Jillian Scott’s horse artwork is really quite extraordinary, but she doesn’t require any brushes or paints. Nor does she take photographs, or sculpt life-sized horses out of copper or steel. In fact, horses aren’t so much the subject of Jillian’s art as they are the art, itself. That’s because Jillian Scott is a body clipping artist—taking the chore that most of us grumble and sweat over, and turning it into her own brand of creative self-expression.
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Based outside of Glasgow, Scotland, the owner of Peatside Equi Custom Clippinggave us the scoop on what it’s like when your artistic palette is a shaggy, overgrown pony; why she’ll never use stencils; and what five things every aspiring clipping artist should know.
I got my first clippers at around the age of 12. I wasn’t taught how to clip, it was very much trial and error, and my pony Gypsy—a 13.2-hand cob—had some very dodgy hairdos in those early days! Once I got the hang of things, I experimented with shapes, [and] basic designs like hearts and stars, which I often did on kids’ ponies at the livery yard I worked at.
The first full-on ‘creative’ I did was a zebra clip two years ago. One of my ponies is very sensitive, and I struggled to keep him happy during the winter months. Leave his hair on and he would sweat buckets, clip him and he was chilly and tense. I didn’t like how he felt with “traditional” clips such as a blanket (where the front end is clipped off and the back is left hairy), because I had to blanket him to keep his front end warm, but I felt his rear end would still overheat. Clipping stripes left evenly spaced patches of hair throughout his body; he was neither too warm nor too cold, and [stayed] an even temperature under his blanket. Plus it looked amazing!
I started clipping during the winter for pocket money to keep me ticking, because I couldn’t take horses for backing during the winter due to my lack of indoor arena and our harsh Scottish weather. When I started doing creatives, I became well known for being different. The clipping became a full-time winter income, I began to get customer requests, and Peatside Equi Custom Clipping was born!
The leopard clip is probably my all-time favorite because I’ve never seen anyone else try to replicate it. I also loved the knight clip I did last year, because my pony Cody is my knight in shining armor. He saved me when my previous horse Bob died, and my world fell apart. I wouldn’t be here today if Cody hadn’t kept me going.
The “EGS” clip was done to raise awareness for Equine Grass Sickness (EGS) and to help raise money [for] research. The triangles represent the three types of Grass Sickness, and the three horses that my friends lost to this awful illness that we have in the UK. They set up the “EGS Clip for a Cure” campaign.
Any pony with a good clean coat is a great candidate for creative clipping. Dirty ponies aren’t good to clip at all, even for ordinary clips, because the grease clogs the blades, is less comfortable for the horse, is bad for the clippers, and prevents you from making nice crisp, sharp lines on creatives.
With any new horse, I will let them look at and sniff the clippers when they are turned off, then I will run my hand over them while holding the clippers. When I first start the clippers, I put my other hand on the horse, just behind their shoulder. Then I will hold the clippers to my chest, [so] the horse will feel the vibration down my arm. I then move the clippers down my arm so the vibration increases, until the clippers are on top of my other hand, which I then remove, and begin to clip the horse.
I have lots of different blades for different jobs, and different coat types, and for my smaller clippers, I have an additional special blade called a ‘toe blade’, which is [a dog grooming tool] for getting between a dog’s toes and pads. The toe blade clips very close to the skin, so I use it when I need to make a design standout more, as it draws a line around the design in a different color.
I clean my clippers thoroughly after every clip, brushing hair from the air vents and motor. Blades are oiled every five to ten minutes [while I’m clipping], and I disinfect them between each yard. Because I have two sets of both big and small clippers, I never have to wait and swap blades if they get warm; I just switch to another set of clippers, which saves time.
I have never used stencils to clip. I feel that’s something any owner could do by themselves. Nor do I draw the outline of designs in chalk. Everything is freehand, which is more exciting and challenging. I love not quite knowing how something’s going to turn out, and my customers like watching a design unfold before them!
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Clean hair will make it easier cutting your own hair as greasy hair tends to stick together and get caught in the hair clippers. Be sure to comb your hair and that it is completely dried before cutting as wet hair doesn’t lay the same as dry hair, and can result in a different look than what you were going for.
Be sure that you have access to a mirror and water prior to cutting your own hair with hair clippers. From there, section your hair to how you normally wear it or would like to wear it.
After choosing the hairstyle you would like, set your hair clippers to the corresponding guard (usually a lower number) that you need to start with. From there, begin cutting the sides and back of your hair. With the blade's edge, trim from the bottom of the sides to the top. Tilt the clipper blade at an angle as you work to create an even fade with the rest of your hair. Repeat this process on the other side of your head before moving to the back, making sure each side is even as you go along.
Once the sides of your hair are complete, trim the back of your head, moving from the bottom to the top as you did with the sides. It takes time to learn how to cut the back of your own hair so be sure to go slow. To make sure you're cutting evenly, hold a mirror behind you so you can check your progress as you cut. Use the same guard length on the back and sides of your hair unless your hairstyle calls for something different.
Next, go over the lower half of your hair with your clippers on a lower guard than what you started with to fade out your hair. Work slowly while using your hair clippers to ensure as even of a fade as possible. Be sure to lift your hair as you approach your temples and earlobes
Using hair scissors, begin trimming the top of your hair in sections. Household scissors do not suffice as they are not sharp enough to cut your hair. Use your fingers or a comb to raise the hair from the top of your head so that your hair is parallel to the front of your hairline. Be sure to work slowly and carefully in 1/4 inches/6 millimeters sections. As you trim, pull a little of the previously cut section into the new section as a guideline. Always start with conservative cuts, working your way to the length you desire.
Once your cut is complete, use a mirror to check your sides and the back of your head to make sure everything is even. Comb your hair straight out and grab a horizontal section from about the same point on each side of your head to see if the sections are the same length. A good rule of thumb is to always cut a little less to start and touch up more later.
Using your hair clippers or a razor, cut your sideburns beginning from the bottom to the top to your desired length. Use the depression below your cheekbone to determine where the bottom should be. Place your fingers below each sideburn to make sure they are the same length.
With your hair or beard clippers, taper your nape, or neckline. Start with a grazing cut at the top of the neckline, then cut progressively closer as you work toward the nape. Once you are finished with the cut, rinse your head to remove any loose strays that are caught in your hair or on your neck and face. After towel drying, style as desired.
Before we jump into how to cut your own hair with clippers, it is important for us to break down the hair length numbers, or guards, in detail. Majority of hair clipper sets provide 8 guards, numbered 1 through 8, either as attachments or built-in settings. At Braun, our hair clippers consist of 16 built-in guards with two adjustable guiding combs. The small comb covers the range from 3-24mm/.1-.94 inch while the larger comb covers the range from 14-35mm/.55-1.3 inch. Each guard size determines the length of the hair. The smaller the guard number, the shorter the hair. Usually, guards are broken down into one-eighth of an inch, however because Braun consists of 16 guards, each guard covers less area so that the haircut is even more precise. Here is a simple guide to help illustrate the amount of hair each guard will leave on the scalp.
Number 1 – 3mm/.1 inch
Number 2 – 6mm/.24 inch
Number 3 – 9mm/.35 inch
Number 4 – 12mm/.47 inch
Number 5 – 14mm/.55 inch
Number 6 – 15mm/.59 inch
Number 7 – 17mm/.66 inch
Number 8 – 18mm/.70 inch
Number 9 – 20mm/.78 inch
Number 10 – 21mm/.82 inch
Number 11 – 23mm/.90 inch
Number 12 – 24mm/.94 inch
Number 13 – 26mm/1.02 inch
Number 14 – 29mm/1.14 inch
Number 15 – 32mm/1.25 inch
Number 16 – 35mm/1.3 inch
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