Sanity Isn't Cheap

 "Owning a horse isn't cheap,

but then again, neither is sanity."

💙 

 Day 13 ~ SE-13-25

ON YOUR MARK, GET READY, SET, GO!! 🏆 🐎 🏅

Get in position, prepare physically and mentally 🧘‍♀️,

assemble all your materials ✍️, and start sketching every day!!

Here is my first day of Drawing Every Day 2025!

I hope you'll join me this summer!  🎨👩‍🎨

I promise, you'll be glad you did! 

SE 1a ~ First, I drew my subject in pencil, then added permanent ink.

Day 1 ~ SE-1-25

 After erasing my pencil, I loosely added watercolor to my sketch,

leaving white paper showing through.

"I have never been more in tune with my creative muse than when I have been sketching every day. Drawing consistently, each day for six weeks or more, takes great desire and the discipline to fit it into your daily life. I firmly believe that drawing is an important skill that sharpens many abilities as an artist. Learning to draw is learning how to really see." ~ Sandy Sandy  🏇🧘‍♀️🏆  Go to:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/SketchingEveryday/ for more information and to post your own images!

Drawing a Horse

With tracing paper, I went over yesterday's sketch to show you how I used simple shapes as the framework of this horse's head and neck in profile view. 

This is a drawing from a photo of my mare's sire, Oldenburg Stallion, San Diego. He was kidnapped about 10 yrs. ago by a crazy veterinarian in Illinois along with two other horses. San Diego was recovered unharmed in Florida with the help of my photos which were widely distributed online and throughout the horse show circuit. The vet was caught and put in jail when the owner of the barn that she was leasing saw her putting black spray paint on San Diego's distinguishing white markings. It made National news and created quite a stir in the horse community.

Drawing Horses

My Horse Head Demo with Simple Shapes was featured in The Art Instruction Blog's July issue. That and finding a big box of old snapshots, got me fired up again to do some horses. I did this drawing of my mare's sire, San Diego, on tracing paper, refining it with several overlays. I learned this technique in college when majoring in illustration and still find it a useful drawing tool. Tomorrow I'll show you how the simple shapes supported the head and neck framework of this drawing.

Hummingbirds Rule!

I got a few emails, a couple of comments and one horse head sketch about my last post. Not much real constructive criticism or any revelations, just a few opinions and a couple of excuses. I do feel that a handful of people, (includng myself) are really getting something out of this blog and the sketching challenges, so I will continue on. One of my biggest fears is that I am boring, so if I am, PLEASE let me know. I still feel like I'm doing something wrong or could be doing something better here.

Here's my sketch for today. I also did a little watercolor and posted it on my web log.  Ok, so I got carried away on the painting with the splatter technique. It was just so much fun! I do plan on doing it over. Repetition is the key to mastery you know. Hummm, where have I heard that before? 

We will be having another sketching challenge and this week it's, you guessed it . . . a hummingbird in flight!!

*Here are a couple of photos to copy or use as reference. Read about the challenge terms in the column to the right. > The challenge will be over on Sunday night, so give it a try and we'll see how many of you send in your results or at least report to me that you attempted doing it.

Here is another sketching challenge drawing sent in by Diane Wallace. She writes; "Sketch for participating in fellow artist Sandy Sandy's weekly sketch challenge. I couldn't NOT do a horse!"  Thanks Diane! Great sketch. Nice and loose. I like how you've used the side of your pencil for the shading.

Horse Challenge ~ What Am I Doing Wrong?

Ok friends, I got one, just one person, to send in their horse head challenge this week. What am I doing wrong? Why isn't anyone else participating? Go ahead. Be truthful. Tough love. I can take it. I could really use some feedback here folks. I can't believe that none of you has a half an hour to draw sometime during the week. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece and can even be a doodle on a sales receipt. A word of warning though, it probably will take you out of your comfort zone a little the first couple of times. Just remember, it takes practice to get into "the zone" with drawing. It's hard for me sometimes too. I just keep talking to myself; "It's just a shape, look at the shape, it's not a thing." Even if you don't send it in or post it, just do it! Do it for yourself and please (as a favor), do it for me. If you tell me you did one, I'll believe you.


Susan Bronsak is a fabulous artist with a very lively and informative blog and website. She has been following along pretty religiously with me for the past twelve days. Check out her blog and this post to see the reference for her sketch. She tells me that my drawing everyday has rekindled her inspiration and desire to draw. Thank you Susan. You make this so much more fun for me! Your drawings are super and your enthusiasm is contagious!

Here is my sketch for last week's challenge. Notice I'm using the side of my pencil (holding it like a wand or a brush) more and more these days. I used my shape system here, but for the head and neck structure of an upper level Dressage horse, I curved all the lines more. You just have to play with it. Don't take it so seriously, look at SHAPES and loosen up. (All pep-talk . . . for myself as well, of course.)

Here's my finished drawing with watercolor wash applied.

If anyone is interested in another challenge, let me see a show of hands.

Still Horse Crazy

Here's the finished sketch from yesterday. I just realized that I said I was going to really  K. I. S. S.  (keep it simple stupid) this year and here I go, already getting carried away and complicated. I am still a little obsessed with horses, you know, especially after my trip on Thursday to the Devon Horse Show after my long absence. I'll try to stick to my word and not get ahead of myself next time. Sorry about that folks.

I also did some gesture drawing today. Here's one of my two minute sketches. I sure am rusty, so you can bet you'll be seeing more drawing exercises like this one from me this summer.  Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to read my blogs and comment on my posts.

Beautiful Grey Jumper

I went to Devon Horse Show yesterday and took lots of pictures. Today I am sketching from one of them. I've just posted more photos of this horse and the show on my web log today. I like to sketch right from my computer. Here is my set-up.

After the pencil sketch, I wet the background and "whacked in" juicy paint to indicate trees or something in a mid-value (40 - 60% grey). Now the light horse will be set off from the background. Tune in tomorrow to see how I finished this drawing . . . and more.

Oh, and BTW, I started my sketch with the triangle, circle and square. It worked like a charm.

More Horse Heads And Some Reader Participation!

Susan Bronsak writes: "Something I've struggled with through the years is the use of shapes in forming my subjects.  Sandy's first exercise for 2011 is just that, using simple shapes (triangle, circle, and square) to create this horse's head.  Although there's room for improvement with my results, I found her exercise easy and definitely fun to follow along." 

I'm impressed with Susan's drawing and her notes.  She has reminded me to do more of the same with my own sketching. You think you'll remember these details and things, but you don't.

By varying the position and size of the shapes and elements, you will be able to portray different breeds and characteristics. I tried out my theory this morning in the doctor's office. I did these the same way as yesterday, just "head copy"- with no reference. By using this simple formula of circle, square and triangle, it was easy. Both of these were done in less than five minutes while waiting for my check-up in the little exam room. Of course that led to discussion about drawing and talent vs. aptitude and desire with my doc. when she walked in.  What fun!

Surprise, surprise! When I got home, I found that Susan had posted another horse drawing on her blog! I hope she is not getting tired of drawing horses, because I sure am not getting tired of seeing them!! And again, she's got notes and valuable insights to go along with the sketch! 

BTW - Susan is also a daily sketcher and has a wonderful blog, sbwatercolors and sketching "Created and maintained as inspiration for others who wish to tap into their creative self and venture into the world of watercolor painting and sketching."

Here is a photo of my mare in profile view to copy and use as reference. She is a good example of a Thoroughbred / Warmblood type. I recommend observing  side views of different horse breeds to get a better idea of the many variations.

My first sketching challenge is to draw or paint a horse in profile view. You can customize it by depicting a certain breed or individual if you wish. Here's a painting I did yesterday using this (basic shapes) system and Rita's photo for reference..

Please draw along with me this summer and use my photos and sketches here on

Sketching Everyday.com and DrawingEveryday.com, to grow and learn. I do appreciate the credit given to me and my blog when you are describing your piece of art if and when posting it, however. example: This sketch was done from a photograph (or sketch) provided on www.SketchingEveryday.com, where artists are encouraged to participate. Sketch (or Photo) Used with permission - © Sandy Sandy

Because I sell my art and digital mages for a living, photos on my other sites and blogs may not be used without my permission.

You may not sign or put a copyright notice of your own on an image if it is a copy of someone else's work and ideally, you should always have permission from the artist or photographer to repost, redraw, paint, or reproduce an image or copy from a work.

You can find images that are in the public domain which you may use freely on Wikimedia Commons.

Let Sketching Everyday 2 0 1 1 Begin!

Woo, I am psyched! I've got some new and exciting ideas for this year's summer sketching series. I hope a few of you artists will step up and share your input with me and our readers. Remember that in every aspect of our lives, we get back in direct proportion to what we give out. I guess that's one of the many reasons for my continuance of this daily drawing challenge over the years.

One of the changes I want to make to this blog is to really "K.I.S.S. IT!"   or, "Keep It Simple Stupid" or as I like to put it, "Keep It Sensationally Simple".  I went online to see what kind of drawing instruction is available. And wow, there's a lot of it and most of it is pretty darn good! So does the world really need another drawing mentor? Well, I don't know, I guess that's for you, my fellow artists and friends to answer. Please let me know how I'm doing from time to time.


To launch the season, I'm starting off with a simple drawing demo of a horse portrait in profile. I'm showing how the foundation starts off with three simple shapes; a long triangle, a circle and a square.

I add directional lines and divide the shapes in half. This gives me a point of reference for angles and location of the features.

I divide the top half of the circle and find the location for the eye. The mouth follows the directional line of the head as does the top and bottom outline. The crest of the neck is drawn and the slight S curve is added to it's underside. The outline of the nose is rounded some and the nostril is indicated with a semi-circle curve. The ears sit below the poll.

In finishing the sketch, I add some subtle curves, slightly indicate muscle and bone structure and add a mane and forelock.

With the pencil drawing complete, I quickly brush clear water to the edges and then "whack on" a light grey value *with a dry brush. Try not to go over the paper more than once and don't scrub. I am only using drawing paper in my sketchbook, not watercolor paper. This teaches you to work swiftly and then get out of there. " In watercolor, just like in golf, the least amount of strokes wins the game." ~ Tony Couch

Then lickety-split, while the area is still damp, I add darker values* and a few details. 

 and. . .  there you have it!

So, why not copy these steps and give it a try!?

If you are new to my blog, or just a little rusty, referring to my Sketching Everyday Lens on Squidoo will probably answer your *questions. You can also study my watercolor sketching techniques in greater detail on my drawing demo pages on DrawingEveryday.com.

Draw A Horse's Head & Neck ~ Side View

I've always loved to draw horses! It's one of the first things I started copying out of an old American College Encyclopedia we had while my sisters and I were growing up. A door to door salesman had sold my folks the set, complete with a two volume dictionary and a wooden two shelf book stand. I remember it had a couple of pages of the various horse breeds. I looked at it so many times, it was burned into my memory. I can still see it in my mind's eye. I remember it was double sided and there were photos in black and white of 16 breeds. I think I drew them all. The drawings took me hours and I painstakingly copied every detail. Too bad I didn't know then what I know now! It would have helped me a lot. I'm hoping that my posts here will help make someone else's journey a little easier, speedier and more enjoyable. I'm working on putting a drawing demo together to kick off the 2011 season. Here today is a sketch from my pad.  I like this system of using a triangle, circle and square to get the framework of the head and neck. I'll be playing with it a bit more before I do the watercolor. By varying the position and size of the shapes and elements, you'll be able to portray different breeds and characteristics. What fun!