Blue-Eyed Mischief: Painting a Spunky Miniature Horse Named Pinto Bean

Blue-Eyed Mischief: Painting a Spunky Miniature Horse Named Pinto Bean

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

Every once in a while, a piece sparks joy from the very beginning—and this miniature horse was one of those moments. With striking blue eyes, a bold black-and-white coat, and a personality that could fill any room, he galloped right into my heart (and onto my watercolor paper).

This watercolor was part of a wonderful group of commissions I created for a client who gifted about a dozen custom artworks to her own clients for Christmas. I absolutely love projects like these—full of personality, meaning, and variety. And this little guy? He definitely made an impression.

When I first saw his photo, those electric blue eyes stopped me in my tracks. Blue isn’t a common eye color in horses, and when it does show up, it always grabs me. I knew right away they’d be the focal point. His expression had that classic mischievous mini-horse attitude: part troublemaker, part charmer, all heart.

I knew this little guy would be a fun challenge, and his spunky personality was contagious. His black and white coat provided a beautiful contrast, but those blue eyes were the star of the show. I had to capture the depth of his gaze while still showing the mischievous glint that was so clearly present in his expression.

The first step was figuring out how to layer the blacks and whites of his coat with watercolor—especially when relying on the white of the paper to represent the lightest parts of the subject. For the brightest areas on this little guy, I used something called masking fluid. It’s a bit like rubber cement—applied before painting, it protects the paper from any paint and peels off later to reveal clean, untouched white underneath.

I used a blurred photo to determine the lightest and darkest areas of the little guy. Looking closely at the photo, what I saw were gray areas within his black coat. I mixed my own black using blue and brown—those were the colors I saw reflected in his fur—which allowed me to shift the tone toward a more blue-black or brown-black as needed. By adjusting the amount of water, I was able to darken or lighten areas as I went. Once I was done, I removed the masking fluid.

With the base wash laid down over the black areas of his coat, I began working on the details—deepening the darkest areas, adding touches of pink, defining his sweet little mouth, and fine-tuning his eyes. I always marvel at artists who can work on one section at a time, completing it before moving on. Not me—I’m all over the place.

Once I was happy with the underlying tones, I started adding the details of his fur—one tiny stroke at a time. It might look like I painted every single hair, but I’ve learned that less is more. A few well-placed lines can suggest fur all over without having to draw it all. After all, we don’t see every strand of hair in a photo—but we know it’s there.

There’s a saying among artists: “It’s complete when you’re 80% done.” I take that to mean, you’ll never get it 100% perfect—so stop when you’re almost there. When I’m working on commissions, I always let the client decide when a piece is finished. Once I feel I’ve hit that 80%, I send a progress photo with a message like, “I think I’m done—what do you think?” If they say it’s great, I walk away. Even if part of me thinks I could make an area darker or shift a color slightly, I stop. At that point, all that’s left is to remove the painting from the board and get it ready for my client.

Have a favorite animal you’d love to see in watercolor? Or just want to say hi? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Curious about commissions or thinking about a custom piece? I’m always happy to chat about ideas. You can find more details by clicking here to learn more about the commission process, or click “Commmission Information” at the top of the blog home page (drop down window on phone).

Supplies Used in This Piece (Some links below are affiliate; I may earn a small commission at no extra cost—thank you!):

• Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper
• Mijello Mission Gold Watercolor Paints
• Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid
• Water activated tape
• Ruled Washi Tape (I used tape from TheArtistLife.com, they are no longer in business)

If you’re interested in trying any of these supplies yourself, feel free to check out the links above. I only share products I truly love and use!

Spring, Sass, and Colored Pencils: A Duckling Comes to Life

Sassy Duckling Tutorial by Lorna Dandy

“Spring, Sass, and Colored Pencils: A Duckling Comes to Life”

Who doesn’t love spring—and a sassy little duck?

Back in 2022, I discovered the joy of working with colored pencils. Like most new artistic adventures, I dove in headfirst with the help of tutorials. So when a video by Lorna Dandy popped up in my YouTube feed featuring an energetic little duckling, I couldn’t resist.

Lorna provided an outline and a reference photo, so after tracing the image onto my paper, I got to work.

I really enjoyed her pace. We worked slowly, layering in the duckling’s colors and character bit by bit.

As I often do, there came a moment when I “got it”—something just clicked—and from there, I took off on my own. It’s part of the fun: learning the technique, then putting your own spin on it.

By the time I got to the foot in the air, I going solo, not watching video anymore. It’s funny looking at it now—clearly a little duckling foot caught in motion—but at the time, I had no idea what I was drawing. I just kept going, relying on the reference photo and hoping it would all come together in the end.

This particular duck was created during a chaotic time: a full kitchen remodel and new flooring in our main living area. My studio (otherwise known as the spare bedroom) had become the temporary kitchenet and living room, so I set up a small table in our bedroom. Sometimes I worked on the bed, colored pencils in hand, a video on the TV, and that little duckling coming to life on the page.

That’s the beauty of colored pencils—they’re wonderfully portable, and cleanup is a breeze. No paint, no water, no brushes. Just a handful of pencils and a little space.

But I’ll be honest: colored pencils don’t give you much back. They’re slow. There’s no magic wash or big reveal—you do all the work, one pencil stroke at a time. But that’s also what makes the end result so satisfying.

If you’ve ever been tempted to try colored pencils, I highly recommend starting with a good tutorial like Lorna’s. And if you just came here for the duck—I get it. She’s a sassy little thing and full of springtime spirit.

Let me know what you think in the comments—or share your own favorite medium to create with when life gets messy.

If this sassy little duckling found its way onto a product, what would you be most excited to own, wear, or use? A mug for your morning coffee? A tote for spring errands? I’d love to hear your ideas—who knows, your suggestion might just inspire my next creation!

You can see more of my work (including a few other animal antics) over on my Facebook page. I’m always adding new pieces, so feel free to take a peek. Thanks so much for stopping by—and for letting this little duckling waddle into your day