Monday, November 7, 2011

"Etude for Cello, Op. 23"

Good evening, dear internets! <3

At long last I am back, with some new artwork to share, finally! Up this time, and which I am so pleased to be able to share with you all, is my second commissioned pony-art and a piece which has been a long time coming, featuring none other than the fabulous Octavia!:

This artwork was commissioned by the lovely jodyjm13 (if you frequent EqD at all, chances are you have seen him around). He came to me wanting a scene showcasing Octavia in the act of composing music for a change, instead of performing, and while the proposition gave me some fabulous ideas, I can only pray I did them justice! I had a very specific mood in mind for it when I started out, which hopefully translates to the finished product, and while it's quite different from the doodles I typically post up I hope you all will like it all the same. =^_^=

Though I have been quite busy lately, I very much intend on getting some more new fanart up soon, and especially now that I have had Sisterhooves Social to inspire me! But you probably all knew that already (I think, given my taste in ponies it was a given I would love that episode, no?). Honestly I only wish there were more hours in the day; it feels like I can never get enough fangeekery in, bah!

Until next time, stay lovely all~ ^.~


WD

44 comments:

Rarimi said... Reply to comment

I can't believe it! I imagined how amazing Octavia would look in your art style and you surprise me with this! I am truly in love by the way you represent them, I cannot express in words how much I liked it (Octavia is my second favorite, classy ponies really are my weak point). I can't wait to see what you have in mind inspired by the Sisterhooves Social episode, doesn't matter how much Rarity I see, it is never enough!

I also shamelessly posted it on Reddit already (here is the link http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/m3d2v/octavia_by_whitediamonds/) so expect some good feedback as well. Keep up the excellent work!

sellyme said... Reply to comment

Is there something, ANYTHING, that I can do for you to repay you for the immeasurable amount of joy this picture gave me?

You are one of the most incredible artists I've ever seen, and it astounds me that I hadn't already subscribed to this blog.

Ricardo said... Reply to comment
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MASA said... Reply to comment

Oh man, I would love to get a custom piece of art by you. That would be freaking awesome! :D

ILoveFluttershy said... Reply to comment

I was wondering how someone would go about commissioning you, because I have an idea that I would REALLY love to see come to fruition. If you're too busy I completely understand, but I absolutely LOVE your work and I would really like a chance to commission you!

jodyjm13 said... Reply to comment

I knew this piece would be popular. :) I've already raved about it at length in my emails, so let me just repeat how happy I am that you took my simple idea and elevated it into a classic fanwork. Thanks again! And I'm starting to get a more specific set of ideas for that Zecora pic, but I need to re-watch her scenes in the show to be sure that they'll work...

Heartmend said... Reply to comment

She is absolutely lovely! I found myself smiling in spite of myself. I love the idea that Octavia not only plays, but writes her own music. :D

Favo said... Reply to comment
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TomTheRock said... Reply to comment

That looks amazing, I wish I could draw like that

Frankensteinbeck said... Reply to comment

You want fangeekery? There's still time to apply for Rarity on EquestriaMUCK!

Art of Rarity scooting face first on the floor. Imagine it. You CAN do it! You MUST do it! You SHALL do it!

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

... o.O; Oh dear, I do believe my internet exploded again...

@Rarimi

Well first I must say, thank you so very much! <3 First you leave me such lovely comments on my blog last night, and now this!? I have been posted on Reddit once again, and people write such wonderful things about my artwork... I am at a loss, almost... (oh and PonyCritic, I must thank you for that very well thought-out piece of constructive criticism, if you read this! I agree and do appreciate it).

I'm so glad to hear that as an Octavia fan you like this piece, and as I said last night you can indeed expect to see more Rarity from me in the near future, that I can promise you! Thank you SO very much again for your kind words (and plugging!); they mean so much. ^.^

@sellyme

Okay now I am really blushing... you are far too kind. =^^'= If I would ever be able to produce anything even remotely akin to the works of my favorite artists Leonardo DaVinci or John William Waterhouse, then I would consider myself a brilliant artist, but I have a long way to go before that happens, if it ever does! Still though, thank you very much for the generous compliments; just knowing people enjoy my work at all is payment enough for me. ^_^

@Kein

Wow I guess I am going to have to make a page on here with commission info... I still can't believe it when people ask me about this! In the meantime if you really are interested, feel free to email me at fabulous.gaijin@yahoo.com and we can certainly discuss it from there... thank you so much for your interest in any case! ^^

@MASA

Well again, I guess I'm just going to have to make a new page... amazing. And thank you for that, you're very kind... I remember your post from last time and I'm still grateful. ^.^ Thanks for dropping by again!

@ILoveFluttershy

I really have been quite busy lately, but art is my passion and ponies are quickly becoming one as well, and I am certainly happy to discuss a potential commission if you truly are interested. See my reply to Kein above... please do feel free to email me, and thank you so much, I appreciate the kind words! ^-^

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

(Two posts again, it boggles the mind!)

@jodyjm13

Yaaaaaay, thank you so much again my friend! ^.^ I am just so pleased, and relieved that you are happy with her... I know it took me a while but I didn't want to compromise the vision I had when you first proposed the idea to me. Again, I am so happy it worked out.

As far as Zecora goes, just hit me up whenever you like; I'm more than happy to move forward on that whenever you are! *virtual death-grip hug of gratitude* =^.^= Joy is mine today~

@Heartmend

I know, when jodyjm13 first mentioned the idea to me I had to stop and wonder about the fact that I really haven't seen the subject broached in fanworks before... quite surprising! But I thought it was a fabulous idea as well. Thank you very much for commenting! ^.^

@Favo

Oh, I am sorry to hear you're having a trying day, dear, I wish there was something I could do for you. But I am happy that you enjoy the picture. Thank you very much for the kind words, as always! And yes, as you say I do tend to put more effort into my commissioned pieces; I'd hate to disappoint anyone, after all... that really would be the worst. POSSIBLE. THING!!

;)

@TomTheRock

Mwee, thank you~! I appreciate the lovely words, you're very kind. ^.^

@Frankensteinbeck

I... wait, what? I must say I have never heard of this EquestriaMUCK you speak of, though I am intrigued. All I read was "Rarity" and you had my attention, meheh...

To the Google, then!

@DJB123

Yay, thank you dear! I always do look forward to your posts. ^.^ I will admit, I didn't start off envisioning the background to be quite so detailed as it ended up being, but as I told jodyjm13 as soon as I added the lamp to the table and the color started going into the picture, everything just sort of... snowballed. The strong light source really created a whole mood of its own that I did my best to capture; I am very glad you like it!

Anyway yes, thank you again for replying... it's always appreciated. ^_^

Secret Pony said... Reply to comment

OH MY LOG! I saw your Octavia picture in the Equestria Daily Drawfriend and i had to come and tell you that that picture is simply AMAZING!

Frankensteinbeck said... Reply to comment

WhiteDiamonds:
The boards are at http://equestriamuck.proboards.com/index.cgi and the MUCK's at equestria.kaitain.org 2700. Google still hasn't caught up to its existence...

...because 'equestrian' and 'muck' gets too many hits.

If you actually are interested (I was semi-joking), better hurry. They're casting Rarity in the next couple of days!

Favo said... Reply to comment
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Rarimi said... Reply to comment

Yup, that's just how amazing I think your work is. A small part of it is because I'm very happy to have finally found a talented artist which likes Rarity as much as I do and the other is because all your drawings have something that makes my heart feel at ease and peace like no other drawing ever did. I could go on and on forever explaining why I like your drawings. As Celestia is my witness, I will make sure to spread your work everywhere I can!

May I also say, your writing is very good as well, English isn't my first language but it makes me very happy to know it enough to understand your formidable and flawless writing.

This may sound hasty but, doesn't matter how, I want to help you in any possible way I can, if there ever is anything I can do for you. Don't be afraid of asking!

BND said... Reply to comment

I feel as though I'm a bit late to the party (so to speak XP), but this is yet another fantastic piece of art; I've actually come to expect nothing less from you. ^_^

(You also seem to be slowly encroaching towards the top of my "favorite artists" list. ;P)

Alerhys said... Reply to comment

I'm late to the party as well, but I just had to pop in and say that your piece is exquisite! (Admittedly it doesn't hurt that I think Octavia is Most Beautiful Pony. ;)

Sond said... Reply to comment

Oh..oh my~ I may have just found my inspiration for my next sculpt. Do you mind if I make a sculpture outta this?

Syntaxcapt said... Reply to comment

Oh wow. I really rather enjoyed this one. You nailed the look of concentration on her face. Classic.

Kateasaurus said... Reply to comment

It's so lovely! I'm always so impressed and amazed on every little detail in your work. <3

sellyme said... Reply to comment

@WhiteDiamonds

Da Vinci has nothing on you.

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@Secret Pony

Oh, thank you so very much dearest, that is so incredibly kind of you! I can't believe how fast this one has gotten distributed all over the internet; it's amazing really. Thank you so much for stopping by to comment, you are lovely! ^.^

@Frankensteinbeck

I suppose that would explain why my search turned up nothing but a bunch of galoshes... I imagine Applejack would have been impressed anyway.

And I see now, it's a type of role-play group. Well, for better or for worse that is most certainly something I don't have time for at this point in my life, though it was kind of you to think of me, dear! I shall take that as a compliment, merci beaucoup~! <3

@Favo

I certainly do wish you luck! I don't miss schoolwork, though I do miss school, oddly enough (and don't ask me to explain how that works, because I do not know).

And ooh no, you haven't said anything about that! Converted how, exactly? =D

@Rarimi

Oh, you are so good to me haha... thank you so much for all of the kind thoughts and words. I do indeed love Rarity and it's a pleasure for me to create pony fanart whenever I'm able to do so... it does make me happy and if other people enjoy it in turn, that's a wonderful thing. Really, that's about all I can ask for!

Thank you again, you even complimented my writing! English always was one of my best subjects in school, I will admit... =^.^=

@BND

Dearest you are so kind, thank you so much! I always look forward to your replies as well, and one of your favorite artists, truly? You make me blush! <3

Hopefully I'll have some more new artwork up soon, I have too many ideas and I need to do something about them all!!

@Alerhys

When I first joined this fandom, I will admit I had a very hard time wrapping my head around the popularity of the background ponies. And while the Mane 6 remain my favorites, I have definitely come to appreciate Octavia, Derpy, Lyra and the rest, so much so that I've contemplated fanart ideas of my own for some of them! It's rather interesting.

But anyhow, thank you so much for the lovely reply, I'm so happy you like the piece! ^.^

@Sond

Ohh, wow, I have to say this one certainly caught me off-guard, and I don't know if I'm at leave to say, actually! I mean, I know *I* certainly wouldn't mind... I am immensely flattered that you'd even ask really, but at this point the picture belongs to jodyjm13 so I guess you'd have to ask him!

In any case thank you SO much for that generous compliment! I would honestly love to be able to see what you'd do with the idea... do you have a place where you display your work that I might see it? =)

@Syntaxcapt

Your avatar amuses me greatly, haha. And thank you! I just tried to channel the feeling that I personally experience when I'm immersed in my work, and if that actually managed to translate, that's fantastic!

Thank you for commenting~!

@Kateasaurus

Oh thank you so much my dear, I'm glad you like it! I certainly did put a lot more time into this one... I get carried away sometimes and especially when I'm doing work for someone in particular (I never like to disappoint anyone if I can help it). But anyway I'm beginning to ramble again... thank you! <3

@sellyme

Hahaha you are far too kind. ;) Though I appreciate the sentiments!

Unknown said... Reply to comment

Far and away my favorite pony artist. I'm very eager to see the next Rarity piece, whenever it may happen.

Rarimi said... Reply to comment

@WhiteDiamonds

It's just that I'd be in eternal gloom if anything happened that made you stop drawing or anything like that (pray tell not). Really, I'd love to participate somehow and help if possible. I would be very grateful and happy to do so as well!

Tokenekie said... Reply to comment

This piece is making my soul melt into a giant puddle of fondue. I can't compliment you enough on how you managed to depict Octavia's passion for performance and composition the way you did. Here, she seems like such an unassuming character, yet you still get a feel for how magnificent of a musician she is. Her eyes convey a sense of concentration, curiosity, with even a mild touch of struggle. Her body language speaks of a kind of excitement only a hardened artist could have after many years of perfecting one's art. Even her composition room, simple, cozy, and uncluttered, says a thing or two about the environments Octavia prefers to be in during her musical studies.

Ah, wow, I need to take a break from admiring your piece. Too much of a good thing is never a good thing.

Thank you for sharing this with us, WhiteDiamonds :)

Favo said... Reply to comment
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jodyjm13 said... Reply to comment

@Sond
Since WhiteDiamonds has passed the ball onto me, let me say that I'd love for you to use this drawing as the basis for a sculpture, and I hope we get to see it when it's done!

@Favo
Maybe I should try that with my sister; she hasn't had any interest in the new series because the character designs are less pony-like than ever. While I can understand that, as a long-time animation geek I also know how much more expressive the new designs are, so I'm willing to embrace them. I just haven't had any luck with her yet...

Favo said... Reply to comment
This comment has been removed by the author.
jodyjm13 said... Reply to comment

Just to save some time in case there are any future requests:

As far as I'm concerned, WhiteDiamonds has the final say on whether this picture may be redistributed or used as the basis for derivative works (sculptures, fanfics) or personal items (t-shirts, posters). I don't see any chance of political parties or hatemongers wanting to use this image, so as long as WhiteDiamonds is given all due credit (and compensation, where applicable), I'm happy to see this artwork being spread far and wide.

Forderz said... Reply to comment

You know WhiteDiamonds, you shouldn't be this humble and kind. With talent like yours, you could be a craziest, zaniest, jerkiest person around, but no one would bat an eye at your behaviour, because all great artists have a screw loose somewhere.

So just as a suggestion, maybe you could crazy it up a little? So those other artists don't feel bad?

Scratch that. They're probably all already super jealous that they can't create magic like you can. Stay awesome!

Cinnamon Fritter said... Reply to comment

Your artwork is beyond fantastic, and I've yet to see you do anything less than an exceptional job, even on your so-called doodles (They are all frame-and-mantle worthy in my opinion). And it makes me that much happier that you're a Rarity fan; I can't wait to see the product of the Sisterhood Social inspiration you no doubt have.

The Octavia art is magnificent, and what really caught my eye is how well you captured 'the process', a seldom seen side of musicians who struggle desperately to create their own form art. In me, it literally invokes feelings of nostalgia of my younger days, back when I attempted to create art with music. For hours I would sit on the floor, surrounded by a rainbow of musical sheets, my bass guitar in my lap and a pick absentmindedly forgotten in my mouth as I endlessly chased riffs and scales, and tried write them down by hand before they were lost to the wind.

Were you ever a musician? Because this is a ritual all but lost to the digital age, where kids can compose entire scores in perfect pitch via computer programs without ever touching the instruments. To me this is more than just a well planned piece of art, it's an homage to a forgotten labor of love and dedication.

Whoops, sorry about the length. Like I said, you got me kinda nostalgic for a moment there...

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@carfaxreport

Thank you so much! It doesn't even matter how badly a day at work might have gone or how tired I may be; you all are so incredibly wonderful that by the time I get home to check my blog I can't help but feel good! Thank you, truly.

And though it may be horribly teasing of me to say it, I actually started on one of my Sisterhooves-inspired pieces today, finally. I wanted to have it up before tomorrow but it doesn't look like that will happen at this point... very soon though, definitely!

Thank you again for the great support!

@Rarimi

Well if it is up to me, and I would like to think it is, I can assure you I won't stop drawing pony arts anytime soon, as they really bring me far too much enjoyment at this point to give up. There may be times that there are lags from me, depending on what my personal life and other work dictates, but I will always be back with more eventually.

Thank you so much again, you are most awesome~ ^_^

@Tokenekie

Honestly, I can't think of any other way to respond to this than to say your post is beautiful to me... it's like a snippet from a lovely piece of prose. I have a difficult time wrapping my head around such a thing being applied to my pony fanart like that, but of course I am most grateful for the words. As I said, I really just tried to channel my own personal feelings and experiences of when I work into Octavia as I did this, and apparently it was successful. Regarding her room, I actually had considered (even going so far as to try and go back to make some changes) adding more clutter to the room, but it didn't feel right; though I don't embrace her character to the same degree that I do our favorite Mane 6 ponies, it still didn't agree with what I intuited about her personality. So funny how you seem to pick up on all of that as well...

Anyway though, thank you again for such a lovely comment. It's truly flattering.

@Favo

I wondered if that was what you meant, though I didn't see how my artwork alone could have made such a thing possible! I honestly think that's one of the best things someone has shared with me in a while, and it seriously warms my heart; I'm so happy!

Your posts nearly always manage to cheer me up, thank you for that... if I could hug you or something I would haha. Please do give your friend my thanks for me as well... that was a very kind thing of him to say. ^_^

@DJB123

Well it is true; I always look forward to yours as well, and on Drawfriends included when you see fit to post. I know I haven't responded to several of the last few myself... I really have had so little free time lately. I feel like everything has been speeding up and leaving me behind. But hopefully that will change again soon.

Thank you again as always, my friend. ^_^

@jodyjm13

There was a time I might have interpreted your post in a purely humorous context, but these days, with the way my own humble little blog has grown so quickly in its prominence in my life, and considering how this fandom operates I wouldn't be surprised if such things did happen. It's amazing, really! o_o

And I very much am looking forward to seeing that sculpture, if Sond truly goes through with it!

@Forderz

Handsome is as handsome does my dear, as they say. While I may not have been put through formal finishing school, my mother always worked at very high-echelon establishments as I was growing up, and as such she raised me to conduct myself in a certain manner. "Treat others as you wish to be treated" also comes to mind, of course. ^_~

On that note thank you so much for the generous compliments; you are too kind!

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@Cinnamon Fritter

Eeep you are a comment ninja; you snuck in there at just the perfect time for me to miss you apparently! Heh, sorry about that~ =^.^=

And another exceptional example of commentary I see... so many of you are here telling me how kind and talented in artistry I am, and yet that's exactly what I see in so many of these comments that people are leaving for me! It's so funny, because you write so beautifully about what you term 'the process' and I can understand what you are saying perfectly, as it's exactly what I feel as I work and specifically as I was working on the Octavia piece. And yet I doubt I ever could have put it quite so eloquently as you have. So for that, I am most grateful.

And in answer to your question yes, I have had some experience with the musical arts in my life, though I certainly wouldn't go so far as to call myself a "musician" in any sense of the word. I had piano and violin instruction as a child, and I have always had a very good ear for music (being able to pick out melodies and such), though my actual ability to play well is far less noteworthy. Hence the reason I've pretty much given it up.

But again, my limited experience does allow me to relate to everything that you described, and even outside of a musical context I go through a very similar process with my artwork and sewing. Different materials and references/swatches and pieces of inspiration strewn all over the place as I try to bring my vision to life... that's just the way I've always worked. And again, that's what I tried to draw on when jodyjm13 came to me with the idea of Octavia composing... apparently, the emotions behind it translated to the finished product, and I couldn't be happier about that. ^_^

And now I've gotten lengthy again... oh well, nothing new I suppose. If I didn't already say it, thank you so very much for such a lovely post as well as the great compliments; I always do mean it when I say they mean a lot to me.

Favo said... Reply to comment
This comment has been removed by the author.
jodyjm13 said... Reply to comment

@Favo
I'll second this request!

Sond said... Reply to comment

@jodyjm13

Thank you for letting me do this~ Don't worry you'll beable to see it when I'm done.

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@Favo
@jodyjm13

I'm sorry to have to disappoint you gentlemen, but I actually deleted the account not too long ago, not that I had very much art left up in my gallery anyway. See, I'd been having trouble with deviantArt itself; I'd had a paid account at one time that somehow got taken away, and it turned into a very frustrating situation of going back-and-forth which I'd prefer not to get into detail about here. I hadn't actually used it at all in almost a year, and so recently just decided to take it down completely.

Anyway, sorry about that. I have again been considering making a new account, since so many people have asked me about it, but not until I get everything else in my life back under control. And I suppose in the meantime, if you wanted to see some of my other work I could always post some here in the comments or something...

@Sond

I know you weren't speaking to me, but I at least am most excited to see your creation!

jodyjm13 said... Reply to comment

@WhiteDiamonds
Well, that's understandable. We obviously do hope to see your other art, but there's no rush; for now, it's safe to say you'd be better off to focus on getting well and preparing for your move.

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@jodyjm13

Oh! I don't know how I must have missed your response; I looked at my comment inbox and didn't even see it! Terribly sorry about that dearest~

Anyway though, yes, it really was a very frustrating situation... I will admit I probably lost my temper a bit with all of that drama. But of course, as having a deviantArt page is probably one of the most practical and simplistic ways that an artist can get their work out there these days, I know it's really in my best interests to make a page there again eventually. And I'm sure I will, someday when things have settled down again... you're right in that I've been stretched a bit thin lately.

Thanks for the understanding in any case. I do of course appreciate the interest!

Nite5hade said... Reply to comment

This is a bit late, but just wanted to say that this is one of my absolute favorite pieces of fan-art that I've seen. It's one of the few I wish I could get as a framed print. Your other work is lovely, as well, and there are many, many talented artists in this fandom, that's for sure but I just keep coming back to this piece. Being a musician (read: hack) myself is part of it, but I just love it and wanted to say so.

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@Ed

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and generous comment. Truly, there are many very talented artists within this fandom that have done some beautiful works, so to know that you feel that way about something I've done is definitely flattering. And as a musician, no less! I had my doubts about some aspects of the picture as I was working on it, not being especially musically-inclined as I have said but it seems those fears may have been unfounded...

In any case, thank you so much again for your lovely reply, and I'm glad you have enjoyed the piece! ^_^

Token T said... Reply to comment

I've been looking for a while for the artist who created this! I just wanted to say thank you so much for it. It's what inspired me to change my major to music, and pursue my dream. Thank you again.

WhiteDiamonds said... Reply to comment

@Token T

Oh hello, hello! And SO terribly sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your comment; this post is so old that I'm afraid I missed it until today! My apologies, again~

And well, I hardly know what to say in response to this, other than thank you so much for such an immensely flattering comment! It actually blows my mind to think that something as simple as a pony-fanart I've made could have such an impact on anyone or make a difference in a person's life, so to read your saying so is nothing short of amazing to me. It's wonderful, though, for me to hear that you have decided to pursue your passion and do what you love, because that's something I think everybody deserves... truly, I am flattered, and thank you so much again for taking the time to post and share that with me! The pleasure is definitely all mine. ^_^