VectorPaint horse-head chess silhouettes: preserve forehead, muzzle and neck through contour turns

English translation of the Chinese original, translated on 2026-11-05. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained.

A horse-head chess piece can communicate through a few contours without copying the exact design of a physical set. Create an original silhouette whose main cues are forehead, muzzle, ear and neck negative space. This covers neither chess rules nor official icon certification; it examines how closed paths remain readable when reduced.

Define facing direction and base bounds

Create an 800 by 1000 pixel canvas with the head facing left and base below. Block out head, neck and base bounds, leaving margins before the muzzle and above the ear. Start with black on a light background, without an eye or fine mane lines. Identify the design as original rather than tracing a branded photograph point by point. The body axis may lean, but visual weight should sit near the base. That is a composition check, not physical stability calculation. Save the bounds sketch before contour editing instead of continually enlarging the canvas to solve crowding.

Build a readable forehead–muzzle–jaw profile

Trace forehead to muzzle, turn through mouth and jaw, then return along the front neck. Give each turn a purpose rather than adding many nodes for smoothness. Do not compress nose and mouth into a pointed bird-like beak. A distinct jaw angle is useful without thinning the neck excessively. Inspect the closed fill for gaps and self-intersections with strokes disabled; heavy outlines cannot replace node repairs. Pause at the neck to verify facing and bounds before constructing the rear edge.

Use only essential ear and mane direction changes

Give the ear one clear projection. Omit an overly narrow inner slit that would break at small size. Suggest the mane with a few directional steps descending the neck rather than random sawtooth noise. Keep ear, forehead and mane origin identifiable instead of crowding one spike. Hide internal lines and ask whether the contour alone reads as a horse head. Reserve details requiring extreme enlargement for a large version; the small baseline relies on major shapes. Mane counts are design rhythm, not a species or chess-equipment standard.

Check front-neck negative space alongside base attachment

Create a clear concavity from jaw toward chest so the forward head has readable negative space, not a crack-like slit. Connect rear neck to base and inspect the joining width in one colour rather than pretending a gradient creates attachment. A two-part simple closed base is sufficient; keep sources distinct so replacing it cannot delete the head. Background-coloured fake holes may fail in transparent output. Use verified paths/masks for actual openings or express space as an exterior concavity. Establish neck continuity before base decoration.

Compare recognition through a local muzzle-length edit

In a copy, extend only the muzzle slightly left, keeping forehead, neck and base fixed. Compare stronger horse recognition against an overly long pointed snout. Whole-head horizontal scaling also changes ear and neck widths and cannot isolate this variable. Test a jaw-angle change in another copy, not simultaneously. Record the chosen version and reason without claiming automatic optimisation. After each node edit, inspect closure, handles and tiny notches so recognition gains do not introduce export cracks. Retain the baseline as a known structural return point.

Inspect large and small versions rather than only zooming in

Inspect head/neck proportions at normal size, then preview the intended small output, focusing on ear tip, muzzle and front-neck opening. For a black mass, simplify mane turns and enlarge essential concavities before adding white hairlines. Check a white silhouette on black too, because reversed figure/ground can read differently. Save small variants independently from editable large sources. Add an eye last if desired, but recognition should survive hiding it. One eye making a blob animal-like does not establish a finished contour. Record dimensions rather than judging actual output from enlarged previews.

Retain original paths and check transparent delivery

Save contour baseline, muzzle test and chosen version. Check exported neck space and base edges on light and dark backgrounds. Transparency does not delete white objects used to imitate holes; inspect actual objects. Name original horse-head piece, dimensions and revision and reopen it to exclude draft bounds and comparison notes. SVG/PDF may communicate structure, but receiving tools still need contour/object checks; extensions do not guarantee identical display. Physical carving requires another workflow. This silhouette addresses flat recognition, not a universal 3D model or rights determination.

Return to major contours for bird-like profiles or crack-like gaps

For a bird-like beak, inspect the nose-to-mouth turn before adding mane detail. A missing ear needs tip-width and output-size checks; a broken neck may have an excessively deep concavity. For a crooked base, inspect its bottom and body attachment rather than rotating everything until the ear looks upright. Export cracks require checking closure and overlapping sources, not darkening the background. Hide internal detail for silhouette recognition, then inspect the actual file. Explain forehead/muzzle, neck, base and negative space before using the result as a foundation for more pieces.