Continuing work on the 1/12 scale model horse. Once the putty set, the tail seemed pretty solid so I sanded the putty areas lightly with 320 grit to smooth it further. I then covered the eyes with Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid since I want to protect them during the painting process.
This is a pricey fluid used for watercolor painting; it covers any space you want to remain white on a painting. You use an eraser to remove it from the paper after the paint has dried. I used a 50% off coupon at Michaels. It’s a good crossover product that will work on other things beyond paper.
I sprayed the horse with Testors Flat Light Aircraft Grey to have a light primer coat to start. Priming brings out any flaws that were unnoticeable before, so I will sand those once the primer cures.
I’m making a grey/roan horse, so I looked online for reference photos. I’ve never mastered the airbrush, but I am pretty good with a regular brush. The next part will involve painting the base details. Even though I plan to add fur, the color underneath will show through so I couldn’t leave it black and bare white plastic. I’ve removed the masking on the eyes just in case leaving it on a long time caused issues; I can always add more when I paint the face detailing.
I also have some good leads on tack, which will need to be made before fur is added so I don’t mar the final finish. I want to be able to just buckle any tack onto the horse for pictures and remove it immediately. So, it might be awhile before you see the horse again. I’ll update on the tack as I work through it.
I also chose a name for my horse: Jebediah McCants. Maybe I’m wrong, but I doubt anyone guessed it. I looked up the meaning of Jebediah, and it means “beloved friend.” McCants is some distant ancestral name, and I thought the names sounded good together. I’m figuring our RFD carrier is Mr. McCants, since the carriers were charged with supplying their own transportation, therefore caring for their own horses. Jebediah looks eager to get on with things, no?
