Roan [Ro]

Marking Type: Normal Marking

Rarity: Common

Roan is a natural symmetrical marking that sprinkles white hairs throughout the coat over the body of the Rukaan. Roan can occur in various densities with more or fewer white hairs and can create a very striking appearance when bright. The head and lower legs are unaffected by this marking. It is based on the roan gene in horses.

Marking Range and Extent

Roan lightens the body of the Rukaan while avoiding the head and lower legs. It may or may not affect the neck and upper legs. At minimum, it should be visible along the top line and rump of the animal.

Minimum Range

Illustration above shows minimum range of roan. Minimum range of roan must at least cover the topline and rump. Minimal roan should not too closely resemble blanket appaloosa.

Maximum Range

Shown above is the maximum range and maximum extent for the marking. Marking can cover this entire range.

Typical Expressions of Roan

R-0022 RubiusSmooth Roan

R-0461 AniseRoan With Corn Spots

R-0438 FintanTextured Roan

R-0404 KhidellUneven Roan with Corn Spots

Marking Edges

Roan is a soft gradient marking which always has soft gradient edges. It can have a smooth or textured appearance. It can be even or uneven over its range.

Roan may also display corn spots which are 'holes' of the underlying coat color that show through where white roan hairs did not regrow after an injury to the skin. These cannot be darker than what lies underneath the roan and should not resemble Scorch Marks or Blanket Appaloosa. They cannot form unnatural patterns and should be no larger than the examples shown on this page.

Marking Color

Roan is caused by a sprinkling of white hairs throughout the coat. The result can range from slightly lighter than what it sits over to white in color, and should be less saturated in color than the base coat.

Please note that layer effects (such as screen, soft light, overlay, etc) in image editing software may change the saturation or color of your markings. If you are using non-standard layers, please check your saturation and hue before submitting to make sure they are consistent with the design guides.

R-0167 ZionDark Roan

R-0125Typical Roan on light base

R-0445 AgnarrBright Roan

R-0496 PhantomRoan on saturated base

Skin/Eye Color Effects

This marking has no effect on skin color. Use a normal, undiluted flesh color.

Eye color is not affected by this gene.

Element Effects

Effect on Metal and Gemstone elements: None

Effect on Ancient element: None

Coat Type Effects

Roan can follow the direction of the fur on long-haired coat types. It is optional to have roan affect the mane and tail of the Rukaan.

R-0044 NadhirRoan on Royal Coat

Interactions With Other Genes

R-0531 Wayne

Roan with Blue

Blue can make roan blue

R-0528 Kvasir

Roan with Blanket Appaloosa

Roan can blend into edges of Blanket Appaloosa

R-0257 Christopher

Roan with Frosting

Roan can blend into the edges of Frosting

R-0502 Adelaide

Roan with Pangare

Roan can blend into edges of Pangare

Color Modifiers

- Blue can give roan a blue color
- Wine can give roan a lilac purple color
- Champagne can give roan a golden-cream color
- Olive can give roan a mossy green color
- Grey will affect all lightening and darkening markings and desaturate/lighten them to the same extent that it desaturates/lightens the base coat. Lightening markings can be obscured by grey if the grey is white or nearly white. They do not have to be visible on very pale grey coats.
- Tint can change the color of this marking to a color from any color palette in the species

White Markings go over this marking. All other markings can go over or under.

Soft-edged light markings can blend together. Roan will often blend together with other soft-edged lightening genes such as Frosting, Snowline, Skunk or Pangare. It can also blend into the edges of Blanket Appaloosa.

Inspiration

Roan is based on the roan marking in horses.

Be careful to use horses with roan rather than varnish roan as your inspiration: varnish roan is an appaloosa pattern and expresses in ways that are not consistent with roan in Rukaans. Varnish roan in horses can usually be identified by mottled skin around the lips and eyes of the horse.