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How To Draw Horse Manes On Photoshop
 By T W I
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25th Oct 2011 •
10,343 views
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9 comments
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By popular request, I finally ended up creating a mane tutorial. I’m still not completely satisfied with the quality of the manes (and tails) I draw, so in the future I might end up creating another updated version as I continue to improve my method.
Software: Photoshop Elements | Skill level: Advanced
This tutorial will be focused on how to draw a chestnut-colored mane. My technique differs from color to color, so if you're following along, I reccomend you chose a mane color roughly the same as what I'm using.
Make sure that the horse is completely cut out, including the mane and tail removed. If there are pieces of the mane or tail overlapping the horse in places you cannot erase, you’ll need to decide whether you can simply draw over those area or will need to clone them out.
Make a new layer.
Select a hard brush, size six pixels and at 80% opacity. Draw the basic outline of the mane, using your desired color. Keep in mind that the color you chose will be the base color for the whole mane.
Don’t draw a solid chunk of mane, but leave it in little strands. This will determine the shape of it. Draw natural, free flowing strands. Think how the horse's environment would influence the way the mane moves. Is the horse in water? Then the mane would be floating up in a haphazard fashion. Or maybe the horse is grazing. Then it would be softly falling forward, towards the horse's face.
Once you’re finish, make another layer right below the strands layer. Change your brush to a soft brush and make it bigger, to around 20 pixels. Paint a blob of color beneath the strands, making a base for the mane. There’s no need to detail it, just make conform to the shape of the strands you painted. One thing to avoid however, is getting the edges of your base to close too the edges of the strands, as this will give the mane a blocky look- exactly what we're trying to avoid.
Make a third layer overtop of the other two. This layer will contain your basic highlights. Select a color a bit lighter than the original base color, as highlights are always lighter. Use a large fuzzy brush on a low opacity setting, around 35%, to block in some big, fat highlights. These are your guidelines for the areas that will be the most highlighted throughout the mane.
There is no set standard of where the highlights should be located. It all depends on the scene's lighting, as well as the way the mane is shaped. Figuring out where to place highlights just takes practice.
Repeat the process, this time using a color darker than the base color. There shouldn't be as many shadowed areas in the mane as highlights.
Make of forth layer over top of the other three. Change the opacity to 75% and your brush back to a hard brush, the size at two pixels. If desired, you can adjust the size of your brush a little, however do not use size 1. Size 1 always gives individual strands an unattractive, pixilated look.
Chose a new color, this time a bit lighter than the base highlights color. Start brushing in little strands, all throughout the mane. You can put highlights on the shadow areas too, just not in nearly as high of concentration as the blocked in highlight areas.
Be sure to draw lots of highlights, though at varying concentrations thoroughout. Do not leave any space without them.
Repeat the process, using shadow strands. I like my shadows to be almost completely black, on a low opacity. Don’t add as many shadows as highlights, just brush them in there to give the mane a variation in color.
Stay tuned for part 2!
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FreeRein
thank you thank you thank you thank you.... XD I am so happy you put this up!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... you need to MSG me part two so I don't screw up my winter digi... XD
thank you thank you thank you thank you.... XD I am so happy you put this up!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... you need to MSG me part two so I don't screw up my winter digi... XD
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19 days ago
• 8,234 views
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18 days ago
• 8,237 views
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All That Jazz
You make the most amazing graphics ever. XD
You make the most amazing graphics ever. XD
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18 days ago
• 8,236 views
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Stay Untamed
These are amazing! Thanks for writing about it!!
These are amazing! Thanks for writing about it!!
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18 days ago
• 8,274 views
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Simplicity
Your graphics are amazing
Your graphics are amazing
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16 days ago
• 8,232 views
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Etched in Stone
This was extremely helpful, TWI! I tried it today and it worked very well. Kind of haha. A few more tries and I should reach success.
This was extremely helpful, TWI! I tried it today and it worked very well. Kind of haha. A few more tries and I should reach success.
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13 days ago
• 8,309 views
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RoyalCrownEstates
MOD
Very nice ! and easy to understand, thanks !
Very nice ! and easy to understand, thanks !
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10 days ago
• 8,259 views
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Hoofz
Wow! I have a friend who does photoshop and i'll show her this )
Wow! I have a friend who does photoshop and i'll show her this )
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6 days ago
• 8,352 views
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Mystic56
Did you draw the horse in the sample manip? its really good!!!
Did you draw the horse in the sample manip? its really good!!!
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Nov 18, 2011
• 8,272 views
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