Make Model Horses Move.
In the world of model horse collecting there is a craft called remaking a model horse. It takes heating plastic and painting. But to do it, you risk messing up the model, and you have to sacrifice the original. What if you want it both ways?
Well stoke up your imagination. Grab your horse, a digital camera and some photo editing software and a computer. Follow these instructions and get that horse moving. When your done you can make a whole gallery of your horse moving without ever changing position on the shelf!
Contents at a Glance
The Necessities
What do you Need
1. The model Horse (obviously!)2. pictures-digital camera highly recommended
3. computer with photoshop or similar program.
4. some skill with photoshop or instructions.
Front Leg actions
Steps to move Front Legs
1 Decide how you want to move the horse. Open a new document and the horse picture. Select the horse and put him in the new one. (Base layer) Copy that layer and make it invisible. (This in case of mistakes.)2. Start with a front upper leg you want moved. Select just that piece, copy and paste. Rotate. Move it into the new position.
3. Do the same with the lower leg/cannon bone. Follow with the hoof. Notice your avoiding the joints.
4. Finally do the joints: knee, fetlock, you may need to select the shoulder and move so it looks right.
5. You know have a fifth leg. Ignore it for now. Link each layer to the base layer.
SAVE THE FILE
Back Leg actions
Steps to move back legs
1. Select upper leg. Copy and paste. Move the new one where you want it and rotate as needed until your horse has the start of yet another extra leg.2. Do the same with the lower leg, then hoof.
3. Finally do the hock and fetlock.
4. Select and move the haunch if necessary to line up the stifle (that joint opposite the elbow. It's actually a knee!)
LInk the layers to the base layer and SAVE FILE
Head and Neck Motion
Steps To Move the Head and Neck
1. Select the head, copy and paste. Move the copy to the side.2. Select the neck. Rotate the neck up or down. Line it back up with the body. You may want to play with light/dark settings here to differentiate from the original neck.
3. Move the head back and rotate into position. Line it up with the neck.
Link the layers and SAVE the file.
Finishing Touches
Smoothing out the Gaps
1. Sit back and look at your horse. Make sure everything is lined up. If edges still stick out you can select the appropriate layer and erase parts sticking out. You can also erase all those extra legs, head and neck!2. Are the shadows right? Depending on the photo lighting, you may need to select a layer to lighten or darken.
3. Are there gaps? Add a new layer, select the closest color and fill in with the brush tool. Link the paint layer in case you decide to resize the horse.
Satisfied? Save everything. If you want to show it off online or something, save a copy as jpeg. But keep the original! Otherwise you'll lose all the layer information if you want to go back.
Extras
What else can you do?
Did you notice his head turned? If you take photos from multiple angles you can shift the head and neck.Manes and tails can be selected, copied, pasted and added together for the wild and wavy look.
You can do this from any layer, keep in mind if you do a front or back angle you may have to play with perspectives and foreshortening, enlarging a hoof or nose.
You can also make a copy in jpeg, select the horse and put him into any background you wish.
Want to RIDE him? See my other lens: Model Horse Rides
Well Can you do it?
What do you think?
Let me know what you think. Are the instructions clear? Have you got your horse moving yet?
Breyer Horses on Amazon
Stablemates Red Stable Set
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Stablemates Pick-Up Truck and Gooseneck Trailer
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Breyer Stevie and Belle Gift Set
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Breyer Classics Pinto Horse and Foal
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Breyer Warmblood Horse and Foal
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Breyer Horses!
Model Horses to Computer tweak
Get your discontinued, not new models here.
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Digital Cameras Amazon
Nikon Coolpix L20 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6 Optical Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Deep Red)
Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 12/02/2009)
Fujifilm FinePix J28 10.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2009)
Sony LCS-CST General Purpose Soft Carrying Case for Slim Cybershot Digital Cameras
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Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Green)
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Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
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Photo Editing on Amazon
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Amazon Price: $78.49 (as of 12/02/2009)
![Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vqDZb1A1L._SL75_.jpg)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 [OLD VERSION]
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Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature
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Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4 Student Edition
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Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 [Mac]
Amazon Price: $82.99 (as of 12/02/2009)
Digital Cameras on Ebay
Take pictures of your horse
Gotta have a camera to start with!
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