Born in 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, Husain’s career spanned several decades. His distinctive style often blended traditional Indian themes with a contemporary approach. His work was always marked by bright colours, bold strokes and dynamic compositions; and it covered a range of subjects, from rural life to historical figures.
Husain prominently displayed horses in his body of work—paintings, sculptures and sketches. For him, the horse symbolised power, grace and an elemental force that transcended cultural boundaries. His depiction of horses was marked by fluid lines, vibrant colours and a sense of movement that captured the inherent majesty of these animals.
Here’s how you can make your own version of MF Husain’s horses on paper.
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MATERIALS
- Chart paper
- Crayons
- Black oil pastel
- Paintbrush
- Poster paints
METHOD
- On a rectangular-shaped chart paper of any colour, use a crayon of the same colour to draw the face of a horse. To draw the face, first draw a slanting line, followed by a sleeping line, semicircle and then another sleeping line. Lastly, go vertically upwards and draw a curve.
- Join the lines and extend them to form the neck. Make sure the lines are short and appear to be broken as all of Husain’s paintings were largely done with lines. They are said to be his speciality.
- Draw a curve as shown to create the body of the horse.
- Draw the legs of the horse. Notice that the lines are short, giving the image a very rough look.
- Complete the horse by adding the mane, eyes and tail.
- Now, using a black oil pastel, make stark, short outlines. This is another of Husain’s specialities as all his paintings have a tinge of black. The black outlines should also be rough.
- Gently rub the base of your black pastel all over the horse.
- Next, paint the horse with thick white poster paint, making small and firm strokes. Paint in the direction of the body of the animal—up to down. If the paint is not thick, the crayon will show. Also, leave some black spaces in between the strokes to create the right effect.
- Paint the background using only primary colours like Husain did. Divide the background and use red, blue and yellow.
- Give your background patches a black outline. Your Husain-style horse is ready!
Dipika Gurnaney studied at the Sir JJ School of Fine Arts and is a recipient of a scholarship from the Pont Aven
School of Contemporary Art in France. Dipika has been teaching children art since 2002.
