My boyfriend expressed mild interest in participating in NaMoPaiMo this year, his first time, but the deal was sealed when Erica Ferguson donated a Morgan stablemate unicorn to him. He had the look of terror in his eyes and he admitted "I have no idea what I'm doing." Even though he has a degree in photography and is a great artist in his own right, he has never attempted a model horse before. Not only was he slightly intimidated about painting, he didn't feel inspired by the origianal mold and decided to customize. Feeling like he was fully in the deep end, he asked me what to do and how to start. I saw that in many of the model horse customizing groups there were a lot of the same questions; where do I start, what primer should I use, what is apoxie? It's a daunting process with a lot of personal preferences of artists and a lot of right ways to go about it. Though this tutorial is mostly for him, I hope to break down some of the most asked questions and walk beginner customizers through the sculpting phase of customizing.
"I have a Breyer body and I want to change its position, how do I do that?"
Tools you will need:
A Dremel with a cutting tool
A hack saw (if you have a Dremel you may not require this)
Baking Soda
Super Glue
Thick jewellery wire for an armature
Tinfoil
Apoxie
Heat Gun (Optional but makes life easy)
A lot of sandpaper of different grits
Primer (please see my primer post about what I recommend)
Safety Equipment: A dust mask/ respirator, Goggles for your face, Rubber Gloves, A hair tie (for long hair).
A Basic Rundown:
Look at what body you have and find the reference photos you want to use. It is always easier changing things on a model that are already there (like a jumping horse into a bowing horse). Neena Bickram said to me "Don't do more work than you have to", this changed my outlook on how I customize horses. I am far from a superior model horse artist, but I do find its easier to start larger like with a traditional because there is more room for error - stablemates are cheap but they are solid and difficult to drill into.
Make sure your references are clear and easy for you to follow, this is one of the most common errors a beginner artist makes. Make sure to get references from all angles!
Check out this reference video from Blue Mountain Stables all about references and how to use them effectively: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZvWeI3QwO0
In Order A General Summary Of What You Need to do:
Get a model horse
Cut it up in the places you want (just cut out wedges if you will be turning pieces and not removing them)
Glue a wire to one piece and sprinkle with baking soda to create a cement. This video is extremely helpful at this step: DeeJayBe: Creating a Neck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX31MLKjXaU
Any large gaps? Stuff with tinfoil because apoxie is expensive.
Fill cuts with apoxie and begin building up rough shapes.
By now your horse is multicoloured so when you fill your whole horse, give it a wash with dish soap and let dry overnight
Prime (I prefer rust brown primer for this to see the details)
Now that your horse is all one colour you can see where things are getting weird. Sand away the areas you need to add more apoxie and create the textures.
Repeat the last 2 steps as many times as you need.
One final coat of primer and you are there.
Remember it is very important to wash your horse with dish soap and let dry overnight before priming, otherwise the oil from your fingers, dust from sanding, or anything else can get trapped under the primer. This will cause your primer to lift or react - your paint may not stick well and even a year after customizing you can see the plastic start to degrade! So wash those pones!
*** If you are working on a pewter horse, use baking soda with the dish soap to buff your model and give it a thorough clean.
Now that you have everything you need, you are dying to start but also extremely nervous to mess up. Don't worry because this is the first step to becoming a customizer.
I highly recommend this mini series so you can get started on your custom:
DeeJayBe Part 1:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSVUs3DYYf0
DeeJayBe Part 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExUxRlh4x4w
DeeJayBe Part 3:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxCdVz37zfI
"Can I sculpt over my primed horse?"
Generally yes. The primer has some tooth to hold paint and sculpture in place. However, if you will be doing a lot of sculpture without wire holding it all together, you really should sand some of the primer away and give the model a quick wash with dish soap to get all of the dust off.
"What primer/ sealant should I be using?"
I have written in depth blog posts about both of those topics. In short I recommend Duplicolor Sandable Primer and Dullcote Clearcotte Sealant. Mr. Super Clear sealant is also great.
"Do I need to prime/ seal my horse?"
YES. Another beginner error is not priming your horse before you start. Primer is the base layer that holds all of your paint onto the model, otherwise the plastic is too slick. Even the "pre-primed" Paint Your Own Horses from Breyer are not fully ready for paint, it is best to prime them first to prevent lifting/ chipping. Not sealing your work means you are not protecting it. Sealant is like a protective shell that saves your paint from oils and natural environmental factors like sunlight. A horse sitting in direct light will degrade overtime and sealant protects it!
"I want to make a unicorn, do I really need to use wire to hold the horn on?"
If you want your unicorn to be long lasting and not risk the horn falling off then yes. Premade horns by artists such as Maggie Bennet do not need a wire to hold them in place because they are made of strong materials, but if you are making your own, especially if they are very long I recommend using wire. Longer the horn the weaker it will be and need more support.
"Can I use oven bake clay to customize my model? Air dry clay?"
Never use oven bake clay to customize your model horse, the plastic of a Breyer will melt in the oven or warp. Air dry clay is lightweight but is soft and not as durable as apoxie, it likely will not stick to your model for long. Saying this, air dry clay is great for making model horse props like snacks! Aves Apoxie sculpt is expensive but worth the investment for customizing, it was the gold standard for artists. Saying this, Magic sculpt is gaining popularity and I have heard it is way better for fine details like hair!
"What tools do I use to sculpt?"
You can use any thing from eating utensils to random objects, but I really love colourshapers. They are rubber tipped sticks with different hardness; soft, medium, and hard. I personally like the variety pack of all firmness'. Here is a link to some on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Panpastel-Soft-Color-Shapers-Wallet/dp/B001RPI6Q2/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=colour+shapers&qid=1611446106&sr=8-8 To smooth Apoxie, I like using some rubbing alcohol to smooth things out and make it easier. A little goes a long way, it can extend your working time with it. Water works too but it will firm up faster.
"Do I really need to use the safety equipment?"
YES. There is no getting around telling you that customizing is a risky sport. Many of our hobbyists have been made quite sick by their art supplies and have injured themselves. The dusts when sanding your Breyer or resin are quite poisonous. The primers have warnings on them about how toxic they are. There are sharp objects, UFO's flying around as you Dremel, and tons of fumes. If you have health concerns, this part of the process may not be in your best interests. I have posted a previous blog with links to health hazards that can arise from using these items as well as safety precautions you can take.
"Is there a difference between customizing Breyer and resins?"
Not really. When you sand a resin the dust is like fine white snow and it goes everywhere and its a must to wear your mask. Resin is typically softer so becareful that you dont gauge it while working.
"I want to sculpt a horse from scratch and cast it. Where do I start?"
I think everyones model horse collector has the dream of one day creating an original sculpt. You can build an original sculpt with many materials from polymer clay, monster clay, apoxie sculpt... etc. The goal is to have
"I don't know how to sculpt a realistic horse and it is very frustrating, what do I do?"
Use a lot of reference photos and build up the shapes before you jump right into details and textures. You can save yourself a lot of time taking pictures of your horse, throwing it into photoshop and overlaying your sculpt over your reference. Remember, this is not cheating, this is a roadmap for you to follow. Please see below the links I post below for helpful tutorials and artists that make their bread and butter doing this!
"I wan't to find videos and other resources of model horse customizing, who does those?"
Blue Mountain Stable and DeeJayBe (both on Youtube) are some of the most prolific model horse customization video creators out there. Join their channels for great tips and tricks (far more than what I can provide!)
Blue Mountain Stable: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKu8-0ynG6W5ag7Xk44zSA
Also follow Morgen Kilbourn Rossomando (Art by Morgen [Kilbourn]) who has fantastic events for the sculpting of horse conformation https://www.facebook.com/artbymorgen
Not to mention Rogue Horse Studio art by Amanda Brock has a patreon where you can gather some of her artistic secrets and bonus fun: https://www.facebook.com/roguehorsestudio
A friend of mine and local artist, Janine H (Quequinox Art) https://www.facebook.com/quequinoxart is a prolific equine polymer clay sculptor and just came out with her new book which walks you through the steps of sculpting in polymer clay! It's filled with photo references and step by step instructions. You can buy it here off of Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RT1Y259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_YHE-FbP75ZKQD?fbclid=IwAR2v57sHYbmFrwmfGhN3664ZEOpcaMseVAzr0GMsWKAu66vTbKt9IX-YQWk
"I have more questions that aren't answered in this post."
NaMoPaiMo is probably the best resource to ask questions, post yours works in progress, and find tutorials. Let's not forget that every February there is the worldwide event for customizers! https://www.facebook.com/groups/234123470349077
NaMoScuMo is just like NaMoPaiMo but for sculpting! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1437054353072973
Model Horse Customizers is also extremely useful with nearly 3600 members worldwide happy to answer your questions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/modelhorsecustomizers
There are tons upon tons of people willing to help you achieve your customizing dream, so don't be afraid to take the plunge. If you tell yourself "Oh I could never be as good as this artist" you certainly will never be unless you try and improve yourself! I encourage everyone to participate in events and activities such as NaMoPaiMo or NaMoScuMo! Don't be afraid and just do your best!