Greetings, my dears~!
It's that time again, one of those happy occasions when I actually have some new artwork to share with you all! Joy, artwork~
Up this time is another commissioned piece, this time for none other than our dear Favo, who asked for a picture of Rarity with her hair down ala-Sisterhooves Social (dampness not necessarily required). A simple enough request, and I can only hope that I did his vision justice... with his blessings I am now posting the picture up to share with you all. Hopefully you all will enjoy it well enough; it's a little different from most of the pony-fanart I've done to date, granted, but I'm happy enough with it all the same. And I can pretty much guarantee you that this is as close to "saucy" as it ever gets with me (not to say that this picture is anything remotely resembling sauce, honestly, though most people seem to consider wet-haired Rarity a bit risqué. So yes, have some of that).
Anyhow, hopefully and with any luck I will have some more new artwork again soon... I was amazed I got this one done when I did honestly (it was actually finished last night, once my 14-hour headache finally subsided. Otherwise I got absolutely nothing done yesterday, and actually--dare I say it--existed in a state of frumpiness all day. This is a pretty accurate representation, really). I still have a couple other commissions in-progress and a few more queued-up after that, so chances are you will be seeing some more from me soon enough.
I suppose that's all for now. Until the next time, dears, stay lovely~!
WD
216 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 216 Newer› Newest»Yay! I'm first for once! Anyway, nice job as always. If only I could catch up as fast~!
I'm sure you've just made DJB123 very happy as well. :)
It's probably not a surprise, but my favorite part of this drawing is Rarity's eyes; she looks ever-so-slightly embarrassed to be seen with her mane down. While I tend to prefer the more glamorous look of her regular mane, you've certainly made the wet-mane look work very well for her, shifting her more towards 'cute' rather than 'glamorous'. The light-blue background also works well, and the shading's excellent.
I agree with you that this drawing isn't "saucy" at all, but I've noticed that some people will see sauce (or shipping) anywhere under the flimsiest of pretexts. There have been times I've tried to poke gentle fun at that tendency, as when I submitted this Luna pic to EqD over a month ago, hoping it would get included in a Drawfriend but behind a sauce link, but alas it never came to pass. (Feel free to click on the link; the drawing's completely safe.) During the wet-mane mania, I also kept posting links to wet-mane drawings of Derpy, Granny Smith, and (my favorite) Snips.
And I want to echo Favo's kind words about you. In the few months I've known you, I've been very impressed not only with how exceptionally giving, encouraging, and even-tempered you are, but with how consistently you've displayed those qualities even in the midst of home and job stresses. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with this little pony community, and please never let it become a burden or an obligation.
And don't forget: new pony in about 9 hours (and probably uploaded online within 10 hours)!
@CaineScroll
Well, don't feel pushed to rush yourself, dear, and especially not for the sole sake of setting a new personal record. There's plenty of time for that further on down the road!
And thank you much, I'm happy to hear that you liked it~! ^.^
@Favo
First off, my dear, as I said via email I am just SO incredibly happy that you are satisfied with your piece! I know it took me practically an age-and-a-day to get it done for you (or at least, it feels that way to me) and once again I will apologize for that, publicly this time. But I am immensely glad that you feel it was worth the wait. Truly, thank you once again both for your generous patience and interest in my work. =^_^=
And secondly, your "serious post", as you put it. People are always telling me it's not very easy to render me speechless, and perhaps they are frequently correct but this is one of those times that I really don't know if I have enough words to adequately describe how I feel. You are just SO incredibly kind, and to read your saying such lovely things about me is immensely touching, really, for lack of a better word. I'm far from a perfect person you know, and I certainly do get stressed and frazzled and yes, rather cranky at times (frequently when the above adjectives also apply), but I do my best to act in a level-headed and polite fashion, and it means so much to me to hear that you feel as though I've made any sort of positive difference in your life. Truly, thank you... if I could reach through my computer screen and hug you into tiny little pieces I likely would you know! =^.^=
Oh, yes, and before I forgot no worries or pressure about your artwork, you know... you should never feel obligated to share or do anything that is outside your comfort zone, and even if I have also expressed interest in the past. If you do decide to draw more and are willing to share then fabulous, but if not that is quite alright too. I will continue to look forward to your commentary either way!
Once again, thank you darling. I am so happy that YOU are so happy, you know~!
@jodyjm13
I hope so! I certainly thought about DJB123 not only when I posted this, but when I was making it as well... it's hard for me not to think about him whenever I make (or frequently, even see) any Rarity or Rarijack fanart. And I know he is ever-so-fond of her with her mane down, so yes~ ^.^
In any case, thank you so very much for that lovely bit of feedback; I'm so happy because you really did nail exactly what I was going for here! I figured that, while Rarity adores being in the spotlight and the center of attention of course, she might be slightly abashed in the hypothetical situation that she was asked to pose with her hair that way and not styled to her usual sky-high standards of perfection. Especially if she had even an inkling of how much of the brony community felt about her in such a state. So yes, hence her expression. ^_~
And yes, I do believe I have seen you posting links to those various wet-maned ponies before (I loved them all, though I still think Derpy is my favorite; it's pretty hard to trump wet hair that somehow, 'derpily' drips upwards). It's a shame your Luna submission never made it through, but I'm glad you shared her here with us at least... it's nice to know I'm also not the only one with an unusual sense of humor, seemingly.
In regards to the more personal sentiments, well, once again I must offer a most sincere and heatfelt thank-you. Even-tempered is not always true, as I've said to Favo, but even when I am not feeling my best I always make an effort to conduct myself with poise and good manners, I will admit. Rarity would say that's part of being a lady, I suppose, and of course I agree. But in any case, thank you so much again... it really has been my pleasure to get to know you all as well. ^_^
And eep, it's a good thing you reminded me about the new episode tomorrow, or I very well would have forgotten! Because yes, it did slip my mind now, which is especially pathetic when I think how I myself was just reminding Harwick about it last night. My mind, sometimes... I swear to Goddess at times I even have to wonder how I make it through the day. Mercy...
@Favo
Teehee, I'm just a little overenthusiastic, I suppose. It's not often that I get a first in anything!
As for your serious post, I'll only respond to the last two paragraphs since they're the only ones directed at the rest of us. It's a shame that you won't be posting your art up here anymore, and I do hope you change your mind soon. Besides, there are other fields of art one can venture into---martial arts, for instance.
And yes, socializing here is quite fun! To be honest, you do ramble a lot(along with the rest of us, though I think Anon takes the cake on that one),but it's a seemingly normal phenomenon here, no worries.
@WhiteDiamonds
As aforementioned, I was being a giddy bloke back there on the first post, so I apologize. Do allow me the pleasure of conducting a thorough review of the picture, though.
I simply love the cool ambiance you put on the picture, it reminds me of cool, dimly-lit cafes which I just adore (I'm thinking of getting a Starbucks card in college). Also, kudos on the shadows, they're always a hard part in a picture but you undoubtedly executed them perfectly.
And since Favo has already started the ball rolling...
It astounds me how you manage to keep yourself in check despite the many obstacles life throws at you. I always refer to you as a mentor figure even beyond art, and here's why: Nobody on this planet is 100% cool and collected. No matter how tolerant they are, there will always be something which ticks them off. Personally, I'm not the most tolerant person either. However, you taught me how to control myself even in the most trying of situations (I don't want to state it here directly, though I suppose those who've been following the conversation so far would know what I'm talking about). It's easy to make art. It's hard, however, to inspire. Di, you're my inspiration.
Now I'll just sit and wait for the new episode~ (Proceeds to grab a cup of coffee)
I haven't seen the newest episode yet, because I'm busy watching the BronyCon Livestream, and MAN, does it make me jelous I'm not there. Everyone looks like they're having a great time.
And holy damn Equestria Online looks pretty sweet.
Every time you update and my commission isn't done yet, my anticipation only grows and grows,
I love the bashful look of this piece, and the cool colour choice makes it a lot more intimate, without getting saucy at all.
Sometimes I wish I was better at talking to people online.
Oh, doesn't Rarity look lovely in that portrait. I think what really makes it works is the vulnerability you captured in the expression... Rather than being the sultry look suggested by other wet mane pics, this one does an excellent job of making it seem like she's letting us see her with her guard down instead of perfectly presented to face the world. I also quite like her pose... head and shoulders upright, hips turned under her (the cutie mark makes an excellent reference point in angling the body, doesn't it?), and all done in your beautiful soft shading and coloring, of which I am such a fan. Outstanding job!
I quite enjoyed the new episode even though I'm missing the other ponies. It's hard for me to judge this season compared to last, as I didn't have to wait for new episodes of it since I started watching over the summer. Now it seems like ages between doses of Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie and such. This was pretty much a CMC episode, and they were cute as always (though Sweetie Belle seemed more devious this episode... usually, the bad ideas belong to the others and she just goes along with them.) I really liked the history of Ponyville, the zap-apples and timber wolves, and Filthy (and his father Stinking). The Apple family and Rarity seem to be dominating this season so far... Not that I'm complaining.
Oh, and on a side note I can't find any difference on this end from following the blog even after this update (which was a very pleasant surprise, mind you... especially after the dark, Drawfriendless day yesterday)... so that remains a mystery. I'm sure if I used blogger more often then it might be more apparent.
@CaineScroll
I've always been mildly amused by people's delight in having that first comment, and I've never quite understood the rage others have about it. There are usually more content-free posts complaining about the person claiming "first!" than pointless first posts, so it can't be about wasted posts. Ah well. I say if it somehow brings you joy and doesn't hurt anyone else, then knock yourself out. ;-)
@Favo
I thought your words of praise were heartfelt and eloquent. Good job.
You know, Di, you could probably make a killing at the next Bronycon if you set up a booth and sold prints/ posters. Judging by the auction, at least, bronies are ready and willing to shell out re-DIC-ulous amounts of money on quality pony merch.
I'm so very glad you chose to avoid that sassy expression every wet-mane pony vector shows off.
Heck, I'm just glad to see new examples of the gentle quality characteristic of your work. Stay classy, WhiteDiamonds.
I love the expression, I'm glad you didn't go for sauce.
@CaineScroll
Oh you're fine, dear. I'll agree with Favo in that I have never understood the appeal in making first posts, but at least yours actually contained some real content so I suppose it's not the same thing anyway.
In any case though, thank you very much for your kind feedback on the picture! I'm glad that you like it, and that it reminds you of such things that you enjoy! Originally I thought of having Rarity laying in some sort of shiny, reflective environment with lots of water pooled on the ground, but Favo said it wasn't really so much about the wetness as it was (and I quote) "the haaaaaair", so I decided to go simpler to hopefully better show her off. But yes, thank you again!
Also, I must say that you are really too kind, just like so many others that happily frequent this blog. I am only one person, and as I said I am certainly not perfect though I do my best to live a good life and treat others as I would wish to be treated. As well as give encouragement where I see fit (which is nearly in every circumstance). I truly do believe that people have the ability to better their own lives and achieve their dreams if they only work hard enough at it.
Oh! and I almost forgot, but if you do get a Starbucks card be sure that you make the extra effort to register it! It's free and it gives you all sorts of lovely discounts... free added syrups, free milk upgrades (you can get free soy instead of having to pay extra; I use this one all the time), etc. It really is well worth the five minutes it takes to do. ^.^
@Favo
Oi, darling, you make me laugh! You and your silly visual links... I don't believe I ever get tired of them though. ^.^
But once again, thank you. I am truly grateful that I have gotten to know you as well, as I find you to be a genuinely kind and lovely person. And yes, as I said you seem to have a true knack for being able to make me laugh, something which is always appreciated. You all tell me that my avatar seems to fit me well, but I could say the same thing about yours in this case. ^_~
Oh, and in regard to that last link of yours, obviously I have never played that game, but that does indeed seem like a lovely ending. Such a pretty quote isn't it!
@Forderz
Well first off, thank you so very much for the kind words about my piece, dearie, I'm glad that you like it and especially as I seem to recall that you had a fondness for wet-maned Rarity as well. ^.^ I was hoping that you would enjoy this one.
And secondly, no worries about all that with talking to people online... I quite appreciate whatever commentary you ever see fit to leaving on my blog if you are so inspired. I will admit, your thoughts about Bronycon have me a bit intrigued, as well... perhaps I really will have to make an effort to seriously consider a trip at some point in the future. It could turn out to be well worth the effort, if everything I've been hearing is true. Plus, fun!
And lastly, well... I hope it wouldn't be too much of an awful tease of me if I said that your piece is the next one in line to be finished! Meehee~!
@Harwick
Meep! <3 Thank you so very much, Harwick dear, for those lovely words, as once again you pinked up on exactly what I was going for! As much as Rarity adores being in the spotlight, I figured in this instance she might feel the slightest bit of trepidation at being somewhat outside of her comfort zone, though of course she'd do her best to meet the challenge with all of her customary dignity and poise. Hence her pose. But yes, I really am so happy that that apparently translated in the picture (and that you like the coloring as well); thank you so much again~! =^.^=
As for the new episode I quite enjoyed it myself, though like you I have been missing the other ponies a bit, as it really does feel as though they've been seeing far less screen time thus far this season (but again, as you say it's not like I'm ever going to complain about an abundance of Rarity and Applejack). I do like Granny Smith and all of the Apple family though, obviously, and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to see a younger granny as well as see some history presented in such a lovely narrative form. The zap-apples were also fascinating, though strange, and the animated sequences that accompanied each stage of their development were very nicely done, I thought. Overall, it really was very enjoyable.
Anyhow thanks so much once again for the lovely feedback... you know it always does mean a great deal to me. ^.^
@TapeDiggity
It's funny that people keep saying that, as it's not even something that I consciously thought about when I was drawing the picture. Rather something that I intuited about how I thought Rarity would react if placed in such a situation I guess (in a way, I suppose I have to channel my inner actress whenever I draw any piece of character fanart)... in any case, I'm very glad people seem to approve!
And I will always do my best to remain classy, my friend, that at least I can promise you... thank you so very much for the lovely sentiments. I very much appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, I hope you know!
@TomTheRock
Thank you so much! I did wonder if perhaps people might be disappointed that I didn't go for a more "sultry" expression but really, sauce isn't generally my thing and especially when I don't think it is befitting of a character in any given circumstance. Not that I don't think Rarity couldn't look or act the part if she wanted to, by any means, but again I didn't feel that's how she would have reacted to this particular situation if suddenly placed in it.
In any case though, thank you very much for the kind compliments dear. I'm happy that you like the picture! ^.^
Aaaaand, I'm back. Though I wish I could say from BroNYCon, instead from over a day of more programming work all of the day before yesterday and the night before. (Why did the state of Florida have to change their wind mitigation report? And why did we have to release the application for public commercial use before we get any of the investors on board?) It reminded me of the days when that was all that I did, staying up as late as I could stay awake, working nonstop for nothing besides the possibility of a large business...
I did spend the rest of the day watching the livestream of it, though I only knew to tune in somewhere in the middle of Daniel Ingram's part. There isn't much I can say about it, except this:
Did anyone else hear the host of the costume contest and some other convention people say at least three times that "we know who is going to win" while talking about how they were going to do the voting system, before any of the costumes were even presented? That made me think, was it supposed to be rigged? The winner, of course, would be the full Derpy that was wandering around them as they had their shady argument over who should host, quietly recorded by the camera-holder. At the end of the costume lineup, he asked to make sure that there were no more before putting the Derpy on stage. Instead of voting for the #1, the host had the audience shout which one was the best. He looked shocked when they all shouted "Apple Bloom!", referring to a nine-year-old girl dressed after the character. When she hugged the Derpy, the chat was filled with people saying "Aaawwwwwwwwwwwww".
There was one Twilight costume (5:44) that didn't look like much more than a purple shirt, dyed hair and a plain book. One guy with an English accent claimed to be "Doctor Whooves", except he was all Doctor and no hooves. There was nothing pony about his costume. Not only that, but he was the wrong Doctor. Instead of tenth Doctor that our Whooves is based on, he was the sixth. So, this is a Doctor Who fan that happened to have a regular costume of one Doctor, and called himself the pony version of a different one. Though one of the most awkward moments of the night was when a "male Pinkie Pie" contestant walked out and said, "Why do they call it a hacksaw? That's what I did with the knife!" The crowd booed. Unfortunately it gets cut out in this video, and I can't find an alternative, but it would be at 8:51. I couldn't stand the voice he was putting on, anyway.
The other was when an artist tried to auction a painting at a starting value of $500. The painting looked just like a photograph, but he decided to make it of some cosplayers. Fake wings and all. After repeated dropping of the price, it sold with one bid for $300. On the other hand, a custom Vinyl also sold for $300.
The best moment would have been the crowd singing Giggle At The Ghostie/s/ly/lies (Seriously, what do we call that one?) with Daniel Ingram while he played it on acoustic guitar, if not for his video cutting out at the worst of all times. If I was the host, my instant reaction was to stop him and have him start over once the connection was back up. Instead, they just played along. I liked the part at the end when the lights were off and everyone was dancing to disco-type Pony dubstep. Having never been to such a party (or ever danced in my life, ahem), it was a sort of magical, in a way.
@Forderz
Ah, so I'm not the only EqO follower here? Your comment led me to their livestream today, so I appreciate that. It's looking very nice. I'm glad that there is at least one game project that is really living up to the potential, when most other developers are disorganized and eventually just give up. A lot of things about it, though especially the cartoonish graphics style and chat system (Judging by the way that SweBow kept saying "Bye!") remind me of ToonTown. I am especially impressed by their music and the way that the legs bend around the terrain, taking off into and landing from flight. I never get tired of hearing the music change when they go inside Sugarcube Corner, though neither do I ever get tired of SweBow's Swedish accent. ("Why would you want to raise scoo-ta-loos?") It looks like the kind of game that I would dream of, or what would happen if I had 11 clones and a lot of free time. I had plenty of opportunities to apply for the team, but it is in good hands already.
Everyone thought that it would be an Applejack episode, and yet it was another Apple Bloom episode. Not that it really matters to me, but the episode trolololed.
Oh, your new artwork. The general census seems to be that this is absolutely not sauce and you should be ashamed of yourself for even suggesting such a thing, though I have to be honest, one of my first thoughts were that "This is what happens when you try to get WhiteDiamonds to draw sauce." Her expression looks just like something I could see you having, especially if you had to model for a wet mane photo shoot. It looks innocent and awkward, and I throw in my shared gratitude that you decided to go that way. Though I have to honest, I wouldn't want to be Favo trying to explain that the concept is absolutely not, under any circumstaces or stretch of the thought "saucy", and you should now be doubly ashamed of yourself for bringing such nonsense upon our ears. It does have nice curves, though...
@Favo
I won't try to force you into releasing your recent artwork, but contributed content, like another voice to talk to, is always welcomed, and so I hope that your future projects turn out well enough that you are comfortable with sharing them with the rest of us. Also, I do appreciate you crediting WhiteDiamonds as she so rightly deserves. When you mentioned it, I looked back at all of the previous entries that I was not around to comment on. I really joined late...
This group really can be quite enjoyable to be a part of, and I can absolutely see why it would be more so than real life friends. I mean, I don't know what your friends are like, but friends talk about everything, even the bad things, while we only tend to discuss common interests. It is a mostly foolproof system of entertaining conversation.
And, I didn't know Call of Duty had a story...That quote is probably closer to you as you were born with the Russian side yet you now have such strong ties to the American side, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate its depth from my perspective.
I will often find that I mean to say something, but CaineScroll, or more often Favo will say it first. For that reason, I can only input how it relates to me:
I haven't had a real life friend in seven years, though it's arguable that I never have. Considering some of my bad experiences, I don't think I want any. I have had a few online friends, but the first two only lasted for two years each before they got too busy to talk to me. I now have a third, and he was the one that introduced me to MLP, but as I have probably mentioned before, there isn't much to talk about these days. I don't really know any of my outside family, and I have little to no interaction with the ones that live in this house. Because of this, the people on this blog are the only ones that I have to talk to. So maybe it doesn't mean so much coming from me, but:
Assuming we all can agree that the internet is rough, you are a diamond in the rough; a rarity. (Okay, I'll stop now.) WhiteDiamonds, you are the kindest person that I know. Your charisma is so great that it has brought enough of your fans together to form an active community. And that isn't about artwork. It isn't about how skilled you are with a digital pen, or how well you use lighting or create a mood. That is simply the quality of who you are as a person. A thing that we all do, but not always well. Everyone here has commended you on your ability to maintain your values and treat others with your cherished words even when you deserve to worry about yourself. Not only your productive ability but also your unwavering manner is entirely that of a role model. I may have only known you for a few weeks, but I find that I care about (Or, though I never use this word for anyone, since I won't be the first to say it; even love) you more than people that I have known for all of my life. In the future we will probably never remember these days, and that is bittersweet. It is for that reason that your real friends, who will know you for years from now, do not know how fortunate they are. Your work demonstrates what my work should be, and your personality demonstrates what I should be. I don't know how to appropriately describe the personal height that you have managed to achieve, but my respect for such moral stature is unending. At times I feel greedy that I take your time and attention from all of your potential DeviantArt fans, and I can say nothing to justify that. All that I can do is hope that what I write can express at least part of what you give to us here, and what you have given to me.
@Anon
Well, my supply of physical friends took a nosedive after graduation, and it's going to stay that way until college. Well, not exactly, since Chatterbox's going to be my roommate for the next few years. I guess you could call us brothers, though the only thing separating us is DNA. I still have friends, mind you: I just don't get to see them in the flesh. To tell you the truth I find it quite sad to find out that you don't have much friends out there, and if you ever need a friend to talk to personally, I'm always open. You have only but to ask.
And even though I do possess a dA account, I prefer to give my blog higher priorities every since Di came into the picture. I want to inspire people just as she inspired me, and I'd also like to bring people together, maybe make the world a smaller place. I'm fully aware that this isn't going too well at present (I mean, the number of people who've actually left a comment on my blog doesn't even exceed 10), but I'm going to keep on believing anyway. ^.-
On a happier note, I'm glad to hear you're making progress, and I would've liked to see your work to date. But no matter---it's your choice if you choose not to reveal anything. I have done several vectors on Photoshop before, my C. Report #1 for instance. But now I'm so engrossed with the tablet and SAI that I haven't a clue if I'm ever going to bring that particular project to a full stop. =S
Stunning work, as always! She looks quite adorable there. I love her eyes the most, they're so big and cute! I have to admit: Rarity may be edging into my top spot for favorite pony lately. Not to mention her "Becoming Popular" song had been stuck in my head for weeks!
Hopefully I'll be able to finish her in plush form soon! I think she's rather tired of being a half-done bag of fabric sitting on a table.
@Anon
Now you've gotten me curious about the video from BroNYcon; I may have to at least watch enough to see the winning Apple Bloom costume. And if that fan was actually dressed like the Sixth Doctor, I'll have to check out that section of the video as well; I need to see if he was actually able to recreate the wonderful horribleness of Colin Baker's suit. (Someone's made an attempt at ponifying that monstrosity (rightmost pony in the top row), though it still doesn't capture that suit's awfulness.)
Good Goddess!!! What a horribly trying time I've been having recently, and all of this ridiculous Blogger business hasn't helped any! I got home today, after being out of town for several days (I actually did bring my laptop with me but alas, was unable to find a usable internet connection and so have been absent for days) only to find that they had gone and reworked the entire commenting system without even giving anyone so much as a heads up! How very rude was that. XP I do think I managed to get things relatively back to normal so hopefully none of you will be experiencing any difficulties or setbacks... my apologies dears.
Anyway, I feel as though I've been gone for forever... it really is amazing how far a few days can set one back. =_=;; I'm going to do my best to get back to some comments tonight but I don't know if I'll manage them all... same goes with emails. I do apologize if all of you are inconvenienced to wait because of my unexpected absence... it's terrible really. Bleh..
@Anon
Dearest, well... I had only just been remarking before my unplanned "holiday" that I'd noticed a conspicuous absence of your presence on my blog, but by the looks of things you have... made up for it nicely. ^.^; "Text-architect" is hardly a fitting enough title for you darling... "Master Engineer of Verbiage" does your skills better justice, if I may say. **applause**
Anyhow though, first things first here I suppose. I'm happy to read that you are alright and that no terrible tragedies had befallen you accounting for your absence, and hopefully all that programming business of yours went well enough (you may elaborate if you like, though I'll warn you now I won't have the foggiest what you're talking about if you do. But I can still read it). I didn't really follow any of that Bronycon business as I have been pretty fully occupied all this past week, with the only exception being I watched the voice actress panel when the video was posted on EqD, as I've always had a great interest in that sort of thing. But otherwise, I'm afraid I've read and seen essentially nothing on it... hopefully it was an enjoyable affair for all who partook though.
Regarding your words to me, well... I hardly know what to say darling, other than I am touched immensely, truly I am. I really do think you all give me far too much credit though! I'm just a simple... artist-seamstress-designer girl, who probably feels far too much love for cartoon ponies and gets far more enjoyment in drawing and discussing them than maybe she ought to. As I said above to Favo and the others, I'm hardly a perfect person, and not above losing my temper at times (I was pretty annoyed when I started typing this comment, actually, if you couldn't tell), though I will confess that I do my best to behave in the best manner possible when faced with life's setbacks. That's all any of us can do really, because for better or for worse, life is often beset with challenges and changes, one after another, so why not make an effort to face the dilemmas with all the grace, composure and compassion that we possibly can, no? This phrase probably sums up my attitude fairly well; it's a personal favorite of mine, and probably made even moreso by the interesting British origins (have I mentioned here before that I'm a bit of an Anglophile?) as well as the appealing aesthetics of the poster (in fact I like the design so much that I've been looking long and hard for an embroidered pillow of the subject, and if I can't find one then I shall make one myself!). But, yes...
Thank you so much in any case though, dear, for sharing the more-than-generous sentiments. I feel quite fortunate that I have come to know you all as well. ^_^
@Anon (er, part II)
Continuing on though, dear, I'm very happy to hear that progress seems to be going well for you! I find your evaluation of my ponies' noses to be immensely interesting as honestly, I can't say I've ever made any conscious effort to distinguish them from one another when I'm drawing them... whatever differences you've picked up are entirely... unintentional, I assure you. ^.^; Honestly, as I think I've remarked before I don't really make much distinction between the main ponies' body shapes or anything like that, though I do pay close attention to and make an effort to accurately convey their unique expressions, attitudes, body language/way they carry themselves, etc. But I suppose that comes from my previously wanting to be an animator, and making a very close study of character emotion and behavior (one endeavors to "act" the part of a character via a pencil/stylus, I suppose is the best way of putting it).
But yes, whatever the case may be just keep it up and I have no doubt you will continue to improve. Oh, and in regards to your commentary on Favo's commission... were you speaking to me there? Because I fear I found the context a bit confusing... ^_^;
@Favo
Well, I guess to an extent most people are like that... certainly I wouldn't think it's unusual. But whatever the case may be I'm glad you seemingly 'feel at home' here then, dearie, and that we get to enjoy this delightful side of your personality. ^.^ Lucky us!
As far as that second portion goes... I hope you weren't intending me to respond to that... ^^;;;
@CaineScroll
Honestly dear, I know you weren't speaking to me and that it's probably none of my business anyway, but in the matter of your dA account I would very much encourage you to stay active there as well. In terms of how many people you could reach, and how much exposure you could gain I don't doubt it would benefit you far more than a Blogger page ever could... quite frankly the only reason I haven't made an account there is because I don't want the added exposure in this regard (or at least, at this point in my life) and would not have the time to manage it even if I did. But, if your whole goal is to get yourself out there more and hopefully make a difference to others, I'm sure dA would serve you far better. That's just my opinion though.
@Kateasaurus
My dearest Katie! ^.^ How kind of you to stop by my blog and leave me lovely feedback as always... I have tried to do the same on yours but again and as before, I'm strangely unable to comment unless somebody else has done so first! And on your last two entries at least, nobody has... that's not nice at all. Anyway though dear, it's very nice to hear from you and I hope you've been doing well; thank you for taking the time to comment on my picture and I'm glad you like it!
And yes... so you really have started work on your Rarity plushie after all! You simply MUST post all sorts of pictures of her once she is done, darling, I really can't wait to see her finished! ^.^
Excellent, are we back online?
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh no, Di, you misunderstand me...I'm not saying I'll totally ignore my dA account completely! I meant to say that I'll be paying more attention to my blog (because people prefer to give in-depth, human answers, as opposed to deviantART where people just...um..."drive-thru".), i.e: uploading my pony art there about a day or two before I upload it to dA. In drawfriends I tend to list my blog as the source rather than my dA page, and I also create a deeper persona as Scrolls. Whether or not y'all find my persona interesting...well, that's up to you guys.
Unfortunately, even on dA and my blog, I haven't received a SINGLE commission inquiry...I have no idea if this is normal or not but it's a bit disheartening, actually...=(
Uh, with the "Reply" buttons gone, how do you make linked replies? I'll have to just link to each of your profiles, for the formality:
@CaineScroll
*TCH!*
"Anonymous 1, requesting reconnaissance update, Anonymous 1, over."
*TCH!*
...
"Anonymous 1, this is Mission Control. Incoming allied comment sighted, over."
...
*TCH!*
"Commander CaineScoll, this is Anonymous 1. The shipment from Fleet Admiral Diamonds has arrived, over."
*TCH!*
"Excellent."
About commission inquiries, you shouldn't worry about it so much. Think about it; You're expecting people to give away some of their own money to a stranger on the internet with only five pictures to go by. Just on this blog, there are 36 pieces of artwork displayed by WhiteDiamonds, not including colorless sketches or non-pony art. I wouldn't expect to get commissions even if I made something that got on the front of a drawfriend. A lot of people are like me, and couldn't get one even if they want to. Frankly, to think that it is an indication of your skill as an artist is ridiculous.
@Favo
"though I don't expect for the worst since a certain incident involving a game developer that had been gone for months. He was alive after all."
...
What.
That wouldn't be quite so worrisome or confusing if you hadn't said "game developer"...
Though, since we're on the topic, I never leave the house. Ever. We don't go to resturaunts. When they go out grocery shopping, I take the opportunity of privacy and stay home. The last time I stepped outside, it was when I was helping my father with measuring a Chinese drywall house. You know those low income houses that people paint in bright colors because it's cheap and entertaining, and they just abandon them and let them go foreclosure in a disgustingly dirty condition? That's what that was. The front door was seemingly guarded by spiders and insects of all shapes and sizes, there was a toy phone in the sliding glass door track, there was not a square foot of carpet that was not stained in a dark color. One small stain, I noticed, was bright pink. It was the type of house that was so small, I wonder how anyone could live in it, let alone start a family and apparently settle down in it. On the refrigerator, I noticed a small picture of a boy wearing a university shirt. I thought, "If these are his parents, he is never going to university." It isn't even entirely safe considering the Chinese drywall, but you might not know about that whole debacle if you don't live in this corner state.
Case in point; I don't get out much.
Oh, and by "bad topics", I meant more of opinionated topics that are likely to cause an argument. I know for sure that I disagree with at least one controversial topic for every person here, except maybe CaineScroll, but that's because he mentions these things the least. Of course I don't call them out when I see them, and they are very few and far between, but we have yet managed to avoid bringing something up that would cause our own civil war. Considering how it would most likely be about religion or politics, it would probably be a holy war between governing bodies.
@WhiteDiamonds
Well, it sounds better than "inane rambler", if not as honest... The only reason I had so much to write was because of all that I watched of BroNYCon.
Heh, terrible tragedies? I was only gone for...
*checks*
Three days. I really do appreciate that you noticed, though. I'm usually the person that always makes it on time, due to the fact that I have nearly limitless spare time and nothing more worth doing than this. Not to understate it, this really is a good thing we have going, here.
All that I was doing was updating parts of the Roof and Structural sections to match Florida's new Wind Mitigation standard. Most of the work was my father's, actually. I would send you the link to the website for it, but I don't want to risk random Anonymous calling the support number. I would e-mail it to you, but that would require a suitable e-mail address, which I plan to make once I have a name and blog (It's inevitable), which comes after I finish my first drawing. All you're missing is a thumb doing a home inspection and a list of documents detailing all the intricacies of the housing industry.
I have used this picture before (It is just so applicable), but it could have been summed up to this, and in retrospect I guess I should have put that at the end, but I was already worried I would give you this reaction, and everyone else this one. But that's really what I meant to say. Hopefully we could make your day a bit better, as you always do for us.
Actually, since anger is sometimes a good thing to express discontent and give others an impression of urgency, you arguably are a perfect person. What more can someone do than make the best decision that they can at all times? If your decision turns out not to be the best, then you can always say that it made the most sense at the time. In order to be "perfect" in that sense, you would have to be able to see the future and make blatantly illogical decisions based on the prior knowledge that they will create the best result. The only indicator of perfection would be where you choose to direct your efforts, or what you try to make happen. For that reason, we celebrate you as a perfect person.
("if I can't find one then I shall make one myself!"
Side note: This is the whole reason why I started game development.)
In the time since I left that comment, I have since made much more progress, and in fact, all of my linework is done. Now I need to worry about coloring... Was I supposed to do the lines in the final outline color, and is it bad that I just did it all in black? Do colored outlines fall in with the rest of the "coloring" process, or are they their own step on their own layer? Do I trace over my black lines with the colored lines, or just add them along the edge of the fill color as I go along? Is there anything that you can say to advise making hair look right? I want to do what you do. Your method is accepted practice.
What I meant by that was, everyone here is agreeing that the picture is not "saucy", so I was joking that for the sake of social acceptance I cannot allow myself to claim otherwise. I was treating it like a Puritan law, and whenever I wrote in italics, I am addressing the reader in a stiff manner, and accusing them through the words of the rule of so much as suggesting sauce, or at least warning them not to. At the end, I quietly admit to myself that I believe something opposite to the rule, and even a bit inappropriate, while depicting it with an innocent-looking picture of Fluttershy covering her mouth and looking away.
Basically, the whole thing is joking. I really should have thought to comment on its quality, but I regrettably admit that it's starting to become a bit expected. I'll try to ward it off, and say that your rendition of the "wet mane" style is the best that I have seen, and it looks particularly realistic as hair, though that probably is because a lot of women do just keep it straight down. I would like to see more people with the hairstyles from the show, though, as that would be quite interesting...
@Anon
Brilliant. Commander CaineScroll. Not as fancy as 1st Class SOLDIER CaineScroll, but it's still fine n' dandy! =P
Yes, I admit that I rarely bring up controversial topics because, well, I just don't like talking 'bout them. Every time I do bring one up, I risk taking a fist to the face (don't bring up arrow in the knee jokes, please). So I go for the next best thing: silence.
"About commission inquiries, you shouldn't worry about it so much. Think about it; You're expecting people to give away some of their own money to a stranger on the internet with only five pictures to go by. Just on this blog, there are 36 pieces of artwork displayed by WhiteDiamonds, not including colorless sketches or non-pony art. I wouldn't expect to get commissions even if I made something that got on the front of a drawfriend. A lot of people are like me, and
couldn't get one even if they want to. Frankly, to think that it is an indication of your skill as an artist is ridiculous."
I don't recall mentioning the word "skill", mate...
But again, I suppose that's the "drive-thru" folk for you. Oh well. On the bright side, more time for swordfighting lessons.
With regards to your colouring problems...I reckon I can answer your queries for Di. It's not a bad thing you did the linework in a single colour (it's actually recommended), but I don't think black would be such a hot option because it just turns all the colors into dark, bland mush. The lines depend on the colour layer underneath to give it that (i quote) multi-hued look, but make sure the linework layer is the topmost layer and set to Shade (though I set out to Multiply). And technically there is no set rule to hair, it's technically just logical thinking (or just plain old "monkey see, monkey do, your pick). That said, word instructions aren't enough for you to achieve that special Di look, trust me (she said the same stuff to me and look how my stuff turn out, sigh). I guess you just have to find a style you're comfortable with and stick with it.
Yeah, this new commenting system by Blogger is pretty annoying. I don't know what they were thinking.
Anyway, there was a new episode this morning and it was quite fun, if overall a bit slight. I thought the opening in the hospital was full of great animation and character work, even if pony genetics seem a bit baffling. I did laugh at the rather meta-joke "that makes sense... right?" Sure it does, Mr./Ms. Writer. Sure it does.
It was good to see Pinkie get to be sweet again, as she's been enthusiastically insensitive all season so far, often to hilarious results. Twilight came off a bit full of herself, but then that's not exactly out of character for her. I'm still jonesing for more of her and the rest of the cast. I would at least like to see more episodes focusing on at least a small group of the mane six, if not all of them. We seem to have a lot of solo episodes this season, with only minor appearances by the rest of the gang.
I'm curious if anyone here is going to contribute to the Artist Training Grounds thing going on at Equestria Daily (on hold and starting over next week due to technical issues.) I thought it was a fun idea and would like to do more for it myself if time permits.
@CaineScroll
Okay, but it sounds like you are blaming it on yourself. I do think it is very normal for a perfectly capable artist to run a blog but not receive commissions. I think it's best to draw for the enjoyment, and as your blog grows, your artwork is featured in more drawfriends and you have more to display to the community, you will gather more public awareness and have a much better chance of getting inquiries. If Diamonds' advice has led you to create what you have, then I want to hear her advice. Your work is nothing to be ashamed of. It's more than anything I can imagine myself drawing. You have learned from Diamonds' art style, and you are replicating it well. The whole commissions thing seems to have you discouraged, but all that I can say is that there is nothing wrong with your work, or anything to be worried about.
Wait, swordfighting lessons? Envy.
@Favo
Well, people have different perspectives and opinions, so what one will consider the best choice will never be the same for everyone. Maybe you have to prioritize on who you want to positively present yourself to...
All I have on my desk is... A pencil holder full of pencils I never use (along with an exacto knife that my parents foolishly bought for me when I was doing a papercraft, and I have used for various purposes besides its intended usage. It's sharp, though. I wound up cutting my thumb a few times, and had to shave the red layer of paper off the model), a Lego and National Geographic magazine or two that I never read, a mousepad that is only used when my father is using my computer while I am using his for work, a few pieces of paper serving as notes that could easily be a year old by now, a blue envelope that used to hold a card for some holiday (Oh, it's from my 89-year-old grandfather that I was named after and it's addressed to me. Now I feel bad.), an empty Windows 7 CD case, a dead wireless mouse, a very much alive wireless mouse, big, epicsauce headphones and my Bamboo Connect. I only use and aknowledge the existance of three of those things.
Oh, and I forgot to mention; When I was watching Family Appreciation Day, I noticed that my headphones have a feature of changing the volume on each ear to give a sense of audio perspective. Believe it or not, when Granny ran from one side to the other, the sound made a transition from one ear to the other as if she actually had ran from left to right, or right to left. I thought that was impressive.
As for pictures, well, I'll probably post mine if Diamonds does with hers. Because then it won't be weird. Not that I'm trying to stress her to do it or not. It causes so many both positive and negative social implications and a potential problem of privacy, so it's up to her whether it would be an appropriate thing to do or not.
(Going to use hyperlinks that serve no functional purpose for a while!)
Oh, so many comments to respond to once again! You keep me so busy, darlings~
@Favo
Oh, no, I certainly would hope that nobody here would think anything terrible had befallen me after such a relatively short absence, seeing as how I think most of you know by now that I tend to stay very busy and cannot always get to my pony-business here when I'd like to. But yes, I would have felt bad if I'd worried you.
And the beach, really? I only just got back from there myself (well, technically I went to the coast, but not the beach itself. I went to visit my father who lives near my old home you see, as he was having a surgery and I wanted to make sure he was well cared-for afterwards). I would have liked to have been able to go to the beach though, as I miss it quite a bit now that I'm living further inland... I suppose I can understand why you wouldn't want to go with your still-broken leg though. Walking on sand is tough enough on its own, most of the time.
And "mental breakdown", well... without saying too much I think I can probably relate far better to that than you might have believed, dear. Honestly, I guess I seldom do get really angry (usually it's more cranky/irritable) when I'm stressed... more often than not the tension manifests in me as manic energy or anxiety attacks. Hence the reason I am now dealing with this silly heart condition I guess... high-strung and all that, bleh. But anyhow, I appreciate you saying you find my traits admirable, even though I'm not sure how well-founded your assessment is. You are a dear~ ^.^
@CaineScroll
Hm actually, I didn't mean that I thought you were talking about abandoning your dA page altogether, though I guess it did come out sounding that way. I just meant that I felt you shouldn't neglect it in place of your blog if you're trying to put yourself out there more and gain some more exposure... in general, the site gets far more traffic and I'm sure if you joined any number of pony groups, it could be a huge boon to your commission business.
And on that note, please don't be discouraged if you haven't had any takers yet. You've only had commissions open for, what? Just around a week now? And, as Anon said do not yet have the largest selection of pony-pictures under your belt which people might have to go by. Just give it time dear, I'm sure you'll see some interest eventually.
@Anon
First off, let me apologize for this whole obnoxious business with the silly reply buttons and whatnot. I actually thought I had fixed it the other night when I wrote my previous replies, but it turns out that the buttons only show up on my blog when I'm viewing it from my desktop computer, and not my laptop for whatever bizarre reason. So yes, you guessed it I'm having to respond to all of you now from the former computer... anyway, I do apologize for the terrible inconvenience as I don't know how else to fix the problem... =\ I really do wish I was a bit more computer-savvy at times, alas~
And well, as I predicted I followed little-to-none of that information about what you'd been busying yourself with, dear, though I do appreciate your efforts to fill me in. It all sounds very clever and important with the way you phrase it though... you must be very good at what you do, by the sounds of things! And let's see... well as I said to Favo above, I don't generally tend to get angry as much as I get stressed, anxious and irritable when I'm under too much pressure, though again I do my best to keep all this under control when I'm dealing with people. I don't really see how that makes me any more "perfect" in your eyes though I do appreciate the sentiments. Oh, yes, and the virtual Pinkie hugs as well, thank you. ^.^'
In other topics, did that advice from Scrolls-dear answer any of your art-related questions at all? I suppose he would know, seeing as how I've been doing my best to help him along when he's come looking for advice, and I very much appreciate his trying to help me out a little with responding to your questions. But, if there are any other points you might like me to clarify, please do ask and I'll do my best to help. Also, and if you won't mind my saying so as much as I am flattered by your endeavoring to mimic my techniques and such, I really would encourage you to study artworks by other artists whom you admire as well. The more techniques that you have under you belt, the stronger it makes you as an artist overall, after all... just my opinion on the matter!
Oh, yes and I nearly forgot but on the topic of CaineScroll's art and commissions, I really don't think I can offer any better advice that you did yourself in your second reply on the subject. Because that is exactly what I did myself; I never actively set out to procure commission requests, and instead just got involved in the pony community, and made pony-fanart because it was enjoyable to me and I found it to be some great stress relief. Maybe because of that, and if the enthusiasm showed in my work that was what led people to start coming to me with commission inquiries... I can only guess as again, it's not like I was advertising for them or had even considered the idea. I will say they really took off after I posted Jody's composing Octavia picture, though... that one got quite a bit more exposure than a lot of my previous fanarts and I'm sure that helped matters quite a bit. But overall, yes I think you summed that all up quite nicely dear.
Lastly, how very kind of you to share that link with me! If only dearest Applejack had been speaking to me when she said that... ^_^; I still appreciate the thought though. As far as me being a unicorn, well, I've often had to wonder... I always have loved them you know, ever since I was a little girl. My bedroom is actually still full of quite a few unicorn items, including a sculpted lamp I've had for ages... foreshadowing, maybe!
@Favo
(I forgot to respond to this in my reply to you earlier) No offense taken at that, dear, as I've said myself I really don't think I deserve the title, even though you all seem to find me so very likable (which I appreciate, truly! You all are so sweet~ =^.^=).
And.... did I say that?? I must really have been distracted that day, because even your considerate reminder isn't jogging the memory! Perhaps I should make an effort to find a suitable image of myself to share with you all... I guess I'll have to look for one if indeed I can remember again.
@Harwick
It was quite rude of them to spring this change on us all without even a little bit of advanced warning, or even better the option to leave things as they were if we so chose. That would have been the considerate manner of handling things.
But anyhow, yes, that new episode! I also found it to be entertaining, though I'd hesitate to say it was even remotely near my list of favorites. But it was decent enough. I was happy to see more Pinkie Pie as this season seems to be rather short on her thus far (and, as you say on group interaction as a whole, which is too bad), and the babies were cute enough which I am actually surprised to find myself thinking (I'm afraid I've never been particularly good with infants, even my own relatives). The whole thing with the babies being a pegasus and a unicorn, respectively, and despite the fact that the Cakes are very obviously earth ponies did throw me for a loop, but I suppose if people really wanted to they could find a way to justify it beyond Mr. Cake's rather dodgy explanation.
It probably comes to nobody's surprise here, but one of my very favorite moments from that entire episode was when Rarity flat-out refused to babysit, without even bothering to offer a decent excuse. That was just so unexpected from her and I found it hilarious... ^.^ I know I'm biased anyway, but yes it was good.
And Artist Training Grounds, you say? I am afraid I must confess that I'm not really familiar with what that whole thing is about, and despite the fact that I think I have seen it floating around on EqD before (I haven't read any of the posts anyway, and just saw them when skimming the site over). I guess I'll have to read more about it then!
Well, seeing as I'm not a game designer, I don't think I'll be skipping into the Twilight Zone anytime soon. But Anon, I'd suggest watching your back just in case someone tries something funny. Just sayin'.
Anyways, I watched the new episode at one in the morning yesterday (which should be around noon on the East Coast?) and...er... I really liked Pinkie's wet mane? It reminds me of Fran Drescher from The Nanny for some odd reason, though I'm not complaining or anything. Also, the babies were cute, and I'm surprised Pound Cake could scale ceilings while Scootaloo still uses a scooter. Still, there hasn't been any legitimate evidence saying Scoots can't fly. I dunno if any of you noticed, one of the babies at the beginning of the episode was a Rarity lookalike...controversial discussions ensue.=S
Hmm...Artist Training Grounds? A number of my fellow Malaysian bronies are already taking part, and I would have too if it weren't for another project I've been working on (DISCLAIMER: NOT A COMMISSION). I suppose you'll be seeing it soon, though I'll post a link by then just to be sure.
And to be honest...I don't exactly recall anyone mentioning about revealing a picture online, though with my absymal memory I'm not exactly the best bloke around to commentate on that. But if anyone does reveal their faces here, I may choose to explain that "jumping off a four story platform" thing...=P
Regarding the commissions, well, I'll try not to expect that much from it, though to be frank it's actually a source of side income for me during college as well. Going through this stage of life, having your parents constantly supply you with your economical needs tends to induce a little guilt. (@WhiteDiamonds-- Imagine asking anyone to sponsor your trip to the UK besides yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about~)
And yes, Anon. I said swordfighting. One of the perks of being Chinese~!=)
Mind the typos, y'all...I speed type!
And while we're at it, have some baby Rarity~! (Applejack standing next to Rarity watching baby-Rarity? Seems legit)
@WhiteDiamonds Blogger has been doing strange things lately! I changed the layout on my blog, so hopefully that might correct any commenting problems (fingers crossed).
I'm doing pretty alright lately too! I moved my sewing area so it's more convenient to use when I'm feeling well enough to sew. So I'll hopefully be able to finish her today, maybe!
@Kateasaurus
So you make plushies? I'm rather fond of plushies in general, the stack on my shelf says that much. Furthermore, a brony from Malaysia made a life-sized Fluttershy plushie for the last meetup, do remind me to post a picture in future~
Anyway, changing the layout or template won't do anything to the comments section, in case that was what you were trying to achieve. If it's about getting the reply button back, make sure you disable the embedded comment form in the comments settings, then repeat any HTML mumbo-jumbo you did to get the reply button in the first place. The result should be similar to this particular blog.
Hope that helped~! =)
@WhiteDiamonds
@Anon
I look like a spammer now, don't I? =/
Anyway, I'd like to thank both of you for taking the time to respond to my self-inflicted commissioning woes (Sorry it took this long, mates, my mind was in deadlock back there; maybe yesterday's heat stroke scrambled my brains, I know for a fact I came dangerously close to fainting). I'm still not all that confident about the matter in general, but the fact that you cared made me feel a bit more at ease...it's nice to know that the internet isn't completely devoid of compassion~!^^
@CaineScroll Thanks! Seems to be working now, so that's a relief!
And yes! I just started sewing pretty much back in October. So it's been a lot of trial and error... but the two plushies I HAVE sold have very happy owners! I got a bit side-tracked since I got sick, so it's been difficult to work on them lately. It's taken me a while to work on Rarity, but I think I'm near being done!
@WhiteDiamonds and Favo
Sometimes, I don't really realize that someone else brought up a certain topic until you reply to it. As you can guess, this state is basically all one big beach, and if you don't live on the water then you are a square. Like I said, though, I don't go out to see any of them.
I don't get angry very much due to the fact that nothing happens to me to cause anger (There is nothing exciting in my life that you don't know about), but in my experience, when I get angry I turn into a very determined control freak, devoting all resources to halting the problem. I don't shout or start using insults that I don't mean, I just act more harshly, taking everything too seriously. I think have had mental breakdowns before, though. They happen for me when I have exhausted all options and I realize how much time I have wasted and how much I have sacrificed trying to solve a problem that I see as unsolvable. It's especially bad when everyone starts to doubt me and my ability to make right of a situation in a calm and logical manner. Maybe it isn't the most interesting "angered state".
Now that I think about it, most of that comes from programming and online games that lack rules. I mentioned earlier that when I was 12 years old I used to play a game called Roblox, which brought me into programming. It was a "make your own game" type game that looked like Lego, and the only reason it was so enjoyable was because there were only so many rules as the owner of the room thought to make. Any glitches or alternative routes that you discover are your own assets. As the fun thing to do for many of the nine-year-old players was to delete others' creations one piece at a time, I went into games simply to act as police officer, hunting down anyone that does wrong (Though, being a space taxi driver was surprisingly fun as well). When I got angry, I turned into a Chaotic Good (No, I've never played Dungeons and Dragons, but I think that's the most fun thing to be). You would be amazed by how deep the whole thing got after a while. I have memories of that game, one of which was when I won in a crazy three against one (I had to find a new way to avoid and overcome each person depending on the weapon that they were using like it was a boss battle) after the leader of the three insulted me (He said that he laughed at me...after I beat him), without the help of differing levels or inequal strengths. I don't know, maybe I should get more mental breakdowns and stop being so boring...
@WhiteDiamonds
How are you still making reply links? Is there just a universal link to use that I don't know?
Actually, none of what I said there actually related to programming. Basically, the application is a program that runs on a smartphone, and this is a commercial one for home inspectors to use in place of a clipboard and notepad. It has been field tested by an inspecting company and has proven to do hours worth of report-composing work in about 90 seconds. There are different sections of the program to fill out certain information, two of which are Roof (for roofing details) and Structural (for the information about the building's structure). "Wind Mitigation" is a type of home inspection that we have in the southeast to make sure that a building is to code and capable of withstanding a hurricane, which we get a lot of here. It's all just checkboxes and textboxes. With this program, an inspector can do 150 to 200% of the usual amount of inspections in a day, potentially doubling their income and making it a quite well-paying low-qualified job (about $70,000 annually, instead of their usual $40,000). We are currently waiting for one of the interested investors (They came to us, we didn't go to them) to sign a shareholder's agreement. I didn't want to get into that much detail about it, though, since that is enough information to find its page on the internet.
I just think it makes you more "perfect" because you continue to try to make the best decision you can at all times, as that is the absolute most that any one person can do.
Well, I have my linework layer at the top, and I have it set to Multiply, but I'm not really seeing the difference that that setting makes. I think you guys might be overestimating my knowledge of the process used to do these things (I've never made a single picture before, after all). When I say "linework", I'm referring to sketched outlines that I did in black. My biggest wonder is how and when you make the colored outlines (like the grey around Rarity's head outlining the white). I assume they go on the color layer, and they are added on by using the linework layer as a basis either before or after the fill color is done, but from CaineScroll's warning about black outlines smudging the color it sounds like the linework outlines are actually an element of the final product, being used as the outlines. Which makes it sound like black would actually be the best color, since outlines are usually darker than the fill color and you would just need to go over the black lines with the fill color to make a darker shade of the fill color. But maybe it should be grey instead? Does the color really even mix at all with the fill color if the linework layer is on the top? I guess the reason why it should be at the top would be because that means that the color cannot go out of the lines so easily. I have seen others use the Select tool to do that.
Also, you know this already, but the Octavia piece is the one that brought me to this blog. I'm not even trying to draw something that well. I have yet to make anything half as good as your sketches on scrap legal documents. But maybe my next one will be better.
That was a reference to the "Earth, Pegasus or Unicorn" topic of discussion, being that you are one of the most obvious unicorns I have ever seen.
@Anon
I'm not sure what program you're using, but the short answer solution I think you're looking for is to take your black linework and adjust the levels on it to turn it grey. Then when it's set to be a Multiply layer and is laid on top of colors underneath, the result will be lines with the greyscale shading value of the multiply layer added to the color and shading values of the lower layers.
So a grey line set to multiply and drawn across a light blue color layered underneath will appear as a darker blue. A black line, however, will still look black... It's as dark as it can get already, and you can't add any more color or tonal value to it.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to do it. Different approaches will lead to different results, and allow for different edits.
The last time that you mentioned the subject publicly on this blog would be this:
"I suppose one of these days I'll end up putting a picture of myself up here, if I can remember to do so that is."
I don't really have favorite episodes, as the quality doesn't really go up or down for me. I think the songs are the best parts and the Rarity episodes are especially interesting, but running gags, though I like them, can go bad (That "hoo"/"who" thing in Owl's Well That Ends Well was so overdone that it was groan-worthy).
Heh, I'm not exactly good with kids either. The last time I saw one was at another Thanksgiving party with our only decently local relatives, when my...grand-cousin (I really don't know) brought his three newborns and one or two year old son. When he handed me his toy, I just stared at him. My father didn't like that, but what was I supposed to do? I'm not a father. At least I know now what it's like to look at children from an adult perspective.
Hm, Rarity cannot refuse to go to Canterlot citizens' events, but she will not bear the thought of babysitting for a Ponyville citizen. I guess her generousity has its limitations.
I tend to click on every link on EQD, listening to the music while I read the comics and look at the artwork.
@CaineScroll
Unicorns can now fly via self-telekinesis. Unicorns can now do anything. I figured that those two just learned unordinarily early, and Fluttershy and Scootaloo are going at the average pace.
Explain it in pictures, maybe?
I can definitely understand how you feel about the college funding, but I don't think $10-40 commissions are a good way to supplement your income, considering how much time and effort it takes just for a couple tens of dollars. That's only a couple of hours of minimum wage in the US. But maybe I'm still thinking that everyone else takes as long to draw as I do. I say, if drawing is a fun thing to do, then you should do it for fun. That's what I'm doing.
(No, I'm not commenting on your sword-related fortune, as I got a book of swords with pictures from a museum for Christmas and I have too much chivalry and honor to retort.)
@Harwick
...Oooohhh, I see. That's a lot easier than what I was expecting (redrawing all of the outlines in their respective colors). It looks so...professional. Thank you Harwick, as well as CaineScroll and WhiteDiamonds.
@Kateasaurus
No worries, always happy to help! ^.^
By the way, here's the giant Fluttershy I mentioned~!
@CaineScroll
There's no need to thank me for whatever support or words of encouragement I have offered you in your commission endeavors, my dear... you already know that I have always wished you the best. Like I said, just don't give up and continue to create more pony-arts if that's what you enjoy... everything else will follow in time.
In regards to the subject of an income source though, well... I'm afraid to say that Anon is probably right. Even though I've got quite a few different commission projects queued up right now, I can't say that they're any notable supplement to my income... more like just a justification to draw even more pony fanart since I generally do enjoy that. I can certainly understand and relate to what you said about the guilt-factor, though... that is exactly why I was working as I was going through college, I'm afraid.
In regards to the episode thoughts, I myself was a bit surprised by the fact that Pound Cake could apparently fly so well, but I figured it was something similar to what Rarity had said about baby unicorns sometimes having strong bursts of magic. Also, his wings were rather large for him at his size, or especially when compared to Scootaloo's. Maybe pegasus' wing growth isn't consistent with the rest of their physical development and it hinders their flight in childhood? Or maybe I'm just overthinking things. In any case, I will admit that I absolutely laughed out loud at the baby Rarity you posted (I can't believe I missed that during the episode!), and especially with the context you used to frame it. I may be a huge Rarijack shipper but even I'm not sure if I should touch that one with a ten-foot pole... she certainly is adorable though. ^^;;
And what, so you won't explain the four-story platform jumping without one of us first posting a photo? But that's not fair, because now I really want to kno-oooow~~!
@Kateasaurus
Ohh, I wish I could say it did, but for me at least the commenting situation seems to be even worse than before! <=( I still wasn't able to comment on your "Quick Update" post as nobody has replied to it (that was always the problem for me before, for whatever weird reason), but I also tried commenting on your other, latest post and now I can't seem to do that either! I don't know why; it's really ridiculous, and Blogger is really beginning to get on my nerves at this point. I'm sorry dear...
In any case though, I am VERY happy to hear that you have been doing well, as that sets my heart at ease a bit. I'm also happy that the sewing is going well! I myself am in serious need of some improvements to my work area, now that I've moved house... I have been looking everywhere for a decent new sewing table ever since I relocated over a month ago, and still to no avail. Or well, that is to say that I have found things but they were either too expensive for me to justify at the time, or else not.... quite as nice as I would prefer to have in my home. ^.^; I suppose I'll find something eventually, but in the meantime poor Bernadette (er, my sewing machine that is) has taken up residence on the dining room table... it's a good thing I haven't had much company recently.
Anyhow though, you'll have to excuse my tiresome rambling; I guess I got a bit carried away. I can hardly wait to see your new Rarity plushie once you have finished with her darling, and you simply MUST come and post the link up here on my blog so everyone can see her, regardless of whether or not they watch your page! I hope you will! ^.^
@Anon
Well, dear, as I thought I'd mentioned the old, little blue "Reply" buttons that I'd had up before are still visible to me when I view my blog on my desktop computer (but not on my laptop, annoyingly; as such I was unable to reply from it when watching my weekly Y&R marathon last night XP), and so when I'm on this computer I can reply to you all just the same as I always could. If you're not seeing the buttons, though, as it sounds like is the case I imagine it must be a bit more difficult for you, and I apologize... I'd like to say that I will fix the problem but really, I haven't the foggiest idea of how to do so! Sometimes it's dreadful being such a technologically-inept person, hmm...
And oh, really, so none of that was about programming? Well, I suppose that just proves my point I stated above even moreso now. ^.^;;; I think I actually do understand what you are talking about now that you've clarified it a bit more, and if anything it sounds even more impressive to me; how wonderful that you are able to be involved in something so important that will help so many people! You are obviously a very bright young man. ^_^
Hahaha... your method of dealing with your anger sounds an awful lot like mine, "mental breakdowns" and all. Unless of course I get really angry, which doesn't happen very often... in fact now trying to think about it I'm having a difficult time remembering the last example. When I do get that angry though, I tend to burst into tears because I truly don't know what else to do with the energy... it's terrible, really. ;( Thank you for thinking I'm somehow more "perfect", though... it's very kind of you to say and think.
Anyway though, I'm glad that the advice/tips Harwick gave you were seemingly enough to answer your questions, and he probably did a better job explaining that than I could have. The easiest way for me to answer art questions is simply to explain how I create my pony-doodles: I start with doodles like these that I have drawn for fun in my spare time, drawn on a transparent layer; I set their layer to multiply if I decide to finish them and then make another layer underneath that which I proceed to color in. And then, if applicable I will make a third layer underneath both of those on which I draw/color the background. And that's it! It's really a very simple process.
Oh, yes, I suppose that would have been when I mentioned the whole photo thing, wouldn't it? I guess I should have trusted you to be able to tell me when I'd said that (and you did, thank you). As far as the subject of children, I'm not so terrible with them once they're a little bit older... I daresay I can enjoy their company even and so long as I'm not entirely responsible for them for any real length of time (the only possible exception to this is my youngest niece, who used to come and stay with me for days at a time. She totally idolized me, bless her~). But yes, I can quite understand and relate to where Rarity was coming from: there's generosity, and then there's just plain self-sacrifice! ;)
And I'm one of the most obvious unicorns you're ever seen, am I? ^.^ I'm not entirely sure how you arrived at that conclusion dearie but I shall take it as a fabulous compliment nevertheless, thank you! <3
@Harwick
Thank you for your well-timed and succinctly-phrased assistance, my friend! ^.^
@Favo
I don't mean to sound preachy, and I don't know what type of "violence" you are referring to, but you should be careful about who you, er, harm. As I'm sure you know, picking a fight with the wrong guy can have disastrous consequences. It isn't worth ruining your life (and your criminal record). But what do I know, I'm a sheltered small town nerd.
Picture thingy? Are you working on another drawing, or was there another picture-related discussion that I didn't catch onto...?
(You're right, my writing does look overly serious)
@WhiteDiamonds
Applejack doesn't look happy. Rarity has some explaining to do.
Ah, I should have caught on that you are using a computer that does have them. Maybe they are on "my" laptop, I haven't been on to check yet...
Heh, well, there is a lot of money in it for us as well. The only reason it is so effective is because of how unbelievably outdated most inspectors' system is. A lot of them are old guys that despise computers with their very being (My father was at a home inspecting trade show, and one such person directed his anger on one of my father's brochures, twisting and squeezing it). One guy (I think it was the same person, actually) is using carbon copy paper. That would cost more per piece of carbon paper than it is to just pay for the program ($7 per Full Home report at the most, which comes out of their $300 payment for the job). One of these days I'll be able to really elaborate, and something tells me it will be soon...
Oh, and I nearly forgot; All this housing and business knowledge comes from my father, and the application itself is surprisingly simple, but I appreciate you saying so nonetheless. Once you know what you're looking at when it comes to programming, it is like reading written English or a math equation (usually both at the same time). I remember the day, and even the moment, that I suddenly understood how it worked. It was like a door opened in my head, or a Sonic Rainboom flew across the sky... But I'm sure that your smarts are nothing less than mine.
Well, isn't it obvious? Your speech is eloquent, your standards of cleanliness are high, your tastes are expensive, you appreciate literature, you have an affinity to royalty, your work is creative and you seek to make much of yourself. If you aren't a natural unicorn, then no one is.
My coloring work is starting off strong. I have a good fifth to a quarter of the entire picture finished, and it is vastly exceeding my expectations. At the pace that I'm going, I hesitate to predict that it should be done within the next 7 days (which is generous, since logically I should only need four or five), but I really can't foresee what challenges I might face with the rest. My biggest worry is the hair. I haven't figured that one out yet. But from what I can tell, you will get to see my first attempt at drawing a pony fairly soon.
@Favo
Well hopefully you will enjoy your little vacation-at-home, dear... sometimes is is nice to have a little solitude.
And yes, my father is doing fine and is healing nicely, thank you for asking. I rather hated leaving him when I did on Friday but as it was, I had already taken several days off from work that I probably can't afford to have taken. I wanted to make sure he was well-cared for though, but yes he is doing well.
As far as my heart, I apologize if you felt I was taking too much of a blasé stance towards it... really though, it's not a terribly serious condition and I have been managing it the best I can, I promise. I appreciate the concern though! You really are a dear.
@Anon
Heeheehee... I know. Even looking at that picture from a perfectly innocent perspective (or perhaps I should say, especially from a perfectly-innocent perspective), both ponies' expressions are hilarious to me given the situation. Rarity only seems happily pleased that there is a baby unicorn who looks so much like herself, while Applejack looks as though she has some serious objections she would like to raise... they make me laugh. ^.^
Anyway though, yes. I can certainly imagine, and indeed I would hope that there would be some financial compensation for your family, as I wouldn't expect you all to work for free and even if that program is such a huge help to people in the field. We all need to make a living, after all. And while I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, I can assure you that I seriously doubt I could ever understand programming even if I applied myself to learning more about it... as I think I have remarked before, mathematics and I have never exactly gotten along, you see.
And well, I guess that makes sense when you put it that way, as for whatever reason those do sound rather like unicorn-like traits. I suppose I really must come across that way... hopefully that's not necessarily a bad thing~ ^.^'
I'm happy to hear that your art project is moving along nicely, dearie! I am excited to see your work once you get to the point that you're comfortable sharing. ^.^
"I don't think I'll be skipping into the Twilight Zone anytime soon."
Oh, the irony.
CaineScroll's profile says that he isn't following three of the blogs that he was before, this one included, but it was back to normal earlier.
@Favo
I don't mean to imply anything about you, I'm just being sure.
@WhiteDiamonds
If you keep that up, you might force me to draw Rarijack, myself...
I really just meant intelligience in general. A bad thing? Your traits are never bad things. You are what I wish that I was more like. The unicorn-like characteristics are ones that I try to live by. I see them as proof of talent, fluency and ambition. A person with the traits of a unicorn is well-presented, giving the most care and effort in order to become the most that they can be. At least, that is the way that I am seeing it. All of those traits apply to you. You aren't just living the dream. You are the dream. And I never get tired of saying it. I greatly respect your ability and manner, and you should not doubt yourself for being all that you are. No, they certainly are not bad things.
I imagine you must be wondering how it could possibly take me so long just to draw one pony, of all things. I'm going through trial and error, as I really don't know what I'm doing. As I'm sure you can imagine, the event of displaying your first drawing leaves great potential for embarassment. The most that I can do is my initial best. What comes after is the constructive criticism that should help me to improve. Much was done today, due to my planning: Whenever my father was not in the office yesterday (Or I guess it would be two days ago by now), I would work on the pony parts. When he came back in, I went back to the non-pony parts. This maximized efficiency and resulted in me finishing most (emphasis on most) of the recognizably pony components, leaving me with almost nothing (emphasis on almost) to stop me from going ahead and doing the rest. The family going out to buy groceries didn't hurt, either. As such, I was surprised by how much I had done. (Granted, this is all that I care to do in my free time, which is all day due to the fact that I choose when I work.) With how much that is left to be done, I have no doubt that everything will be completed some time tomorrow. Everything except...that. I don't mean to belabour it, but have only one last obstacle before I'm done.
I have made one already. But I'm not happy with it. If I released this image as it is, then I would have fix it before it is put on any sort of blog or source. This is what I see as the worst, most embarassing part of the whole picture. My presenting message would just be a long apology for the hair. I tried making it in a cel-shaded style. It looked too plain, and like it was made of rubber. (And now I can't stop imagining a parody of the theme song, "My Rubber Pony") I tried to do it the way that some artists do, of covering it in layers of different shades (like this). But that looked like the tail of a squirrel that had just come back from a forest fire. (Well, in case I ever want to draw singed ponies...No, let's not go there.) Then, I tried to just shade it like I did with every other part, but it turned out so shiny that it was reminiscent of a fire hydrant. I have spent much time just thinking, wondering how I am ever going to do this. I want to do it your way, but it's so difficult to figure it out. I'm tempted to just leave it plain like on the show, but that would just be a cop-out. I know that if I don't learn it now, then I will have to next time. Because someone once gave me the impression that hair was kind of important on a My Little Pony (Unless, of course, I made a My Little Old Pony series in which every character's hair has fallen out). I know that there might be nothing that you can say or do, but that is the challenge that I currently face. For as long as I have not yet linked my first creation here, I am still struggling with this hair.
Oh, and believe it or not, I have caused significant wear on my first nib already. And I haven't even done a single drawing yet. Luckily, I mentioned it to my mother, and she mentioned it to my father, who told me that he will buy more nibs for me when I need them because he thinks that $2 for inexplicably fagile plastic is inexpencive, and he "likes to see what (I) make with it". I guess it was a good idea to show him my non-pony work. Unfortunately, if all goes to plan then my next point of focus will be much more pony than this one.
You're my favourite princess- uh, artist ever! :)
@Anon
Oh, you poor dear you! I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time with the hair, though it's nice to know the rest of the progress has been going smoothly enough. I wish I was able to give you some kind of fabulous advice that would make everything perfectly clear for you, but the truth is, of course, that everyone has their own way of drawing and coloring hair and there's not really any "right" or "wrong" way to do it, depending on the look you're going for. You say that you want to replicate my style in this regard, and I wish I knew how to make a video like your YouTube reference so that I could show you how I do it (oh and by the way, that girl they showed as the thumbnail image for the 'how to do scene hair' video could have been one of my nieces; I actually had to do a double-take and make sure it wasn't her), but alas as I've mentioned before I'm a bit on the technologically-inept side. You're lucky I've figured out how to type decently and post on this blog, really.
Nevertheless, I feel rather inadequate now, knowing that I don't believe I can help you. If you have any questions you think I might be able to answer though, please don't hesitate to ask!
Oh, and thank you for feeling that my traits are something you would like to aspire to, though if that really is the case then I wholeheartedly encourage you to apply them to yourself, as well! I do my best to conduct myself in a polite and respectful fashion, refine my chosen crafts, and set my sights high in what I seek to achieve because those are all traits that I, in turn, have always respected in other people. And so I've adopted them as my own. Life is only what you make of it, after all!
Meep! <3 And while I wish I could say I'll stop then, the truth of the matter is that I would more than love to see a Rarijack picture from you, so you're probably better off not encouraging me in that regard. ^_~
@Favo
I'm quite inclined to agree with you on that point, dear. It was pretty super-effective, in this case though.
@zhoomcar
Eep, hello! ^.^ I know I don't know you at all, but thank you so very much for such a sweet and fabulous comment; you are so terribly kind! And you even called me a princess... I do believe my week is now complete!
Thank you so much for commenting, I truly appreciate the sentiments. ^^ With any luck, I should have some more new artwork up soon, as well!
@zhoomcar
If I'm right that your name and avatar are DragonFable references, then greetings and salutations, adventurer.
@WhiteDiamonds
I actually felt kind of weary after sending that message because it was all about my status and whatever challenges I am currently facing, on your art blog. It just feels selfish. However, as it seems that I haven't damaged my image at all by going on about it:
Art really would not be very interesting if we all had the same way of doing something. If that was the case, then there would be rules. Though there isn't usually a right or wrong way to do it, I think that there is an exception when the hair that you made looks like a burnt rag. Maybe it's like an unspoken rule.
I am actually trying to replicate your style for everything pony in the picture. If any part comes out looking in any way unlike your style, then I have done that part wrong. I know that it is not in your ability, but the video that I referenced (judging by the watermark in the corner) was recorded with "BSR Screen Recorder", and I believe that CamStudio is the most popular screen-recording software these days. It would be funny if I wound up showing you how to use such a program so that you could use it to show me how to draw hair. It would be a helpful guide, as I mentioned in my first comment on this blog, but I in no way intend to pressure you. I could probably figure it out in minutes (it's a "record" button, a "stop recording" button and a "save video" button), but of course, this is what have I spent my life doing.
It's okay, I don't have you here as a private teacher and art is an especially hard thing to teach. If I had any questions, they would incur long and labour-intensive (I did it again) answers. Like, "Do you do it this way?" (No, you don't, because you do it in your own way), "How do make use of the lines down the middle from the show?" (I think you turn them into crevices), "Do you ever make spiked ends where there is usually just a rounded edge to add potential for shading detail?" (That would be a "No"), and worst of all, "Could you describe the process that you use?". I don't expect you to answer any of those, as they are purposely hard questions to answer. I think that your style mostly is all just made with a base color, an outline and some well-placed shading. I can make a color and an outline, of course (Well, now I can), but the way that you know how to give a certain part a shine of a certain shape is beyond my ability. Any preexisting shading in my "drawing" is simple and easy, like a gradient. Maybe I should make a list of prototype tails and try to decide which style came out the best.
Though Zhoom was quoting Pipsqueak's line from the end of Nightmare Night, I wonder why so many females would prefer to be a princess than queen. I guess "Queen" sounds old, but I would much rather "King" than "Prince". "Prince" is like the Robin of noble titles. If I was the king's brother, I would prefer to be a Duke. Though "Count" sounds powerful, and...there are just so many to choose from...
Oh well, as long as I wind up living in a castle where the homeowner's association will allow me to fire cannons in the middle of the night to celebrate my wealth, I suppose it's all the same in the end.
The greatest difference between our speaking habits is that I write in a very rigid, formal manner, while you are much more expressive and welcoming. As you may have noticed, I almost never use exclaimation points unless I am very surprised by something or joking. The problem that I would have in your situation would be that I would have trouble coming up with a substancial response to what everyone says. Well, not only are you inadvertantly teaching me how to draw, but you are also inadvertantly teaching me how to run an art blog. I appreciate all of it.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that you really cared so much that I am having difficulty, but I suppose I should have known better. I have described this before when I first made use of the "Pinkie hug" picture, but this time I will say it more explicitly: For almost every (if not every) one of your comments, there is at least one (usually more) thing that you say that is so admirable or touching that it will make me want to hug you. I guess you really are just that lovable. Harwick said it well: "That's just adorable." Maybe if I do well enough, I could make one of your and CaineScroll's emotion-descriptive doodles to express it more vividly.
I would glady try to make all of this up to you with what I create. You could treat them like complimentary commissions that you never asked for. I would have to really make sure that I did it well, though. I dare not do wrong to your beloved Rarijack.
I'm just so amazed by your artwork! You got a great style :)
I was wondering if I would be allowed to make vectors out of some of your drawings? I would give credit, naturally.
@Harwick
If there's one problem I have with the second season so far, it's that there's been too many episodes focusing primarily on one character to the exclusion of showing interactions between the main cast members. I seem to be in the majority regarding "Baby Cakes", finding it lightweight but still fun, with a lot of great Pinkie Pie moments; Twilight's utter social cluelessness when she started talking about how some ponies weren't up to the responsibilities of babysitting was perfectly in character and very funny, IMHO. It's been a bit disappointing to see so much of the fandom up in arms over the babies being able to fly and use magic, though; I really need to get used to the fact that part of the what makes up a fandom is its ability to overthink things.
@Anon
As amusing as that Sixth Doctor costume is, I agree there's a serious lack of pony there. I'm not going to blame the guy for wearing it to BroNYCon, but I do wonder why that's one of the two photos they chose to run with that article; you'd think the paper would want something a bit more relevant to illustrate their article.
@Anon (again)
I suspect that Rarity's refusal to baby-sit had less to do with lack of generosity than with knowledge that she really wouldn't do a good job. And there's always the possibility she was just busy with her own business as well. As for the babies, Rarity did mention at the start of the episode that unicorn babies would sometimes get magic surges; in retrospect, Rainbow Dash's comment about Pound Cake being "all over the place" once he "gets his wings going" was also apparently intended to be foreshadowing, though there was nothing to indicate such when she said it. A lot of fans are speculating that baby pegasi can fly because their wings are relatively large compared to their bodies, though I favor the explanation that it's a surge of pegasus magic similar to Pumpkin's magic surges in the episode. Everything else about the babies' abilities and intelligence, I chalk up to the Rule of Funny.
@CaineScroll
Thanks for sharing the pic; that's a darn good giant Fluttershy plush!
@WhiteDiamonds
Considering Blogger's near-complete lack of aesthetically-pleasing qualities, one would think they would focus on keeping the site useful, at least; the continuing problems you and Anon have with commenting and/or replying makes me wonder what's going on at Google. I've noticed on some Blogger blogs that I'll get a different commenting interface depending on whether I click on the post title or the "n Comments" link at the bottom of the post; have you tried using both links on Kateasaurus's blog?
(New pony in 3.5 hours, yay!)
"Raritycatchme!"
I said this over on EQD, but Pinkie/Rarity in a chase scene (be it balloon or stagecoach) seems to be able to make me howl with laughter out of nowhere. They simply cannot stay in a moving vehicle together.
I had a ball with the new episode. I have no idea where it might rank, favorite-wise, but I tend not to worry too much about that kind of thing. I just know that Pinkie, who usually isn't at the top of my favorites, had me laughing throughout.
The Applejack side of things might have been a bit lightweight and predictable, but then the episode was less about her directly and more about how important she was to everyone else, and how much responsibility she feels because of it.
Oh, and a certain grey pegasus made a bit of a splash too, as I recall. Personally, I found her to be very lovable and sweet, and I admit that I was caught by surprise that she not only was called by name but had multiple lines. I was left grinning by her scene, so kudos to the gang behind the show.
@jodyjm13
I have to admit, I too think the Cake's twins are way overpowered, but aside from noting that fact I don't feel compelled to harp on it much. I've never had too much trouble just shrugging off some random thing that didn't work for me. I do find it odd though that something like the Twin's abilities bother me more than Rarity and Pinkie being abandoned in the desert... that seems like it should be the bigger deal, but I can't complain at all when it got such good laughs.
I did see people on EQD getting themselves upset because the gang were trying to force AJ to talk, or Dash was somehow behaving horribly (and not because of the Pinkie/Rarity scene) but I didn't really understand why or dig enough to try to figure it out. It does seem like there will always be someone worked up over something with the show.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not being discriminating enough in that I don't recall outright disliking any episodes of the series, while others have apparently hated plenty of them... but I'm fairly certain I'm better off this way.
@Anon
Oh, right you are! Name was conceived about 5/6 years ago, and it kinda... stuck, plus I've long abandoned Dragonfable for other things.
The usual response to my name is something to do with Mazda, and nope, avatar not DF related!
@Anon
Well dear, I suppose you might be right about the questions, as I frequently do find them tough to answer though I try my best. I have made an effort to describe my process here before though, I know, and for what it's worth you are correct about my methods (insofar as my doodles consisting of an outline, base colors and then applied shading). In regards to the shading, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but honestly, I would have been pretty astonished if you'd managed to become proficient in that already, considering that you only even began drawing several weeks ago. For the most part, it takes artists a lot of practice and study (frequently, years of it; I know I can stand to improve myself) to become better in using color. I have no doubt you can get there eventually if you really want to and apply yourself, but I hope you don't feel too disappointed if it's not something that you don't grasp immediately. One step at a time, you know!
And well, as far as being able to help you and whatnot, I do feel bad if I'm not able to offer much assistance or proper coaching. I know I've said it before but I really do hate to disappoint people, and especially when it's someone like you who seems to have a great deal of faith in me. Perhaps one of these days I will think about trying to make a video like that, or some other kind of tutorial... though I'm sure you're right and it's probably not all that difficult, it's still something that I'd have to figure out and set up properly, and right now unfortunately is not the best time for me. When it gets back to the point that I am posting regular Doodle-Roundups again and am all caught up with my commissions, then I can certainly think about it. ^_^
Honestly, in response to your statement I wouldn't have any trouble at all being a queen or even bearing the title... princess isn't bad though, and I'll happily take whatever I can get. Also, your remarks about your future castle remind me of my own "plans" I've had in mind for a while now; chiefly that whenever it is I do get rich, I'm going to buy a castle in Europe and turn it into a fabulous bed-and-breakfast/hotel/restaurant that can also be rented out for balls, weddings and other events (my thinking always was that the profits would cover, or at least help to cover, all of the expenses of maintaining the castle and the grounds). Then, as an added bonus I could also live there, in one of the private wings... oh yes, this was my grand plan from the time I was about fourteen... **is genius**
And heehee~ ^.^ Well, while I was mostly kidding about the whole Rarijack thing, I'm not going to lie and say I honestly wouldn't love to see something like that if you were ever so inclined! Because I am a hopeless, sappy-romantic fangirl I guess (sigh). But no; no pressure dear... you worry about and focus on whatever it is that you want to create. ^_~
@Quanno
Good evening (well, it is evening here, now anyway~)! Thank you so much for the lovely compliments and for taking the time to reply... I'm happy to hear that you enjoy my work!
And ooh, really? I have to say that I've never even entertained the idea of my fanarts being rendered as vectors before, though I *am* curious as to how that might work out. By all means, you have my permission if indeed you'd be so kind as to credit me... all I ask is that you share the results with me when you've finished them, please! ^_^
@jodyjm13
Ugh, tell me about it, darling! Honestly, I've been meaning for weeks now (or Goddess, probably even longer) to tweak my page a little bit and at least do something with that ungainly header-font, but of course I keep forgetting and when I do remember I never have time. Someday though. But in the meantime, yes, it would be nice if the site would at least function decently for me and all of my regular followers... I feel bad that I haven't been able to "fix" things for certain users like Anon.
Oh and also, thank you for the tip about the commenting system and Katie's blog... I hadn't tried that before but now that you mentioned it, I did to see if it made any difference for me. And, no luck I'm afraid. I don't know what it is about her page, but apparently it doesn't like me for some reason... I've had problems commenting there from the very beginning.
@Harwick
I do believe that I had just been remarking the other night on the Last Roundup teaser thread that I'd initially hoped to see more Pinkie Pie and Rarity interaction in season two... well, ask and ye shall receive I guess. I am right there with you my friend; that scene absolutely made me laugh out loud. I even think I caught Rarity spitting out a piece of cactus upon landing, poor girl!
Anyhow, yes, that really was a nice solid episode for me... I doubt I need to say it, but I will anyway as people doubtless expect it of me: Applejaaaaaack~!! <3 <3 I am SO happy that my poor dear cowpony finally got an episode where she had the starring role in the storyline, even though as you said the episode didn't seem to focus on her so much as the other character-centric stories have recently. Still though, it is always enjoyable for me to see her get some more screentime. I think my favorite part of the episode, for her anyway was near the end when the truth finally came out: I was simultaneously surprised and thrilled (which sounds mean, though I intend it in the sense of what I consider to be valuable character development) when she actually broke down a little. Even if Rarity and Pinkie weren't around to share in the moment... I can't believe those silly ponies could have actually left them behind! Even though the resulting scene was far too entertaining for me to actually mind too much, I still felt badly for them.
Oh and yes, Derpy Hooves. I watched the episode this morning on TV in the comfort of my bedroom, but when I saw Rainbow Dash refer to her by name, and then (wonder of wonders) she had some lines, I knew that bronies all over the country and beyond were likely whooping it up in their homes and on their chosen livestreams. I don't think I ever saw it coming, but it was definitely a good surprise. ^.^
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh that's amazing! I already made one, waiting for your permission to actually release it. You can see it here: Link
I will try to do more of them, and I will let you know when I do. Thanks again ^^
I was originally going to do nothing until I had an attack of conscience, and it seemed best to inform everyone here...Well, as Favo kindly put it out for me, I've been dealing with...depression issues lately, which would explain my recent disappearance. I'm hoping that the festivities will help me heal myself mentally, so I'll be taking a few days leave from this blog. I'd ask you guys not to miss me, but the way things are looking I suppose there's a fat chance of that happening...oh well. In any case, have fun, mates!
How lovely! I'm actually really glad that you managed to make a Rarity piece with her mane down like that without being overly saucy like so many other wet-mane Rarities I've seen. I'd even go as far as to say that it really isn't saucy at all, but rather more natural since I doubt Rarity's mane would ever look the way it normally looks without hours of grooming each morning. In any case, Rarity looks so adorable here! I want to sit by her side and just press my cheek up against hers...if I was a pony that is xD.
Anyways, on a side note, do you happen to drink liqueur by any chance? I found a peculiar brand of beverage that I feel like surprising your mailbox with!
@Favo
Oh, you poor, poor dear you! I'm so sorry that you've been going through a difficult time! =( I won't even begin to guess what might be troubling you, because I suppose it's none of my business anyway, but certainly I understand and even encourage you if you want to take some time away. I hope you never feel obligated to post on this blog, or anywhere for that matter, because of course that isn't the case... I value your presence and conversation of course but this entire thing is supposed to be for fun and enjoyment, after all. Whatever might be troubling you, dear, I hope you feel better very soon, and of course you can keep in touch with me via email if you'd like to do so.
In fact, I'd actually like that to an extent... I hope you'll at least let me know how you're doing every now and again, otherwise I'll probably end up worrying about you. Feel better! *long-distance virtual hugs*
@CaineScroll
Oh dear, you too? It seems a strange coincidence that you and Favo haven't been feeling your best, lately... I hope it has nothing to do with me! In any case though dear, I will echo the sentiments I shared above with him: certainly I understand if you want to take a little time away from everything, and I only hope you never feel as though you have to post here or anywhere. This whole blog was created with the purpose of bringing happiness through artwork, and nothing more! And I would imagine your own blog is very much the same. I certainly hope you feel better soon... I know your feelings are your own business, but do let me know if there is anything I can do to help, won't you?
Oh, and Happy Chinese New Year, as I know you've very much been looking forward to that. Hopefully, as you say a little celebrating might help to lift your spirits some!
@Quanno
Well aren't you expedient! And thank you so much for sharing it with me... how incredibly lovely is that! She really came out beautifully, and I'm happy you added the cutie mark (I realized almost immediately after posting it up here that I'd forgotten to draw that in there, somehow, but by that point she was already up all over Tumblr so I just left the picture as-is). Really, thanks so much again, and I very much look forward to seeing more if you get around to making them! ^_^
Oh, and you're from the Netherlands, are you? A very good friend of mine is Dutch and a good portion of his family still lives there, mostly in and around Amsterdam. He goes over to visit and stay with them every year or so and he tells me it's the best place ever... I'm a bit envious really. ^_^;
@Tokenekie
Thank you so very much for all the kind compliments on the picture! As I said, I really thought it was truer to Rarity's character to look slightly shy when placed in this situation as opposed to sultry... I really do imagine she'd be slightly embarrassed to be seen by the general public without her trademark curled and polished mane (not like I blame her at all). I'm also happy to hear that you find her cute... though I know that's not the adjective that first comes to mind for many people when they think of Rarity, I nevertheless find her to be so at times.
As far as the liquor goes, I do indeed like to indulge on occasion though I have to wonder what prompted you to ask me such a question! It was very kind to think of me in any case. Now you have me wondering what you could possibly be referring to and if it's anything I might have had before... I think, to date the fanciest thing I've ever drank is Goldschläger. If you haven't tried it before, it's quite good (delicious gold flakes!).
@still WhiteDiamonds
You are more thoughtful than anyone I ever thought I would meet. You have already helped me far more than I ever could have asked from you. To ask anything more when you are so busy or to be disappointed with you in any manner would be to disregard all that you have done for me, which would be beyond selfish. As long as you are there when the day comes that I make something decently impressive (or at least, something that is not a circle) and I can take the opportunity to thank you for bringing me this far, I will be satisfied. (Not artistically satisfied, though. That should never happen.) If you can help me in any way now, it would be to look after yourself. That really is more important to me.
It seems we have another thing in common. My Switzerland, Germany and Ireland travel books (not so much Sweden) are practically "Pictures of Castles: The Book". Along with chalets and log homes, castles are quite my interest. I currently have a calendar on my wall (as if I use it for anything) that has a castle for each month. January is a wintery scene of Neuchwanstein (I found it by searching on the internet; here it is. But I like this one more). If I ever had the chance to meet 14-year-old WhiteDiamonds, I would form an alliance with her, seek to build property-owned castle walls around America's major oil rigs and restrict access to the wealthy, and once we have control over the US currency, we would convert every United States dollar into pounds, relocate our empire to England and rule over all of Europe with an iron fist. That would be my idea; a bed and breakfest would be plan B.
Don't worry, I'm already drawing ponies. If I know that it is something that you might like, then that only makes me want to create that perticular theme more. In fact, I happened to think of a few meaningful art concepts, and overthought them. For instance, does this mean that Rarity is bisexual? In the shipping world, isn't everyone? Is she technically heterosexual, but she is holding off on finding a suitable husband because she feels that it is more of a serious commitment than she is ready for? Was her interest in Blueblood and men in general just a phase (which I think would be unlikely due to her dreaming), or is this new relationship with Applejack, really? Or was Blueblood really that bad? Also, does Applejack symbolize the village that she grew up in, and remind her that no matter how high she aims, she should never go too far away from it? Is AJ the reason why Rarity cannot leave Ponyville and move to the city? I know that it's whatever you prefer to think, and I don't really feel that any pairing is all that believable in the end when anypony can be shipped with anypony for one reason or another, but I'm still trying to make some sense of it as a concept.
In any case, much is to be done before that. Surely as long as this blog stays together and I continue to have the ability and interest in drawing, I'll get around to doing it sooner or later. Yesterday, I had just remembered about something that I used to like, and I had a feeling of excitement when I realized that it could be applied to ponies. I can't remember feeling physical excitement since my old friend came back for a day, seven months ago. Maybe going to bed with the laptop and headphones on with the plan of turning them into a makeshift alarm clock to watch the following episode on livestream is an exception. (For the more meme-savvy of you reading this, I was going to play Never Gonna Give You Up. Yes, I was going to rickroll myself awake. Worst case scenario, I hear the music in the background of my dream and get to live out Inception.)
@yet still WhiteDiamonds
Ahem, anyway, my artwork ideas tend to be less of quick doodles and more of high-detailed projects. One of my ideas could have the appearance of 13 unique characters. Another is a compilation of a series that could last for 30 installments. One of them happens to be based on the music scene of a movie, so it comes with a song. A couple of them are silent comics. I can't guarantee that you will like my first one, as it really is just a first attempt, but the subsequent ideas are fun, scenic or even cute, so I get the feeling that you would like them. I wish I could elaborate on that. It isn't that I have so many ideas, so much as that the ones that I have are quite detailed. So, it looks like I'll be an infrequent blogger if I really become one.
Until then, I may remain blissfully unaware of Blogger's shortcomings.
@Favo
With everyone else suddenly feeling so bad, I have to wonder if I had anything to do with it. The reason why I often don't have a response to your comments is because they tend to only cover a single point of interest, and if I can't think of anything to say about it then I cannot reply to the message at all. I didn't see anything abnormal in your words. A couple of weeks to a month or so is a long time, but you shouldn't feel committed to staying out for that long if you feel better sooner than that. I really have no idea what you are experiencing or what could have caused it, so all I can really do is extend my own hopes that it subsides and you will be back to give comments when it is easier.
Side note: WhiteDiamonds seems to be one of the most-hugged people on the internet. If we were ever in the same place in real life, she wouldn't be able to get a sentance out before she is promptly interrupted.
@CaineScroll
Us? Not miss our only other supporting artist? I think not.
It's a good thing that you are doing something about it instead just letting yourself suffer like it is so easy to do when we are depressed. Though I seriously wonder how this blog could have possibly had such a negative affect on both of you, you know what is best for yourself.
It makes me wonder, Harwick and Jody narrowly managed to save this day, but should we just let the conversation pause for now until we have at least three participants? I have too much guilt from taking so much of Diamonds' time all to myself as it is, so I would be fine with giving her a well-deserved break. I would hate to have a person on the internet that is constantly expecting me to talk to them regardless of if I want to or what I should be doing instead. I'm not sure how well I would keep to the arrangement, but at least it might give us some more to talk about...
@Tokenekie
I have a guess.
@Anon
No no dear, you're quite right and I agree with you; hair is very much its own thing when it comes to shading and that's why it can be so difficult to do it properly, though of course one must make a certain allowance for different types of artstyles. If you're having difficulty doing it my way though, which again doesn't surprise me as you're a beginner, perhaps you might try some other types of shading/coloring first (like more simple cel-style shading) until you get a better feel for it. It's not like I started out doing art as a four-year-old child with the same methods that I use today, after all... a foundation needs to be established somewhere, and then once you have that you can build up far more easily.
Oh and in regards to your having only had x amount of hours in which to practice your art over the last several weeks, I do realize that, and if anything it only serves to make my point even more for me. That being, don't be discouraged and just keep practicing--you'll get there eventually!
I've said it before, but sometimes I really do think you give me far too much credit, as after all I am not the only person here on this blog who has offered you support and encouragement in your artistic endeavors and done their best to help answer your questions. Certainly I appreciate the sentiments, but I really don't believe I've done any more than any other half-decent person would for one such as yourself. Thank you, though.
Hahaha, I suppose it wouldn't surprise you when I tell you that castle-themed calenders have also graced my walls on numerous occasions over the years. ^.^ There's that inner little girl-part of me that never got over the unicorn fascination and wanting to live the life of a fairy-tale princess, apparently. And yes I agree with you; Neuschwanstein Castle is arguably the best of the best... who in their right mind wouldn't want to live there, I have to wonder. Suffice to say that your Plan A isn't altogether unappealing to me either.
On the topic of Rarijack, eeep..! I have to say that I have never thought about it in so much depth before! @_@ I seriously had to sit here and wrack my brain for several minutes to try to think of how to answer your questions. I only know that I love both ponies dearly and for whatever reason, likely aided by some fanfiction that I happened to read, I started to find that I felt they looked cute together and then so on from there. Now that I've gotten to this point though, while I can't say I ever would expect or imagine to see it (or any mane six pairings) happen in canon, I can at least understand why I think they could work together if the situation was realistically considered.
You bring up many interesting points though, and I'm not really sure how I can address any of them without giving too much of a personal insight into the matter. I will say, though, that regarding the issue of heterosexuality/bisexuality or whatever, maybe just because of the way I was raised I tend to look at such things as having far less bearing on love than perhaps most people do, and in a real life-context as opposed to just a 'fandom context' as seems to be the case with most people. Love is love, and I generally don't ponder the subject much beyond that. In regards to Prince Blueblood, I think that's easy enough to understand if you've ever been in love, or perhaps, once again this is only my own personal experiences talking. Without getting too deep on the subject, I can say that from the time I was young I had a very good idea in mind of what I would look for in a man and what the perfect type of person for me would be, and yet, when I actually did meet that person, they were essentially different in every way that it is possible to be from what I had imagined I'd wanted. It even ended up taking me by surprise that I felt the way I did.
@Anon (continued)
So, erm, yes, perhaps Rarijack makes sense to me because I apply a little bit too much of my own feelings and experiences to it, for whatever that is worth. I like your musings about Applejack maybe symbolizing where Rarity's come from in her life though (her humble Ponyville beginnings and present life, in contrast to her sophisticated Canterlot dreams and aspirations), and where she truly belongs. And I guess you can say that the opposite is also sort of true, insofar as Applejack's childhood wishes of wanting to grow up to be a sophisticated city pony someday... that's kind of funny when one thinks about it isn't it. ^_~
Anyway though, I probably devoted far to much thought and effort to all of that but you did ask and once I stopped to think the matter over, I guess it was interesting enough. Lastly, in regards to all of your fabulous fanart ideas, dear, I only hope that you can develop your skills to the point that you'd feel comfortable taking them all on, as I can assure you there is no better feeling in the world than having a vision and being able to bring it to life for the whole world to see! ^.^ That's what I live for really, and I only hope you'll be able to know that joy for yourself, too!
@Favo
Unfortunately, yes dear! You are correct and your email did go astray, seemingly... I apologize but I have gone and replied to it now at least. Once again, I have to thank you for having the extraordinary power to be able to cheer me up, and even when you're not feeling your best... I'll likely miss that in your absence but I am glad you will be taking some time to focus on yourself for a little while. You deserve it!
Thank you so much again for the happy thoughts, and I can only hope you will be feeling back to you old self again sometime soon. Take care, dear~! ^_^
@Favo
Thanks! I will make more, but I try not to make multiple vectors of one artist in a row, trying to keep it a bit varied.
@WhiteDiamonds
I'm so glad you like it! I have no idea when I'm going to do more of your work, but your work does motivate me to do it ;D
And yeah, I'm from the Netherlands, though not from Amsterdam. Living in a tiny village near one of the other cities here. I like peace ^^
I'm used to living in the Netherlands, so I can't really judge if it's amazing in here or not. I like living here, so I guess it is :P
I'd really love to see the USA sometimes. I know states differ incredibly much from each other, but seeing as I've never been in America ever before, anything would do :D
And I have no Idea how to make the @someone an actual link ^^'
@Quanno
I do indeed like it very much, thank you again for your interest in my work! Certainly I don't mean to pressure you at all, but if and when you ever do get around to vectoring more of my pieces, I'm sure I would very much enjoy seeing them. ^.^
And yes, the US is a bit strange, isn't it? The states are almost more like a bunch of little countries themselves. But, having traveled to many of them throughout my life I can say they all seem to have something nice to offer, and hopefully one day you'll be able to experience them if you really want to. I myself would love to be able to visit the Netherlands someday, and Amsterdam or not... from everything I've heard it's a very beautiful country!
Oh, yes, and as far as the linked names-thing goes, I'm afraid that Blogger recently changed their commenting system and replying has seemingly gotten difficult for many people who follow my blog. I used to have little "reply" buttons next to each individual comment for responding, but I guess for some people they're no longer visible, hrrm...
@Favo
I think our brains may have been manufactured during the same industrial accident, because I was checking this blog about every ten minutes yesterday when I could (though that was more out of worrying how Diamonds might respond). I guess that would really intrude on your daily life, but I don't have enough life to be negatively affected.
">WhiteDiamonds in a bottle
I'll have ten rounds of that."
(Sorry CaineScroll, memes are necessary:) Intrigued...disturbed, and a little curious...
Of course, if I was a drink, I would be a barrel of water: All material, no content.
I find these funny. We really are a rather peculiar lot. Farewell, comrade. We hope you feel better soon.
@WhiteDiamonds
I think that I have been a bit more anti-artist than is fair lately. I am paying close attention to the style of the hair in fanart, and it might not be so bad if I mix styles a bit out of necessity. There are some great and impressive artists on EqD, but they will never be you. (With the exception of CaineScroll, who comes close.) I'm not exactly discouraged, as I did manage to make the rest of the body (The rest of the picture is, for all intents and purposes, finished). I will try any method that I find, and something will work out sooner or later.
I don't mean to leave everyone else unaknowledged; I do thank the people on this blog for their technical and moral support over the time of my practice. (Admittedly, I sometimes forget about things being said if I take my mind too far off them. I seem to have only just realised that you apologised to me directly twice for the reply buttons being broken...I guess I read that too quickly. Don't worry, I know that it wasn't your fault, and I can make do this way.) But you are the star of the show. You're our celebrity. Maybe that sounds like a childish thing for me to say, but without you, we would be just like EqD (which, to my knowledge, can be cruel at times).
When I was playing MineCraft, and everyone else wanted to make mineshafts and dirt houses, I wanted to essentially recreate Neuschwanstein. (Though it appears that someone has done it already.) What can be taken from that calendar is that Spain makes the most castles, but Germany makes the best ones. I remember how, during my first 5 years, my room was on the second storey with a window that had a million-dollar view of the roof. And now, I like houses that look like this. I think that I saw more in the interesting architecture depicted in medieval and Old World villages than the (unbelievably loud) garbage trucks and icy concrete of the outside. It makes me wish that we still made a lot of these buildings. It isn't like we don't have the technology, and castles stand up better than modern housing. One thing is for sure; whenever castles are mentioned, we both get to be rather greedy.
I'm not sure whether to agree or disagree, as the extremes of either way have their bad implications, which of course I shouldn't try to explain. But I do think that you put it quite nicely. You don't have to say anything more, but if it's okay that I do: I know how traumatic that experience can be, and how it can haunt a person for the rest of their life. There have certainly been times in my family (you know, not to get too deep into it) when relationships have ended disastrously, causing grief for a lot of people. You are the last person I would want that to happen to, even less than myself. I'm glad to hear that you saw it as an error and seem to have distanced yourself from the whole thing, so I probably don't need to dig too deep on it, but besides that, it seems that you really get far less than you deserve at times. Still, the thought of anything happening to you makes me feel like you did with my drawing, or like all of us did when you mentioned your financial troubles: It makes me wish that I was in any position to help. I admit that I do feel a bit envious of Favo's optimism being able to cheer you up, though I never have gotten into an e-mail conversation with you before or really seen you bothered by anything, so that would remain to be seen I'd hope...
In regards to those ideas, it really is a pretty exciting thought, and honestly I feel like I'm dying to get on with this to realize the next idea. Unfortunately, then I would have to come up with two more small projects to compose a blog post with it. Which would be a problem, since as you know, I tend to take the ideas a bit far. I like the feeling of a couple small art pieces coming in a group rather than one by one, so I thought I might use the same habits as your blog and CaineScroll's of compiling smaller pictures in roundups and giving larger pictures their own entries. In any case, you are going to find out what kind of things that I like pretty soon.
@Anon
You were worrying about how I might respond? To what exactly, I have to wonder? I know you think highly of me dear and I appreciate it, but sometimes I think many of you place far too much value on what I like and think, and I worry that you feel the need to temper your responses accordingly. Sort of like what you said about not knowing whether to agree or disagree... I hope you'd feel comfortable doing either depending on whatever your feelings might be.
On the subject of fanart, I did not so much mean that you should try mixing a bunch of different styles in one piece as I did that I think you might benefit from studying and learning from other styles, and artist's works other than just my own. Again, this is kind of touching on some of the concerns I was just voicing above. I realize you like my particular brand of artwork and of course I appreciate that (I really do), but as I said before I just worry that it might not be the easiest style for a beginner to replicate when they are first starting out drawing. I think most art instructors would encourage any new student to try and learn as much as they can from all different sorts of artists, as that arguably gives one the best foundation on which to build their skills. Just my own advice I am offering you, though, and of course you don't have to take it to heart if you don't agree with it.
And well, I certainly never set out to be anyone's celebrity... I won't argue that it's nice in a way, of course (I have never been a Fluttershy when it comes to receiving attention, ahem~), but on the other hand it can put an awful lot of pressure on one, as I'm discovering. ^^;; Hmm...
As far as the whole Rarijack reply and relationships thing, I fear you might have misunderstood me entirely. I don't believe I ever said, or indeed meant to imply, that I had ever been in a bad relationship, or indeed that I saw anything as "an error" or ever wished to distance myself. Because this isn't the case at all. I simply meant that sometimes in life, and often seems to be the case with love and relationships, we think we know exactly what it is that we want and try to plan everything out, only to find out that what truly appeals to us (and what we end up falling for) can be something completely different. This is what happened to me, and what I guess was my response to your question about the plausibility for Rarity falling for someone completely different from Prince Blueblood as he was supposedly the stallion she'd always fantasized about and wanted to be with (or at least until she met the real thing!).
Oh, and Favo? I wasn't actually referring to anything he'd sent me in any emails (which generally, do not differ much at all from our commentary here and up until recently, consisted only of our discussing his commission), nor did I mean to say that he had cheered me up when I'd been feeling down or anything, just that he has the fantastic ability to make me smile most times that he posts here. It's just his often off-the-wall remarks, use of silly hyperlinks and so on I guess... he's just different from many people I know and frequently, his way of phrasing things amuses me. That's all I meant. Of course, I enjoy talking to you as well but you are both entirely different... with you, it's more like relaxed, in-depth conversation which is certainly not a bad thing, of course.
I guess, inadvertently I am making art blogs the thing to do, as opposed to turning to Tumblr or deviantART like most people seem to do! Of course I would be able to see the appeal in your doing so though, though for me it's mostly a question of time management (and initially when I started the blog, convenience as I'd already created the account for posting on EqD). No matter the case though, I do very much look forward to seeing these pictures of yours once you get around to creating them!
@WhiteDiamonds
I assume that work ended early. You're usually online at about 2:00 my time (which I think is 11:00 your time). I forgot to mention earlier that "It's a good thing that this is not a live chat, or else it would never end." I guess I spoke too soon.
What I was worrying about was not in that comment, or this blog, exactly. One of your other blogging comments yesterday brought me some suspicions, which led me to find the EqD comment that you were referencing about your bad "episodes", in which you were saying that you can relate to a certain unnamed person regarding something. I suddenly got very worried about you and the situation you must have found yourself in. It did not at all sound healthy. I proceeded to speak directly about it even though you said that you didn't want to talk about it, because of how extremely serious and self-injuring it sounded. I was (and now that I'm thinking about it again, still am) sick to my stomache worrying about how you might take that, and my quite...distraught reaction.
Hopefully softening that, I suppose that my constant praise does make me look artificial, but I assure you that every word that I say is completely honest. I didn't want to explain exactly what I meant by that because it would sound like I was accusing you of the latter, but if it will clear my name at all: (Everyone here can skip this paragraph if it means we can avoid an argument. If anyone that reads this disagrees, I didn't want to get into it anyway) If I disagree with you and say that "sexuality" is a very real and prominent factor in relationships, then I look like a homophobe by rejecting people of the same gender and working against your well-spoken and desirable words. If I agree with you, then I (not you, I know of course that you aren't like this) would be implying that all people have the potential to have any sort of relationship, which means that those "gays can be cured" groups (which are entirely wrong in my opinion) are actually accurate that people can be "converted" in that way. Again, I know that you don't believe that and the way that you put it really did sound favorable. But I didn't want to agree with the extremes of one way or the other because of all that it could mean in the big picture. I really tend to be neutral on these things. (Though, with the primaries in my state, all that will be on TV is attack ads from all around, so I think I'll stay back on my computer and pretend that nothing is going on.)
Oh boy, that was controversial. If you need me, I'll be hiding in a nuclear bunker.
I know that it isn't about mixing them, but the rest of the pony parts of the character are already intended to resemble your style, so if I introduced anything else, then it would inevitably be mixing. That was really all that I meant. And I do very much appreciate and agree with your advice, so you don't have to worry about me taking it to heart.
If that is the case, then I really did entirely misunderstand, and if nothing bad has happened (I don't want to conclude on anything now, I'm so confused) then that is a relief at least. That kind of experience can ruin a person, and I don't like to think about it happening to you.
I haven't been around here for as long as he has of course, so I'm only just piecing together who everyone is, but I think I see you mean now. It's good that we have a variety of people here, though I guess I can get pretty boring. I'm not usually this stiff, but I'm still trying to act my best at all times, since I haven't been more worried about a comment on this blog since my first one when I had to wonder if I would be accepted. It didn't really help when another entry came up immediately afterward, shifting attention to it...no offense taken, of course.
@WhiteDiamonds
What I like about blogs is that they are like your own website. Do you know what a Twitter page looks like, and how it is simple and very connected to various others' pages? Tumblr is more that way than a Blogger page as well. It's hard to describe, but when your page is so linked to others, it loses space for content and seems more...expendable. I would try to manage a blog like an established art studio. Everything would be customized using the power of programming languages that I have neglected to learn. (All of my past programmer friends are shouting at me that they are "markup languages".) That is all just dreaming that I couldn't live up to without a lot of content first, of course. Your blog has a nice, simplistic blue style that I may have gotten a bit used to, though it might be interesting if you had more time to change it like CaineScroll occasionally does with his. But apart from that, a blog just feels more "important". It's like, "There is no link on this page to get out and go to someone else's. You're on my site now." Heh. But yes, customizability is nice as well.
@Anon
Actually, believe it or not I am off today... working at home still, but off from my regularly-scheduled job at the studio. And since I am at home that means I am able to check my blog throughout the day, isn't that lovely! Yay for freedom.
And oh, you poor sweet thing you, I hope I didn't make you feel the need to spill all of your darkest confessions (and suddenly I am reminded of a certain scene from that movie The Goonies). ^_^; I'd hate to think I might have pressured you to elaborate on anything that you weren't comfortable with talking about. Certainly I did not mean to imply that I felt you were artificial in any of your praise either, as I do not at all believe that is the case. I merely feel, as I have said before, that I often think you give me far more credit than I deserve, but we don't have to get into that again as I know we've already discussed the matter several times.
Oh, that comment... well I suppose that does make a bit more sense (I have thus far neglected to go back and check the followup on that post too, which probably would have clarified much for me). I hope it didn't sound too awful once you found the comment to which I was referring, and in any case I can assure you that that was a very long time ago. I don't really want to get too into the subject as I mentioned before, I really don't as I hardly think this is the place, but I can tell you that whatever troubles I might have been dealing with are long behind me. Still though, I find it valuable at times to let people know that I can likely empathize with what they might be going through.
Regarding the "controversies", I now see exactly what you mean when you said you didn't want to agree or disagree... again, I hope you didn't feel pressured to elaborate simply because I was trying to encourage you, because I'd hate to have put you in an uncomfortable position that way. For what it's worth though, I guess I agree with you on both points you raised. And I guess it's probably better to leave the subject at that before I go digging myself into an even deeper hole, aheh... this blog probably isn't the best place for getting into that either. ^_^;
And oh, yes, I had forgotten about that... you poor thing you must have thought that I was ignoring your comment when I got so caught up in replying to those on the newest post. ^.^; Sorry about that. But yes, you're quite correct and everyone here brings their own style of conversation to the blog, something which I appreciate... in fact, now that I think about it it's very much like how all of the ponies on FiM are so different, and how they manage to get along with each other despite this. They all have different relationships with each other, but it doesn't mean they aren't all mutual friends as well... that's a nice thing to think about, isn't it?
When you put it that way, Blogger really does sound terribly appealing... I never even considered those points when I started this thing up but they are quite valid in my opinion. It's too bad I haven't gotten around to customizing things a bit more, though as I've said I rather am fond of the blue... very clean and minimalist-modern, I do think.
A quick note on the weirdness of this blogger set-up that may help people. (Sorry if everyone else already figured this out):
I get entirely different set ups for the comments depending on whether I open an entry by clicking on the title of a post ("Commission #4 is Here") or if I click directly on the comments under it ("95 comments").
The first one gives me all of the Blog post plus "reply" buttons following each comment, but leaves out any form for writing entirely new comments. The second one reverses that, giving me none of WD's blog post, does include a new comment form at the top of the page but no reply buttons for any existing comments.
Why any programmer would think that was a good way to go is beyond me.
At Harwick's suggestion, I clicked the title and now the reply buttons are back. But now my comments are disappearing...
@WhiteDiamonds
Wow, I receive and read the newest comments almost immediately after they are written, yet somehow it seems to takes me hours to write a response. I must be doing too much rereading.
I hope you are enjoying your free time the best way that you can. When I have a lot of free time, I tend to focus on doing things that a lot of time is required to enjoy it (like watching a movie, for example). Don't feel like you have to keep replying back here if there is something better to do, I know how rare a time like this must be. Also, of course, you can leave anything for the night if you feel like partaking in something superfluous like sleeping, because I'm not really into that and so I should be up for a long time. I wish that it was more common that you had a less stressful day, even if it wouldn't necessarily mean that you were back here more often.
I can't really think of any actual secrets that I might have (Something tells me that I am going to regret saying that), I just try to omit things like this that might cause a misunderstanding. If it means that there is no confusion though, like in this case, then it can be more worth explaining and hoping for the best than leaving the possibility of something that you don't mean. It's more of avoidance of a bad situation, really. To have a serious and vocal disagreement between us would be the worst possible thing. Nothing to worry about on that.
Actually, finding that just confirmed it for me, and if there was anything to infer that there are no problems now then I didn't pick up on it. It is relieving to hear now, at least. I change my mind, for something like that to happen to you would be the worst possible thing. You don't have to elaborate on anything that you don't want to. I don't need to know everything that would just hurt you more. What kind of a cruel person would that make me...
You aren't in any sort of hole. If anything, then I was. This blog is quite a public place, so such conversations aren't good for your public image. I don't want to be the cause of some of your fans unfollowing you for what happened in the comments section. If you don't mind me saying, I don't have many strong opinions to argue about, but I think I understand you fairly well, and I think we would get along just fine.
I guess I don't have to worry about being accepted at this point. If I was such a bother then everyone here would have to be very polite not to mention it. That was a long time ago (Well, maybe it wasn't, but it feels like a long time ago), and it was okay after everything was settled, so don't worry about apologizing. A lot of bloggers wouldn't even continue to check the past entries' comments or remember what the number was the last time that they checked. I have found that every circle of friends (if you don't mind me comparing this ambiguous group to that) brings out certain qualities in its members that will be taken to an extreme to characterize them. In the long run, we are probably quite common, but any differences between the few of us are what we pick up on. It makes the whole thing more interesting, which is of course what the creators of the show had in mind. It's a big difference from the previous generation shows, which as you might imagine I never watched, but to my knowledge, every character was exactly the same. Like how fanfiction writers can find a reason why any pairing might work, the friends find ways that they can relate despite their differences and make the most of eachother and the added interest that comes along with the unpredictablility of a person that you do not entirely relate with or necessarily understand. Yes, I do think that it is a nice thing.
It seems to be mostly working now...That was a prompt update, Harwick. It should be nice being able to reply again.
@WhiteDiamonds
It should be no surprise that someone like you would know the proper terminology for the style, though of course this is coming from a person who has watched plenty of HGTV before. Not that I have many options, as I don't like (Let's keep it at "don't like" so I don't go on a rant) things like adult cartoons, and half the channels seem to be sports channels, which aren't exactly my thing either. Anyway though, as a fan of the colder spectrum, I can agree with your description of its effect. I'm not sure what mine would look like if I had one, but I thought I might integrate a past drawing or so into the background if it didn't look bad that way (which it easily could if not done well). I can't see myself using something like red, and I don't want to make it too dark (unless the current theme calls for something like a starry night sky) or bright, so I'm afraid it would turn out much like this.
Somehow, I have managed to make a two-comment-long message out of "It's okay." I was kind of hoping for a more productive special talent, but I'll take what I can get I suppose...
We are coming to another 100 comments. It will be 99 once you delete that last one.
@WhiteDiamonds
Erm, not that I actually know how free your time really is. This way, you don't have to drive back and forth, at least.
@Harwick
Thank you so much for the tips, Harwick dear, as apparently they were able to help Anon out at least. I'm afraid I can't say the same for myself though... I tried your suggestion on my laptop (as the Reply buttons are still quite visible to me on my desktop), but while the windows are different they still don't have the buttons... oh well. Ridiculous Blogger.
Thank you anyway though, I do appreciate it.
@Anon
Oh, don't worry about me dearie! Times like yesterday don't happen as infrequently as you seem to think... after all as I believe I said before, I usually only work part-time at the studio anyway. The other half of my time is spent working at home, which doesn't always leave me time or opportunity to play around online or to partake in pony-business. When it does though, I do so because I like to, not out of any feeling of obligation... believe me, I wouldn't have started this blog nor make the effort to maintain it if I didn't enjoy doing so! You're fine.
And well, I'm pretty sure all of us do that as well... I know I do. It's not a matter of "keeping secrets", more like just not giving up everything there is to know about our personal thoughts and feelings. Why would anybody need to know all of those things anyway? And on that note (and I do not mean this as a slight, more like one topic of conversation naturally leading into another) you're right and I prefer to drop that other subject now. As I said, it just isn't something that has any place on this blog, or in my present life at all for that matter. Thank you~
I seriously doubt any "fans" would stop following me simply because of one offhanded topic of conversation here (I don't think many people actually bother to read through all of our banter, honestly, though as you say it is a public place and anyone potentially can), but if they did over something to do with gay rights or whatever then they can feel free to do so, and it wouldn't bother me. That is one subject that I have always felt very strongly about, and I would never back down from my stance or temper my words simply to appease a few people who otherwise might take issue with me. Internet popularity is not that important to me, and never will be I can assure you! But you're right; there's certainly no need for us to discuss the matter any further at this point, as I don't believe there's much more that needs to be said right now.
Yes, I do indeed know the name of the style, since (as I have said before) interior design is something which appeals to me very much. I like watching HGTV too! Or at least when I have the time to do so and one of my preferred series is on... I used to love when they had "Design Star" on (my mother keeps telling me I should try out for that show, even though I wouldn't consider it my real forté), and Candice Olson is also a fabulous designer (she's a genius when it comes to using lighting, including mirrors, in her rooms; it's inspiring!). Anyway though I'm probably starting to get carried away... I do like minimalist-modern, even if it's not how I think I would ever decorate my own home; for me French-romantic is far more comfortable to live in, and certainly that's the style my bedroom is done up in. Design is such a wonderful thing~!
Oh yes and lastly, driving back and forth dear?? I'm afraid you might have lost me with that one...
@WhiteDiamonds
Part of the reason why I might worry is because I still see you as the "very important person", as you probably always will be. Your attention is a privilege that I have yet to really get used to. I find that I work best when I multitask work with recreation. I have heard before of a scientific study that supports it, though I would assume that it depends on the person. Sometimes I reward myself for doing small parts of the work with small portions of whatever I am doing to keep my attention. Is your home job the freelance business you have mentioned? I can see now why you would have to constantly monitor your situation if you don't have a full-time job. Oh, and I was just saying that you don't have to drive to the studio and back if you are working from home, which would give your life some more convenience.
Believe it or not, as the show is based in Canada, my father once worked with Candice Olsen's electrician, Chico. I think I have the faintest memory of shaking his hand. Not that I would have known who he was at the time. I often cannot differentiate the styles or habits of designers, but hers can be an exception. If the pictures that I found are accurate then I'm not surprised that you would like French-romantic. I appreciate that style more you might expect, but I don't have any preferred style that I know of. I would probably like it most if my surroundings were constantly changing, though I doubt that would ever be practical unless I had a job that involved staying in many hotels (which sounds like a dream now that I think about it) or I had multiple houses. I have also watched a couple Design Stars, but like (The Next) Food Network Star, in my experience the winning shows don't tend to be very successful. Or at least, I don't often see the winning shows on television. What I would most commonly watch is House Hunters International, because the regular American version seems to be the same every time. The best moments of that show tend to be a couple shots of the local landmarks before they walk in. I tend to be more interested in the episodes set in Europe, but most of the time it is some place in the Carribbean. We used to have the Travel channel, but Comcast takes channels away either by accident or as a form of negative advertising so that you will get a more expensive cable package. The only thing that was ever on Travel was Man vs. Food, anyway. How that show was travel-related, I think is too much of a stretch. My mother and I have watched Rick Steves and Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown on Hulu, which is free on the internet, but she doesn't to like it as much as the TV because it isn't as easy to multitask, apparently. The Rick Steves episode that we saw in Switzerland was very good. They took a train along the Alps and went to the town of Interlaken, if I remember correctly. The contrast between the village and the banks, expensive watches and chocolate of Zürich (full video of the latter here) make the country doubly interesting to me. Since I'm talking to you, it's reminding me of Applejack and Rarity. Switzerland is the new country of Rarijack?
So, this is what happens when we are left alone to ramble without any outside influences.
I'm very glad that you've managed to survive the move as well as the holiday season and have found yourself at a slightly more comfortable stride. Living out of a box is certainly no good for stress relief and not usually the most effective route for nourishing artistic inspiration. I've had my fair-share of nomadic style living, and I now realize that, outside the occasional adventure, I'm a hermit at heart.
As for your most recent batch of artwork, they are simply fantastic. I don't really see the loose-mane Rarity pic as saucy at all; more of an honest innocence, if that makes any sense. Sometimes people (and ponies) can be just as beautiful, if not more-so than usual, when you catch the uncommon moments that they are without their social masks primmed and prepped. And the Moonlight piece; to me it looks like something is on RD's mind and Fluttershy has picked up on it, but is wondering what it may be. Oddly, what I find so inviting about the piece is the background. I could stare at it for hours. A quiet, little hidden lake surrounded by peaceful but not overbearing forest, overlooked by beautiful mountains. It's downright utopian, a place I would never want to leave. I can almost imagine the chill breeze coming from the mountains, whistling through the forest as one sits by the lakeside with their companion, watching the reflection of the moon in the water. -Ahem... my apologies, I kinda began to ramble a tad there.
My favorite is surely the holiday bonus, as it's a face of Rarity that we almost never get to see within the show. Rarity in a playful mood. She's always so preoccupied with her boutique and attempting to aid her troublesome friends, that the poor girl never gets to roll up a snowball and fling away her stress! And the look on AJ's face perfectly depicts how sparse such moments are. Indeed, if you were to hold a booth at any convention I could gain access to, this would be the signed print I would gladly invest a lot (for it surely would be an investment!) of money in.
Lastly, I must thank you (as seems to be the common practice around here :p) for not only being a font of inspiration and talent, but a magnet of one as well. Many of your interactions with other artists here on your blog have helped me quite a bit as I venture into the foreign territory of a new hobby. Your conversation with the mighty Harwick (I was drop-jawed to see him posting here) about computers led me to realize that I'm somewhere in between the two of you, age-wise. The lingering demon that whispers in my ear about old dogs and new tricks was quickly silenced by the fact that tablets and digital art weren't nearly as prevalent when ya'll decided to take the paths you have. If the two of you can create such stunning pieces via the computer, then dog-gone-it, I can learn to doodle decent quality scrawls on a sketchpad.
And another comment you made about your preference of a program that allows you to rotate the canvas led me to try rotating the sketchpad on my latest scrawl. Hol-lee Apple Buckets... that was akin to the discovery of wheel for me and drawing. I don't know why I never thought of such an obvious idea before, but I guess it's instinctive for the talented. I've also learned that some cats are insistent that erasers are edible, despite the blatant lack of tastiness or digestibility. That's not something I learned from you, but I wanted to mention it anyhow.
I have about 5 or 6 scrawls so far (I like that word, I shall noun it from here on) and look forward to many, many more. And the greatest thing has happened. My poorly drawn OC has found his way into the background of three other artist's works. That was a joy that I've never experienced in 15 years and 5 different bands of playing bass.
So my deepest thanks to you, and the other artists here, for the inspiration and tips. I may never be an artist, but I'm having a heck of a fun time with this 'new trick'. And I swear I shan't ever again bore you with so lengthy a post, my sincerest apologies for droning on so long. Summarizing isn't a strong suite of mine, but I'll get better.
@Anon
I don't know that I'm a "very important person" (or at least not yet, though someday I will be) but I very much appreciate that you think of me that way, thank you dear.
Yes, in answer to your question working at home entails my would-be freelance business that I am trying to get up and running properly, though sometimes as was the case last night, it can also mean that I'm working on a personal project (pony fanart and even commissions, since I generally enjoy doing them, also fall into this category). And well, while I make money from my endeavors outside of my "day job", as I'm sure you can imagine this source of income is not entirely stable or predictable, and so sometimes can be a source of stress to me once the end of the month begins rolling around. Oh well though, eventually it will be more than good enough.
I did know that the show and Candice are based in Canada, and oh! As soon as I started reading that sentence my mind automatically filled in "Chico!", who of course you did refer to a mere instant later. He seems like such a nice guy; lucky you even though you don't really remember that meeting properly. ^.^ Anyhow yes I consider that woman to be quite talented, certainly moreso than most other designers who have their own programs on that station, and though I do enjoy "Design Star" I also agree with your feelings about it. I think, for me the thrill in watching it is trying to think of what I myself would do if placed in one of the contestant's places and given the challenges (same thing with Project Runway and all of those other similar shows), and I enjoy seeing what the designers come up with given what are sometimes difficult or bizarre parameters to work within. Sometimes it's a nice source of inspiration as well.
House Hunters International is a pretty great show... it satisfies my love of scrutinizing interior spaces as well as stokes my love of traveling. My favorite episodes are also those that take place in Europe (and especially England, as I'm sure you can imagine), though I also loved the little bits of Morocco that have popped up every now and then... I would dearly love to travel there someday! So exotic~
My stepfather loves that "Man vs. Food" show... personally I find it mildly entertaining, though frequently it manages to make me feel sick as well (how one man can eat that much is truly beyond me). Anthony Bourdain is much better in my opinion. And in regards to those Switzerland links of yours, mercy but that is some stunning footage isn't it! Such a beautiful place! Rarijack country, haha... oh you are cute dear, though with such a strong contrast of lifestyles and so on I can certainly see why the thought crossed your mind; I imagine the ponies would enjoy exploring the two respective sides to Switzerland's land and culture. And, oh Goddess now I just want to draw that idea out, noooooo as if I don't have enough on my plate..! @_@
Too bad there isn't a 'Posters are asleep, talk international travel and design' meme-image. If I had more time I would have made one myself!
@Cinnamon Fritter
Oh, hello there dear! I remember you very well from before; you left me such a lovely comment on my Octavia commission and then again more recently... it's been a while since I've seen you around. I was so happy to discover that you've left me a post again, thank you~! =^.^=
As you have obviously since seen, I have indeed finally finished with my move and gotten settled, and as far as my stress levels go it's been nice to put the holidays behind me. I hope the season was far more enjoyable, or at least much more even-keel, for you. And yes, while I haven't quite managed to get into the same stride I was managing before Thanksgiving, at least I've been working more on ponies recently than I had been for a while, and am hoping to be able to get back on track with my Doodle-Roundups soon enough, once I get more finished commissions under my belt (hopefully, one of these will be tomorrow or the next day at the very latest!). Thank you very much for the sentiments in any case!
My sincere thanks for all of your lovely words about my artworks as well... I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them all! I know I've already commented at length about my feelings and reasons for Rarity's expression in the above piece, but it's wonderful to hear that you appreciate it as well, and especially because I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts regarding the subject. The same goes for the other two; regarding my Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy picture, I have always had a great love of the night sky, woodlands and beautiful places like that which almost feel magical, so it's fantastic for me to know that you were able to derive similar enjoyment from the scenery (I know what response it gives me when I see it and thought it up, and so to know that I could share that with others is a marvelous thing). And of course, you picked up on exactly what I was going for with the two ponies, which is also gratifying to hear.
As far as the bonus piece, I really am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed that one so much, as obviously Rarity and Applejack are both very near to my heart and I drew that artwork purely for my own pleasure. So, if other people like it so much, that is some wonderful encouragement! =^.^= Also, I must thank you for your kind words regarding the hypothetical print of said image, as it was most generous to say... I only wish I could attend some kind of convention some time and have a chance to meet some other pony fans! Perhaps someday though, I might be able to do just that... otherwise I now have to wonder if it might be possible for me to sell prints in some other way, or at least make one for you that I could sign! I can't say the thought ever crossed my mind before this but it's not a bad idea at all.
We really do have a lovely little "sub-community" here, don't we? And yes Harwick is a dear. I'm glad to learn that the two of us, inadvertently though it might have been, have managed to inspire you to try your hand more at art (and also to try rotating your sketchpad as you work); as I've said before I can think of few things which are more rewarding to hear than that. Thank you so much, and if you are ever inclined to share your "scrawls" with myself or anyone else who posts here, I hope you will feel free to do so! I know I at least would love to see them. ^.^ The same goes for those pictures featuring your OC, which I don't believe I have come across before now!
Anyway, thank you so much again for such a lovely and gratifying post, and please don't feel at all concerned about the length as such things are quite welcome here, if you hadn't noticed before. I hope you won't be a stranger if you're ever inclined to join in the conversation!
P.S. I used to have a cat that liked to eat my erasers while I worked, too, though said cat also loved water and used to treat the bathroom sink like a cat-bed. They're funny creatures, aren't they?
By the way, this has nothing to do with anything but I just found it courtesy of Fillydelphia's Tumblr page (which was kind enough to post most every single pony-work of mine to date about a week ago and which ended up bringing my blog a great deal of traffic as a result, hence how I found the site; thank you darling~! <3). Just lookit little Stubbornjack, isn't she just the cutest thing in her poufy chef's hat?! <3 <3 Poor dear, she'd probably hate me for saying that...
@Favo
I'm afraid I may be too late with my reply, but I just want to add that I wish you well and hope to see you commenting again soon; I've enjoyed reading what you have to say, as well as checking out the pics and YouTube clips you link to in your comments. If it's OK with you, I'll remember you in my prayers.
@Harwick
Noting that the Cake twins were overpowered (which they were, really) is fine with me; I just got a bit irked at the fans that brought that up with every piece of fanart about them, or that said we should ignore the episode and not consider it canon because of the twins. o.O Like you, I've yet to see an episode that I just plain didn't like, and while I'll respect the opinions of those that have disliked (or even hated) some episodes, I don't understand why some fans feel the need to harp on and emphasize the negative.
@WhiteDiamonds
I loved "The Last Roundup" as well, and I agree with you that Applejack breaking down after her secret was (literally) spilled was the emotional highlight of the episode. Derpy's scene literally stunned me; I did enjoy it and I love her personality, but I do hope show some competence again in a later episode. Even with Derpy being so endearing, though, I have to say the scene I thought was funniest can be summed up in one word: "Raritycatchme!" :D
@Quanno
Great job on the Pinkie Pie vector; thanks for sharing! And if you don't see a "Reply" button by each comment on this blog, you can still manually make a link to the comment you're replying to, though you have to have OCD at least as badly as I do to want to go through this much trouble: If you look at the Page Source (Ctrl-U in Firefox), you can figure out what the link is to a specific comment, and then just hand-code the HTML in your comment to look like this: @<a href="#c1003846681716074419">Quanno</a>.
@Anon
Neuschwanstein Castle really is quite lovely; it looks like an idealized vision of what a castle should be, really. Almost too good to be true, I suppose one could say. And don't worry about dominating the blog conversation from time to time; even if I frequently don't have anything to add, I still enjoy reading yours and WhiteDiamonds' conversation.
@Cinnamon Fritter
"So lengthy a post"? When it comes to wordcount, you're a piker compared to several of us. ;) Please don't be afraid to comment because of the length (or lack thereof) of what you want to say; the more the merrier!
G'day, all! Did anyone miss me?
*realizes that was an immensely stupid question*
Oh. Right. Sorry.
Anyways, I'm feeling much better now, and I'm going to resume posting comments. Problem is, I'm still stuck in my village, so internet access is rather scarce in my opinion. I don't reckon I can relate much to the topics discussed after my leave, so I'm afraid I won't be replying to most of them*.
*Like anyone cares.
@Quanno
Wow, your work really is impressive! I've seen too many failed attempts of people trying to vectorize(is that a word? =P) paintings, but you executed that brilliantly. Kudos on that, mate!
By the way, the Netherlands? Absolutely beautiful country. I'd like to visit the windmills one day, regardless of how cliched it sounds~
@Favo
Despite the fact that I don't really understand what's troubling you in the first place (injured leg or anger issues? I think it's the latter), I do understand why you would take some time off this blog, seeing as I've done exactly that the same time you did. A month of solid absence may be a bit long for an isolation period, so I want to believe that you'll drop in from time to time. Above all, however, I hope you get better soon, and I wish all the best for you~!
@Anon
"Supporting artist"? I've never really helped Di on anything, in actuality, and as far as I recall I've never worked with her on a joint project, nor do I think I ever will in future. Pray tell, how am I "supporting artist" in any fashion?
I won't interfere with the whole "controversial subject" conversation, as I've said in the not-too-distant past that I try hard to avoid these topics. However, I'd like to clarify that I have nothing against homosexuality or anything similar, seeing as one of my friends is gay and we still get along fine (though his love for Mariah Carey is a bit overwhelming).
I'm afraid I can't elaborate further on the matter of spamming, but I have to admit that the email notifications I received regarding this blog were mildly disturbing...(It goes like: Anon. Anon. Anon. Anon. Anon. I don't think anyone has an argument here.)
On the matter of travel, I think this Chinese New Year did me some good...I think I have a Hong Kong trip sealed someday in the next few years. It's all hypothetical at present, though. (Any castles there? =P)
@WhiteDiamonds
Don't worry, I'm not going to evolve into some axe-wielding madman. I;ve just gone through a cleansing ritual earlier this morning and I feel healthier mentally. More on that soon.
Just as an update: I've just finished a new picture, but it won't be posted up until I reach my quota of at least TWO finished pictures (This is proof that I am in no way possible a "supporting" artist). Also, I think I may be close to getting my first commission(yay!)...
Again, do forgive me if I can't reply every single relevant topic posted during my absence---doing so would take DAYS...and besides, I don't exactly feel like rambling today in any case~! =/
@jodyjm13
The case of the Cake twins remind me vaguely of a Harry Potter theory...young witches and wizards have a tendency to perform extraordinary magical feats (ref. Ariana Dumbledore) even before they recieve proper education. When they do, however, they are taught how to control it and their overpowered abilities appear to diminish in later years.
I figure The Last Roundup may be my favorite episode to date, partially because of AJ. I did enjoy the Derpy scene too, particularly during the "sit-down-and-do-nothing" gag...That scene also puts a much needed end to the "Derpy-Ditzy" argument, too. Needless to say, I simply loved "Raritycatchme!" as well, and I expect to see memes on that soon~!
Hello again. I can definitely say that I've been a long time follower of your art blog (even before following through that Google Friend Connect thing)(also when it comes to ponies, a week can seem like an eternity), and I only found you when that Fillydelphia tumblr posted your "Art of Distress" a while back, and suddenly I found a new favourite artist!
As for the comments, I don't want to sound stalkerish but I actually enjoy the kind of banter that kind of goes on around here... and makes me want that kind of sociability :P
@Cinnamon Fritter
I don't mean to undermine the depth of your message, but since it doesn't really relate that much to me, I will say that you are far from the only one writing such well-detailed comments (it's a long lineup for that title), so don't worry about that. And yes, Harwick is amazing.
@WhiteDiamonds
"I don't think many people actually bother to read through all of our banter"
At first, I thought that I agreed, but...
Not that we actually say anything embarassing, but it's something to consider at least...
I wonder, what kind of importance do you seek to achieve, and by what means? It takes a lot of effort to come to it, and from all I can tell, it seems that you are willing to put it forth. I tend to be especially devoted as well, so all we can do is try to direct our efforts in the most effective way. It surprises me whenever someone says that they want a "simple and humble life", and they don't want all that comes along with this importance. To me, it's all that life is good for.
I can only vaguely guess what any of those things might be, and I can understand why you might not want to, but would there be any legal or moral problems with letting us see your other work? Publicly displayed commercial work or otherwise? I can guess that that would be a "no", but it's worth asking anyway.
The challenge of it really is the appeal, since of course the challenges tend to be far greater than anything that they would have to face in the production of an actual show. I think that most people would consider what they would do in such a situation (the same thing has happened when I looked at a popular "game-making competition" called Ludum Dare), but my interior design skill would only go to the extent of my limited knowledge, and I have a single good source of inspiration already.
It can be disappointing to me when House Hunters will be on in a place like England, but all that they are looking at are regular boxes, condominiums or strip mall-like homes that you could find pretty much anywhere. At that point, the only English thing about it is the accent that they are speaking with. There was one episode in Switzerland that they looked at a modern (on the inside, anyway) chalet and another in what might have been Scotland where they went to a castle-like stone village (it didn't look as good as that though), so there are still some cultural things to see. Belgium had house boats (Not just waffles, contrary to popular belief). The buyers don't always choose the ones that I think make the most sense, but if they don't take it, someone else can.
I don't know much about Morocco (aside from these pictures, which make it look like ancient Egypt), so I can assume that you're a bit more adventurous than I am, but there can be things to find in every place if you can bear to let go of whatever you found in the last place.
@WhiteDiamonds
I have never seen Anthony Bourdain's show, but all that I could tell from when we had the channel was that he ate various unappetising animal parts. Maybe Man vs. Food plus Man vs. Wild equals Man vs. Wild Food, and the man in question is Anthony Bourdain. I never do get tired of these pictures and videos, whether they are from England, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, France or some place that does not have castles (they go in a separate category), but make up for it with other things like that previous Moroccan architecture and Greece's waterside
establishments. Though, apparently, Greece does have castles. (Also apparent; they layer their building styles like tiered cake.) As much as you might call us cute, you really have no idea how you sound. Now we need a country for every mane 6 pairing. I'm willing to guess that England is Rarisparkle. America is ApplePie (and that was entirely unintended). I think that Canada would be Fluttersparkle. Well, now I know what to commission you for. Presumably with pennies from off the floor of Wal-Marts and a fake credit card numbered with something witty in cipher. There are a lot of things that ponies must be inserted into, though Ponyville is already clearly built with German style timber frame as I have mentioned before on CaineScroll's blog. I could try to do it, but of course you would do it far better. It doesn't mean that I wouldn't be able to try after you did.
I also need some reaction images of things that don't happen in the show (like a sad hug, for instance). This is just adding to my mental list.
@jodyjm13
I'm starting to notice the difference now with Favo being gone, though I guess I should after three days. As I think I mentioned, I'm usually more like him, but I'm still treating every comment like it was a speech, so YouTube videos and humorous images don't seem like things that I should be using. At least it seems to be entertaining enough without, even if there is some lost potential. I assume that everyone needs a personalized castle now. This will take research.
@CaineScroll
"I'm feeling much better now"
"*Like anyone cares."
Oh, really?
I have called you a supporting artist before, and I mean that you support the group with new content by contributing artwork when we would otherwise have nothing. When the spotlight is not on our star, it's on you. I don't see how the amount of pictures that you include in a blog entry has any difference on if you are a support or not...
To be honest, my family falls into nearly every national majority there is. I can't think of a single person that is remotely related to me and falls into either that category, or a racial one. I've never known someone different in those ways, or hardly even seen one in person. So, I try not to make assumptions.
I didn't know that I was spamming everyone's e-mails...I guess it's a good thing I haven't subscribed, or else the address that I subscribed with would be unusable.
While I doubt you would find any European style castles in Asia, it does make for good pretend video game scenes. (I guess it makes me a geek that I have done that in real life. I'm probably the only person my age that remembers that game. It might have been better if he had cut the transitions out, though.)
It's fine (reluctantly tolerated) if you can't relate to all that, it was pretty personal on the similarities between Diamonds and I. I don't think anyone else here can really add to that as we have.
Oh, my goodness it looks like all sorts of people are coming out of the woodwork all of a sudden! And I guess disregard that remark I made about not many people bothering to read the lengthy banter between Anon and myself, haha~ ^.^;
@jodyjm13
Jody darling~! What a lovely surprise to see you posting again; I tend to miss your comments when you're away! ^.^
I'm glad you knew what I meant when I made that remark about Applejack's "breakdown" scene... I realize it kind of sounded mean (poor dear), but at the same time I don't think I ever expected to see Applejack in such a moment of vulnerability on the series; she's such an incredibly strong and stoic pony and she does her best to uphold that strength for the sake of her friends. I'm glad the other three ponies at least were able to be there for her... that was an immensely sweet scene, I thought.
Yes, Derpy was incredibly cute I will agree (I had an idea for a fanart of her and Applejack together after the episode, as I was incredibly disappointed to see poor Applejack get so little fanart love in the following Drawfriend! Unacceptable!!) but I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to it now... I have way too many ideas and I need to finish three commissions before I can even get to those. And yes, "Raritycatchme" was without a doubt the best line of that episode, if indeed not the entire series to date... those two have such an incredibly hilarious dynamic together. ^.^ Like some kind of old-time slapstick comedy duo or something... (I would so watch that show)
@CaineScroll
Welcome back darling, I'm so happy to see you're feeling up to posting again! Though I have to wonder how much better you can actually be feeling, with those self-deprecating comments you keep making... it doesn't take a detective to be able to pick up on all of them, I hope you realize.
Anyway though, I have to wonder along with Anon how you possibly might have arrived at your interpretation of "supporting artist"... honestly, from my understanding of the matter he meant it entirely as a compliment and not as any sort of detraction. I also am not sure that I understand what a number of artworks in a given blog entry has anything to do with the matter, though if you prefer to hold off your latest as part of some kind of personal goal, of course that is entirely up to you. I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing the pictures whenever it is that you get around to putting them up!
Also, congrats on the possible commission!
And well, while I realize you said you seldom like to comment on controversial topics and didn't have much desire to do so here, I do appreciate your desire to "clarify" your stance on homosexuality, for whoever that was intended for. Also, I had to laugh because that statement about your friend reminded me a little bit too much of my own brother... I tell you, Madonna was practically the sister I never actually had growing up...
Oh, and I'm not sure whatever gave you that idea, but I hope you don't feel I ever thought you that you might evolve into any sort of axe-wielding madman. ^^;; I'm not sure what would even prompt you to say that, honestly.
@CaineScroll
I can't believe I forgot to say it; welcome back to the chat, CaineScroll. Sometimes this place is just too casual for it own good.
@zhoomcar
Hello again! 'Art of Distress', you say? I have to wonder which of my pieces you are referring to when you say that, because I know I have never titled any of my fanarts that way (Fillydelphia must have come up with that name, though it's not at all a bad one). In any case though thank you so much for the very lovely comments; I'm happy you enjoy my work! ^.^
And heehee, well... I guess this is just further proof that I was gravely mistaken when I made that remark, no? ^.^;; Not that I mind at all, and you certainly do not sound "stalkerish" dear... this is a very public forum after all and all are welcome. I really hope, honestly, that you will indeed participate in the conversation if you're ever inclined to do so... the more the merrier, as Jody said!
@Anon
Yes yes, it figures that right after I said that I would be proven wrong on numerous accounts... oh well though, it's not like I have anything to hide! Or er well, you know what I mean anyway... certainly I have not said anything to date that I am too regretful of, is more like. **blushy**
Anyhow though. What is it that I seek to achieve in my life, exactly? Well, I don't know how else to say this without sounding entirely and utterly shallow, but one goal is definitely to be very financially comfortable (I would like for both of my parents to be able to retire and live out the rest of their lives in complete comfort, aside from being able to satisfy my own more selfish desires like traveling around the world), and also I would dearly love for people to know my name! As in I want them to recognize my artwork while I'm still alive, and to have it hanging in galleries, and I want people to want to own or wear things that I've designed and to be proud to do so! And, as I said on my profile which I know you are aware of, I want to be able to inspire people... more than anything, in fact, this is what I really desire. To know that things that I have made might one day be used to help educate students, or inspire other artists in their works (and even if I'm not alive to see this happen) would have to be the most fabulous thing that I could ever imagine. So yes, in a nutshell this is what I seek to achieve with my life~ *ahem*
As far as those people who say they're happy to live a simple, humble existence, well... I can understand that attitude to an extent. My own father is very much like that, in fact (he's probably the most Applejack-like person I know), and I don't think there's anything wrong with it at all, just that I don't know if it would ever be enough to make me feel fulfilled someday when I am much older. There is a certain part of me, though (and I can't believe I'm confessing this) that sometimes thinks it might be nice to live a peaceful, self-sustaining life on a farm or something, closer to nature... it must be something genetic left over from my grandparents or something (my grandfather is a farmer and my father grew up that way, as well). But, erm, yes, to each their own, and of course a whirlwind, "celebrity" existence is certainly not for everyone; fame can be a very fickle friend after all (that was a reference for CaineScroll, if indeed he reads this. I wonder if he'll get it!).
In regards to my other work dear, I believe I've said before that I am either unable, or else unwilling to post any of my non-fanart things here. I'm sorry to have to disappoint you again but I'm sure you can understand... hopefully someday I'll be able to share some of it with you in at least some capacity.
@Anon
And oh, my goodness that Morocco picture! Well, that certainly doesn't look anything like the bits of the country I have seen on House Hunters or any other programs for that matter! I was mostly referring to Marrakech though, I suppose, and if you'll believe it it is actually quite the hub for tourists, travelers, and those seeking inspiration, including designers. The architecture alone is simply stunning, and I can only hope that I'll be able to experience it myself someday!
Hm I can't be entirely positive, but I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Andrew Zimmern and his show "Bizarre Foods", not Anthony Bourdain (the former is also not a show that I particularly care for). Even though Tony does sometimes eat some strange and unusual things, he does so as part of experiencing the culture and less for the reason of shock value, I think, which I can certainly respect in a person. I suppose I ate some things which you might consider to be strange and unusual while I was in Japan too (some which were good, and others which were not quite so much so), as well as on some of the many lunch outings I shared with my adventuresome Japanese language classmates here in the states. Anyhow tough~
I know, Greece really is a stunningly beautiful place, isn't it? Though I will confess I had no idea they had any castles there. I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but Japan also does have some castles of its own... I was able to visit one of them during my time there! Himeji Castle, which (while not quite sporting anything like the medieval European architecture I adore) is nevertheless a stunningly beautiful place! I strongly discourage any of my potential female readers who might think of traveling there to wear heels if they do visit, however.
It certainly is a chatty bunch that hangs out here, isn't it? I just wish my schedule wasn't so irregular so that I could keep up with it all. On the days when I'm bored to tears, very little goes up, and then after burying my nose in work I come back and find a thesis or two have been published.
My last post here was just sharing some quick technical tidbits that I had learned about Blogger. Seems there was a lot going on in the comments at that time. Some very quick responses on it all (sans links, because blogger's still being a pain):
@Favo: Take care of yourself, and I hope to see you around here again when you feel up to it.
@CaineScroll: Sorry to hear that you're struggling with issues as well. Good to see you posting, and your artwork has consistently been a great treat to see in the Drawfriend.
@Quanno: Nicely done! That's been one of my favorite Pinkie drawings.
@Anon: I'm probably not going to be able to come up with a brief response to all of that. Lots of interesting topics in there. I'm impressed that you've met the one and only Chico... any time I see someone installing pot lights, I compare their work to his.
About that "controversial topic" between you and WD, I certainly don't mean to make light of it, but I have to admit that I've never read quite so much written about anything without ever gaining the slightest idea what was being discussed. The two of you were quite masterful in delicately avoiding direct mention of the original subject in a public forum while (apparently) thoroughly resolving the issue. Well done.
I feel like I could maybe decode it with a bit of sleep and some effort to be less clueless, but that would fly in the face of it being none of my business to begin with. I only bring it up because it seemed substantial enough to comment on, and also because I thought the discussion itself illustrated your personalities in a rather endearing, positive way. Plus everyone else commented on it and I was feeling left out.
Feel free to imagine me being totally supportive or horrified by whatever the controversy was in the first place (I'm assuming it was about "the thing at the place")... and now let us never speak of it again.
@Cinnamon Fritter: Nice to see you posting here! I wish I could claim that I significantly increase the level of discourse here on White Diamonds' blog, but if you've made it this far through this response you've probably already been stripped of any such illusions. She's really quite kind to let me ramble on about random pony topics, all told. I too hope to see your artwork should you feel like sharing any, but then I draw a ton of things that never see the light of day away from my harddrive so I understand either way.
@Jody: I think the only thing that sort of bugs me currently are people who either seem to go out of their way to interpret actions in an episode in the worst possible light, or fans who scream and rant over things that haven't even had a chance to premiere in the show yet (such as a certain pink princess.) Although I skimmed a little bit of that Fanfic discussion in the Drawfriend the other day and was suitably horrified. I don't even know where that kind of thing comes from.
@zhoomcar: Cool name, and nice to meet you!
And, of course, @WhiteDiamonds: I find it quite telling that you manage to achieve so many of your life goals on the small scale right here within the fandom. It's an excellent trial run. I think you have it in you to reach a much, much larger audience indeed, and I hope you find the opportunity. You obviously have it in you to inspire people, and I figure whether you inspire a handful or thousands, it's still an accomplishment.
When you do get famous though, I'm totally going to name-drop you whenever possible.
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh? I see now, the title of aforementioned piece was probably Fillydelphia's doing, and is actually the picture you posted in your November 1 update. I can probably call that a very long time ago, seeing as nine episodes of MLP have aired since then!
And yay~, I'm part of some public forum and not stalkerish apparently!
@Harwick
Hello, and nice to meet you too! My name isn't exactly the most original, as Anon has pointed out, but I stuck with it long after abandoning the game and NPC of which my alias is based on, because i guess it harkens back to the happier days of my childhood. Also probably because it amuses me when people start noticing my name in games and begin singing Mazda's Zoom-zoom song.
@WhiteDiamonds
I'm not ashamed of anything... It's all just politeness and castles with us.
Don't worry, my desires are far more selfish than yours. Or at least, of the ones that we would admit. It's kind of (understandable, but) funny that you present yourself under a username in that case, but I don't even really have a username, so I'm not one that should be speaking on that. I care more about fame and fortune than most would say is reasonable, but someone has to be the famous and fortunate, and it isn't going to be those people, right? Those that do not try will never succeed. I don't know what I would do or how I would do it, as I'm quite a jack-of-all-trades. I would do every part of a project on my own: The design, the programming, the music, the story (if I had one), the graphics (mainly pixelated with the occasional simple vector), the 3D models... In the essence, I am a creator. Code is simply the necessary method. And as it sounds like you are going in both the directions of "graphic artist" and "fashion designer", it seems that you can relate to a certain extent. I know how far-fetched it would be for me just to assume that you, I or both of us will go nearly as far as we hope, but I don't tend to think that most people actually want that life, or are willing to do what it takes to achieve it. I have spent a lot of time (close to a year in one case) on projects doing extremely repetitive and tedious work, just for them all to collapse under an overwhelming problem. Because of this, I hardly have anything to show for my work or any proof that I ever did any quality work in the first place. Art is seeming more appealing to me now because I know that nothing can go wrong as long as I do it right. It's a smaller, more attainable project and goal. Hopefully this way, at least, I will have something to display for people like you.
Hmm, your father is like Rarity's father? You're getting more like Rarity by the minute. I can sort of understand the more "country" lifestyle, as of course I am currently living the closest thing to it (The barren wasteland of underdeveloped cities), and that is where the chalets and logs homes that I like so much go. But the isolation of acres of land, no matter how filled they are with grass, trees and any sort of gardens, would just get lonely after a while (as I'm sort of prone to that over long periods of time). If I had one, it might just be a vacation home. I would still want a place where I can go to enjoy what I have in the company of the things and the people that I like. I would still want my Zürich. Honestly, I doubt that I would have much of a problem at all with celebrity status, but I don't think that real celebrities get there by trying to be famous. They get there by being successful at what they like doing.
What Harwick said is right, though. You are have come quite far with that dream as it is, and you are partially living it out on a much smaller scale than you hope for. I only hope that I will become as capable as you are some time after I start working (And, of course, that you will have come closer to your dream by that time).
I was just thinking that maybe some of that work has already been distributed and used by your client, which would be a public resource, but of course I really don't know what these things are or how they work. In any case, you really must always be creating something new. I imagine that your other work is some of your best, but of course I won't press you over it.
@WhiteDiamonds
By your description of it, Marrakech sounds like it attracts designers as Los Angeles does with actors. I can't really see much of it from these pictures, but it sounds interesting. I prefer a travel show to tell me more about a place than the shock of whatever "bizarre" (or likely disgusting) things might be available in that specific spot as well. But I don't want to say too much about it without having seen it. Samantha Brown once did a review show of her experience, and as she sometimes eats such "bizarre foods", they asked her which the worst was. Her answer was the time when she had to roast guinea pig. Not only did it still look generally like the animal, but it tasted awful as well. I really can't imagine you eating anything especially gross (Maybe octopus?), so that's okay with me. It sounds like it was a great experience for you to visit such a place of your interest with some similar people and enjoy what can be found there. I would say that I'm happy for you, if not for the fact that you had to pay for it.
Greece has its own scenes and views that you can't find in any other place. Some places in southern Italy might come close, but they aren't Greece. The eyecatching construction along the water, not to mention the ancient Greek structures give Greece a kind of drama that is unrivaled in the same way. I have never seen anything like Himeji Castle before. Its Wikipedia page has some pictures of its defenses, which are proof of its practicality, so clearly it is a very Eastern styled fortification that works the same as the European ones. It's an interesting way that they have generally used the feudal Japanese architecture to serve the same purpose. It seems like the Far East was always making their version of whatever was being used in Europe at the same time, despite not having any contact between the two regions. (Not in the 14th century, anyway. We really don't know what it looked like before it was demolished and rebuilt twice.)
@Harwick
It happened because my father is a general contractor (which I imagine you would know what that is, but to the rest of us: A contractor is someone who prices a job, sends the client a contract with all of the expenses, and manages the job to its completion. They can also do much or all of the general labor that does not require a specialist), and he was working in Canada at the time. He runs his own business now, but I don't know if he had only half (49% is effectively 1%) of it or less at the time. I assume that Chico must have been doing some side work off-camera, and so he was acting as some kind of third party associate. I really can't imagine a person like him simply working as an electrician on the side, though it was a long time ago. I'll have to ask later. I guess it really was a pretty big thing, so I'm kind of surprised that you all believe me. Whenever my father would walk in while Divine Design is on (which really doesn't happen anymore) and Chico came on-screen, he would say, "I met that guy."
@Harwick
Ehah. Well, thank you. When you put it that way, it sounds kind of funny. It all sounds entirely nonsensical to an outside observer. It really isn't any of my business either. There is nothing to worry about. The fact that we had to bounce back and forth like that for so long was my fault, anyway.
Though, we were actually talking about two things, so I might be able to rid half of your confusion. The "controversial" topic was explicitly stated here, so you must have read it already anyway. And that's controversial because, you know, gay rights and all that. Whenever we said "controversy", that was all that we meant.
But if that exchange helped to improve or solidify my personality, then I very much appreciate you thinking so.
"Plus everyone else commented on it and I was feeling left out.
Feel free to imagine me being totally supportive or horrified by whatever the controversy was in the first place (I'm assuming it was about "the thing at the place")... and now let us never speak of it again."
Haha! Yes, that deserved an exclaimation point. I have never seen you speak this way. Usually, you are our much-needed "reponsible adult" along with Jody. In fact, it kind of confuses me when the two of you interact because I have yet to find any real difference besides art experience. It really is an enjoyment to see a longer and more descriptive message from you. The thing at the place: Come on, it's always Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Monkey Wrench. Just look at that guy.
Grazie mille to all who gave me a "welcome back" hoot, it is so very good to be back~! ^.^
@WhiteDiamonds
Yes, well...just to give you a mental image of how I feel lately:
Imagine yourself as a fully-grown bird. You've been flying for half your life and and it's pretty much normal to you at this point. Now picture me as a chick who's barely old enough to have feathers. You fly by my nest while I watch in envy and (I admit it)jealousy, leaving me wondering how flying would feel like. Those thoughts progress into a strong desire to try flying, but when I step out of the nest, I plummet to the the ground and end up with a broken wing. Then I realize that was a stupid move.
That pretty much defines us, except that I haven't stepped out my "nest" yet. Despite knowing that I'm going to hurt myself in some manner, I still have a heavy, heavy desire to "fly". My conscience is trying to restrain that nasty impulse to do something stupid (e.g, self discrimination to counter my somewhat brash ego), but I dunno how much longer I can hold on...T_T
Come to think of it, that reminds me of Applejack from Applebuck Season...perhaps using her as my avatar was a fitting move after all~!
PS: New post on my blog!
@Anon
Well, when you put it that way, it makes me sound like a backup attraction at a circus provided one of the main acts fail, I can't help but raise an eyebrow at that...still, it's better than being a sightseeing dodo bird. T.T
"It's fine (reluctantly tolerated) if you can't relate to all that, it was pretty personal on the similarities between Diamonds and I. I don't think anyone else here can really add to that as we have."
I have to wonder, does it matter if I can relate to something? As far as my knowledge of general courtesy goes, that's not a conversation I want to butt into, it sounded pretty personal to me. =S
I think college would be a great opportunity for you to socialize, mate; it's always good to mingle with people from all walks of life. That way, you can get a much more colorful perspective of life as opposed to the seemingly dull one you described...if all else fails, there's always me. The backup attraction. =)
And what do you know: there is something very European in Macau (which happens to be near Hong Kong), though it's more cathedral-esque rather than castle-like. I'm referring to the Ruins of St. Paul, which just so happened to be on my relatives' itinerary during their trip to HK/Macau a few weeks ago. Blimey, I'd like to visit that place someday~!
I do love travel shows regardless of who it features, though Samantha Brown and Ian Wright are among my favorites. These shows give great insight into the (not always) ordinary lifestyle of the country in question, and sometimes I try to memorize some of the facts they present for my novel-writing hobby. However, I do feel that it's a bit tactless to be introducing the posh accommodation during their visit when most people can't even afford it...back to the Lonely Planet budget trips.
PS: If there's one thing I can handle that Andrew Zimmern can't, it's the durian. Foreigners (especially Americans and Europeans, no offense meant) usually avoid the fruit like the plague, but most Asians, especially those living in the Ring of Fire region, love it. If anyone is looking for gastronomical challenge, here's one.
@zhoomcar
I have a slideshow of names in my train of thought: Hamilton, Schumacher, Alonso, Vettel, Bruce Wayne---
*Trainwreck occurs*
Aw, phoeey. Anyways, pleasure to meet you, dear chap!
@Harwick
Oh, I'm so sorry about that my friend, and of course right after you say that I am off for the evening and day doing something else again and not responding to you! ^.^; Terribly sorry about that. But yes, it is perfectly amazing how quickly the posts can move over here at times isn't it? And to say nothing of how incredibly lengthy they can get as well.
You know what, now that you say that I suppose I have achieved a certain degree of my life's desires already at this point, haven't I? Something which might not have come to my attention if you had not so explicitly stated it, but it is a wonderful thing. That's probably why I derive so much pleasure in being able to create pony-fanart and share it with the community, because the response has been so overwhelmingly warm and positive (and I only started it as a means to blow off steam from my hectic real-world life and have fun, ha!). Thank you very much for all of your (continued) generous support and encouragement, it means so much to me. ^.^
And heehee, so another Divine Design fan "in the hizouse" (as they say), no? Something about that fact strikes me as being incredibly entertaining~ ^.^
@zhoomcar
November 1st update? Ah, so my response to Reddit.com, then (and bless you dears, you still seem to be fond of putting my artworks up and I appreciate it)! I did have fun with doing that one, even if it was a quick 40-minute rush-job, and I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed it as well. Thank you! ^^
And haha no, not stalkerish at all my dear I assure you (I hope you do not mind if I call you "dear"). Please do feel free to post whenever you like; I'm sure we would welcome your thoughts and conversation. ^_^
@Anon
Nope, nor am I ashamed! We actually have some very pleasant discussions on this blog, if I may say.
You're quite correct my dear. As far as I go artist (though maybe not so much as "graphic artist" as leaning towards the fine arts) and fashion are certainly passions of mine, but also just being able to design and create in general... I can certainly relate to your calling yourself a jack-of-all-trades in this instance. I just want to design and create and inspire, no matter WHAT the medium or subject matter might be! Certainly I am and have worked hard to better my skills in many arenas because I have a lot of interests, but if I only manage to be successful in one of them that might even be good enough for me. Well, here's to wishing both of us the best in making all our dreams come true, no? ^.^
And well, I wouldn't say that exactly; would you consider Rarity's father to be from an agricultural background? Or did you just mean that he was from more humble origins than Rarity aspires to? I don't know that he's necessarily similar to my own father in any way (though, my father did wear a mustache for several years, and only recently has grown one back as he's been recovering from his recent surgery. And, well, he does wear horribly gaudy Hawaiian shirts when he travels too, but still..). But yes I have a certain love and appreciation for the natural world and some of life's simpler pleasures that I don't always get to express or indulge, and I guess the easiest way to reconcile this would be by a hypothetical future vacation home as you say. I agree with you that a purely pastoral existence does seem like it might get lonely or dull at times, and as I said I don't know that I would ever feel fulfilled in my life if I chose such a path. Ah well though.
Thank you dear. I see now that Harwick has a very valid point as well, and I appreciate it. ^_^ Doing what one loves for the pure enjoyment of it certainly must be the very best way to be successful in life.
@Anon (again)
Weeellllll, I wouldn't say that of Marrakech, necessarily, though Moroccan architecture and style is very well known throughout the art and design world and is a strong source of inspiration for many creative people. I'd link you to a video so that you might be able to see more of it, but the only one I can think of offhand is from cycle 16 of America's Next Top Model and I seriously doubt you'd be interested in watching that. ^.^; But yes, it is a very rich and vibrant place and culture, by my understanding.
Yes Greece seems to be a gorgeous place, one of a kind (my mother has wanted to travel there all of her life, and it's my wish that I will be able to take her someday), and Himeji Castle was indeed a very beautiful and fascinating treat to be able to visit. As far as what bizarre things I might have eaten, well... the strangest now that I think about it was probably here in the states and courtesy of a Taiwanese friend of mine, who took me to his favorite Chinese restaurant for dim sum. And... (I can't even believe it myself, but I did) I tried the chicken feet, because the last thing I'd ever want to do was be rude and refuse, and he had ordered them at all. I can't say I enjoyed it very much, but at least I know I was courteous to the best of my abilities. x_x
And oh, you've never seen that side of Harwick, have you? I guess you missed his brilliant remark about ascending "Highlander-style" on my previous blog-post entry then (I don't think that will ever cease to be funny to me). Not to mention he frequently comes up with some gems in his regularly-scheduled Drawfriend reviews... in fact, now that I think of that I do believe he must have canceled that caterer for my "intervention", after all; I was so looking forward to that too!
@CaineScroll
Ahh you poor dear you... I figured you were not really feeling back to your old self, since as I said your posts have been full of plenty of little "clues" lately which suggest otherwise. I'm very sorry to hear that you feel that way, and that I might have inadvertently done anything which has only served to compound your problems even moreso.
I hope you realize though, that in your little analogy there you've also touched on just why it is that you shouldn't feel badly that you haven't met with any huge success yet (not that I have in my life either, which I hope you realize). You are a young bird after all; not even of adult age yet, so to compare yourself and your accomplishments to me who has a good twelve or thirteen years on you in which I've been struggling to get better at my chosen crafts, really isn't a fair comparison to make. Chances are decent you'll be just as successful as me (if not moreso) by the time you do get to my age, and if you're speaking strictly pony-art here then I'll repeat what I've said to you before: it's not like you've been at it very long to develop much of a following. Just give things time, keep a positive attitude (creating art because you enjoy doing so, not to stay competitive with me or anybody else), and the rest should follow naturally. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're just making things undeservedly hard on yourself.
But, in any case... I don't know how much your feelings are any of my business or if I should even have a place to counsel you, so feel free to accept or reject my advice however you see fit. Again though, I will say that I know Anon dear didn't mean any harm in what he said to you, as he has already tried to clarify... I sincerely hope that you wouldn't hold those words against him for that.
@CaineScroll
Hello, nice to meet you too! :) As for your bird analogy, upon reading that the first thing that popped into my mind was the beginning of the movie Rio, which is a fun little film about none other than well, near-extinct birds. The other thing that would pop into my mind is various ridiculous Garry's Mod videos of things flying into other things and explosions aplenty, which is just silly fun.
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh, no, I don't mind at all! Though with the new school year just over the horizon over here, expect me to pop up here and then!
@WhiteDiamonds
I feel awful about canceling that intervention, but I needed to make a snap decision in time to get my deposit back. As a result, I live in constant fear of reports that you'll be found passed out, Robert Downey Jr. style, curled up in a store-display children's racecar bed with an empty bottle of Bailey's clutched in each hand.
On a side note, I had high hopes for that "Highlander" thing the other day, but it turns out it was just some hefty static build up... damn dry winter air. My plan is to hit the Home Depot for a decent humidifier and some better surge protectors, then I should be all set for a right and proper Quickening. I'll be sure to let you all know when it happens.
Rereading this, I believe it's well past time to get some sleep. New episode tomorrow... likely AJ centric again. I'll be sure to spin by with random thoughts about it.
@CaineScroll
Then I don't know what I can say in short that wouldn't just make you feel worse. Alright, this calls for a word wall.
I don't know what exactly you wish to achieve, but it's clear to me that you are being far too hard on yourself. It's a great accomplishment to be compared to WhiteDiamonds' work. Of course you would want to be like her. I do too. She's the best. But as she has already said before me, she has had much more time to perfect her ability than you are allowing yourself. The rate that your art has improved is very impressive, as is your latest work. I wouldn't think that such growth of skill in such a short time is possible if I hadn't seen it on your blog. And I mean that with total honesty. Every week or so now, you have surprised us with another type of detail that you have mastered. Your first pony. Fluttershy's snowfall scene. Celestia (hair and all) and Twilight. Rarity in cheongsam. And now, Applejack in Manhattan. Every step is one to be proud of. No, you don't draw exactly in the manner that WhiteDiamonds does. But no one would expect you to so early on. You say you have a brash ego? If that is true (it isn't), then you have never once shown it here. Do you remember the first thing that I ever said to you? "CaineScroll, when you suggested that your creation was badly made, I was expecting something much different." You have never claimed more than your capability. It is much the opposite. In only 48 days, about eight weeks, you have gone from this all the way to this. Most artists improve by doodling on pencil and paper in class, very slowly training their muscles and learning more complex design over years. Just ask any art teacher. They would tell you that it takes years. For all the difference that we see here, you have taken 1/7.6th of a single year. You're progressing so fast, it looks like you have a professional filling in for you. Don't compare yourself to Diamonds; compare yourself to what you are. You're a learner. You're practicing. No one is expecting 5-star masterpieces. People don't learn by sitting in a chair, picking up a pencil and creating a masterpiece. They learn with practice, and as they gain confidence they feel ready to try more difficult things. There is not a single human in the world, nor has there ever been one, that did not learn this way. They don't just take off flying. And I'm not sure if your worry is about quality of work or commissions, but one leads to the other. You have to be patient with yourself and take everything one step at a time. That's how you have done it for every week or so, and it has worked. Maybe you don't see it. It is hard to let go of the criticism of your own work and see it from a viewer's perspective. But we do. We are your viewers, and your critics. You know that we would point it out if we saw that something is wrong. We have before, and we continue to do it now. It's a good thing that you can recognize what should be improved, and you have great desire to improve it. That is everything that any person needs to get better. It's how the professionals did it, and it is how you are doing it now.
@CaineScroll
And you know what? The same thing has happened to me. It happens to me every time I look at WhiteDiamonds' work. I want to be like her. She can do and make things that I greatly admire. I know that you feel that way too. And when I look at it for long enough, I start to doubt that I ever will be anything like what she is. The very thing that inspires me also reminds me of what I have yet to get past. I look back at my digital paper. What have I done? I have drawn a circle. Maybe it has some sticks for legs. I have no idea how big the eyes should be. What does a pony even look like, anyway? What do I think I'm doing here? Maybe I should check with reality; I'm the least graphically artistic person that there is. I wouldn't know that paper exists if your name did not constantly remind me. The aptitude/personality tests (Every single one of them) were right. I'm a scientist/computer programmer. And now I see your work, and it has the same affect. It doesn't help that you were something like me not very long ago. Just attempting to draw a pony for the first time. I don't know anything about color. I can't draw a straight line. What am I going to tell the people that have given so much effort to help me? Well, it was fun while it lasted.
And then I finish something, I get to look back at it, and finally I realise the reason why I went through all of this. The reason why I'm here. Another thing that I realise: You were just like me, not very long ago. Maybe if I can do what you have, I will be what you are now.
Having made half-decent hair, I'm putting my first art project up here...tomorrow. I would suggest that we take this trail together, but you're so far ahead, it really isn't fair for me to compare myself to you.
@Harwick
You forgot about the part where there's probably still Hershey's syrup on my lips (but not on my clothes; even intoxicated I refuse to spill I'll have you know). I find I prefer to have chocolate with my Bailey's, which would explain why my bottle of Kahlua happened to run out at the same time last week, boo... thankfully I think I neglected to mention that part in the Drawfriend comments.
Oh yes, I recommend a good humidifier for better skin health anyway, though I suppose you won't have to worry about your complexion so much once you've ascended. I will confess I rather envy you higher beings for that, ah well~
And yes, if it isn't entirely apparent I would probably be better off in bed now too, instead of sitting here entertaining myself on my laptop while watching Jewelry Television. Ah well though, new episode tomorrow, joy! I guess I'll get my chance to act like a ridiculous giddy child tomorrow morning when I wake up and watch my ponies. I'll welcome your thoughts on the subject whenever you get around to them, my friend, as always!
@Anon
Okay, on a far more serious note than above there are a few things I'd like to say here. First off, dear, you are a most excellent friend and source of support and I think you did a lovely job phrasing all of that to CaineScroll... arguably much better than I did in any case. I'm sure, and indeed I hope the words will help him to feel much better, because I think you were correct on many points that you raised. Secondly, while it seems you're not aware of it I'm quite sure he's mentioned before that he's been drawing from a very young age, and art is not something that he only recently got involved in. I bring that up because, just as it's probably unfair for him to be comparing his art to mine when I have years of experience on him, I also think it's unfair for you to be comparing yourself to him when you have only just begun drawing a few weeks ago as we recently discussed. He is new to ponies though, obviously, so the points can still stand, but I still think you should give yourself a little bit more credit.
And lastly, of course, I've said time and time again that I am hardly "the best" when it comes to this type of visual art... Harwick is arguably far more competent than myself, for instance, and I've said before I consider PurpleKecleon to be better than myself when it comes to using light and color in digital paintings. Those are my own feelings... I can still afford to improve a great deal as an artist if you ask me. But this is exactly why it's important to do art for the sake of enjoyment, and not to treat it as if it were some sort of contest: no matter how good one is, there is almost invariably someone out there who is even more skilled.
@WhiteDiamonds
Actually, I did know that. That's why I was careful to say "drawing your first pony". He is also newer to the tablet. I know that it's unfair for me to compare myself to either of you, which is exactly what I said at my last sentence. But it's impossible not to notice the difference and think about how far between you are, which of course means that you have a lot to go through, which is the less encouraging part of it. Don't worry about me, though. I'm glad to finally be getting this one thing out the door so I can make something else.
I call you the best for various reasons. One of them is subjective; you were only one that changed my mind. Another is the "fun" things that you choose to draw, which make for more worthy results when you actually care about or amused by the content. Which is the difference between you and PurpleKecleon. While her artwork is more "technically good", well, you can paint a very realistic picture of moss on a rock, but in the end, it's still a painting of moss on a rock. You draw things that we like, similar to the appeal of a comic. They have more "purpose". It was well described on a comment on your last entry, but of course, that comment is not there anymore. A third thing is that you involve yourself with the community. You take time to give attention back to your fans and followers, and that is something that I have rarely ever seen before. You don't just know what to draw, but you never get tired of people that enjoy it. It isn't a contest, and you aren't trying for the title. But everyone has to have a favorite.
I try not to put Harwick into the mix though, because that makes it all too indecisive and confusing...
(I still have to respond to everything else in here, but I doubt I'll have time tonight.)
@Anon
Ah, well, I suppose I must have missed that part (and indeed, even looking for it now I'm not sure I'm finding it, unless it's when you were referring to his Fluttershy picture. In which case I obviously misunderstood what you were saying). But, I guess it doesn't really matter anyhow, and even if we were all the same age, and had all started drawing at the same time chances are very good we'd still be at different points because people grow and mature at different rates, of course, in art and otherwise. Again though, this is exactly why it's important not to think of art as some sort of contest; it's a gift really, and something that's meant to be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of being able to create and share one's ideas with the world. I would hope anyone who practices it would remember such a thing... I know I try never to lose sight of that.
Oh, also I forgot to mention before the part where you said that CaineScroll doesn't draw in exactly the same manner that I do, though that is okay because no one would expect him to at such an early point. Honestly, early or not I wouldn't expect him (or anybody else, for that matter) to draw exactly like myself anyway, and indeed I'd even go so far as to encourage people not to try and do so. Being able to express oneself through one's own unique style, and not in the best interpretation they can of another's methods, is also part of the beauty of being able to create, in my opinion. I can understand trying to replicate as part of the learning process, but after that I think it's in an artist's best interests to let their own unique look shine through in their work (and you never know; maybe that in turn will go on to inspire somebody else who is learning). Variety is the spice of life, as they say after all!
As far as the kind sentiments, thank you again for all of your neverending words of support and encouragement, my dear. I genuinely am happy that you enjoy my work so much, and it truly is my pleasure to be able to share it with you and everyone else. Ponies continue to be a great source of enjoyment for me and as such I genuinely do like staying involved in the community, either here, on EqD or otherwise, which might have something to do with those qualities in my work that you seem to be so fond of. Anyway though yes, thank you very much. ^_~
And oh, no, it's not like there's ever any rush or pressure for you to respond to any comments, as far as I'm concerned. Like I said, I really ought to get going to bed soon myself, if that ridiculous bit of joking banter between Harwick and myself was not good enough indication of my fatigued state. With any luck, I might be able to squeeze some posting in again tomorrow, too, we shall see~
@zhoomcar
Eep! So sorry that I seem to have missed your comment my first time around, my dear, I definitely didn't intend to do that! And yes, do feel free to pop in whenever you have a chance... like I said, I know we would all welcome the conversation!
While I possess about 0.01% of the artistic ability of everyone here, when inspiration strikes, I will not hesitate to draw it. (Though said inspiration is usually for some really silly things)
So, in reply to the art piece that has been buried under 135+ comments, I present something resembling sauce.
...or at least, something vaguely resembling a sauce bottle. At least, the one sitting in the pantry. Or a glue bottle.
@Anon
Wow, your word wall was well constructed...I slammed into it headfirst.
In any case, I have been RottingScrolls lately, and I apologize. I suppose I have myself to blame...it's true that I do have friends, but I also had to shoulder a lot of neglect. If you've read The Vinyl Scratch Tapes, I suppose you could relate me to Octavia...nobody really cares what I think, they prefer to use me as a tool to carry out other people's ideas. I thought that by becoming a pony artist, I could get a taste of what being Vinyl was like...however, when I didn't exactly get what I expected, I grew sour (which didn't do much for my already depressed state). In actuality I'm quite stubborn, and it takes a lot to drill a fact into my thick skull. Your last comment did just that---reminding me that I was still a student in every respect, and by trying to force my way to Vinyl-dom I was being much more selfish than you could ever be. I also feel guilty for not paying much attention to your own prowess as an artist. Just because I was neglected in my pay doesn't mean I should neglect those who I care about now. And for that, I'm sorry. T.T
@WhiteDiamonds
I once told you not to compare your work with anyone else's, but all this time I've been going against my own advice...some student I am. I have half a mind to change my name from Scrolls to Brickhead, because that's what I've been lately...
I really am feeling better now, and even if I wasn't, I'd lie. The last thing I want now would be for anyone to worry about me...given the circumstances that's the last thing I deserve. Again, the brash ego is not a myth; it's what got me into this fiasco in the first place. Pride, envy...I already have two Deadly Sins on my hands. If our weren't for Anon and yourself, I'd probably get a third someday...I'm sorry, Di~! T°T
Well, I need a longer wire so I can finish her tail... but the rest of Rarity is done! Check her out on my blog and let me know what you think! ^_^
Been a hectic day for me, with a friend of the family coming to visit for the weekend which prompted me to accompany a group to the local casino for the afternoon. You'd think after watching a pony episode where AJ nearly lost the farm on a gamble would have warned me better against such entertainments. Instead, I looked for the closest-to-pony-themed slot machine to try and put a theme to my Saturday. Word of advice: Unicorns on the screen do not make slot machines lucky. The theme of losing on bets pretty much carried through the day though, so there's that.
I quite enjoyed the episode, and naturally the high point was AJ's Friendship report. Who didn't burst out with a laugh when she pranced through the screen proudly stating that she hadn't learned anything. I liked the homage to The Music Man (always a catchy musical) quite a bit. I also really liked seeing the rest of the cast called "honorary family members", even if it was kind of self-proclaimed by Twilight (though Applejack quickly confirmed it.)
All in all a fun little episode. Now I'm eager for next week's likely Dash/Twilight heavy entry.
@Anon (and the others who continued on from...)
Nobody should really feel the need to toss my ego a bone or worry I feel left out when passing around artistic praise. Everyone is here because they are fans of White Diamonds stunning work, and she's easily the star of the show. I have my own page where I can go to have people say nice things to me.
On the larger topic of an artist measuring his or her accomplishments against her peers, I think it's fairly natural... there's a competitive drive in most artists, I find. However, I think most eventually realize that while we all might be racing against each other, there's never a finish line in the distance. Nobody can ever win the race. Instead, it becomes a matter of seeing the new ground someone else has crossed and saying "How did they get there? I didn't even know that part of the course existed!" and doubling your efforts to reach it... then branching off in your own direction. Ultimately, there's no beating your fellow artists... but there's certainly no reason to stop running and let them have all the fun.
And you'll always find that your peers can do things that put you to shame. I'm a huge fan of WD's cartooning. I absolutely love her drawings for their seemingly effortless character and charm. I find my own work so heavy and crude by comparison. I'm still quite happy with many of the works I've done, and wouldn't trade abilities with anyone (it seems like much too personal of a thing to ever give up), but for every artist there are going to be instances where the grass is always a bit greener on someone else's canvas. You'll always envy and admire other artists who have their strengths where you struggle. It helps to both keep you humble, and spur you to keep up the chase.
@CaineScroll
I was just kidding about the "reluctantly tolerated" thing. Unless there is something you can relate to interior designers, fame, fortune and expensive chocolate...
I have found that I can only get along with people that I have a significant thing in common with, like how my previous friends where game developers/programmers, and how the people here have to do with pony art. It really never works out when I try to just get to know people of my own age. There are a lot of people that can't (or won't) spell, they only like the things that I have no interest in, and generally act much younger than their age when I'm so used to acting older. College would put me in a situation where I am around people with similar interests, and that could be good for getting contacts. But I'm the type of person that likes to have a few good friends. That's why I fill this chat with such long comments and give so much effort for it. This is the only place that I have, and now that I have any place at all, I don't feel like I want anything more. Every friend is a best friend, and everyone else is a stranger. Everyone here is making up for any desire that I have for friends, and that's just fine with me. It is also why I have felt kind of guilty for making the people here read so much (though I have been told that it's okay, so as you can see, I'm not exactly doing anything to stop it) and calling for such long responses, because I know that most people are not like that. I can't expect the people of this blog to have so much care as to match my sort of dependancy. But it seems to be working out fine, and if it didn't then there are other places that I could go. I don't want to put any kind of pressure on everyone here. I would just rather not if I have something already. That's why I hesitate to determine how "social" college would be for me, because it would depend on my situation at the time. I at least know that I will have the chance to learn about something that I have an interest in, be it extremely technical or extremely creative...
Travel shows are some of the only ones that I like. I have also noticed that Samantha Brown stays in the most expensive hotels, which doesn't really help the average person, but I guess if you have enough money to stay in a city like that, then it might be helpful for the people that have to decide between the expensive hotels. My father had a durian once when he was working in Honduras (looking for work wherever it might be). He pretty much disregards it as an edible object now. It makes sense that Americans and Europeans would avoid it if the only thing that we know about it is that it's unspeakably awful.
@WhiteDiamonds
And what a tastefully designed hizouse it is.
I don't think that anyone could be bothered by that, it really is just a part of your charm. I would call you a "fine artist", but that sounds like an understatement. After looking it up, it sounds like quite a varied group of arts, including graphic and visual. That might be a good thing to take in university. Just look at the list of specialties. Music, film, performing arts, new media... I want to try all of them. A couple of them do seem more eye-catching to me than others, though. This is starting to feel like "Call of the Cutie", except your talent of "fine arts" sounds like mastery of all forms of creation. Better yet, Liberal Arts would make you a master of virtually everything... I'm overthinking this. I feel like we both have the potential to live out our dreams, even if our personal skills may not reside in drawing, specifically. We can get there one way or another, because we won't feel satisfied until we do. I may not know what advice to give you for becoming a successful freelance artist, but as long as you make sure that you are always doing the most that you can, then the most that is possible will result from it.
Well, he did wear that hat, but I identified Rarity's mother's accent as from New Jersey, so his is probably something similar. They are both unlike Rarity, in any case. A couple minutes wouldn't be so bad if I got to see the area, but Google Images is providing some more, such as this. I mean, I don't have the "eye for fashion" that you must, so I don't know if you would think that that archway is "gaudy" or something similar, but surely it is grand, and that never fails to impress me. Just imagine walking into that place, whether it is the place that you are staying or where you would spend your time. It looks like it would be so fancy and extensive on the inside. Too bad it's a railway station. (Scroll down for another picture.) Still, a city where everything was like that would be a dream. Where can we get a world leader that will do that?
Though I did see his Highlander reference (He did say it to me directly, after all), I haven't seen that movie and no YouTube videos of death scenes or endings depicted any sort of ascensions, so I had to let one go. It sounds like I should be commenting on drawfriends when I have an account, if only so that I could see these things...
@WhiteDiamonds and Harwick
You working adults and your drinks... (I should stop linking relevant imagery lest I take Favo's job.) Both of you get to be quite entertaining when sleep-intoxicated. Not to understate it, I'm sorry to hear about your liqueur problem. If anyone found out that you were going on a crazed Bailey's bottle-drinking spree, there would be a large-scale scandel and the rehabilitation services would need to offset your cravings with replacement chocolate syrup and Kahlua until you learn to operate in proper society. I sincerely hope that it all goes through for you.
@just WhiteDiamonds
It's good to see that someone isn't going to wildly misinterpret it as something negative. I hope that really was of some use, but you said it just as well for the more summed up length. And, oh, I get to be a friend now? (Achievement Unlocked)
You're right, and I shouldn't have said that or phrased it in that way. It doesn't need to be in your style to be good, and there is nothing wrong with doing it in a different way if that is what you had in mind or you think that it would be better that way. But the way that your art can help us is the same way that anyone else's art can; it can be used for guidance. If there is ever a part that we feel like we didn't do right, then we can see how you did it to show us what exactly needs to be changed to make it more like how we want it. I understand your points, and this is going to sound more argumentative than I mean. But CaineScroll's situation is different from mine. If not for your style of artwork, then he would still be drawing ponies the way that he thinks they should look, but in a different way. In my case, if not for your style of artwork, I wouldn't even be here. I probably wouldn't have been so impressed by the commission for Jody (if it even existed), I wouldn't have started following this blog, I wouldn't have said a word here and the term "drawing" would incur laughter from myself and those that know me. I respect and appreciate the creations of other artists in this community, but I wouldn't have gone to so much effort to replicate them. It would depend on the picture, but in general I really don't have an idea of how I would go about drawing ponies in a different way that would still look just as good. It would feel like I was forcing myself to make it worse, or at least more like the work of artists that I'm not as impressed by, simply so that I can do it differently from what I do like. I'm not saying that I never will diverge from the way that I think that you would do it, as of course I'm not even good enough to do it that way yet anyway. But I hope that you won't hold it against me if I have little interest in doing that.
Again, I know what you mean, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if CaineScroll, myself or anyone else decided to try something different. Art allows us the freedom to do it the way that we want, even if that is different from something that is preestablished or more common. In the same way, it also allows us the freedom to do it the way that we want, even if that is not an impressive new way or different from something that is preestablished or more common. I think that, above all, we should just do whatever we think would work best, whether that means having our own significant style or otherwise.
@zhoomcar
That reminds me of the style of some Ask blogs. Ask Glurarity?
@CaineScroll
What you descibe seems to be about your friends requesting you to draw things for them, and you desired the freedom of making what you really wanted to, but your success is not as great as what you were expecting when you first considered the option. In any case, you continue to amaze us by seemingly feeling worse at the sight of our support. I never called you selfish, nor did I ever imply that you were. Even more baffling is your comment about my "prowess as an artist". I understand that you are all amazed by my circular brilliance, but please, keep calm. (Unless you are referring to my lack of prowess in contrast to you, which I wholeheartedly agree.) The only thing that you have done wrong here is doubted yourself beyond reason. The reason why we are talking about it is not because you bothered us and we feel a need to make you stop bringing it up. We're talking about it because we are able to see that you are hurting yourself over it in ways that you don't deserve to, and we want to make right of the situation because we don't like to see it being left that way.
@Kateasaurus
As you might be able to tell by my name, I don't really have a final account yet that I can use to comment in places beyond WhiteDiamonds' blog, so I'll say what I can here. It's a shame that the tail isn't done yet, because I think the hair is very show-accurate and well done. I really can't judge very much because I have no idea what goes into it or how hard it is, but I have seen BroNYCon auctions of similar ones going for a lot of money (which I see you have noticed by your blog entries). It must be great to have someone like you as a friend.
I was going to comment that your house looks like the ones that we have here in Florida, but then I saw your location. Statewide-hoof? (I like your high ceilings, though.)
Ah...too much typing...I don't think I have time to put it up tonight. Those went on for much longer than I was expecting, and now it's 2:50 AM. I haven't even seen the new episode yet. I think I'll just go to bed now and post it in the morning. I'll discuss the new episode then.
@Anon I should have some nice pictures of her completely done later today! I was disappointed that I didn't have a long enough wire to finish her last night. T_T I'm just hoping people like my plushies enough to buy them or at least want them. I'm still really new at making them (Rarity is only the 5th I've made ever). And I'm always so happy when someone actually reads my blog. So I like to throw out some possible plushies for a lower price, or trade to people I've met since coming into the fandom.
Statewide-hoof indeed! I live about 30 minutes outside of Tampa. I claimed the best room in the house for my sewing area, too. High ceilings FTW!
Now that I have seen the episode, I can say what I thought about it. On with the overthinking:
My biggest surprise is that they were able to openly depict alcohol and its use on a show that was barely able to call Twilight an "egghead". They couldn't even do that in the 90s on shows that were famous for getting things past the censors. I don't have a problem with it, but it's an odd balance of priorities that they have. I didn't see the Flim Flam brothers as so bad as most villains, since of course I am in total support of technological advancement. In fact, raising competition by developing more efficient technology is exactly what we're doing with our company. We didn't get to see how good their product was when it was being presented, but Granny Smith didn't seem all that bothered by it. It made me think that they must have planned a reaction, but they cut it out. Which makes sense; if the reaction was positive, then the Apple family's claims about their better quality would not be agreed upon by the crowd, and there would be no reason not to go with the new product of the machine instead. If the reaction was negative, then they would only be an alternative and the matter could end at that.
Which really is what would have made more sense. If the Brothers had kept their machine on the regular settings, then they could run their business as an alternative after the Apples' daily supply ran out. It's possible that they wouldn't even lose business, because the customers that didn't get to try the high-quality yet could still get their fix for the day from the machine until they do. It isn't like the Apples were going to sell any more until they made more, anyway. Not only that, but Applejack's friends had to act as workers during an event that would represent the entire industry for the city, which they would not be doing every time the Apple family produces cider. So the townspeople are getting cheated into losing the sellers that can provide for them in favor of another that will not be able to do it after they run out again.
It doesn't actually bother me of course, but that's how I would have handled it. I enjoyed the song, and I never really got tired of it. I do have to feel bad for FiMFlamFilosophy, though. He has had that name since May 24th, and now everyone will think it came from these characters.
@Anon
Well, it's worth noting that the Flim Flam brothers *were* con men. I know some people don't see it that way, but if you step back you'll note that they breezed into a rural community and fast talked a local family into providing them with everything they needed to run the family out of business and take away their entire livelihood without ever so much as paying a single thin dime for anything. That's far worse than Trixie, who was just a loudmouth. Courts will actually recognize a business transaction so ridiculously unbalanced where one side risked and offered nothing and the other side gave up everything as a con job.
To me, though, the main issue the episode illustrated was that it takes integrity to produce a quality product, and the FF Bros. didn't have it. The moment they needed more cider to meet the order, they allowed it to be "watered" down... with rocks, bark, leaves, whatever. The Apple family wouldn't cut corners, even with everything on the line.
When I was in college, I worked at a major theme park in Orlando for a summer, mostly at the recreation of a famous movie drive-in (watch as I try to keep this all nameless) which we were told was the single busiest fast food restaurant on the planet at the time. One morning I was sent out back to bring in the hamburger buns that were delivered each day, only to find that moisture had gotten into the packaging and they were moldy. I told the manager, who, faced with the fact that they needed to serve thousands of hamburgers that day, told me and another employee to go through them and find ones that were passable enough to use. I looked in maybe two or three bags before going back in and telling him no, I wasn't going to do it. Ultimately, I think he was glad... he just needed someone else to tell him that he shouldn't serve them as well... and so for the first 3 hours until replacements could arrive (which included the main lunch hours) we were the world's busiest hamburger joint that didn't serve hamburgers.
It was a good life lesson to observe at the time, and I definitely saw the echoes of it in the AJ episode yesterday. It's easy to have integrity when everything is rosy... but sticking to it when the pressure is on and it's going to cost you dearly is much more difficult, yet is the only time having integrity really means anything.
@Harwick Wow... totally should have preceded that last bit with "Dear Princess Celestia..."
@Kateasaurus
That is only your fifth? In that case, that's even more impressive. My mother and sister happen to be making something similar, and the unfolded pattern looks like a papercraft pattern. I have used someone else's papercraft design before, and all I could think about while I did it was how I couldn't imagine trying to make the pattern for such a thing. If I have any idea of what I'm talking about, then that is quick learning. There should be more people following your blog, but it should come when you have more done to show them. I watched the last BroNYCon, and at the auction, they had some plushies that were just...not good. Honestly, I wondered why anyone would buy them. They hardly looked like the characters. And yet, they sold quite decently. Fans have a price for everything. Past eBay auctions (you can find them at the end of nightly roundups, as I'm sure you know) would make a good reference for selling on that site. I think I should warn you, though, I don't know if this applies to all BroNYCon auction items, but it sounded like the money from everything that was being sold there would go to financing the next convention. I know that you have plans for it, so you should be sure about their policy for auctioning items before you fly across the country to go.
According to Google Maps, I live about 1 hour and 44 minutes south of Tampa, or 10 minutes from Port Charlotte. (And now everyone knows what it is.) I'm not looking for compliments or anything, but I'm kind of common here on this blog, so have a picture of my (parent's) house. It isn't the best picture, because it was taken with a tablet. I had to bend far back over a piece of furniture to take that. The white glare from the windows makes it look like the sun is in the backyard. And accurately so.
@Harwick
I don't doubt that they were the villains, as clearly it's amoral to invade a (mostly) satisfied area and purposely ruin a family's livelihood for their own gain. If they had the monopoly and ran the cider production for the village, then they would no longer have any reason to continue to provide the quality that they presented when they first tried to secure their business in the area (group song and all). I think that they might have had a good business (In a different type of town where there is constant competition, maybe) if they had just used their machine normally and let it go when they found that they could not compete against what is in the area already. I'm saying that focus should not be on how bad the machine was, since it didn't look all that bad when they had a reason for it to work at its best, and in fact it was the reason why they technically won the competition. But they had to cut so many corners in order to do it that by the time they had come to such high efficiency, the product wasn't worth making. What they did afterwards is also telling: Instead of offering higher quality now that the pressure was over, they treated the situation in the opposite manner. They went straight out of town when they found that the crowd's standards were too high (probably because they were used to the Apple family's traditional production) to accept what they were trying to sell as the same as what they always had. And in such a calm and careless manner, no less. It's a bait and switch.
Thinking so much about an episode can show how interesting it is in its depth. I guess this is what they intended with the lessons at the end. The show only allows 30 minutes to tell so much about a situation, and what we can take from it.
@Anon
Oh, make no mistake, the machine was awesome. A magical steam punk juicing vehicle with a couch built right in? I'm ready to order one right now. I even like the color.
@Anon I had no idea how to make a pattern when I first started. So I had to guess my way through a lot. I printed out a picture of Fluttershy and just started drawing some shapes that somewhat resembled a pony, and that's how my first one happened. I was way too overly ambitious with it too, and she ended up being almost 3 feet tall. Never again! I'll probably try to sell all the plushies before I even fly out. I'd have to have an entire bag just for ponies, and I don't want to risk losing it while flying. I wouldn't mind giving one to the auction to fund BronyCon, though. I'm sure it'll be put to good use, and I'd love to see what people would bid it up to.
I think a friend of mine from high school lives around Port Charlotte. Hopefully it's nicer there than around Tampa. I hate driving into the city for anything, it's just awful. I guess it's true too that all the houses in Florida are really similar. There's a ridiculous amount of tiled floors in my house.
I've seen a lot of people around WD's blog, you included. I usually just pop in to chat with her a bit. I've been so sick lately it's been hard to even surf around online. Luckily I'm having a good week, so I've gotten a lot of internet time in.
Looking back at my previous posts, it seems that all the late night rushing has made me sound a bit blunt (Sorry about that, CaineScroll. o.o"). I guess it really wasn't necessary this time, was it? I'm not sure how much more I should add to the pile, so I think I should hold back from writing too much more until everyone is back... Well, except for this:
@Harwick
And with the alcoholic beverages that it makes, it will pay for itself within the first six weeks, guaranteed!
@AnonIf I remember correctly, only one pony ever got to try out the Flim Flam brothers' cider before the competition, which happened to be Granny Smith during their song. She seemed startled by it, which may suggest their cider might have actually met Apple family standards (or possibly even surpassing them).
And then the whole watering down thing happened and no pony ever got to taste their real cider.
Good afternoon, darlings. I'm sorry I have been away for so long to have let the comments pile up like this (I believe I know have my work cut out for me responding to everyone), but I'm afraid I've been busy the past few days, and my health has been starting to inconvenience me again, too. I did have a doctor's appointment this morning and am scheduled for some follow-up so that's good, but in the meantime my energy and focus have been a bit touch-and-go... please excuse me if I've left any of you hanging~
@zhoomcar
Haha dearest, I can only say that I wish Jody were here to see your contribution, as I don't doubt your brand of humor would be right up his alley. ^.^ I also think it's safe to say you will fit in quite perfectly around here!
And yes, Rarity is definitely most fabulous sauce-bottle (as if there was ever any doubt of this). Thank you for sharing her with us!
@CaineScroll
There is certainly no need for you to apologize to me, my dear, and indeed I only feel bad if I have ever left you wanting for lack of advice, encouragement, or anything else I could have given that might have prevented you from going down this road recently. Even now (as was perhaps hinted at when you said you'd lie rather than make anyone worry about you more), I'm not sure that you're feeling quite back to your old self, but I can only hope that my words, along with Anon's and Harwick's (who probably touched on the subject of artistic competition more eloquently than I and who hopefully strikes you as a more reliable source of such wisdom) will help you to feel at least somewhat better. For what it's worth, I will tell you that I am always happy to see an update on your blog when I log in here and check my dashboard, and afterwards on the Drawfriend when they inevitably turn up there. I sincerely hope you'll keep at it!
@Kateasaurus
Eep, darling! I have gone and checked out your little Rarity plush, and all of your other recent posts, and I have to say she turned out just fabulously! <3 Unfortunately, as I said before I'm now (seemingly) wholly incapable of commenting on your blog for whatever reason, but based on the photos you put up I have to say the embroidery is truly gorgeous, and from what I can see on the closeup of her face all of your seams look perfectly smooth and even. From a technical standpoint your work looks very sound, and your pattern design is quite cute as well... her horn is a bit longer than I might have done it, as are some of the other proportions but of course that's personal style and interpretation and not anything that could be called an error. Overall yes, she is absolutely adorable and I hope you're proud of her. ^.^
And yes, you're also right and more people ought to be aware of how hard you've been working lately, to great success. So yes everyone, if you have not already done so do go and check out Katie-dear's excellent plushie-work; give her and Rarity plenty of love because they both deserve it!
@Kateasaurus
Anyhow though dear, plushies aside I'm afraid I really must apologize for taking so long to get back to your posts here. I hear from you so infrequently as it is, and I know your health doesn't always leave you much time for chit-chatting, so I truly feel bad if I've missed any window of opportunity to finally catch up with you again. =( Especially now that I seem unable to reply to your blog altogether. Believe it or not, I've actually been kicking around the idea of making a deviantART account again recently just so that I can stay in touch more easily, but barring that you can always email me if you like, for anything. My address is fabulous.gaijin@yahoo.com, so yes, do keep in touch if you're ever so inclined.
Otherwise, of course, you're always more than welcome to hang out here, or drop by whenever. ^_^ And since I missed being able to comment on your post, congratulations to you on your adorable little Luna-plushie! I'm very happy to hear that you've been feeling a bit better lately dear.
@Harwick
Hmm, gambling. I'm not a huge fan myself, as I personally would much rather go and blow my money on something fabulous, but that's not to say that I haven't partaken before in moderation. My favorite slot machine ever (probably because I use to win at it every time) was an old "Price is Right" game with a cartoon Rod Roddy... I used to get everything on that game and even won the Showcase Showdown once (wooo~!). But, I digress~
Yes, how about that latest episode! I essentially agree with all of your thoughts one-hundred percent, and especially regarding the honorary Apple family members (that was so sweet and adorable) and the ending with Applejack's letter to the Princess. That was SO the best ending ever to any FiM episode to date, or at least in my opinion, and I was only thinking while watching it that if that didn't earn Applejack some more (much-needed) respect from the fanbase, they're not worthy of her fabulousness anyway! I also adored the parts during the musical number where Rainbow Dash was swirling and looping around gleefully in the background, and when she attempted to "drink" the cider out of the dirt when it spilled (if I didn't know any better, I'd swear the latter was a shout-out to a scene from one of my favorite movies ever, Fools Rush In). Needless to say I very much enjoyed the episode. ^.^
In regards to the more serious topic of all of that artist-talk and whatnot dear, I have to thank you most sincerely for your succinct, yet eloquent input on the matter. I really think you touched on points, and phrased all of that far better than I ever could have, and needless to say that I agree with you completely. I never like to think of it as a matter of "competition" but rather, what we as artists can learn from each other and how we can help ourselves to achieve growth (which I think is important in every aspect of life) so yes, I really appreciate your sharing your thoughts on the matter.
On that note, thank you most sincerely for your very generous compliments regarding my own work; it truly means a great deal to me that you enjoy it. I told Jody once before that I've always felt my "acting skills" in drawing characters is my strongest suit when it comes to creating fanart, and even if I know I could probably stand to improve a great deal in some of the more technical aspects of lighting and color (which is where you shine like a star, of course, and we all love you for it!). But again, my admiration for those skills only spurs me to apply myself more and study my craft harder, and I guess that's part of the fun as well... nothing is ever too fun if there's not at least some challenge in it, no? ^_~
@Anon
"Tastefully designed hizouse"... oh darling, I laughed out loud. I will have to make an effort to use that somehow in the future.
Ahhh, looking at that Bachelor of Arts page does bring back some fond memories... you know, I truly did enjoy going to school and can only hope and imagine you will have an enjoyable experience in college, too. It really is wonderful being able to go and thoroughly study things which interest you (though obviously, I cannot say quite the same for the general ed requirements), and to be able to learn to apply one's skills more practically. I honestly think I'd enjoy taking some more classes on the side now if I had the time simply because I enjoy learning so much, but of course that's not exactly a practical notion for me at this point in my life. Maybe someday though.
Yes, that picture is a particularly lovely example of some Moroccan aesthetics in a more modern context! I suppose some people might consider it gaudy but I think in a place like that train station, as you have said it is quite luxurious and impressive. I would not say that traditional Moroccan design is quite so ostentatious, though they're known for their bold use of color and beautifully detailed tilework, among other things. I'm quite fond of a lot of the style actually, and probably would not mind having a room like this to be able to relax in in my own home.
Heh, yes, I suppose Harwick and I have a tendency to get a bit silly sometimes... Jody too when the mood strikes him, to tell the truth! Sometimes we're lucky enough to be posting on Drawfriends or other topic around the same time and then we can "converse" a little bit (not that I've been posting on EqD nearly as much as I used to, for lack of free time I'm afraid), which is usually entertaining. But yes, you should also make a point to join in once you finally decide on a username that you like the sound of, it's fun! ^_~
And yes, no worries dear and I quite understand where you're coming from with the whole drawing thing... you consider my fanart to be something worthy of emulation (which I appreciate, I really do), and as such you're doing your best to learn from my style and methods. Nothing wrong with that! But, as I said I only hope that you, nor anyone else feels that my way is the only right way to draw ponies or to be successful doing fanart of them (or whatever the case may be), as obviously that is not the case. But, I don't doubt that as you go along and get more experienced in drawing more, you'll eventually develop your own style... such a thing is probably the only natural course of action, really.
Katie really is a lovely person if you haven't been able to tell, and I agree that her plushwork is most impressive and especially considering her rather limited experience! I think she did a fine job with Rarity (and if you never saw her Applejack, you should go back through her blog and look for her because she was quite darling ^.^), and I only wish I could somehow offer her more support. I've no doubt she'll only continue to get even better with them though and hopefully, will be able to enjoy some financial success from them in the near future as well!
@Anon
Oh and lastly, regarding last weekend's episode: alcohol? I think you are mistaken my dear (have you not ever had apple cider?? *gasp*), because it is not generally alcoholic, or at least the word does not usually mean so here in the states. To my understanding it does in some countries, though in the US and Canada the term "hard cider" is used when referring to the alcoholic variation.
Even if your idea does make this image appropriately entertaining.
@Favo
Oh, darling you're back! I'm so happy to see it, and to hear that your leg has finally healed! **crushes in digital hug ^.^** I am indeed back now (and again, so terribly sorry for the delay!); I hope that you are now feeling at least somewhat better!
Due to the fact that I have sometimes, somehow been unable to cover everything in time before (And apparently it's a bad idea to force yourself to type responses when you really just want to go to bed), I'll prioritize with these and do the rest after.
Before I forget again, welcome back to Favo and WhiteDiamonds; your presence have been sorely missed.
WhiteDiamonds' condition (which I should get to later) sounds much more serious than this, but if we are currently talking about health, I may have something (namely, a rant) to input. Yesterday (which happened to be my sister's 18th birthday), I considered the fact that I hear a loud noise when I yawn, and I wondered if everyone has this or it's just me. I looked it up, and it turns out that if you hear a louder ringing noise when you move your jaw back or yawn (in my case, it can be deafening), you don't just have regular tinnitus, you probably have something called "Temporomandibular joint disorder". Which would explain why my teeth are always aching. I just figured that it was normal. The good news is that it sounds like it's much more treatable (or curable at all) than average causes of tinnitus, but if left untreated, it can lead to arthritis. Which is "much harder to reverse". I really only have my mother to tell about it, and when I did, the response that I got was "Why didn't you say something when we had money?" I can't go to a doctor, because if I heard correctly, we only have $86 left in the bank. We also have a $4,000 Visa bill and no way to pay it. We're actively avoiding utility bills, even when they come to the door. If they cut off our water and electricity, well, I'll have a very good explanation for my absence. If we lose the house, we have no idea what we will do. So it seems that I'll have to wait through a few more years of aching teeth and a constant ringing noise before I can pay to do something about it with my own money. That is, if I'm not arthritis-ridden by then. Starvation and homelessness are just fun bonuses.
Alright, rant over. That's a bad topic, anyway. The people are back; this is a happy time. What we were talking about? Ah, yes.
Well, before I put it off again, I might as well let you all see my first attempt at drawing. It's technically the morning of January 29th, right? Absolutely. But I want to reiterate something first:
I know that you all know it already, but this is the work of an absolute beginner. Before I made this, I made a circle. Everything before that was just more circles that didn't look as good. The times that I have even touched a pencil or paper are so brief, few and far between that my muscle memory and design experience would have been completely forgotten if I had ever drawn anything anyway. I went into this having no idea what I'm doing, and I probably still don't, because this is the first time I have ever tried to draw in my entire life. As with any first drawing, the way to judge it is by how much you laughed. Worst case scenario, I would make a good comic artist. So, really, don't let the years of experience of everyone else here let you forget how bad it could be. (And that work of art probably isn't a first drawing, so it should be worse than that. You'll have to be the judge of that.) It still took a lot of time and effort. It's my best. If you will keep that in mind, take a look:
(The image is kind of large, so you can click to zoom in.)
How does it look?
Hey, that doesn't look like a circle. I must have done something wrong.
That would be a crossover of Gundam's melee-using version of the Strike, or Sword Strike. ...And ponies. When I said that I don't pick easy things, I meant it. If CaineScroll's first pony can be an obscure Japanese game reference, then so can mine. It's kind of a running theme with me: If it exists, and it can be customized, I will make a Gundam version of it sooner or later. (In one game, I played as a swordsman Spartan gundam. Because accessories.) The Gundam franchise spans across many forms of media, so I had a lot of references available: The constructable models (or toys, if you'd prefer), the anime (Not that I've actually ever watched it except for the first dozen episodes of that season putting me to sleep. I did get to see Sword Strike, though), the games... The reason why I thought of it was probably because that MMO just came to the US. I played the Taiwan version, but I never got this MS, unfortunately. Maybe I'm compensating for that. I did look at a lot of images, but I didn't trace them or incorporate them in the drawing at all. None of them were in exactly that angle, anyway. I just looked back at them. Would you know what that thing looked like without a picture?
I'm matching up a pony to a Gundam model, but due to the fact that this is one of my favorites, I found a character to suit the gundam. This Strike can't fly, but as with most close-ranged units, it makes up for its range with ground speed. Its shoulder piece even looks like a single wing, which is kind of symbolic in this case. The character expression was taken straight from the first picture I found, so you can't blame me for that. The non-pony parts were done with a Line tool (For shame) and the mouse, its shading was done with the tablet and the Water tool, and the pony parts were done with the Marker. If your thirst for artistic failure has somehow not yet been satiated, I have some working concepts that have plenty more where that came from. As you can see, I started to make the forelegs more like the way that they are in the show, but I remembered that I'm trying (and failing) to use WhiteDiamonds' style, so I made them straighter and flatter like hers. They look better that way, anyway. The hindlegs seem to have gotten revenge, though. As you all know very well, the hardest part for me was the tail. It isn't all that I want it to be, of course, but I wanted to leave this and get on to the next thing. I think it looks like a pickle. I initially made it with Applejack's colors because I was trying to do it the same way as snowball Applejack's hair, and I just changed the color to red to match the feet. I tried to keep in mind that ponies are four-legged creatures, so the forelegs should have some sort of shoes if the hindlegs do. But it would look too awkward if I made the character hold the sword (and stand partially upright when staying in place) if they were just like the ones on the hindlegs, because you would be conciously thinking that it's holding the sword with its feet. Oh, and yes, I didn't have much space for the eyelashes, but that it is, in fact, a girl. That might be the reason why I didn't add that red samurai master beard, but it could also be because I just don't like them. Actually, it's a machine that looks like a girl (because a girl is piloting it, according to myself). I thought that maybe the eyes, tail and cutie mark/faction logo (Unfortunately, the Atlantic Federation, or future America, does not have a logo) would change depending on its operator. It's the Rule of Cool.
I wish that this turned out more pony than it did. There is too much Line, not enough Marker. Most of it isn't even drawing, it's just clicking. It's a good thing that I was able to cover most of it up that way, but this Line use feels like a liability or a detriment. I can't depend on it so much. I need to make something with more "purpose". More "acting", in a more interesting situation. Maybe something that has eyes. At least this is hypothetically the worst thing that I will ever make, right?
...Right?
I think I'll get back in that nuclear bunker now...
@Anon
I think that Sword Strike pony looks pretty good, especially for a first effort! Is that all 100% original material, or did you re-purpose some existing assets to create that?
And... uh... apparently there's some serious drama going on with Derpy right now?
@WhiteDiamonds Perhaps one day, blogger will stop hating my blog and let everyone comment! Thanks for the love for my Rarity! I'm so happy with how she turned out! She's luxuriously soft, too (gotta love minky).
Her horn is a bit longer than I had planned. She's my first unicorn, so I'm just glad it actually came out well! By the time I sewed in on and noticed it was a bit big, I was too tired to go back and fix it. So she'll have an extra bit of horn until I decide to redo it. (Honestly I'm still amazed I can sew anything, having no prior experience before my first plushie. ^_^)
I'll have to pop in here more often! Especially since I have zero drawing talent, past basic shapes, and everyone seems to be quite good at it! I enjoy stalking everyone's blogs and Deviant Art accounts. Lots of talented artists out there! ^_^
@Favo
Eep! *I* actually went and comment-ninja'd somebody else for a change; sorry about that dearie!
I am very happy to hear that you've been doing better my dear, and don't worry about the hyperlinking as I'm sure that must wear you out after a while (even if I do find your antics tremendously entertaining as I've said before ^.^). I'm also dreadfully sorry about the email thing, though I have seen it and responded now. My apologies!
You also changed your avatar I see! It seems like everyone has been doing that recently, or at least you and Katie have (I guess that hardly constitutes "everyone"). Maybe I should get a new one myself, or at least switch it up every now and then... I'll have to think about that~
@Anon
Oh, my goodness dear you've finished your artwork! Ooh... while I didn't have the slightest idea of what to expect from you, I especially was not expecting anything like a Gundam-pony (the thought never would have crossed my mind), but nevertheless it is a lovely surprise!
Okay, well, I guess the least I can do for you after all of this time is to try and formulate a decent bit of feedback... you'll have to forgive me as it's still a huge surprise. ^.^ First off, I do think it's good, quite good in fact, and despite the fact I am not very familiar with this style of artwork. It's quite technical, and I don't know if I'd really call most of it "a drawing" persay (not that this is a bad thing at all, I hope you don't think). I do think parts of it are very impressive in the three-dimensional look you have acheived, especially on the, err, two periwinkle-colored pieces on the left front leg and shoulder... obviously you have quite a good grasp of how to convey form already in coloring, as I even spy a few cast shadows in there. I can understand and see how you struggled with the hair in the tail, but for what it's worth and again considering this is your first effort, I think you did a very good job of giving it the look of proper 'cartoon pony hair' with the scratchy highlights. Overall, a most excellent first attempt!
Heheh... honestly, I find it very amusing that you, our resident programmer would create something like this for your very first art project... something that most people would probably consider to be more difficult than a natural, organic subject. Apparently, you consider this to be easier for you, or at least preferable as a first effort... I happen to find that very funny but nevertheless fitting and probably indicative of your personality. ^.^ On that note, I actually really enjoyed seeing your page of "working concepts" as well, and how you've gone about learning how to draw a pony (are my ponies' legs really straighter and flatter than that of the show's? Considering that's not something I do intentionally, I find it very interesting!), and for what it's worth I don't think your tails are bad at all. Again, dear, when you take into consideration the fact that you've only been drawing and coloring for a few short weeks, I think your efforts are most impressive and you should be very proud of yourself!
Thank you very much for sharing your efforts with me! ^_^
@Anon
@Favo
Regarding my "health issues", please don't be too concerned, either of you... honestly it sounds far worse than it actually is. What's been going on is recently, I've been getting sudden, random bouts of tightness in my chest and shortness of breath, which is then followed by hyperventilation (which is always easy to recognize because my face and arms get numb and tingly and then I feel dizzy and faint, despite the fact that I try not to overreact and breathe erratically). Frequently accompanied by low blood pressure. All of this sounds terrible and I guess, is scary enough when it happens and one doesn't know what's causing it, but after talking to my eldest sister (who is a nurse, and who used to go through the exact same thing I have learned) and my doctor it turns out I'm suffering from textbook anxiety/panic attacks. And despite the fact that the majority of the times these episodes occur, I'm entirely relaxed and doing something like watching my weekly soap opera marathon or trying to go to sleep. I guess it's all either subconscious worry that manifests into physical symptoms at random times, or else I have some kind of hormonal imbalance or something which is causing it... I have to have some blood work (ew) done to rule out the latter. In the meantime though I have been prescribed some sedatives... *ahem* So at least there is that.
So, yes, that's what's been going on with me off-and-on over the past several weeks with increasing frequency... not fun but at least now I know what's causing it and that I'm not dying or anything like that. And at least it should be easier to manage now. In the meantime though, I am sorry to hear about what you have been going through Anon, dear! That sounds terrible... you poor thing you, thinking that all of that terrible ringing must just be normal at this point. o_o I do believe that might drive me crazy. And as far as the financial aspect, while I don't know as I have never lived in Florida, isn't there any sort of state or county-type of program which you might be able to apply for that could help you out with your medical service? I know we have those things in California for people who meet the qualifications... I can't imagine your state would be all that different.
@Forderz
Ah, it's you my dear! Lovely to see you again... guess what I have been working on today! Or should I say, still... waaah.
@Kateasaurus
Must love minky indeed! I still need to get my hands on some myself, so that I might actually try sewing a pony-plush of my own one of these days. If I will ever have the time to do so at least, hahaaaaa~
You are quite welcome for the compliments in any case; as I said you deserve them! And especially seeing as how you're so new to sewing and textile crafts. ^^ And I wouldn't worry about the horn if I were you... it is a bit long but nothing that detracts too seriously, and again as your interpretation of Rarity overall is on the sleek and slender side (not that there is anything wrong with this) it arguably fits. Oh, and since I neglected to mention it the first time, her mane and tail in particular came out fabulously; kudos to you on doing such an admirable job!
Again, you are always welcome on my blog my dear, and especially seeing as how your own page has seemingly always hated me (I don't know what I've done!). On that note, I have to say that your recent strawberry cake looks absolutely divine... you'll have to share the recipe with me someday if you wouldn't mind!
So, has anything happened in the past week? (Here's hoping I'm not quite as rambling and grammatically-challened as the last time I posted in the wee hours of the morning...)
@CaineScroll
I hope you've come to accept that you're a valued member of our little community here. And try not to worry too much about whether or not your pony art meets Di's standard; you're easily in the top 5% of fan artists as it stands now, and you've just barely started.
@zhoomcar
You may not have the same level of artistic talent as our host, but your punny drawing definitely cuts the mustard. *rimshot*
@Harwick
Thanks for a succinct explanation on why the Flim Flam brothers are, indeed, villains, even if not exactly "evil"; and also for your own RL experience that helps illuminate the moral of the episode.
I suppose this is as good a place as any to briefly touch upon "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000", even if it's almost a week old now. While it would be easy to nitpick the plot logic to death, I'm happy to just enjoy it as a breezy comic episode, with a great musical number and a funny ending. Flim and Flam were entertaining antagonists with a nice character design, though I don't feel any strong desire to see them again as I do with Gilda and Trixie. It was also nice to see Big Macintosh in a more prominent role, arguably his biggest since "Applebuck Season". The SSCS6k itself was a delightful mashup of early automobile design and steampunk, as well as providing the episode with one of the best episode titles of the series so far. And of course, there's Applejack's letter, which got me laughing out loud; unfortunately, it seems the majority of the fandom has decided to portray that letter as Trolljack, and correspondingly assumes Tyrantlestia's response will be "to the MOOOOON!" (So far, only this comment (warning: Royal Canterlot Voice) and this comic show a more positive reaction from Celestia.) Still, a fun episode, if not quite cream of the crop. It also inspired at least one terrific gif.
@Anon and WhiteDiamonds
As a kid, I had almost no desire to ever travel outside the US, but that's slowly changing as I'm growing older. In particular, reading the two of you write about these far-flung locales is making me wish I was able to visit some of these places; Greece looks particularly beautiful, though the pic that really grabbed my attention was Di's example of the colorful glasswork displayed in Marrakech. Just because I have so little to contribute to your discussions on architecture, cuisine, and the like, don't assume I don't appreciate them.
(Part 2 of my too-big-for-Blogger comment...)
@Anon
I'm sorry to read about your health and financial problems as well. I've had tinnitus (as well as a 30-40% hearing loss) in my left ear since I was a teenager, though it's rarely risen above the level of mildly annoying background noise; I can barely imagine what that would be like if it were loud enough to describe as "deafening". Add to it what you might be facing if your problem's left untreated, and your family's current difficulties... yeah. Same as with Favo: If you've no objections, I'll remember you in my thoughts and prayers, and while I fear there's nothing else I can do to help, if there is anything I can do for you I'll try my best.
As for your drawing: I thought it was quite good, and for a first serious attempt at drawing anything it was extremely good. You may feel disappointed in using the Line tool for much of the body, but it takes skill to create a picture regardless of the tools you use, and you used that particular tool very well in constructing the body. Anything else I might say has been said by Di,and said better than I could hope to do, so I'll just ditto her comments.
@Kateasaurus
Almost forgot about your contribution, in the mass of comments over the past week... That Rarity does look quite chic; if you hadn't said so, I would have had a hard time believing it was just your fifth pony plush. I rather like the "sleek and slender look" (as Di put it) for ponies, so I have no problem with how the horn came out. Maybe someday I can commission a plushie, though for now that's definitely out of my price range...
@WhiteDiamonds
I've got several different pictures that I use as my avatar, as my mood dictates; this one (which just might look familiar) is my default avatar, simply because I so love the drawing, but I also have a shrugging Spike, a grinning Zecora, and an angrily perplexed Snails, among others, that I use from time to time. The events of the past week also led me to create an icon of depressed, broken-hearted Twilight from "The Return of Harmony, Part 2", though thankfully my mood's lifted enough I don't feel the need to use it now. (I've gone from listening to an album titled "Drowning with Land in Sight" to listening to a Philip Glass collection, if that's any indication.)
@Favo (saving this for the end to make sure it's noticed)
Glad to have you back, and to hear you've lost that awkward, heavy weight encasing your leg! I'm sorry that you're still having a bit of a rough time, though. I hope you're able to post more regularly again now, and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
(And a brief note for everyone reading on this blog and who might care: I do tend to display my religious beliefs and practices freely and openly, but I try to avoid shoving my religion down anyone's throat or judging anyone based on my beliefs; if I ever do cross that line, just slap me and tell me to dial it down.) *^^*
@jodyjm13
I've been constantly reminding myself to change my picture from this "me sitting on the bed playing my DS in school uniform" thing for a while... and it's probably going to stay that way for the next billion years. Needs more Carrot Top though.
@Favo
Hello hello, welcome back! Good to hear that you're recovering, and I must let you know that since your departure I can't seem to get that AMERIKANEN AM TELEFONMAST out of my head. dhdhskffhdndjf
And then hearing about all these health and financial issues... oh, my. And here I am feeling perfectly fine... until sleep deprivation kicks in because I've been staying up until 2am my time to watch streams of pony (like right now) and school is on the same morning and fhdhchfhdj (a terrible decision to make on your last year of schooling here).
@WhiteDiamonds I do really enjoy a more slender pony plush. In my mind I planned on having an army of elegant ponies on my bed, that I could make different outfits for. So obviously they need the frame for some haute pony couture! Rarity, of course, has a few outfits planned out already. Hopefully, when I'm feeling better, I'll still have the free time to execute my ideas. I have a thing for ponies in cute outfits.
I would definitely love to share the recipe with you! I'll just have to type it up so it makes sense to someone other than myself. It was my grandmother's old recipe, and being a bit... well, crazy... her instructions are a bit colorful. (And I thought I swore a lot.)
@jodyjm13 I'm so glad to hear that others like her! I would definitely enjoy taking on commission work as well. (Once I'm feeling better, of course.) I've always wanted to offer commissions for a lower price, especially to those I've had the pleasure of getting to know. Especially now that I'm about to mail my last student loan payment, and all of my future plush money is going to the Guide Dogs organization that I volunteer for. I figure, I'll have some for ebay for those ponies with cash to throw at screens, and then some for ponies who aren't millionaires but still want a nice plush! So do keep in touch, I plan on doing commissions towards the summer!
Aaaaaah, I guess I kind of forgot to welcome back the resident princess around here (I blame the telefonmast). Hi again DI!
So what are your thoughts on the latest episode? I got nothing for the time being because I seriously need to catch up on some sleep.
Thank you all for the welcoming comments and overall hospitable attitude. You have no idea how nice it is to see even a small group of people putting forth effort to be generally sociable on the internet. I can see why so many of you prefer to stay within White Diamond's corner of the internet.
I'd be more than happy to post a link to my scrawls sometime. I do have a deviant art account I created to ease the search for pony art; I suppose I should actually utilize it sometime and upload my learning process. Of course, I'll have to gussy 'em up a bit, seeing as their only a few notches above stick figure ponies, and a very distant reach from Anon's first attempt. (Good show there, by the way, Anon. It's certainly no easy task to start any learning process by merging completely unassociated techniques. I'd wager you've had practice at some point within your life, or you have at least some innate artistic skill/eye) With 3 of the top 5 pony artists in the field residing within this blog, you'll have to understand my trepidation about just slinging any scrawl out there. Even the worst bands know better than to start a gig with 'Smoke on the Water', haha.
@White Diamonds
Oh my, that's certainly not a fun health condition to be in and I'm now actually at the point of joining the others of this blog in worrying for you. I can completely sympathize for how dreadful it is since I too suffer from anxiety attacks/panic syndrome (although mine's escalated into agoraphobia due to a lack of a speedy diagnosis). In fact, it's how I discovered MLP, coincidentally, but that's an unneeded story for now. It was a weird domino effect that spurred my issue. I've always had trouble breathing through my nose my whole life, but in September 2011 the bones in my nose (turbinates) completely sealed off all air flow. Well, I've put myself in quite a few hair-splitting situations in my life, but the inability to breathe through my nose broke my brain almost instantaneously. I had about four full blown attacks before my doctors managed to get a bead on the entirety of the circumstances.
My symptoms are fairly close to yours. A tightness in the chest, feeling like I can't take a full breath (although this is a very common symptom of asthma as well, so it can throw doctors for a loop at first). Next is the tingly-numb feeling on the tip of my nose, then to my forearms, followed by my hands. At this point I'm fully aware of what's going on and quite concerned. Next, my hands and arms will cramp up (get the pill bottle open before reaching this point!) rendering them unusable. Lastly, my jaw and tongue control go out the window, making it next to impossible to talk. Here I'm pretty much mimicking a seizure, my memory gets hazy, and everyone around me is scared to death.
Without medication, it takes about 30 minutes to ride out the bull, and then I'm done for the day. I'm on 2 meds right now, Paroxetine (generic variant of Paxil) to keep me calm throughout the day, although I'm still doubting it's effect. The second is Clonazepam (generic variant of Klonopin). This is the panic button, and the only thing I've found to work 95% of the time. When I feel the nose tingle, it's time for a Clonazepam quick! Anti-depressants are just.... ergh...never, never, never will I take one again.
If it sounds like my problem is in anyway similar to yours and you have any questions, feel free to ask; I'm an open book when it comes to things of this importance. (Don't try crawling under the bed. Unlike when I was a kid, it's now very cramped and only magnifies the anxiety...)
I truly hope some of this info comes to some use for you, as there is no easy fix for panic attacks, and like you said, they can strike anywhere, anytime. Although mine are mostly under control, I still refuse to get into a car that I'm not personally driving or into elevators. You'll be in my prayers for now (And I'm Catholic; we got Saints backing us up! :p ). I won't be posting any scrawls, gussied up or not, until I've heard that you've gotten control over your demon. I wish best of luck to you.
Hey folks. I was away last weekend (on a trip to exotic central Ohio) so I'm quite behind the latest on the blog here.
Let me say, dear lord... everyone please take care of yourselves and feel/get better soon, if at all possible. People are comparing ailments like old war wounds around here, and while I want to laugh it off with a little levity to keep from overreacting (as everyone seems to have things under control), it is alarming as you're all quite charming and friendly people who deserve the best that life can give, and I hate the idea of any of you suffering. So take care of yourselves and know that people care and wish you the best.
@Anon
A very impressive (and ambitious!) first work! Don't know much about Gundam myself, but that's definitely one pony I wouldn't mess with. The armor is well defined in such clear lines and crisp color shades, and the cocky smirk sets her(?) off well. A little personality always goes a long way, and of course you're following after our host whose works positively ooze personality.
(Ooze it in the most complimentary, dignified and ladylike meaning of the word, of course.)
I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with next!
@Kateasaurus
You're definitely among the talented artists, as I love the sleek and graceful looking Rarity you've created. I especially love her tail and her eyes. Even if I could figure out the process of making such a thing, I'm sure the stitching on it would make it out to be a Frankenpony, so I'm envious of those who can do such an impressive job on creating these plush sculptures.
Oh, and kudos on your volunteer work for guide dog organizations! I have quite a bit of admiration for that.
Continued comments since Blogger gets snippy about long posts...
@zhoomcar
I was a *little* underwhelmed by the last episode, which is to say I thought it was just okay while other people raved about it. It's no secret that I was hoping for more Twilight in it, so that might play a role. Ultimately though, I would have liked either deeper character interaction or a more involved adventure story. As it was, the action sequences (which were admittedly cool and filled with some great design work) were mostly parodies of old tropes that didn't really draw me in to the story. So I guess I never fully latched onto any aspect of the episode like I have in my favorites. But I did enjoy it, especially the humorous bits.
I made a mention of it over on EQD, but I seem to be the only one who noticed it... Everyone said "Rainbow Dash" an absurd number of times. (22 times within the 22 minute episode. Yes, I counted on repeat viewing. I never said I didn't have issues of my own.) "Hi, Rainbow Dash!" "Get some sleep, Rainbow Dash!" "What are you doing, Rainbow Dash?" It was like the writer was being paid for each mention of her full, complete name. The best explanation I could come up with was that it was an intentional riff on "B movie" tropes where the heroes and villains always call each other by full name, even when there's no other person around to which they could possibly be referring. Or maybe I just never noticed how often they drop each other's names on the show.
@jodyjm13
Hey, I can't speak for anyone else, obviously, but I've never been offended by someone else's religious beliefs. I tend to take any religious well-wishes sent my way in the spirit in which they were intended. I understand that it can be a touchy subject, however. In any event, I'll try not to abuse the generous permission you've given to slap you.
As to Celestia, I agree... she's always had that playful sense of humor. I think she'd be delighted in getting a letter like AJ's. I will say, however, that the gang is beginning to shirk their letter duty. Dash didn't even bother with hers... she foisted it off on Spike and slacked off with a good book. Those letters saved the day against Discord, and they hardly ever write them any longer. Equestria's defense is at stake here.
On a final note, a while back we were discussing sketching styles and I didn't have any examples of my chicken scratches that I could share. Well, those days are past... I have a blog now. One that I will almost never update, so don't bother following it. But, I can use it to post things that aren't exciting enough to go on my Deviant Art page, such as the pony generated by my attempts at playing with that Facebook pony maker, and my follow up sketch of it. Feel free to check them both out at http://harwicks-random-stuff.blogspot.com/
And seriously... don't bother following it. I'll let people know if there's ever anything there worth looking at.
I'm back out; I ran out of fruitcakes left as emergency supplies from the Vietnam War. I imagine that many people there sooner starved. And it seems that I have a lot to cover now, so this one is going to be long. I'm just covering everything, so don't worry about responding to it all. The character limit lies; it's actually 3,752.
@Harwick and WhiteDiamonds
The only thing that I have to do with gambling is that I like poker, though granted I have only ever played it as a side activity on an online game with virtual money. I play it very safe, but according to my father, I'm better at it than he is.
@WhiteDiamonds
That modern archway made me think of a modern castle, or an expensive mall. Or maybe a temple from a video game. It is definitely something that I would like to be able to see in person, in any case. Your Moroccan tilework picture is an exception, but I tend to be weary of small colored tiles due to an episode of House Hunters International in India. Every room of the house was lined with one-inch tiles about a foot above the floor, each exactly the same. They were colorful, but I think that they were mostly blue, with some yellow. The house was small and cheap, but I thought that those tiles were a complete eyesore. The ones in your picture formed a pattern, though, so I wouldn't say the same about them. I am especially impressed by the sculpted (?) parts on the columns and above the doorway. The attention to detail reminds me of a château. The fullness of the first image reminded me of a room from the the Harry Potter movies due to its light fixtures, like the floating candles. It looks like a fantasy room.
It would entertain me far more than it would for the rest of you if I went into extensive detail regarding my decision process for a suitable name, so I'll go over it as briefly as possible. (Coming from me, you know what that means.) There are no company names that I can think of that I especially like the sound of (as you have "White Diamonds"), so I decided to look around the city of Harwick on Google Maps to see if there are any similar names in the area. I came across a couple of "interesting" city names ("Independance", "Congress", "Advance"), but the strangest had to be one that I found called "Bellefontaine Neighbors". As it turns out, it's actually the longest-named city in the United States. (Yes, I managed to drag all the way to Missouri. Somehow.) Most of them were your common -ton, -ville, -brook city names, so I looked for the origin of "Harwick". As it turns out, it's an Anglo-Saxon surname, probably a derivative of "Hardwick". According to another source, it comes from the Scandinavian Germanic (Viking) name Erik. (Though that source is not especially credible, as they present recycled "mottos" and sell fake "family crests", a thing that does not even exist. Still, it could be right about that.) I can't use some of my favorite last names like Sibelius and Galloway due to their length and the impossibility of nicknames. (In the former's case, I could only have an avatar of Octavia, and my blog could only host music. Besides, a four-syllable, one-word name is exactly what I'm trying to get away from.) "WhiteDiamonds" has been addressed as "Diamonds", "Di", or "WD". "CaineScroll" has been called "Scrolls". "Katieasaurus" as been shortened to "Katie". "jodyjm13" has been revised to "Jody".
The only people who have not been given nicknames are Favo and I, and both of our names are four letters long. That is, except for Harwick, whose name prohibits good shortenings. (...Wick?) I like to switch between nickname and full name depending on the use and to avoid using the same word repeatedly. Reverting focus back to "WhiteDiamonds", I looked for a list of watch manufacturers in an attempt to find the same sort of classy theme in a more masculine context. (It's either that, or banks.) My favorite was "Breitling" (a close second being "Accurist"), but "Breit" would make for an odd nickname. Many words that I like are too feminine, as they have more "beauty" and sadly are not options for me. I'm also looking for one-syllable names to put before a one to two syllable noun like "CaineScroll". So many options, but I'm so picky about this. A name is how you represent yourself, and what you will put on your work from now on. If I ever find a comment or forum post that references myself or my work...what do I want it to say? Nothing seems quite good enough. I know that you can't really help with that, but to be honest, I kind of enjoy talking about it. I find well-thought-out decisions interesting.
You know, it's kind of confusing, because she has the same name as my sister, and Asaurus currently has my sister's favorite pony as her avatar (as did she at one time). And then I see her location. Confusing indeed. But yes, she is one of the friendly people that we have on this expansive internet and community. It cannot be said about most people. Certainly not for me, I know for sure.
I came to that conclusion because of the way that they kept referring to the beverage as "cider" rather than "apple cider", which led me to this Wikipedia page. The stuff in the show was very bubbly and was drank from what looked like beer mugs. As a matter of fact, no, I have never had it. I have never had fish either, or any form of seafood. Or eggs, except for when they are mixed into dough. I haven't never had Chinese food, either. I don't know what these things taste like. All that I have ever had in my life is toast, Raisen Bran (The store brand tastes much better than the name brand.), and microwave meals that my sister likes. (Me, not so much.) I practically had to beg my mother to let me try garlic bread and blueberry bagels, which my sister was eating just fine. She didn't even mention that we had them; I had to figure that out for myself. I don't go to resturaunts much. Maybe a couple times a year, if that. And I never get anything besides french fries, chicken nuggets and personal pan pizzas. But always with a side of obligatory french fries. I see my father try anything that looks good, but for me...we play it safe. Oh well, it's like coffee. Life begins when I live by my own rules.
@Favo
Wait, actually, @WhiteDiamonds
Once I have an e-mail address, the first thing I must do is send you an e-mail. Whether I have a reason to or not. Bah, I need more things to be private about.
@Favo
Well, currently I write every comment as if I'm speaking directly to WhiteDiamonds to ensure that she and I can get along as well as possible, so this is the most WhiteDiamonds-like that I can make myself. I would sound like an entirely different person if you saw me speaking elsewhere. People are complicated, and we all haven't known eachother for very long, so I'm sure that we all have plenty of similarities, differences and misconceptions with and about eachother. If this community stays together for very long, it will come out eventually. At least, so I sincerely hope.
I think it can be a good thing that this fandom can be emotional. To feel an effect from what you experience shows the depth of the subject and how much meaning it might have, and I think that makes it worth all the more...but thanks for thinking so much of it, anyway.
@Forderz
I don't blame you if all that text was too much to be worth reading, but all that I used were a few images like the ones that I linked. I also showed my linework. I appreciate you considering some of it good enough to wonder, though.
Also, your notification made me notice the EQD TF2 stream. So far, ever since BroNYCon, all Forderz/Anon relations have been you indirectly showing me to livestreams.
@WhiteDiamonds
WhiteDiamonds used mfw. And with that, the world rejoiced in prosperity, and good times were had by all. (I need to change my avatar too. Right now, it's a portrait of all the people that think I'm funny.)
You probably can't tell with all of the Line-use covering it, but I did draw most or all of the linework for the body before I did the non-pony parts. But yes, like I said, most of what you can see was not really drawn. Apparently, no one has caught on that in my description of it, I was comparing this type of Gundam to Scootaloo, hence the eyes and tail. Hopefully that explains a few things. I didn't really have any space for it, but I think I'll have to add a head of hair later if they need to be differentiated side-by-side. (Maybe it's a helmet?) This is actually what I meant by "a compilation series that could last for 30 installments"; I have a list in Notepad of about 30 characters and their respective gundams. Not that I'm such a big fan of the series, but I still enjoyed matching them up.
It has been done before, but they weren't done quite the same. I might do just one, especially considering how hard that was, but at least I'll always have an idea for one of the three artworks in an entry. I remember that it was BND's first try as well, and the only problem that she had was with proportions. As you could probably tell, I was kind of self-conscious about showing it. To recieve overwhelmingly bad comments would have a much greater affect on me than an experienced artist, and would likely shame and discourage me from ever touching the tablet again. (No pressure.) That's why I wanted to be very sure that it was of decent quality before I released anything. The first face that I made was the one that I thought looked creepy. Specifically, it reminded me of those zombies/ghouls/whatever those things from Story of the Blanks were supposed to be. I found that once you give a face more features, it starts to look less like a featureless skull. Thankfully, I got myself to change the nose at the last minute. (Only now do I really notice all of that ugly curved shading at the top of the tail. Ugh, I should probably fix that before I put it anywhere.) It looks like we won't have to worry about that ever happening, as I think I've already surpassed the "so bad it's funny" region. Well, there goes all my hopes and dreams of becoming a great comic artist.
I actually thought that as well. "Has there ever been an MLP fanart with so many straight lines? Of course, I'm the one that is making this." I found the Line parts to be easier because they were easier to make perfectly. If you didn't put your point in the right place, you can reposition it. But with a drawing, aside from very rough sketching, you have to erase it and try again. It's trial and error, as I mentioned. With points and lines, I can add parts, take them out or modify them with a few clicks. Some of the details on the finished product are not on the workspace picture. The way that I did them was actually an accident. They were going to have black outlines, which gave them a distinctive comic book-like style, but I wanted to see what it looked like without them. What I saw behind them make me think, "Hey, that looks kind of three-dimensional." And so, I did it all that way. It's also nice to be able to color with the Fill tool. It makes it easier to keep it perfectly colored in. I think that this is something that really should be made with lines, anyway. You have seen what it looked like when I tried to draw them with the tablet. That's what most of the picture would have looked like if I had done it that way.
I was even measuring the body parts in pixels and comparing them with a percentage calculator to make sure that it has the same proportions as yours. Especially for the head. I found that your ears are anything from 41% to 52% of the length of the head. The shortest being Applejack's right ear (approximate, accounting for obscured length) and the longest being this to go by. I also looked at the way that it is in the show (as I'm about to explain), which has this for comparison.
Speaking of programming, if all goes to plan, then the next thing that you will see from me will actually be a project that I have been working on since long before I found this blog. Yes, I might actually prove I do know some of such programming. I'm not sure how to describe it without getting too technical, as I tend to make things that no one ever has. The best way that I could describe it is, it's an attempt at recreating what you might see if you could walk around in the world of the show. I also found it somewhat useful as a art reference. All that I have done (almost done) is a single standing character model, and that will be all that you will see, as a pony has very many moving parts even in a default standing position. It's a 3D-looking object that is made up of 2D images, just like it is on the show. I'm trying to make it as show-accurate as possible. Nearly half of the work is getting the numbers right for the positioning, but most of it is making the vectors, which is what I'm working on right now. All that I have left to do are the tail and the eyes. (As I have mentioned before, it has gotten to be a sort of personal tradition to watch a certain television show while I do it. What is the last profession that Jeremy Irons would like to participate in? "Computer programming.")
But anyway, that really could have gone a lot worse. For me, anyway. I didn't expect to get such widespread approval. Maybe if time allows and I get to be good enough then I'll wind up as some sort of tertiary supporter of this group beyond blog comments that are long enough to declare a nation's independance. I now get to see what happens when I imagine an image and try to recreate it to show to others. To know that what you and I see came from a concept that I only had in mind. After this non-art project is finished, I'm fairly sure about what I want to make next, and though it could likely incorporate a bit more Line-use, it might serve as a better indication of my current "drawing" ability. Believe it or not, it might even include proper eyes. They still intimidate me. After that, I would need one more thing to form a first "doodle roundup" blog entry after I polish this one a bit more. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that, as I don't want to put less detail in an idea just so that it could fit among "doodles".
Considering how slowly I work, it seems that it could be quite a while before I display anything else. Until then, I thank you as always for your careful feedback and support. While I admit that it can be hard to determine what exactly impresses an artistic person like yourself as well as a mass audience, and of course I'm not anywhere near what I would like to be, I'm glad that it didn't seem to burn your eyes as much as I was expecting. I guess this means that I need to make a blog to put it on, doesn't it?
At this point, I'm getting into things more general to everyone, but I know that you all read it anyway, so I'll just put it all here. To those of you that might be wondering, I don't know if it sounds the same for everyone, but the noise that I hear is most comparable to the sound of electricity running through wires. TVs and computers sometimes make it, but it's most obvious when it comes from a light fixture. I hesitate to mention it, but I came across a few people (Okay, experts. Probably.) claiming that a certain jaw exercise can fix TMJ, and when I tried it, I realised that the muscles that I was using were very weak and underdeveloped. One side of the jaw held better without aching when doing some things, but the other was better at others. I'm skeptical that it could help with the auditory problem, even if I'm convinced that those muscles likely have something to do with it, but I've got nothing to lose. One of these days, I'll be able to do something about it with professional help.
(@jodyjm13
Really, you've had to live with it for that long? There must be something that you can do about it. I would only describe as such when I yawn, or if I focus on it in complete silence.)
As Jody would know, it has the peculiar quality of seemingly going away when I'm not paying attention to it. If I so much as make a tapping sound to focus on, it will significantly quiet down. For this reason, I feel like I know what silence sounds like even if it has been so long since I could technically hear it purely. I remember being eight or nine (The house that I was living in at the time had a pool) and plugging my ears. What I heard reminded me of the sound of being underwater. When I do it now, I realise that I can still hear it. But now, it is accompanied by that loud (because plugging your ears cancels out much of the noise that would make it quieter) *iiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg* noise. It's my life's background music. Presumably played by the world's greatest pianist who also happens to be deaf. I wish he would learn something from Beetoven, as I could really use some nice classical music every once in a while. Really, though, it isn't as bad as your (WhiteDiamonds') or Cinnamon Fritter's condition. I spend most of my time subconciously ignoring it. I guess it's worst when I'm in bed, but even then I tend not to notice it, and that's when all of those amusing auditory hallucinations start occuring, so it isn't so bad. And as for those state programs, well, I remember when I mentioned it to my father more generally regarding paying the bills. He said that in order to qualify for those, you need to have a stable income. Besides, we aren't American citizens. He is balancing priorities between things that might being us immediate income and development of the application, which could be majorly profitable. I think they are going to start advertising soon, which is the reason for my most recent work on it (They want it to be more user-friendly. Which basically means "less functionality, more big, shiny buttons")
In other news, about a year ago, my father was at an auction where they were selling two large industrial scanner/printers. They weren't the same kind as this, but that is the closest thing to them that I can find. He used to work with one when he was working for an architectural design company, so he knew how much they were worth. If I remember correctly, he was the only bid that was made on them, and he got them both for $100. And now, about a year later, he has sold one to a guy that specifically sells them, for $2,600. The reseller was not interested in the other, which has done a few prints before and is thus devalued as "used", or so I assume. That money will pay the electricity bill, but not everything. A very large delivery truck came to pick it up. I happened to be testing our built-in camera page at the time, so I managed to take a picture of it from my father's desk. Oh, and you can even see some of my class names from there. I'm surprised that I could fit the whole thing in. It looked much bigger in real life. Just look; you have to take two steps to get up to the passenger's seat near that big window.
We were talking about college earlier, but I think that it fits better down here. It's obviously the next step for me if I want to persue any of my very ambitious dreams, but in a country that I can't work in and a family that can't afford it, I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of this situation of perpetually living at home. I'm going to have a lot of catching up to do, because most people my age will have years of working experience by the time things get either much better, or much worse. Because, of course, we might not be able to stay in the country. Agh, I'm doing it again. I appreciate the care that you all express for a complete stranger like me, and I'm really just carrying on the conversation factually rather than trying to gather more of it. Something will work out one way or another, and a lot of university subjects hold my interest, so it will be exciting when (Yes, when) I finally do get to do it. It should be nice to work with what I really have interest in, no matter which of the many things that it might be. It would (...will) be another step to achieving many of my creative goals. It might make me something greater than a jack of all trades; a queen of all trades? Scratch that, I'm not going.
On a vastly different subject, as I have mentioned above, I tuned into EQD's TF2 livestream. I have never played TF2 despite it seeming like the type of game that I would be inclined to play, but when they had everyone speaking on Skype while they were in the game and 900 people watched them, it looked very fun. But mostly because 900 people were watching. If I was in such a situation, I would enjoy putting on a show for them with the game and the conversation. Mic's Tumblr feed is as NSFW as he is, so seeing the reaction of everyone in the chat was entertaining. There were some good empressions as well. Someone did a good King of Hyrule (I wonder what's for dinner?), and there was a good movie trailer announcer voice (IN A WORLD...). Phoe mentioned that she was in her 30s, and she eventually quit the game due to motion sickness (Saying "I love you, too". Queue the universal "d'awww"ing). Apparently, WhiteDiamonds + swearing = Phoe. Well, now you know what is keeping you from being a writer for EQD, Diamonds. As you might imagine, I can't get into detail about many of the things that they said, but it was all very funny and I wish that I could do such a thing as well.
It really seems like the musicians get more attention than the artists. I wish I would bring myself to do something with my notation programs. I have the same thing that they use (FL Studio), but so far I haven't had a good reason to make anything with it. Maybe it would be a good thing to include alongside the artwork.
@jodyjm13
I don't tend to have much to input about an episode until someone else gives theirs (Of course, add that right before Harwick comes in), so I'll just mention that "flim-flam" is in fact a synonym for a confidence trick, or a con job, so I guess we have definitive proof now. Also, the last book that I remember reading was --one of my comments-- about making AI. My friend (The one that I cared to keep in contact with) thought that I was especially good at making artificial intelligence, so I should improve on that specialty. I have odd taste in novels.
That's fine, I'm glad that you enjoy it. There have been some conversations here that I would I wish input more, but I can't because either it's too personal or I can't relate or input the way that it effects my life. And, it's fine, you aren't being overbearing at all. Most of the people that have been here are Christian anyway, or exactly half of the "regulars". I find your care and offerings as a sign of your generosity.
I have found that some artists use only digital techniques like what I used for their artwork, like this. Actually, that might make it easier to come up with a third art piece, if I did it that style. Maybe I should keep it as a reoccuring element for my work, to switch between it and Diamonds' Marker drawing style. With drawings, digital art, game projects and the possibility of music...it seems that my blog could be quite varied.
And of course, I'm glad that you like it as well. It means more to me that someone from WhiteDiamonds' blog thought that it was good than just any person from off the internet, who may or may not even really mean what they say. Your feedback is among the most positive that I have ever gotten so far, so I credit you as well for giving me reason to continue my efforts towards this craft. If this really did go so smoothly, then I have less concern about showing this blog whatever comes next.
@Cinnamon Fritter
Part of the benefit of a place like this, or possibly the reason why it can exist in the first place, is because we can form such long and detailed messages to eachother and keep in better contact than an imageboard or EQD comment section would allow. We don't have a page of new entries every day, and the traffic is not that high, so we can all recognise eachother and give more effort to what we say and how we will present ourselves to people that we will likely speak with again. Also, I think that the passers-by, the people that are unwilling to follow the standard of careful commenting will lose interest and go back to a quicker-paced place of discussion like the ones that I mentioned. This blog serves a different purpose than those, and it can gather a small group of like-minded people to produce far more than any average speaker in a common forum ever would.
I can certainly relate to the isolation that is caused by such talent among your peers, as up until recently, I had nothing to show for my work except for some circles and paragraphs of what might as well be empty promises. With releasing the product of my efforts, I seem to have at least slightly established myself among the various artists that frequent this blog, even if it isn't anything like what they would have to show for their own work.
It can be a steep climb to improvement, but they are very supportive, inspiring and encouraging people that serve as constructive motivation to aid that improvement as much as they can with their combined experience. After all, the more flawed it is, the more that they can suggest to make it better. If you have any interest in it, the non-pony parts are easy to do with a program like Photoshop or Paint Tool SAI. You just set a few lines with the Pen/Line tool and color them in with the paint bucket/Fill tool. With careful color shade choices, it can be much easier than trying to draw the subject matter with a pen and have the same three-dimensional effect. In any case though, if I have any prior art talent, then it has less to do with eye-hand coordination (Not that I think that mine is so bad, due to video games) or knowing what to do or what techniques to use to create the image that I want (certainly not), but instead it would be in the visualisation of what I am trying to make. I think that some artists just "go with the flow" and work with whatever they wind up putting on their paper, and just make it up as they go. I work in a very perfectionist manner. I feel like I know what it should look like, and if it isn't what I want it to be, it needs to be redone. A common problem that I find in people that are new to drawing is that they don't have a good sense of depth, how to create depth, or where it should go. I ask myself, "If this was a real thing that existed, what would that part look like from that perspective?" As an object, it would not be completely flat. Sometimes it just means adding another outline just to add the width to account for where the object is being viewed from. If you look at what you made and say, "That isn't what it would really look like", or "That doesn't look exactly the way that I want it to", you should try to find what exactly it is missing to make you feel that way. This should be obvious, but if you are trying to recreate the style of something that already exists, as I have been using WhiteDiamonds' work as a reference, you might need to look very closely at what they did to make it look that way. That includes textures, shading, shape, and everything that you would need to do the same way to have the same effect. If it is something that you hope to replicate, you will need to look deep into the details of its form and try to do it that way as well. Because if you don't, then it won't look as much the same, and you probably won't be as satisfied with it. My creation is no "WhiteDiamonds", but I'd like to call it a beginner's version with some similarities (probably more so in my next project than this one). Practice isn't always the only thing that you need, because if you don't know what to be doing differently, then you won't ever know to be doing it. So you might need to take a moment to seek out the answer, if your immediate visualization does not tell you enough already. You just have to pay close attention.
That makes for strange-sounding advice, and I'm not sure what an art teacher or a more experienced aritist would think of it. But I think that my artistic practicing lead me to it, and it could potentially show you how to make anything that you want. Or maybe I just need to go to bed.
@Harwick
I don't blame anyone for skipping or forgetting things that I have put here, but it is in fact meant to be female, and based off a certain domesticated fowl. I really need to find a way to give it hair. Baldness is too male. But aside from that, I can now know that what I made had shown some worth to a professional of your caliber. It's good that your standards are not too high as to appreciate the work of people that could never compare to what you do and consider completely normal. I knew that I was in for a lot of work with this concept, but I think that it's better to give more effort to a creation and know that you did your best with it than to do less to avoid work and hope that it is well-taken anyway. I have already said a lot about what I plan for my future projects, but I hope that I can at least sustain this level of quality and acceptance in the future. It doesn't hurt at all to hear the opinion of another person from this blog, and I am grateful to you as well for letting me know exactly what you thought of it. This type of generous feedback is what we strive for.
I thought that Twilight played quite a Mary Sue-like role in the last episode, just like the one that she had at the end of Baby Cakes. I have never related to an MLP character as much as I did to Twilight during the start of episode 1. Obviously, she has changed a lot since then, but if she is still more than what we have seen in at least the last three episodes, I wish they would let her show it more like Lauren Faust did.
Hmm, do not follow your blog? Under any circumstances? This sounds like a reverse psychology trick to me...
Wow. 10 pages. You can see now why it took me so long to make this. It's 7:00 AM and I'm still awake. I usually wake up in...three hours. And yet, I'm not tired. I think this means that I win the game.
I see I've missed a bit in my absence! The worst part of going through chemo (Minus the fatigue and nausea), has to be the panic that ensues when I get a hint of a cold. I've had to spend the last few days finding my inner Rainbow Dash in the hospital. Turns out, cutting me off from my internet and phone for a few days is like telling Dash she can't fly for a while. I hugged my laptop when I got home this morning.
@Harwick Thank you! I'm hoping my sleek pony pattern works well on ponies other than Rarity. I was working on Lyra, before I got interrupted, so I'll see if I still like the pattern when she's completed. I still think my first pony was a bit of a frankenpony in terms of sewing... but since I ended up selling her (the buyer is still very happy with her) so I guess I didn't do too badly.
Volunteering at your local Guide Dog organization is something everyone should do for a little while. They literally just want people who love to hug and play with puppies for a couple of hours. It's the highlight of my week! Plus it benefits people with disabilities, and it's very heartwarming seeing a dog paired with someone. Oh boy, I can feel my inner sappy woman coming out. Stop me before I ramble on more.
@Anon
Sorry... I had thought you had specified it was a "she", and the head shape alone certainly suggested it, but a quick scan of things didn't turn up that part of the conversation and I didn't want to presume too much, especially after I've mistakenly taken other people's works to be feminine versions of male characters and... they weren't.
As for Twilight and Season 2, I do agree that the format of the second season doesn't always mesh well with the way the characters were designed. Twilight is built to be the lead... her quirks aren't pronounced enough to work in all situations, which leaves her a poor choice for setting up comic relief on the side of a main plot. Pinkie, Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy were all built to be supporting characters... you can get some mileage out of them in any situation. Poor AJ is built to be the lone supporting straight-man pony.
Changing the format of the show to take Twilight out of the lead and rotate it more freely among the rest of the cast has had some problems as a result. Twilight becomes much less interesting, being a hollow leader/straight exposition machine, and she's really had very little to do since the opening episodes. (Her biggest role was probably in "Secret of My Excess", and even there she all but disappears for the third act.) Rarity has proven to be the surprise hit as lead... she shines under the extra responsibility of carrying the main plot, and still gets to work all of her quirks in. Dash has proven to have the rockiest transition. Her brash, egotistical nature is actually endearing in a supporting role, as she's mostly working to help others. As lead, working through her own issues while sporting the attitude, it seems much of fandom feels she comes off as unlikable.
Really, what I hope to see more of is a combination of the first two seasons. Go ahead and spread the leading roles around, but think back to season 1 where they had to work Twilight into each show... Not because it should be Twilight each time (despite how I may feel), but because it forced them to think of ways to include multiple members of the cast into every story. These 1 and 2 pony episodes never quite do it for me. I personally would like to see 3 of the mane six directly involved in the plot whenever possible.
I may have to come back to address the many other points in your epic response above. Again, let me wish you and your family the best, however... that's a lot of undeserved hardship to deal with.
Oh, and that's some serious thought you've put into choosing your screen name. No wonder you haven't yet decided on one. It will certainly be well-earned when you do.
@Kateasaurus
I think the graceful pony proportions should translate to most of them quite well. It's a distinctive look, but a charming one.
I've volunteered at local animal shelters at various times of my life and will likely do so again, although I haven't yet worked specifically with a Guide Dog program. Currently, I'm taking care of my own, elderly pup who has been with me through many traumatic changes in my life. She's now reached a point where she needs such constant care and help getting around that it's become a reminder that we don't have much time left together. (She was, in fact, the emotional inspiration for a drawing I did of an elderly Twilight a while ago. It's going to be very tough going forward without my best friend.) I doubt I'll be ready to take on another pet any time soon, but I also know I'm going to miss the pure happiness that an excited pup brings to my life. I expect I'll be volunteering again when that time comes.
@jodyjm13
Oh, you enjoyed those Morocco photographs did you? ^.^ I'm so very happy to hear that! I know how frequently, looking at pictures of exotic faraway lands such as that has the ability to stir my imagination and soul and fill me with all sorts of grand ideas of design inspiration and half-baked travel plans, so I'm very happy to learn that my sharing them has had some sort of similar effect on you. My mind has always been filled with images of beautiful places (both real and fictional) that I want to be able to experience, ever since I was a small child, which is why I think I love art and design as much as I do: it gives me the ability to share these visions with the world in at least some capacity, and I think that is a wonderful thing. Anyway I very much hope you will have the ability to travel abroad some day!
I'm very sorry to hear about your awful tinnitus as well, and I can't even imagine living with such a thing for such a long period of time (I've only experienced similar annoying buzzing and humming for brief periods throughout my life, but even that was enough to make me want to tug my hair). As well as the hearing loss, so awful! It's a shame that there is (seemingly, anyway) nothing that can be done about such a thing, and I only wish that I could do more to help you and everyone else.
While I realize you were not strictly speaking to me there, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the cider episode and for the most part agreed with you. Though for me at least, the Trolljack interpretation in fanart isn't necessarily a bad thing (some of the comics and such I've seen actually struck me as being pretty funny, and if nothing else of course I always welcome seeing more Applejack fanworks). I did very much enjoy all the links you shared with us though, and I will agree that that is one terrific gif. ^.^
And oh you're so incredibly sweet, thank you. I'm still overjoyed every time you mention your happiness with that picture. And yes, I've actually devoted some more serious thought to switching my avatar up, though as you can see, haven't yet taken the time to change it... soon enough though, no doubt!
@zhoomcar
Eeep, you called me a princess again, bless you dear! You all really are too good to me~ =^.^=
And by latest episode in this instance I imagine you mean the Rainbow Dash/Daring Do episode. I actually enjoyed that one quite a lot! The last two Rainbow-centric episodes have admittedly not been amongst my favorites, but this time around I think she was a little less, err abrasive to my tastes I suppose and I find the idea of her being a giddy fiction fangirl cutely entertaining. Plus the animation in that episode was top-notch in my opinion, and while the episode wasn't without its flaws (as Harwick touched on) I did really like it.
*haven't ever had
Day-late spelling corrections, for great justice.
Well, that last group of comments broke my account again. I'm on account #4 now. I might as well document this; ten comments is too many.
@Kateasaurus
I'm not sure whether I should take this recent update positively or negatively. I don't know the specific details, but you're at the best age to recover, so I hope you won't find it insensitive if I say that I expect that you will be fine at this rate. This blog does make for a good place to return to and find new messages, though regrettably most were by me this time. To have such an experience must encourage you to take more charitable actions. You are doing what you enjoy, sharing the result with all of us, giving it to a person that really likes it and using what money that they offered for it to put towards a selfless purpose that you care about. You may not be suited to work at a job right now, so you are doing what you can in the meantime.
@Harwick
Oh, no, it's fine. I know how ambiguous it is. It's hard to make eyelashes visible when they are flat (presumably made of light) and mostly covered. Maybe I should try putting them on top of the head in a cartoon style just so that you can see them. On a character like Fluttershy, it should be more obvious. I really hope that I will get to make one for her, since I've matched her with one of the most dramatic giant flying robots, and also the second best suited in a female context. (But we don't like to talk about the abomination that is the first.) It would probably fit better with something other than the cocky smile, anyway. I'm just glad that it hasn't been compared to an "MS girl". (I'll have you know, I'm just working with the most famous and this really is the extent of my knowledge of such things.)
I should recognise that it isn't all bad. The economy seems to be getting better, so we're out of the worst of it. It sounds like you're still doing okay, so we have that to be thankful for. Something will work out one way or another, and when it does, I will be able to try the things that I have wanted. Your response to my ranting, like those of everyone else here, shows a great part of what makes our small group what it is. If I didn't have the people here to tell it to, I would have much more to complain about than money.
@Kateasaurus
Yes, exactly it's your own style, the same as any visual artist such as myself has when it comes to drawing. There's nothing wrong with that in the slightest, and indeed I welcome seeing plenty of variety!
'An army of elegant ponies on your bed', oh my, that's way too hilarious and yet makes for an adorable mental image. ^.^ And the more slender frame definitely makes sense if you are making them for the purpose of modeling outfits, among other things. It's like how those tall, long-legged women always seem to make the best fashion models (curse the fact that I am not very tall by any stretch of the imagination), which also makes me think of Rarity's elegant pony-dressforms. I'm sure they'll be perfect for that, and I sincerely hope you'll be sharing photos of those outfits once you get around to making some!
I'm terribly sorry to hear that you were stuck without a computer for so many days my dear, and in a hospital worrying about a potential cold no less. I remember when my brother-in-law and sister went through that, though according to my brother-in-law the nausea was by far the worst thing (which I can easily imagine; I definitely think feeling sick to one's stomach is one of the worst feelings in the world). I have to wonder, have you tried any papaya enzyme for the nausea yet? In my family's experience at least it seemed to help a good deal, so if not I guess it might at least be worth a try for you.
Oh, heehee... your grandmother sounds like a most interesting person indeed. ^.^; But yes, if it is not an inconvenience of time for you then whenever you'd be able to share it would be lovely, and I'd be sure to take a picture to share the results with you as soon as I did bake my own version!
@Cinnamon Fritter
First off, welcome back dear! You're right in that we really do have a lovely group that frequents this blog, and I consider myself very lucky for that fact. Of course as has been said and as I hope would be obvious regardless, you are always more than welcome to post here whenever you're inspired. ^_^
On the subject of art, I hope you wouldn't feel intimidated to post anything you might have done so far simply because some of us are more experienced. Everybody has to start somewhere after all, and if you think my advice and constructive critique might be useful and welcome I'd be more than happy to offer it to you (or not, if the opposite is true instead). But yes if you're ever up for sharing your deviantART page with us, I'm sure I'd love to see your work!
As you might guess, I understand and agree with all of your observations. Twilight carries the story well, while characters like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash are good at speaking and acting. From what I know, a story usually consists of a main character that observes with the viewer, and expressive exterior characters for the main character to reflect upon. When Twilight is not the lead character, her personality must be made much more extreme than is natural so that her dialogue and actions are still considered remarkable (that is, worth caring about). When Pinkie would suddenly start putting on a comedy act, she disconnects with the viewers because we could not have possibly predicted it. Pinkie does not require a reason; Twilight does. If the main character was always like Pinkie Pie, it would all feel so fast-paced and we would never quite understand the meaning behind the actions of the character who drives the story. If all of the outside characters were like Twilight, then the show would be much more serious because every action would be well-thought out and have a good reason for occuring, even if we never get to see it. Twlight's actions are meaningful, and require context to be fully appreciated. Rainbow Dash's actions are usually too brash and quickly decided upon for the viewer to really relate with them, and Pinkie's do not require a deep understanding to be appreciated as much as they can be. I like the variety, and Dash did better during the last episode because her self-consciousness and hesitance made her more understandable.
(I would like to mention that I did this entirely by accident.) But an episode with half of the mane 6 actively supporting as main characters would probably be great. Maybe Twilight, Applejack and Rarity? They're good straight-man and leading ponies.
...
Oh wait.
Well, Look Before You Sleep only had those three, so it isn't really what I had in mind. It needs expressive minor characters along the way. I call for another one. I'm trying to think of a good example, but it's all just turning into some sort of Rarijack field trip. How can I make it Raritwijack...
@Cinnamon Fritter
As far as the anxiety goes, I'm afraid that sounds exactly like what I go through, with the exception of the jaw/tongue thing that you get towards the end (even though I do have trouble speaking, though that's mostly because I can hardly catch a breath). Instead, I get more and more lightheaded and faint, and in fact I nearly did pass out last week when I thought one of my episodes was finally over and I got up to pet my cat, but luckily I managed to grab hold of a chair before I hit the ground or anything like that. Still, altogether not fun!
I actually did suffer from horrible asthma as a child, so badly in fact that I was in the emergency room on almost a monthly basis for years. And so naturally, at first I thought maybe my difficulty breathing had something to do with that, even though I essentially outgrew the condition when I was a teenager. But no, it seems as I said to be textbook panic attacks, even though eighty percent of the time nothing seems to precede them and I've never had this problem at any point in my life before now, and despite the fact that I've been through far more stressful periods before. Go figure! Now at this point it's only a matter of determining whether or not the cause is "organic" in the doctor's words, or simple underlying stress as I said... I guess we shall see.
Ugh I don't generally like riding in elevators either, any more than I hate flying in airplanes (which I understand is a potential barrier to all the traveling I still want to do in my life, though I figure I can deal with the phobia the way my mother does and have a few martinis at the airport before I board the plane. Aherm~). And yes, antidepressants... I'm not going to get into it too much, but suffice to say I've had some experience with them before as well and am more than happy never to touch the things again. No thank you! A nice magical Ativan to calm me down is more than good enough, and I expect that's what I'll be sticking to from now on and if I need it, which hopefully will not be the case.
Anyway, I'd like to thank you very much for sharing your own personal insights into the matter my friend, and for being willing to extend yourself the way that you have. I'm doing my best to manage the condition now that I actually know what's wrong with me, and I can only hope that your own situation improves as well!
@Anon
Oh dear, I'm afraid you've gone and comment-ninja'd me now darling, though I guess I shouldn't expect anything different when I take so many ages to get back to everyone here. I'll be back to reply to you and everyone else I've missed a little bit later on, as (you'll have to forgive me) it's now time for my weekly Y&R marathon! Ahem~
@WhiteDiamonds
I'm just finishing my replies, so I don't expect you to add an immediate response. I assure you, I take much longer. You just can't tell because I type it all out in Notepad before copy and pasting it all in at once. I spend so much time rereading, correcting and rephrasing that it can take hours at times. I will mention, though, that you prompted me to look up the TV listings (Yes, at 2:00). There are a lot of good shows on right now...especially on channels that I don't have.
@WhiteDiamonds I think since I'm quite short myself (only 5'2" T_T), I automatically make things very tall and long. I do, however, know how to hem pants like you wouldn't believe! :P
Once I track down the right colored satin, Rarity will be getting a fabulous Gala dress! I'm probably a tad over-excited about this. Then again, I still get a rush out of watching my embroidery machine go to work. There will be a ton of pictures, of course, whenever I finish.
Luckily, since every member of my family is in someway involved in the medical field, I have a large number or ways to deal with my nauseous days. My family has, unfortunately, had to deal with family members with cancer many times before. So as a result, everyone knows what works and what doesn't.
I will definitely write up the recipe into a more understandable state this week! I actually have to make another one for Valentine's day, so what better a time to do it?
@Anon I was lucky enough to catch it early, so that (plus my age) will be a big help in my overall recovery. Being the superstitious former hockey player, though, I won't say I'm out of the woods until I have 100% confirmation of such from my doctors. That's just me though.
I enjoy coming here a lot. I enjoy the fact that everyone can speak in complete sentences, and no one talks about the annoying dribble my Facebook feed is composed of. I'm starting to think I'm the only person from my group of college friends who actually learned in college. I really need more like-minded, brony friends. Plus I'm a sucker for artwork of any kind. Especially since I can't draw to save my life.
I honestly just lost my train of thought. So hopefully everything I just wrote makes sense. :P
Just on a random side note (also because I feel like adding to this comment thread just to see it reach 200), I just noticed today that your blog URL got a ".au" suffix. is this just me or...
@Harwick
Yay, you're back! I actually did notice your absence (even when I don't respond to Drawfriends, which I realize is almost never in recent weeks, I generally do go back and look through them at least every few days). Needless to say I actually did miss your presence quite a lot. ^.^ If you don't mind my asking, as some of my family lives there what part of Ohio did you happen to visit?
And haha yes, I know what you mean; the situation almost is funny if it were not for the fact that we are all real people who happen to be suffering from a variety of problems all at the same time. It almost seems like something out of a Seinfeld episode as it stands though, and indeed I was only recently saying to Jody that if I didn't know any better, I'd have to wonder if ailments were somehow contagious via blog! But yes I hope you will not worry too much about me, Harwick dear; I've been through far worse in my life and happily it seems like I do have everything under control for the time being. Thank you for the concern though!
Eeep!! You went ahead and made a blog?! Psh well I don't care how strongly you might be trying to discourage me or anyone else from following you there (if indeed as Anon said, this is not merely some clever reverse psychology), I'm going to watch you and there is nothing you can do to stop me, so hah! Expect some comments whenever it is that I get through my own mountain of messages here, which will hopefully be sometime tonight, but we shall see.
As far as the subject of Season 2 goes, I think you phrased all of that far more accurately and thoughtfully than I ever might have made the effort to put into words myself, and I find myself agreeing with every single point that you brought up. I hate to sound like one of those bronies who whines about how Season 2 pales in comparison to the first season, and that the show is losing is charm because neither or those points are strictly true, however I do think that overall the episodes have not been as strong for me this time around with the exception of a few standouts. I think a great deal of this is the fact that I miss a lot of the Mane 6 group interaction as I have mentioned before, and I guess another part of it is the fact that the character spotlights don't always seem to work as well due to reasons that you very thoroughly covered (those were indeed my problems with the two earlier Rainbow-centric episodes). Of course I still do enjoy the show very much and it's arguably still much better made than and written than much of what else is on TV, but I can't help feeling a tiny bit of disappointment when I think of those factors all the same.
Lastly my friend, I simple had to say something about the subject of your dog after you brought that story up to Katie... it's not as if your 'Last Parade' artwork wasn't sad and depressing enough to me already every time I look at it! I've also gone through the experience of losing a dog (as well as other pets)... I used to have a little Jack Russell terrier that I absolutely adored and who really was my best friend for many years. I don't want to get into the matter too much as it's immensely depressing and I'd hate to bring down the mood in here like that, but suffice to say that I do know very well what you're going through and what it's like to have to watch a good friend of yours decline, and I'm so very sorry to hear it... at the very least, I know your dog is very lucky to have you and I'm sure you her, and that is a wonderful thing.
And now the only thing I want to do is to go and volunteer for the Guide Dog program or an animal shelter or something, if only I had more time! I'll have to work that one out somehow, because I know it really is a most rewarding thing to do.
@Anon
Alright Anon dear, at long last I'm able to turn my attention to your great multitude of comments! Which of course I say with some affection, I hope you realize. I sincerely hope you didn't think I was neglecting you at all as it's taken me so long to get back to you, and especially considering the fact that my week's worth of soap operas are actually recorded for my viewing convenience every weekend. Also Good Goddess my dear, are you telling me that you actually took the time and made the effort to count every single character in your posts just to see what the limit actually was?? I thought I was a thorough individual most of the time, but really your observant, painstaking manner puts my own to shame... I guess this means I'll have to pass the tiara on to you now.
Anyhow yes, Moroccan architecture and style really is quite appealing, isn't it? I've always loved the look of the exotic and elaborate, yet warm and "intimate" aesthetics of the structures and decor. I agree with you that it almost seems like something out of a fantastical movie or story or something, and I think that's a very large part of why I've wanted to experience myself in person... well, someday hopefully.
Regarding your username I have to agree with Harwick, in that I'm sure whatever you eventually decide on will be a gem considering how much time and thought you've apparently put into the matter. I'm amazed anyone would bother to break it down to such a degree really, but then I'm the sort of person who tends to decide whether or not I like something at an immediate first glance, and am not usually easily swayed after that. Which kind of-sort of (not really) brings me to the topic of food... I have to say I am nothing short of astounded to think of someone never having experienced all of those things as you say, and most especially the eggs as I always took those for a basic food that everyone in every part of the world ate on a pretty regular basis. But no, seriously? So not only have you never experienced the bliss that is a good quiche, eggs benedict or sardou, or sukiyaki served with bowl of steamed rice and a raw egg cracked right on top, but not even such a basic dish as scrambled eggs?? As they say on the internet, mind = blown.
Anyhow, moving on to your artwork. I really hope you are proud of what you accomplished with it, since it's a pretty extraordinary effort as I already said. Though again, I am rather amazed by the technical nature of your approach in learning as it's so completely foreign to me and all other artists I've ever known (your talking about taking a percentage calculator to my ponies' ears made me giggle, for instance. Though I will say that in my 'All Dolled Up' picture, Applejack's ears are both a bit flattened in annoyance so that might not have been wholly applicable). I do hope that I might be able to see some more actual drawings from you as time goes on, but I think this is mostly because I can relate to that type of thing more and of course, whatever it is that you prefer to do is what you should stick to; it is your artwork after all. Blog, gundams, eyes or no, I'm looking forward to it.
@Anon (continued)
I'm glad to learn that you might be able to do something to help your own tinnitus condition (and obviously, I hope it works), and it's good to hear that you seem to consider it a manageable thing and not some kind of terrible ailment that makes every moment of your life that much more difficult, as I was originally imagining. As far as the state programs go, the ones that I am aware of in my own area at least do not require any sort of stable income, but the issue of citizenship might make a significant difference, and I'll admit I hadn't even thought about that. Hopefully situations will be improving for you and your family soon enough though as things at least sound promising, and like Jody I will continue to think positive, happy thoughts for you anyway. As I've said before, creative visualization has never done me any harm at the very least.
Lastly, while I know you were not really speaking to me dear, I did catch that bit about how you write all of your comments in such a fashion as to ensure you and I get along as well as possible, and I had no idea this was the case! But I sincerely hope you don't really feel this is anything you need to do. I'd hate to think of anyone going through such efforts merely to gain my favor or whatever the case may be, and I can assure you it's entirely unnecessary anyway. I adore talking to Favo for instance, and you and he seem to be about as different as two people possibly can be, so yes... just be yourself!
@Kateasaurus
I know, it's just awful isn't it! By the sound of things I might maybe have an inch on you dear if even that (sans heels of course, and thank Goddess for those). It's a good thing I know how to dress properly for my height, and I try not to complain about such things as can't be changed, but.... eh.
Well I'm happy to hear that you're planning on posting pictures of the finished outfits when you get to them, and I can only imagine Rarity would be thrilled to find herself bedecked in an assortment of fine satins (I know I would!)! It's also comforting to hear that your family is seemingly perfectly equipped for helping you through everything you're going through; I'm sure that must make it that much easier as it can possibly be.
Oh, the cake is fine whenever you get around to it, I'm certainly in no hurry! Thank you very much for the thought in any case! And yes, for what it's worth I at least thought your post made complete and total sense. ^_^
@zhoomcar
Heh well I don't think you need to worry about that too much dear, as by the looks of things we should reach 200 with pretty minimal effort (take a bow, everyone~). I do appreciate the thought though. And oh, really, my URL changed for you? That's strange, as I can't seem to see any difference myself. I wonder what could possibly be up with that...
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh yes and you'll all have to excuse my typos (as well as some undoubtedly poor grammar), a multitude of which I can easily see now just casually glancing back over my recent posts. I'm afraid I'm a bit exhausted at the moment.
@WhiteDiamonds
I knew you weren't of course; after all, it took me 6 days to respond, and you only 3. I actually got the character count from a website, and I was taking parts out until the preview would display and putting them back in until it told me that I had exceeded the limit. That's actually a method that I use to debug: "Take it out until it works again, put it back in until breaks again." But that does sound like something that I would do...
Hmm, what else is there to say...ah yes, about foods. Yes, the reason for it is because when I've never tried something, it's assumed that I "don't like it", and so I never try it. My sister has eaten scrambled eggs and boiled eggs before, and everyone else in the house likes quiche (I've never tried that because I honestly can't stand the smell of bacon, which I have also never tried). It usually works like so; "That smells weird. Nah. Where did you put the cereal?" Most of what I eat is in fact healthy cereal. It isn't that I'm close-minded, I just don't like to argue over whether or not it would be worth it. I think I used to eat rice a little when I was very young, but I haven't had it since then. I tend to think that someone living in California has tried it all (Especially someone like you), but I know that it depends on which city you live in.
It seems that in my editing, I had broken two of the sentances. This:
"The shortest being Applejack's right ear (approximate, accounting for obscured length) and the longest being this to go by."
Should be this:
"The shortest being Applejack's right ear (approximate, accounting for obscured length) and the longest being Rarity's left ear. You tend to draw faces rather than full bodies, so I only had this to go by."
And then I go on to compare it to the show's Applejack, to show the difference in leg shapes.
Anyway, this is going to sound ridiculous and wrong to you, but this should give you a look inside my thoughts and technical way of practice:
I feel that, since it's about "knowing" how to draw rather than being physically capable of it, a person can be "told" how to draw the subject matter more the way that they want. At least, I think I can. Things like drawing circles obviously are mostly just muscle memory, but if you switched the bodies of an experienced artist and a complete beginner, the beginner mind would still draw like a beginner and the expert would still draw like an expert, despite having switched hands. We're all (or our bodies are all) equally capable of doing work of any quality no matter our experience. Design skill is not the same as exercising. It's all in the head and the mind. So if only I knew what an expert thinks while they approach their work, I would know how to draw like an expert. If I could, I would tell my past self that "When you're drawing noses, curve them up first before going back down." Because at first, I was just drawing them flat forward, then down. When an expert looks at the work of a beginner and thinks, "That isn't as good as what I would make, because I would do it differently", what would they do instead?
If I spoke to an artist and asked them, "How do you draw that well?", they would certainly tell me that it "comes with experience". Experience is the way that you teach yourself through repetition, trial and error. Experience is the slow way to learn. As you said, my methods were very technical. I'm going about learning one of the most famously abstract things through technical methods that no one is willing to respect or support. I'm learning in a way that does not require a lot of practice. Most people learn by trying, feeling satisfied with their attempt, and trying again later. Eventually, they dig out the hidden answer that they are searching for. Practice is a way for people that don't know what to do to find the answer on their own without outside assistance. Instead of practicing, I'm gathering outside assistance, looking deep into exactly what I want to replicate, and "telling" myself how to draw. I didn't just try to make a decent ear repeatedly with no idea of what I'm doing until I settled on one that didn't look quite as terrible as the last (Well, I did, but that's more out of perfectionism and I had a good idea of what I wanted already anyway). I didn't teach myself naturally, I extracted the answer from the source. That's what I tried to say to Chinnamon Fritter (but instead it just came out as a garbled mess of sleep-deprivation): Practicing the same thing repeatedly won't always be enough to tell you what you need to try next. I observe what I hope to recreate very closely, and I work from what I see rather than just keep trying until I come to the right conclusion. I have only made one, and I already feel like I could write a manual on proper pony form. Something that would detail exactly what I had learned from my experience of observation.
You can say whatever about that method that you want, but I believe that it's the reason why it didn't turn out as an ever-so-common stick figure. Aside from that, I can confirm that I'm eager to start working closer to what you have for us here on this blog. It probably won't be entirely free of Line use this time, but I have another good reason for it. Not to detail these things too much, it should include a couple completely normal ponies, so I'll do it soon enough. That should come after I make another pose of this one, though; I want to make one with the sword turned on (Since it's half lightsaber and all). Which comes after these vectors are done. At least what I'm doing is productive, and you will all get to see the result of them. It's nice to at least consider the possibility that I might have things to give back to our local group.
Everyone speaks and acts differently depending on who they are speaking to though, right? You wouldn't speak to your grandmother the same as you would to your friends. I'm perhaps more used to linking a lot of humorous imagery and videos, not unlike how Favo does, as if it was its own language. But you are nothing like the 16-year-old male programmers that I might find myself talking to, so it just doesn't feel "appropriate" in this context. It's fine when other people do it, but I don't want to take the risk. At least not when I have only known you for a few weeks. I don't want to give you the wrong impression about me, or make our differences any more evident than they need to be. I am being myself; just not a self that comes out very often when I'm around other people.
Congratulations, you now have a two-page comment thread. And for some reason, it is showing that there are three more comments than there really is. In the next entry after this, there is 31 when it should be 30.
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