Planning, Tools and Supplies

Click to Play > ​Model Horse Customizing Workbook + How to Make Your Own

This video walks you through my workbook where I keep my painting recipes and painting/sculpting reference, plus tips to help you assemble your own.

> ​Types of Model Horse Customs You Can Make

A beginner's guide to all the different types of models and the skill levels needed for each.

> ​How to Make a Model Horse Customizing Plan

Prepping and Priming Tutorials

> ​Prepping and Priming Artist
​Resin Horses

Everything you need to know on how to prep and prime your own resins like a pro, and how they differ from plastic horses like Breyers.

> ​Prepping and Priming Pewter Micro Minis

> ​Do You Need to Remove OF Paint
​Before Painting?

It's an age-old question from beginner customizers, and the answer is both yes and no. Learn why in this video.

> ​The Importance of Wearing Gloves

There's a reason art historians wear gloves when repairing old paintings, and it will help your model horse customs too!

> ​Prepping - Removing Seams

Rough seams on original plastic models are probably the number-one reason custom horses don't place well at a show, so if you feel like you aren't winning often, check this out and see what you can do to improve.

> ​Prepping - Sanding Tips

How to get that perfectly smooth surface before you paint your model.

 Painting and Airbrushing Tutorials

> How To Paint a Bay Model Horse - UPDATED VIDEO COMING SOON

While this is an airbrush tutorial, you can also follow along in other mediums using similar paint colors and the same steps. Great for beginners who want to capture the perfect bay color.

> ​How to Pink Model Horse Muzzles

Learn how I use earth pigments or pastels to create delicate pinking in soft skin areas like muzzles.

> ​How to Fix Airbrush Mistakes

When your model horse airbrush painting doesn't go according to plan, here's how to fix it.

> ​How to Paint a Baby Black Foal

A black foal looks nothing like an adult horse of the same color, so in this video learn how to paint it faithfully and realistically.

​> ​How To Paint a Black Model Horse

This video shares my secret recipe for a shimmery blue black with rich brown tones. It will really pop!

> ​Pintos and Appaloosas with White Charcoal Pencil

This art supply is my favorite and it is very beginner friendly because it's so easy to correct!

> ​Ultimate Guide on How To Paint Model Horse White Markings

This tutorial video covers the tips and tricks for painting easier and better pintos, appaloosas and simpler model horse white markings like socks and blazes.

> ​Photoshop Assisted Pintos

Sketching on the computer is a great way to work out kinks in your pinto or appaloosa pattern before committing it to paint on the model.

> ​How to Paint Hooves, Eyes & Chestnuts

While this is demonstrated on the smaller Stablemates scale (because there are so few tutorials on these little guys), you can follow along with a larger scale model horse too.

> ​How to Paint Leopard Appaloosa

> ​How to Paint Striped Hooves

Pretty easy to do, and I share a secret to make them more realistic. Be sure to check out my painting details video above as well to learn how to paint a basic hoof first.

> ​Intro to Painting Pintos

> ​How to Paint Tobiano Pintos

Resculpting and Drastic Customizing Tutorials

> ​How to Sculpt Stablemate Ears Part 1

Stablemate ears are a struggle for many people, but they got soooo much easier for me when I learned this sculpting technique.

> ​5 Steps to Make a Drastic Custom
​Model Horse

Try one or more of these steps on your next model horse custom.

> ​Improving Your Model Horse Anatomy

Correct conformation and bio-mechanics is a huge part of realistic customizing, and I have an easy trick to vastly improve your accuracy.

> ​Creating Your Best Customs

It's not about what Breyer verses Peter Stone, how popular your mold is, or if you chose acrylics over oils. The secret to you best customs is craftsmanship.

> ​Birth of a NaMoPaiMo Horse

See how I converted the Breyer Stablemates G1 Old Mold Thoroughbred mare into an elegant Arabian mare as my 2018 NaMoPaiMo project.

> ​Draft Horse Presentation/Ribbons + Free Flights PDF

This video shows you how to make the ribbons and flights from scratch and paint them to make the perfect draft presentation. The PDF includes templates for various sized flights.

> ​How I Made My Drastic Custom Breyer Lady Phase for NaMoPaiMo 

For NaMoPaiMo 2019 and the MEPSA Make-Over Contest, I transformed a Breyer Lady Phase into a trotting Criollo mare in airbrushed bay sabino.

> ​How to Make Your Best Drastic Custom Model Horse

These 6 techniques allow me to be fearless when customizing and create just about any horse I want. With a little practice, they can do the same for you.

 Model Horse Tack Making Tutorials

> ​How to Vectorize (Digitize) Model Horse Saddle Patterns

​Learn how to make model horse saddle patterns and how to bring them into the computer so that you have an endless supply of perfect, printable tack patterns for your model horses.

Fixing Model Horse Flaws

> ​Fixing Warped Model Horse Legs

> ​How to Strip Old Paint From a Model Horse Custom

Other Great Places to Find Model Horse Customizing Tutorials, Tack Making Tutorials, and More

(C) 2021, Kristen Taylor. All images, videos and other content are copyright protected under U.S. Federal law and my not be used for any purpose without explicit, written permission. Website design and photography by Kristen Taylor.