Come up with what your horse will be about. a theme, a story. Will it be a serious subject? Political, Native American, humorous, or historical? Are you going to add any other objects to your horse? Will it be the same on both sides or a different design on each side? Keep in mind you are working in the round, so you must think in 3D.

Draw your design on paper first. Do many sketches or rough drafts. Your ideas will change as you go! Use the template of a horse from The Trail. very useful!

Will your horse be painted realistically, abstract in flat colors or using value?

Use a hard lead pencil to draw your design on your horse. By hard lead, I mean a 2H or harder. If you use a soft lead pencil, it will probably smear when you brush your fingers over the drawn areas.

Have the right supplies. Remember you are working very small, so have small size brushes made for that media. The brushes will be a little stiffer, than brushes made for watercolors. I like to have a variety of pointed brushes and flat brushes. Acrylic paint is water soluble, so you will need CLEAN water as you paint to clean your brushes. Always keep a towel and/or paper towels to wipe off your brushes and any accidents that may happen!

Get ready to paint! Some artists use a base coat or underpainting first or paint with gesso as a primer. The Paint Your Own Pony has already been primed however and is ready to go..

I always start form the background and work my way to the middle and then whatever is in the foreground (or closest to you on your design).

Remember. mistakes happen and the great thing about paint is that you can easily change or fix your mistakes! Have patience and take your time..

Finish up your Pony by adding details, painting a border or repeating your design on the base.

The last thing that you need to do is to put a nice clear coat. either glossy or matte. depends on what effect you want.