, meaning that I can alter the flat base layer and it will alter all of the layers on top of it accordingly.

4) More Hues
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
I wanted to get a real depth of colour with this piece, since chestnuts always have a whole rainbow of hues on them. I'm basing my hues off the gorgeous colour ref (True Vision, a stunning Arab stud) to try and get the same sort of variation.

5) Shading v1
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Well, no one is perfect and I'm no exception. I have started my usual 'highlight shading' on another layer above the hue layers, and don't particularly like the result I am getting, so this was scrapped shortly after to look for a new approach.

6) & 7) Shading v2: Undershading
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Second attempt at shading the piece. I've added a coloured background to help me see what I was doing better, which is a helpful thing particularly when shading darker coloured horses. On this layer I'm doing the undershading, which is the middle to upper shininess. This is all done on one layer above the base colour layers, set on screen though the setting will vary from coat to coat. Here I use a soft brush of varying sizes at about 40% opacity and 23% min size. I have also added the eye here. I also use the water tool to smooth and blend areas throughout here, but its very much a 'by-feel' process.

8) & 9) Overshading
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
This is where I add more detail, depth and sheen to a coat. You can see the subtle but important difference that this makes, as I haven't continued from the shoulder. I use a light colour here (almost white) on the same brush settings as above, using smaller brushes to add detail. This was all done on a layer above the undershading on a normal setting. The water tool was also used on occasion here, though less than on the undershading to heighten sharpness and detail.

10) 'Greyscale Hair'
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
So I don't like greyscaling, I can't pain in solid grey any more, so I simply use a technique I adapted from *sealle 's shading method, where I all use the one shade and simply do it in an odd colour and desaturate it later. This will also make it easy to see where I've done it. Normally I wouldn't need to bother with this and would simply apply colour straight onto the mane or tail like the rest of the body, but with her peafowl markings I needed to colour it differently. This is also the point where I transfer it over to Photoshop.

11) Colour Adjustments / Details
Program: Photoshop CS4
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
After the bulk of the colouring is complete I will usually drag it over to Photoshop for tweaking (its filters are better than SAI). Here you can see I've added purple / blue hues to the coat and upped the contrast. I also applied the hair greyscale and used a simple scatter brush to add her peafowl spots.

12) Background
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Back to SAI again to complete the image. Be sure to duplicate and flatten your important layers if you want to take out of Photoshop back to SAI, since some of the filters aren't compatible. I have used a combination of the soft brushes used for undershading and overshading as well as the water tool to blend the background.

Description
The long awaited tutorial is here! Its an updated version on how I draw, colour and shade my horses: if there is anything you'd like added comment below and I'll update it

1) Sketch
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas size: 3000x3000 (cut down to 2416x3000 for composition)
As the name suggests, this is my cleaned up sketch, all ready for lining. I say clean, which essentially means that I have gotten rid of blocky shapes and reinforced outlines and played with the pose until I am happy with it. For this I use a 'soft brush' which is essentially a regular 'hard edged' brush on 45% opacity with a min size of 23%. My brush size was 20px.

2) Lineart
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Once again pretty self explanatory. I lower the opacity of the sketch layer and line over the top using a hard edged brush on 74% opacity and 23% min size, usually a size 12-14px.

3) Flat Colouring / Hues
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
When drawing horses, I always do a flat 'base layer' which I then put layers on top of using a layer clip. The advantages of layer clipping are that unlike locking the layer opacity and colouring onto it, you are more easily able to edit and change things in case you make a mistake or want to alter something: the colour actually continues well out of the lines if I were to release the clips, meaning that I can alter the flat base layer and it will alter all of the layers on top of it accordingly.

4) More Hues
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
I wanted to get a real depth of colour with this piece, since chestnuts always have a whole rainbow of hues on them. I'm basing my hues off the gorgeous colour ref (True Vision, a stunning Arab stud) to try and get the same sort of variation.

5) Shading v1
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Well, no one is perfect and I'm no exception. I have started my usual 'highlight shading' on another layer above the hue layers, and don't particularly like the result I am getting, so this was scrapped shortly after to look for a new approach.

6) & 7) Shading v2: Undershading
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Second attempt at shading the piece. I've added a coloured background to help me see what I was doing better, which is a helpful thing particularly when shading darker coloured horses. On this layer I'm doing the undershading, which is the middle to upper shininess. This is all done on one layer above the base colour layers, set on screen though the setting will vary from coat to coat. Here I use a soft brush of varying sizes at about 40% opacity and 23% min size. I have also added the eye here. I also use the water tool to smooth and blend areas throughout here, but its very much a 'by-feel' process.

8) & 9) Overshading
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
This is where I add more detail, depth and sheen to a coat. You can see the subtle but important difference that this makes, as I haven't continued from the shoulder. I use a light colour here (almost white) on the same brush settings as above, using smaller brushes to add detail. This was all done on a layer above the undershading on a normal setting. The water tool was also used on occasion here, though less than on the undershading to heighten sharpness and detail.

10) 'Greyscale Hair'
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
So I don't like greyscaling, I can't pain in solid grey any more, so I simply use a technique I adapted from *sealle 's shading method, where I all use the one shade and simply do it in an odd colour and desaturate it later. This will also make it easy to see where I've done it. Normally I wouldn't need to bother with this and would simply apply colour straight onto the mane or tail like the rest of the body, but with her peafowl markings I needed to colour it differently. This is also the point where I transfer it over to Photoshop.

11) Colour Adjustments / Details
Program: Photoshop CS4
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
After the bulk of the colouring is complete I will usually drag it over to Photoshop for tweaking (its filters are better than SAI). Here you can see I've added purple / blue hues to the coat and upped the contrast. I also applied the hair greyscale and used a simple scatter brush to add her peafowl spots.

12) Background
Program: Paint Tool SAI
Canvas Size: 2416x3000
Back to SAI again to complete the image. Be sure to duplicate and flatten your important layers if you want to take out of Photoshop back to SAI, since some of the filters aren't compatible. I have used a combination of the soft brushes used for undershading and overshading as well as the water tool to blend the background.