My Little Secret About Painting Ram Horns

I’ve had a few comments from February’s project participants about not being able to paint horns like I do. Let me let you into a little secret: in my studio I have a pencil drawing of a horn the in-house art critic did for me several years ago as a ‘cheatsheet’ for the shading because I kept getting myself muddled and stressed.

Ram Horn Drawing Diagram

It’s a bit cryptic, reduced to four elements — outline line, white highlight, shaded shadow, and twisted-form zigzag . It reminds me of the essentials, without the distraction of colour, pattern, or ridges, or position of ears. It’s been in the corner, within view though not consciously seen every day. Encouragement and reassurance, a reminder and incentive. It’s taken me ages to feel I can do horns to a level that consistently pleases me, but I feel I’ve got there now, probably.

drawing ram horns in ink

If you scroll through my sheep paintings you’ll see how horns pop up now and again, but not often. That’s changed over the last few months, even going to this extreme:

Sheep painting with seven sheep against yellow background
“The Seven Ram-ewe-rai”. Diptych, 100x50m (two panels of 50x50cm). In my studio. £645 . (Title is derived from the film The Seven Samurai)
Ram painting
Prize Ram. Acrylic on watercolour paper A2 size (approx 42x59cm). In my studio.
Sheep Painting "Down Off the Hills" by Marion Boddy-Evans
“Down off the Hills”. 100x100cm. £795. In my studio
“Two Ply”. 70x60cm. £595, Contact Skyeworks Gallery on skyeworksgallery@gmail.com

Share Your Thoughts

%d bloggers like this: