Galloping into 2026: Painting the Horse in Ink and Watercolor

Mondays, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Pacific Time)
January 5 – March 16, 2026 (No class January 19 & February 16)
In-Person at Joslyn Center, Alhambra, CA, or Online via Zoom & HD Recordings (9 weeks)

Celebrate the Year of the Horse with a focused nine-week journey into painting horses in Chinese brush and watercolor. We’ll study the horse’s structure, movement, and spirit through Eastern and Western examples—from classical ink horses to modern watercolor interpretations—while learning how to suggest speed, strength, and personality with a few well-placed strokes. Along the way we’ll balance xieyi (freehand expression) with basic anatomy, composition, and color design so that your horses feel alive on the page, not just correctly drawn.

We’ll also emphasize yi (意, mind intent)—learning to let clear intention and feeling guide each stroke before the brush touches the paper.

Tentative 9-Session Syllabus

Ink and Color: Year-of-the-Horse Greetings – Combining ink line with transparent color washes; designing New Year or birthday cards and small hanging scrolls.

Horse Essentials in Ink – Basic proportions, skeletal landmarks, and “bone” strokes for legs, neck, and head; simple standing poses in monochrome ink.

Running Horses: Capturing Motion – Gallop, trot, and turning poses; using overlapping forms, flying manes, and split-brush techniques to suggest speed.

Expressive Heads and Faces – Eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth; how small changes in angle and line weight change character (gentle, fiery, playful, dignified).

Horses in Groups – Mares and foals, herds at rest or in motion; spacing, rhythm, and “lead” vs. “supporting” horses in a composition.

Horse and Rider / Figure Relationship – Simplified riders or grooms; scale, gesture, and how to keep the focus on the horse while suggesting narrative.

Horses in Landscape – Mountain passes, riversides, or open plains; integrating horses into atmospheric ink landscapes without losing clarity.

From East to West: Cross-Cultural Studies – Looking at selected master pieces from Western traditions; borrowing compositional ideas and color strategies.

Poetic Inspiration & Expression – Design and complete your own horse painting with emotion and feelings.

(Topics may be adjusted slightly based on class pace and interests.)

Who Can Join

All levels are welcome.

Beginners will learn how to hold the brush, see basic horse structure, and build confidence with simple poses and limited palettes.

Experienced painters will refine anatomy, experiment with dynamic compositions, and develop a more personal, expressive horse style.

Learning Options & Tuition

Zoom Live + Recording Access – Join the Monday evening sessions in real time, ask questions, and replay HD videos at your convenience.

Recording-Only Access – Watch the class on your own schedule with full access to the same HD recordings and reference materials.

Artwork Critique – Students (live or recording-only) are invited to submit works-in-progress for Henry’s email critique during the course.

Tuition for the full nine-week series: $138–$140 (depending on option selected; see registration choices on this page).

In-person at Joslyn Center, Alhambra - please register here. 

Supplies You’ll Need

Chinese brush painting basics are recommended:

A few Chinese brushes – soft hair (for washes), stiffer or combination brush (for horse “bone” strokes), and a small detail brush.

Ink – bottled sumi ink or ink stick and ink stone.

Paper – Xuan or mulberry paper (practice and better-quality sheets for final work); optional small cards or pre-mounted scrolls for greetings.

Watercolors or traditional Chinese pigments – earth tones, primary colors, and a few greens/blues for landscape settings.

Palette, water containers, and felt pad, plus paperweights, tissues, and a brush rest.

Optional: your name or mood seal and red seal paste to finish your work.

If you’re new to Chinese painting, you can start with a basic student value set from Blue Heron Arts and add colors or specialty papers as you go.

Join us this winter to “gallop into 2026” together—learning not only how to draw horses, but how to let their strength, grace, and free spirit come through every brushstroke.

	Zoom + recording [Horse_Class_2026-1]	$140.00	Quantity :
	Recording only [Horse_Class_2026-2]	$138.00	Quantity :