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Horse Portrait for Beginners - Oil Paint

In this 2-hour 30-minute beginner-level oil painting tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a realistic brown horse portrait using a simple three-phase layering process. If you are looking for a straightforward approach to painting flat fur, horse features and a realistic finish to your wildlife art, this tutorial is for you!

We’ll work step by step through my entire process and cover:

  • Toning the canvas
  • How to create balanced underpainting
  • My Alla Prima (Wet-on-wet) block-in process
  • Allow drying time to then add glazes, highlights, and natural fur texture
  • I will show you how to organise your palette
  • Mix warm browns and cool shadow tones
  • Build depth with subtle layering,
  • How to use directional brushwork to create lifelike fur, form, and structure.

This tutorial is ideal for beginners who want a clear, approachable method for completing a realistic horse portrait in oils from start to finish.

 

Horse Portrait for Beginners - Oils

  1. Getting Started

    7 lessons
    1. Introduction
    2. Materials
    3. Toning the Canvas
    4. The Grid
    5. Outlines
    6. Underpainting
    7. Resources

  2. Phase One - Blocking In

    2 lessons
    1. Palette Prep
    2. Blocking In

  3. Phase 2 - Detailed Applications

    3 lessons
    1. Detailed application - The Face
    2. Detailed Application - The Head
    3. Detailed Application - The Neck & Mane

  4. Phase Three - Finishing Touches

    1 lesson
    1. Detailed Application - The Strap & Finishing Touches