The Breyer SpotLight: Your Horse Model Market Resource

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  • News: Have you ever been tempted to do this?
  • Article: Pastels Part III

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Looks like we had a glitch in our mailing software, as it sent out the ezine from two weeks ago out again! Sorry for the inconvenience, here is this week's ezine

News: Have you ever been tempted to do this

You're sitting there browsing through website about horses and models, and you come across some pictures that simply take your breath away. The color is just right, the angels, the lighting… the picture speaks to you. And you think “I wonder, can I right click this and make a copy? No one will know, it will only be for my own use… so what is the harm?” Well the harm is that it is illegal.


It does not matter if the photo has a “watermark” across it or not. The fact is, someone else took the photo and therefore it is their Intellectual Property, as soon as they snap the shutter. They do NOT have to register the photo with the copyright office to maintain the IP rights. Although registering a work/photo with the Copyright Office will make it easier to win a law suit, it is not required. And there are some pretty heavy duty fines that go along with the theft of a photo OR information from a website, flyer, or books.


This is one of the discussions that has been talked about on our Facebook page for Breyer Horse Collectors and one I felt was very important to share. There are several other great topics that you may want to take part in; join us, we'd love to hear from you.


Visit our Breyer Horse Collectors Facebook Page!


We've included several links for you about Copyright Laws. The first is to the Copyright.gov office and has the “Basic” outline of the laws. The next is from a “watchdog” site that explains the laws in a simple manner. Please take the time to read through this important matter and gain a bit more understanding. It would be a shame to have photos removed from websites because people choose to break the law.


Copyright Law (pdf)


IPWatchDog on Copyright Issues


For today's article, Elaine continues with customizing a model using Pastels covering some great details such as dapples. If you have any questions or comments for us, please do let us know. We will either answer your questions directly via email, or in the next ezine. Now onto customizing!


Article: Choosing Mediums - Pastels Part IV

For areas that are near the mane, tail, forelock and nostrils the brush is the best tool to use. Keep in mind using the brush does require a bit more pressure than the applicator to make the pastel stick. Dip the brush into the chalk and using a circular motion apply the pastel into the nooks and crannies that the applicator would not fit into.


If you are doing dapples on your model, this is where the kneadable eraser comes in handy. Once you have your pastel dapples applied take a piece of the eraser and shape it into a point (for star dapples) or an oval shape (round dapples). Lightly press the eraser to the areas you don't want the pastel to be. It will remove the pastel only from the area you want to be lighter and leave the remaining areas dark. This also works for removing pastel from the higher areas of your model, i.e. veining and facial areas, where the pastel tends to become darker than you may like. You MUST remove the pastel prior to spraying, once sprayed it is sealed.


Don't be afraid to combine your pastel colors! I mix brown with black, brown with red, brown with yellow, etc. It gives dimension to your model. If you consistently layer the same color over and over it will turn darker but will also have a flat appearance - mix it up a little and try new things. In the event you apply color to your model and simply don't like the way a particular area is turning out don't fret. Prior to sealing with spray use your moist soft cloth to simply wipe the color off. Wipe lightly in a small circular motion to avoid dragging the color across your model. Continue this procedure until you have removed the color from your model.


Continue applying your pastel and spraying in-between the layers until you have the entire model the color you want it. Don't forget to add shading! Shading is accomplished by applying thin layers of color graduating from a lighter to darker throughout the layers and will give your model depth.


If you missed one of the previous articles about using Pastels, you can find it below at the "backissues" link. We've had several questions about the proper or correct way of stripping a model as well. Elaine will cover that topic in a future article, so stay tuned.


Until next time - keep imagining and enjoy your collection!


Breyer Horse Collectors