Repainting your Breyer Horse

Custom Breyer Horse models are both intricate and popular. Buying a custom horse can be a pricey proposition, and many crafty Breyer Horse owners are interested in doing their own customizations. After all, even the pros had to start somewhere, right?

There are a number of articles online on how to customize your Breyer Horse. The easiest place to start is with a new paint job. Repainting a Breyer Horse is a fairly straightforward proposition. The basic steps are:

1. Gather supplies.

Most sources recommend acrylic paints, in a variety of natural colors like burnt sienna and raw sienna. Acrylic paint can be purchased in small tubes from your local big box craft store. (Personally I recommend Michael's over Joann's, if you have the choice. Michael's tends to have a much better selection of art supplies.)

Acrylic paints are non-toxic and water based. They dry quickly, but are not waterproof. (Don't leave your repainted Breyer Horse out in the rain, or give it a bath!)

You will also want brushes (a small assortment of sizes 0 through 5 will do); blending tools such as junky paintbrushes, little chunks of natural sponge, and so forth; gesso paint, to use as a primer undercoat; and matte sealer, as a final protective coat.

2. Plan your design

For your first horse, I recommend sticking to something simple and natural. Look through glossy full color books of horse pictures until you find a coat pattern that interests you. Note that it's easier to add white blazes and snips than it is to go crazy with unusual coat colors such as grullo and strawberry roan. You don't want something too boring, but your first repaint should be about learning the process, not about getting frustrated trying to blend and dapple challenging colors.

Keep your reference book beside you when you paint, and paint some sketches on paper first. You don't have to actually sketch out the entire horse, but you will want to practice mixing paints and getting the blending effects that you want. Once you are confident that you have the right mixture and you are familiar with your tools, it's time to start painting that horse!

3. Prep your horse

Wipe off any stains or dirt, making sure to get all the dust out of your model's tiny nooks and crannies. Paint your horse with the gesso paint and let it dry completely. The gesso will serve as a primer, giving you a nice flat and dull surface to paint.

4. Start painting!

Be sure you can paint in a quiet area, where you will not be rushed or pressed for time. Take your time, and remember that you do not have to finish the entire horse at once. Paint a little bit, then step back and see what you think before proceeding. Paint from "light to dark," meaning that you apply the lightest colors first, then the darker colors over those. This way the darker colors won't overmix with the lighter colors.

Add the lightest highlights, such as snips and blazes, as a final touch.

Once you have fully finished painting your horse, and you are pleased with the results, apply a coating of matte sealer to seal in the job. Matte sealer will help protect your paint from accidental scratches and smudges, and give it a finished look.

5. Admire your work!