Creating Realistic Bay Horse Portraits: My Colour Choices

I think one of the questions that is asked most in my membership is “how do I choose the right coloured pencils for my portrait?” I thought it would be really useful to give you a little insight into how I choose the right colours for a past commission of a Horse. It’s all about finding the balance between brightness, shadows, and highlights to make the portrait pop. Here’s a breakdown of the materials and colour combinations that work best for me.

Eyes:

For the eyes, I rely heavily on Polychromos pencils because they’re hard and give great detail. I always start with Dark Sepia for its neutral grey tone and follow it up with Dark Indigo for the pupil. To get those rich brown and orange tones in the eyes, I use Burnt Ochre, Terracotta, and Burnt Sienna. Adding Caput Mortuum Violet over the oranges creates a lovely burnt tone, and I finish with Warm Grey 2 to create those natural-looking highlights.

Fur Colour and Shadows:

For the orangey and shadowy areas on a bay horse, I often layer Derwent Studio pencils in Burnt Yellow Ochre, Copper Beech, and Venetian Red. These are my base layers before adding in deeper shadows with Raw Umber or Chocolate. The real magic comes from the violet tones—I use Manganese Violet, Violet Grey, and Caput Mortuum Violet in shadow areas to complement the oranges beautifully.

Layering Technique:

I start with harder pencils like Polychromos for the base layers, as they help keep the pastel mat smooth. I then add softer pencils like Luminance or Lightfast for those final vibrant touches. Mixing colours is key here, like using Persian Orange for warmth or Dark Indigo to deepen shadows without going too dark.

Highlights and Final Touches:

For the highlights and lighter areas, I use Primrose and Ivory (Polychromos) to pull out brightness in the muzzle and main areas. Adding a touch of Light Cobalt Blue over black creates a beautiful highlight, especially in black animals.

I could go on forever with the specific combinations, but the takeaway is: experiment! Mixing and matching different pencil brands and colours helps create those subtle, realistic variations in the horse’s coat. Hope this breakdown of my process was helpful! Happy drawing!

To hear more about how I choose the right coloured pencils for animal portraits, make sure you watch the video at the top of this page!