I painted this beautiful bay horse called Pablo a few months ago. I had a series of really amazing photographs which made the painting process really enjoyable. It also meant I could create a very special and detailed equine portrait.
As a portrait artist I always look for the the best in terms of reference photos. They make so much difference for the painting or drawing process. I really love painting and when a brilliant reference comes along, it makes the process so enjoyable.
Reference Photos
My client, Lucy, emailed me lots of different poses of Pablo. The only challenge we had was to pick the best one for the portrait. Lucy wanted to capture mainly Pablo’s beautiful long face and his blaze which features heavily in this shot. I love the way he is connecting with the viewer in this image. I wanted to really capture this. I added a little more of his body to the painting using some other references.
Testimonial
Hi Ivana! That’s beautiful. Thank you so much. You really have a great talent.
Lucy on seeing the scanned image of Pablo’s portrait I emailed to her before she collected the painting, Kilcock, county Kildare, December 2025
His colour being such a strong bay with the white blaze, I suggested using the vegetation in the background. The greens work really well to contrast the lovely warm browns in the main character.
Painting Process and Materials
The painting is 30 x 25 cm in size. I painted on fine grain stretched canvas with acrylic paints. I painted the portrait in several stages, starting with a painted line sketch. I used a warm yellow ochre for this. After the sketch was finished and I was content I captured Pablo’s likeness, I used the other colours to block the entire surface of the canvas. For this I used a mixture of Venetian Red, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Lemon and Titanium White.
I kept adding detail after detail onto the pony’s head mostly. This brought the focus onto Pablo’s head especially. The background was painted in a much looser way. I used mostly flat brushes sized 1/4″ and a round brush sized 4 for detail. I use Richard Oliver synthetic brushes. They last so well and withstand constant washing.
The Finished Painting on Canvas
Lucy, my client, decided to collect the painting. She lives in Kilcock such as me and my studio (in my house :). She had commissioned a painting of another horse a while ago and decided to come back to me with another commission. Pablo’s portrait was a Christmas gift and I got it ready just in time.
I included some promotional material with the finished painting, such as business cards and a ‘how to care’ postcard. The postcard is a proof of an original artwork too. I put my initials on the painting in the low right hand corner and included Pablo’s name and my full signature to the bottom edge of the canvas.
Currently Accepting Commissions
I am accepting equine commissions, so please contact me if you have one in mind. After all, Mother’s Day is approaching…. A painted portrait would make her day a very special one with a unique gift from her beloved.
You can contact me by filling out the contact form below or by emailing me your enquire and photos to info@trueimage.ie
If you decide to email me your photos, choose the best you can find. It will make a huge difference when creating a very unique portrait.
