The Breyer SpotLight: Your Horse Model Market Resource

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• Updates: Changes coming for Feature Collectors
• Article: Choosing Mediums - Pastels Part I

Updates: Changes for Featured Collectors of the Month

Since the beginning of Breyer Horse Collectors and The Breyer SpotLight, we have offered a featured page for Collectors to show case their favorite models as well as pictures. This has been a very popular recourse for Collectors and has been thourally enjoyed by our readers as well.

It has become so popular in fact that it is proving to take many hours to create each page… So this is what we have in mind to make it a bit easier as well as faster to get done: turn the Featured Collector of the Month into a “C2” page like a few of the others we have. What this means for you is you will create the page yourself; I will take a look at the content making sure everything is adequate then load the page. A huge benefit is Visitors can comment on your page and you can comment back.

It will be a bit different than the old style page as you will only be able to load one photo for each C2 page created. However, there is no limit to how many C2 pages you create! You can see a sample of a C2 page here

Treasure Hunt C2 invitiation

Just make sure your photos are small (1 MPx or less) to make it easier for the page to load. Also keep all content positive in nature and you'll be set to go.

Please do let us know your thoughts on this topic; we would love to hear from you!

If you read the last Breyer SpotLight, you'll remember we introduced you to Elaine Botten. Elaine has done customizing of models for many years and has agreed to share her information with us. Today we also answer two of several questions that came in at the end of today's article.

Now, for today's article we continue on the topic of choosing mediums with a focus on Artist Pastels.

Article: Choosing Mediums - Pastels Part I

Choosing pastels as a medium to work with is very good for the beginner who wants to experiment. They are not only inexpensive, they are very easy to use and mistakes can be swiped away with a cloth. They also give your model a real depth and warmth.

A fun way to customize a model is using Artists pastels. Artist pastels come in two forms - oil and stick. A stick pastel is a compressed bar of chalk that has been tinted to a specific color. While you can buy a complete artists box of pastels - you will rarely use the greens, etc. There are boxes of pastels that work perfectly for the model horse artist - they come in a variety of earth tones and there are also several hobby sites that you can shop on to buy individual sticks of the colors you want to use.

The model you are going to use should already be prepped (all seams removed, holes filled, etc.) and primed. Make sure your model is clean! If the model has been sitting for a period of time rinse it off to remove any dust or other debris that may have collected on it. Also, check carefully for runs or bubbles in the primer that you may have previously missed.

After you have given your model a thorough look over, hold it carefully either by a leg or the tail and give it a light, even coat of Fixative spray. Make sure you shake the can for a minimum of 2 minutes to mix the spray thoroughly). Let your model dry for at least 15 minutes. Your second coat of spray will be with Testors Dull Cote; this spray gives the “tooth” that pastels need in order for them to adhere to the model. Set the model aside to dry - I always allow 15 minutes of drying time. Once dried, and before you start to use the pastels - check carefully in the textured areas of the model, mane and tail, and also the nostrils to make sure that all areas are COMPLETELY dry. Pastels applied to an area that is damp will clump up and leave a rough texture on the model.

Next time around I will discuss how to begin putting the pastels to use!

We have had a few great questions come in for Elaine about customizing models and we've included a couple of them here. Others require more information and will be a future article in themselves…

Question 1) What do you use to remove paint?
Answer: If the model is factory painted - you don't have to remove the paint, lightly sand it with a fine grit sandpaper to give it tooth for your primer to stick. If it is a previously painted model, any non-acetone nail polish remove will work. Make sure you are in a ventilated area and use latex gloves on your hands to remove any paint with this method.

Question 2) How do you choose a model?
Answer: For the beginner I would go with the least expensive plastic type models - that way you don't spend hundreds of dollars on a resin that you have to repeatedly do over. The smaller the model, the less you will see any flaws, i.e. Breyer stablemates, the larger the model the more your mistakes will show.

Elaine Hartley Botten was born and raised in Wyoming. She grew up on horseback, was rodeo queen, raced barrels and showed Quarter Horses professionally in both breed and color organizations. She is a cowgirl and artist at heart. Elaine has been drawing and painting since an early age and since she no longer owns real horses her efforts are now focused on customizing model horses.

We hope you have enjoyed the information today and look forward to hearing from you if you have any idea's or questions. Next time we learn about putting the pastels to use - so stay tuned! Happy Collecting!

Breyer Horse Collectors