The Workshop
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Every craftsman, excuse me, craftsperson must have a work area, be it a corner spot or, lucky person, a whole room for him/herself. I can claim half a room for myself: a combination painting, sewing, quilting, and whatever area. Plenty of storage, nice sized work area, and a TV in the corner. Perfect! For my model customizing, I have gathered around me all the necessary tools, accessories, reference materials, and, of course, paints. I have well over a hundred different paints. My collection has been growing from 20 years of painting -- doing painting for crafts, face painting, gifts, just about anything that caught my fancy! |
Below are sections showing models in the process of being customized. All of my
models have been repaints with a small amount of sculpting. Later, I am going to try
my hand at rehairing. I have the supplies already, but just haven't had the time yet
to do it.
Click on the Thumbnail photos to go to a larger
picture
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| No Name Warmblood - (Customizing SM Citation) - Removed tail and added new mane. Then added new tail to be rescuplted and carved. Ears carved. Added epoxy to nostrils and hind hoof and carved. Haven't finished work on him yet. He's been tucked in a side drawer until I get back to him. | |
The Shetland Pony
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Customizing the Breyer Traditional sized Shetland Pony. She has been stripped and had her missing ear replaced. All seams and rough spots have been sanded. After priming her with gesso, she has had her patches marked. Ears, nostrils, and tail have been carved. |
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Highlights and shadings are being applied to form a base. Then the main coat coloring will be applied. Afterwards, highlights and shadings will again be applied. |
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Finished! Patches have been mapped. Mane and tail have variegated colorings. Her muzzle is shaded with pink and greys. Her hooves are striped. Tri-eyes complete the picture. |
The Mare
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Customizing SM Thoroughbred Mare - Her right rump has been sanded down (the original model has a rump that is extremely pointy! Looks like a broken bone sticking out!). A new mane and forelock has been added. Her missing left nostril has been added and her misshappen right hind hoof is going to be corrected. Her right fore hoof has been leveled (look at the front of the original model and you will see that only the outside edge of the hoof touches the ground, the inside edge hangs in the air!). Ears, hooves, nostrils, and tail have been carved. |
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The Trakehner
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This is a Misty Twilight model. It's a play toy for a friend on mine. The model has certainly been played with and was very much scuffed, rubbed, scratched, and dented. This model, and a herd of others, I am repairing and repainting. I am not attempting to make them show quality, but rather am just making them pretty again. This particular model I found to be "rough", having promenant seams, lots of very angular areas, and "built in" brush strokes (see the top photo). I sanded down some of the more rough areas, but didn't do much else for smoothing it out (remember -- it's a play toy). I did carve out the ears and carve out the tail a bit more. Then the whole model was repainted with alot of shadings. His markings were kept very close to the originals. |
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The Pinto
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A Buckskin Tobiano Pinto in full gallop! Multiple layers of shadings along with dapples on back and rump. Face is shaded a lighter, more tannish color as seen in real horses. Patches are mapped. He even has faint shading of pink skin at his pasterns. Eyes are tri with the pupil painted in. He is now finished and made his debut in the January 2000 show, Hill Country Live in Boerne, TX. He earned two 1st Place ribbons and NAN-qualified. |
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A brindle coated foal. I was
fascinated by the coat patterns of these horses and decided to do a model. Here, he
is being worked on and will later sport four white socks/stockings and a large white blaze
and muzzle. The colt has been finished. He has pink at his pasterns and on his muzzle. Beautiful tri-eyes complete the picture. |
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Debdemer@AOL.com
