Soft shading with an airbrush can create striking depth.
An airbrush is a powerful painting tool ideal for creating the illusion of three-dimensional surfaces on two-dimensional planes. The Grim Reaper on horseback can look fearsome if painted correctly. A good painting should evoke the sights and sounds of a galloping horse, the flapping black cape, and the creepy skull partially visible under the hood. It may take some searching to get the right reference images, but it is also possible to combine separate image elements into one composition.
Instructions
1. Base your painting on an image that shows any rider (ideally in a hooded cape), on a horse about the right size. Examine images of the grim reaper until you find one the right size. Use separate images of skulls if necessary and make sure they are proportional to the size of the grim reaper.
2. Trace the outline of the horse from head to tail, including the underside on one stencil sheet. Cut out the exact outline of the horse with a scalpel.
3. Trace and cut out the outline of the cape and hood on another stencil sheet. Draw it hanging from the sides of the horse and show how it is flapping. Use fluid line in the wind direction to stretch the cape and give the outline a feeling of motion. Detail within the cape will be done afterward, so focus only on the outline.
4. Trace and cut the outline of a skull that will fit in the opening of the hood. Cut the top section of the skull if desired to show it being obscured by the overhanging hood. On another section, trace and cut all dark areas on the skull including eye sockets, nose cavity and opening between the teeth. Use another portion of the same stencil sheet to cut out the teeth. Cut out each little tooth so that it will match the dimensions of the skull.
5. Paint the background for the painting using different shades of gray or blue. Leave the area around the horse and Grim Reaper white.
6. Place the stencil for the horse in position and use tape hold it there. Use black to slightly shade in the outline spraying paint in from the outer edges. Blacken the hooves and carefully paint the eyes, inner ears and nostrils.
7. Shade the muscles of the horse moving back and forth along the same lines to show contours. Use a light spray of paint with lots of air to create fine shading. Shade the inner ear and the bones in the legs. Shade the muscles on the horses chest. Remove the stencil and let the paint dry.
8. Position the second stencil for the cape and hood and secure it with tape. Airbrush the cape in a dark tone, especially around the edges until it looks complete. Paint dark lines in folded areas of the cape to give it depth. Closely examine the reference image to guide you placement of highlights and shadows on the cape using different tones. Remove the stencil and let the paint dry.
9. Place the the final skull stencil in the right spot and secure it with tape. Spay the white area of the skull. Reposition the stencil to the cutouts of the dark areas of the skull and paint them black. Place the last section (two rows of cut teeth), accurately on the skull and paint the small teeth white.
10. Remove the stencil and examine the results. Check to see that there is no disproportionate off-set of any elements on a stencil. Reposition any stencil and paint to make any necessary corrections. Add more detail as desired using the airbrush to complete the painting.
