The Ponies Are Back!

Polo season has finally begun!  And the ponies are back again, this time in snow.  Yes, in snow!  Snow Polo is popular in Europe, especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  Last weekend, we went to check out the Kitzbuhel Snow Polo Tournament in Austria, where my boyfriend is photographer.  The weather was perfect for this event.  It snowed like mad the week before, but by the time the tournament was due, the worst was over and the snow remained.  For the weekend, I of course took along my art kit.

I was only able to work indoors as it was so cold outside! Yet, sitting on a table shared with people meant working on a table that would constantly rock and shake so I decided to just sketch in pencil in my little pad and if I felt like it, colour when I got home.  So Day One…

Pencil Sketch

I decided on a cute theme of pony and player galloping away in snow hat and scarf, just looking cute and fancy.  I was amazed I didn’t forget how to draw a horse, although I ought to practice more.  How do you like the cute little hat on the pony?  Polo players, of course, do not dress in snow hat and scarf, but why not make it cute anyway?

 Colour Me Kawaii

The sketching pad was tiny, I believe A5 even, so I could afford to colour in with markers.  When I got home to Amsterdam, I spent a few hours filling it all in, this time with a larger range of colours and possibilities.  Much of the work was in the above-mentioned Faber Castell markers (which arepermanent India Ink), whereas I did a bit of shading with coloured pencils.  For the snowy grey background, I used coloured pencils as well, just briskly scribbling them in.  So what do you think of the pink outfit?  Looks cute on the pony too!  Along with the purple shoes and muffler.

Let it Snow…

And finally we need to add some snow!  I got the idea to use Titanium White acrylic paint from an artist who used white Gouache on her watercolours.  It’s the thick consistency of the paint that does the trick.  I took a bit of the acrylic paint and with some crumpled up kitchen paper, briskly but carefully tapped it on the artwork.  Wow… how cool is that!  I could have added more but hesitated as I didn’t want to overdo it.  The kawaii drawing might get hidden in the snow!  So here is the quick sketch and colour I did….

More Cute Ponies Coming Up!

This is the first of the trilogy of snow polo cuties for the Kitzbuhel tournament.  These are in my mini sketchbook which I need to colour in or finalise.  In addition, I may even add more pieces in relation to this when I have the time.  Hope I do!  I’m dying to do one on black paper with opaque ink and pastel-shaded coloured pencils or even in pastel pencils.  Let’s see where my creative mind will wander…