Drawing Ponies

Drawing Ponies (1966) – Norman Thelwell
Studio Vista | ISBN: None
Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Ponies. Small horses with enormous personalities, questionable attitudes and an apparently limitless capacity for making human beings look ridiculous. They may appear charming, innocent and wonderfully picturesque when standing peacefully in a meadow, but anyone who has ever attempted to persuade one to do something it doesn’t want to do will know that beneath the fluffy exterior lurks a calculating intelligence with a deeply suspicious attitude towards cooperation.

Fortunately, Norman Thelwell understood ponies better than almost anybody, particularly their remarkable ability to reduce otherwise sensible people to exhausted, mud-covered wrecks. In Drawing Ponies, published in 1966 by Studio Vista, the celebrated British cartoonist turns his considerable artistic talents towards explaining how to capture these magnificent, mischievous and frequently obstinate creatures on paper.

Thelwell is, of course, best remembered for his gloriously funny cartoons featuring plump, determined ponies and their equally determined young riders, usually engaged in some catastrophic disagreement about the direction of travel. His illustrations became classics of British humour, combining affectionate observation with the uncomfortable truth that horses have opinions, and those opinions rarely coincide with the wishes of whoever happens to be sitting on top.

But behind the comedy was a remarkably skilled draughtsman with a keen understanding of equine anatomy, movement, proportion and character. Drawing a convincing pony requires considerably more than attaching four legs to a barrel, adding a mane and hoping nobody notices that the result resembles an unusually hairy garden table.

This delightful instructional volume brings Thelwell’s observational skills to the practical business of drawing ponies, offering aspiring artists the benefit of his distinctive approach to one of nature’s most deceptively difficult subjects.

A pony standing still is challenging enough. A pony trotting, cantering, jumping, bucking or suddenly deciding that a plastic bag represents an immediate threat to national security introduces an entirely new level of artistic difficulty. Capturing such movement demands an understanding not merely of physical structure but of balance, expression and the wonderfully individual personalities that make these animals so entertaining.

Published during the golden age of Thelwell’s popularity, the book also represents a charming piece of British equestrian and artistic history. It belongs to an era when aspiring illustrators learned their craft through careful observation, pencil sketches and repeated practice, rather than asking a computer to produce seventeen perfect ponies before lunchtime.

This 1966 Studio Vista edition, offered in Good condition by Crappy Old Books, is an appealing find for artists, riding enthusiasts, collectors of Thelwell’s work and anyone who appreciates the combination of technical skill and gently mischievous humour that made his illustrations so enduringly popular.

Whether you’re hoping to improve your equine drawing skills or simply enjoy the work of one of Britain’s best-loved cartoonists, Drawing Ponies is a thoroughly charming addition to the bookshelf.

An opportunity to learn from a master of the art.

And unlike a real pony, the one you draw is unlikely to bite you, kick the stable door or eat your sandwiches when you’re not looking.

Keep browsing: See more Art books Other books by Norman Thelwell