This piece was created for a certain Kerensky, who had a very specific scene in mind for Rarity in a snowy village/Ponyville setting, accompanied by what decidedly had to be recognizable as a Russian KV-85 tank. This was another piece which obviously, took me quite a bit outside my comfort zone as I still don't consider myself to be very competent with such complex inorganic subjects, but I did quite a lot of research for this project (that including studying detailed tank blueprint drawings from various angles) and at least I am confident that I should now be able to identify one of these quite easily at first glance, should the knowledge ever come in handy for anything. Hooray for accidental education!
Rarity was, as always, a subject I was more than happy to work with. Kerensky had the idea to have her wearing a ushanka (furry Russian hat), but left the decision for coat or no coat up to me, and I compromised by selecting for a nice fur cape to match her headgear. Overall the piece was a great deal of fun to do, and I certainly hope you all will enjoy seeing it!
EDIT: I have now uploaded this picture to my deviantART account as well; check out the full-sized version here if you like! More new artwork to come soon enough as well, with any luck!
Cheers, darlings! ^_~
WD
185 comments:
(This comment is to prove that I do see the entry very early, it really just takes me that long to write a decent review. Typing in progress...)
You posting this the moment I finished a Maths test makes me feel oh so much better about myself. The test went horribly (in my opinion anyway) :<
As for the picture, I find it somewhat entertaining to look at. Maybe it has something to do with those other "Ponies with tanks, battleships, warplanes etc." images I've been seeing floating around the Internet, -shrugs-
I would like to compare this image to your commission to Forderz, with similar surrounds, swapping out the steampunk for the snow and the tank. As well as a matching outfit for Rarity, which seems fairly minimalist to her Victorian era dress, but still just as fabulous.
But anyway, I love this! I'm sure Kerensky will be quite pleased with the end result as well.
Addendum: for a picture titled sovietrarity.png, I was expecting a bit more red...
@Anon
Confound you, good sir, for beating me to the punch.
Oh it's quite alright, both of you. I was tempted to just wait for tomorrow honestly, as I'm exceptionally tired now and don't know how much longer I can stay up, but I probably should put it up on deviantART now... meh. I'll do that quickly but I certainly don't have the stamina to stay up and respond to any comments there tonight, I'm afraid.
@zhoomcar
My client was happy with his picture, thank you very much for asking (or well stating or whatever, you know). It reminds me quite a lot of my steampunk Rarity picture as well, but Kerensky sent me a mockup of the layout he wanted for this piece before I began working on it, and this was how he wanted the scene set up so I just went with it. But there certainly are many similarities with how it was composed, agreed.
It's funny you say that about the red, because one of the numerous edits I made for this picture involved adding a red star to Rarity's hat, adding a number to the tank and so on, but I was so torn about which version to upload I just went with the original to keep things more simple for myself (and besides that I suppose that, overall, it's my favorite). Thank you again for the comments, and as far as your math test goes I am very sorry to hear that! I'm afraid that's how I was usually left feeling after testing in that particular subject, as well...
Rarity in the snow is perfectly fine in my book, but...I have to admit the tank was a little jarring. I mean, that is rather out of your comfort zone (and I don't mean that in terms of art). But it's always nice to see something new from you again, it's been far too long. Also I find it quite reminiscent of your commission for Forderz; maybe it's the houses.
@zhoomcar
Oh Lord you just had to mention Math, didn't you? =P
@CaineScroll
I'm sorry if you don't particularly care for the piece or the subject matter dear, but it was a commission of course and so obviously was not my own idea! As I said to zhoomcar, this picture has many elements in common with Steampunk Rarity aside from just the houses, but again it's what was asked of me and I do appreciate the nice sentiments about getting new artwork up, thank you. I agree that it's been far too long since I posted anything, but the good thing is that it shouldn't be as long between updates now, since I've been working on other things while finishing up edits on this piece.
...I'm afraid I can't stay up any longer now, or I do believe I shall fall asleep right here on my nice warm laptop...
Taaaaaaaaank! (l4djk)
Anyway, a pretty interesting picture you have done!
Not much to say, except that I like the snow texture on the roofs, and Rarity's mane as well (So fabulous, and detailed.), and the fact that I don't talk too much.
@WhiteDiamonds
Ouch. Did it really sound that disapproving? =( Because I definitely didn't intend it to sound that way...*cries* I just thought it looked...fresh. Like Lady Gaga. But I'll get used to it. =)
PS: Forgive me if I do sound off these days...I'm still caught between art and real life (hence, Math, zhoomcar!) and I'm going in way over my head. Among other things.
Молодцы! Какая красивая работа! Товарищка Даймондс, вы всегда удивительно! Прекрасно!
This is a really different and very beautiful piece. I find perspective to be extremely challenging, and I can't imagine how much effort it took trying to figure out the relative sizes of a little pony, a huge tank, and large houses at various distances. You did a marvelous job, of course! Rarity's плащ and ушанка are lovely on her, and you managed to get them to look very plush and furry. It's faux, I hope (though it appears this is war!).
Your buildings are incredible, and they have so much realistic shape, weight, and volume that they almost look computer rendered, rather than drawn. Beautiful!
Our lovely heroine appears rather pensive. I note that there is no exhaust coming from the tank, so perhaps she has run out of gas, and is not sure whether this town has been infiltrated or even taken by the enemy. It does not look like the town has been hit by the ravages of war yet, but one can never be too careful!
If only she could reach полковник Аппэлджэк on the wireless to request reinforcements!
In sum - I love it! You're amazing! :)
Ha... Okay, I did not expect this.
I actually saw the thumbnail of this briefly as I quickly (and groggily) checked my messages this morning on my phone, but it never occurred to me that it might be the fabled 9th Commission from White Diamonds! I really wasn't expecting a tank from you, admittedly. There's something I find humorous in that I took to drawing ponies to get away from having to draw tanks and guns and such. You seem to prove they can fit in quite well!
I love Rarity first and foremost... not that there's anyone better at depicting her, but I still appreciate each and every take on her you give us. Such lovely eyes, soft gradations on her fur, the charm you put into the shapes of the crisp curls of her hair... You've done some lovely work with the shine and tonal play across her mane especially. I too love her expression... I did not see her as the driver of the tank, but rather someone worried that its arrival might mean trouble. And of course her hat and cape are wonderfully done... In color they look functional rather than rich and luxurious looking, yet still held together with a stylish clasp.
My only complaints would all be due to the strictness of the commission itself, especially seeing as you were tasked to recreate so specific a tank (which you've done marvelously). My own preference would have been for something a bit more stylized to better merge with the MLP world. Conversely, I might have requested Red Square as a backdrop instead of Ponyville, especially St. Basil's Cathedral, which frankly makes the architecture of Sugar Cube Corner and Canterlot look tame.
But I know too well the constraints of meeting the client's vision, and you've done a remarkable job with this juxtaposition of a soviet war machine and quaint little Ponyville. The atmosphere is suitably bleak but doesn't quite overpower the warmth and appeal of the character and her village. I'd like to think hope remains that this oppression will pass, because I can't see Rarity doing well in a society that discourages fabulousness to such a crushing degree.
Lovely work indeed!
Last night my WD alarm went off. Klaxon blaring, I jumped up from my bed and fired up my computer with excitement.
Alright, so perhaps I don't have such an alarm, but I was having trouble sleeping last night and realized that it had been a few days too many since I checked in on this blog and was pleasantly surprised to see another of your ever-so-shiny pictures posted. Thank you for making a sleepless night that much better. Of course, now that I have actually gotten some rest on me, I can leave something resembling a coherent comment.
Soviet Rarity? I approve, if for no other reason than it means she gets to sample the stylings of such fabulous winter wear. That really is quite a uniform for her. It impressively manages to look both militaristic and elegant at the same time. (Though perhaps that is simply Rarity's unique ability to look good in absolutely anything). Fighting for the Motherland never looked so good.
The setting is excellent. It has a sort of... "heavy" look to it. It's hard for me to put into words, but I fully expect that tank to be put to use were we to fast forward a few scenes. Yet, it's not bleak, given all the bright lighting. Speaking of which, the lighting is quite skillful (as it always with you), the way it slants in the windows and reflects off Rarity's tail and mane.
There are plenty of other details I greatly enjoy, such as the blurriness of the up-close, falling snow, the texture you used for the roofs, and, my personal favorite, the sprinkling of snow nestled in Rarity's hat and cape. I don't know how easy all of this is to an artist of your caliber. This might have all the silliness of someone writing an entire paragraph complimenting an author for spelling their words right, but given that a lot of the artists I browse don't near exhibit this level of artistic mastery, I feel the need to praise it.
In regards to that tank, it exudes detail. I'm sure, if its designation could stay lodged in my head, I too could identify it simply based on your representation of it. Your research definitely shows.
I have to say, I really like Rarity's expression here. I'm curious to know what your thought behind it was. To me it's "Yes, I'm wearing a ushanka in front of a tank, what of it?" I love it.
All in all, this is quite a splendid, different, piece. Nothing like a change of pace every now and then. Go, Rarity, push back the enemy and retake Stalliongrad with grace (and don't you dare end up like Roza Shanina)!
(My imagination states that Applejack is in that tank. I'm not going to argue with it.)
@Harwick
Fair point that Rarity might not be the tank commander. I assumed she was meant to be, due to the old "Rarity finds a tank" pictures, and the fact that Di mentioned she was asked to do alternate versions where Rarity did have the red star military insignia on her hat.
I would prefer to think that if Rarity were in Russia, she would be found in beautiful Saint Petersburg, rather than dreary old Moscow, and I'd put St. Petersburg's Спас-на-Крови ("Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood") up against St. Basil's for architectural excess (most of the interior is covered in floor to ceiling mosaics, as well).
@PonydoraPrancypants
Oh, html linking, why must you vex me so? Try this one: Russian church
@PonydoraPrancypants
That's another awesome church... I'm so glad they survived the Soviet era (though just barely in many cases).
I was still imagining the tank would be in the background, hence I picked St. Basil's for its location on Red Square at the Kremlin. You don't get much more Soviet than that, and lord knows they paraded a fair share of tanks in front of it. That said, I'm all for seeing Di send Rarity on a World tour to exotic locales, tank-free.
It's always great to see new WhiteDiamonds art, and I think this turned out really good! Rarity in furry outfits suits her quite well.
And of course the tank looks awesome too, can't go wrong with tracked vehicles. It's actually pretty funny, someone commented on the Deviantart post that the tank is literally a Soviet rarity, so few were produced during the war. After I read that, the title gave me a nice chuckle. :D
And since this is my first comment on your blog, I also want to say that the rest of your gallery is really cute and well done.
But now I have a dilemma!
Who's cuter: Applejack or Rarity?!
AAAAAHHHHHHHhhhh
Another fine drawing; I confess to being curious about the revisions, but there's no deying the version you've posted is very appealing. I'm no military expert, so all I can say about the tank itself is that it looks convincing, and I like how you've drawn the snow collecting on the tread and wheels. Rarity looks terrific herself; the ushanka and fur cape fit her surprisingly well, and her apprehensive expression is emphasized effectively by her body language. This drawing may also be the best rendition of her mane and tail I've seen; the shading and lighting give a surprising realism to her stylish curls. And I love the setting; the snow is very convincingly portrayed (especially the blurry flakes that are falling, and the little bits of snow in Rarity's fur ensemble), and the buildings are appealing. The perspective on the buildings on the left is particularly impressive. And saving the least for last, I'm inexplicably amused by the shadow cast by your signature. ;)
There are some broad similarities to your "Steampunk Rarity" drawing, in that both drawings feature a less-than-amused Rarity in a Ponyville setting with muted colors caused by precipitation; similarities which, obviously, are the result of following your commissioners' wishes in each drawing. I don't really see any similarities in specifics myself, though, so I certainly wouldn't argue that you're repeating yourself.
@zhoomcar
Maths test? Now I'm jealous... Seriously, though, I do hope it went better than you fear.
@Harwick, @PonydoraPrancypants
Those are some truly impressive churches; my first thought on seeing each of them was "Wait, these are real, and not from some video game or something?" I'm somewhat torn between my admiration for the bright, bold colors and ornate architecture, and my suspicion that, well, they took things a little too far.
@Coconutswallow
I love your interpretation of Rarity's expression. And, yes, of the mane 6, Applejack is by far the most likely to be commanding a tank.
@Favo
I'm a bit too attached to my Derpy/Dinky wallpaper, but yes, this drawing would make an excellent computer wallpaper. Either in its original form or in your close-cropped version. :)
Ponibooru's closing is definitely a loss to the fandom; whatever quibbles I may have had with it were far outweighed by its usefulness as a vast, omnivorous pony repository, and it was certainly an active community as well.
Hello! (^u^) I had been wondering what the myterious 9th picture was (There can't be too many left on the list at this point)
Either way, this picture is lovely! As I said, these sort of classic clothing styles suit Rarity especially well and I'm curious what sort of emotion her face is meant to be expressing, simply because I've seen people interprate it several different ways.
And I agree, you did a wonderful job rendering the tank, it's definately impressive that you put so much research into it and it really shows and contrasts well with how nice and soft Rarity looks
@Kein
The pictures are very similar yes, but as I've explained the layout for this piece was actually done up by my client in the form of a conceptual mockup, and so I didn't really have anything to do with the composition in this particular instance. I did exactly what he asked me to do with it, and in this case (for better or for worse) that just so happens to mean it came out resembling Steampunk Rarity!
@Rev
Well hello there, and thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I really appreciate the comments (especially as you say you don't talk very much!) and am very happy that you like the picture... I had a great deal of fun working on Rarity's hair and actually was very satisfied with the snow texture in the end. Thank you again for commenting, and know that you're always welcome to participate in conversation here if you like!
@CaineScroll
Well it didn't really sound very approving, no, but that's quite alright and even if that was the case, I honestly don't mind in the slightest! I hardly expect everyone to love every pony-picture I create after all (I know that I myself don't). "Fresh" is a very good word though and the Lady Gaga remark made me laugh out loud, so thank you very much for that anyway!
On an unrelated note, I do hope school's going well for you recently. I certainly can relate to being torn between art and "real life", as well... that's been the story of my life for quite some time now really.
@PonydoraPrancypants
I'm afraid I didn't understand half of your post darling, but thank you very much for the lovely words that I could read in any case! This piece is indeed quite different from anything I've ever done or imagined I would do, and as I've said it took me quite outside my comfort zone both due to the tank and also seeing as how buildings traditionally have given me quite a bit of trouble. It was good for me to do it though I imagine... as I recently have been saying to Harwick I really need to make an effort to devote more time and energy to my backgrounds, I think, and this was another good early step.
On that note, perspective was a challenge at times yes, but it was made easier in this instance by Kerensky working out the layout the way he more or less wanted it (as I have already explained to the others above, of course!) which left me to work out some technicalities only. Judging by some comments I've received already some people apparently feel the tank looks too small, so perhaps I didn't make it clear enough that it was supposed to be a ways behind Rarity but not right up against the buildings, either... ah well, if I ever draw a snow-setting again I'll have to be more mindful of adding appropriate shadows to it, if such a thing is what is required to better convey depth! I truly am happy that you feel everything works well here though.
Lastly, as far as the matter of whether of not Rarity is meant to be the tank commander here, I'm really not sure... I'm afraid I never asked Kerensky about that and basically just tried to draw exactly what he had requested of me. But whatever the case may be of course I deeply appreciate the feedback, and thank you so very much as always for commenting~! <3
@Harwick
"Fabled 9th Commission", haha! It certainly did take me long enough to get this one up here, which as I said was rather difficult seeing as how it (or at least this version of it as seen above) has been finished for roughly a month now. It is a huge relief to be able to share it though I'm afraid of how long it's going to take me to work through all of my deviantART messages... dear Goddess the reception this one has received thus far has certainly exceeded any expectations I might have had!
I'm so very happy that you like the way Rarity turned out here dearest, as I always do relish the opportunity to draw her of course. I was particularly excited to be able to paint her mane and tail in all of their elaborately-curled glory, seeing as how the only other painting I've done of her to date (Forderz's commission) featured a wet mane, and the skirt of her dress covered her tail of course. I know that's probably a silly thing to get excited about, but for me at least it was a treat and something I was really looking forward to... I can only imagine that affected the end result as you see it here.
Haha, I am SO very happy that Kerensky requested Ponyville as a setting as opposed to the Red Square, or even Ponydora's beautiful church as either one would have seen me working on this for months, likely, considering my typical speed. These buildings were quite enough of a challenge for me. I sincerely appreciate your comments on the tank and especially seeing as how your background largely deals with drawing such things, and as far as your assessment of Rarity and the subject matter goes I think you are quite right in every way; I don't know that she or I could ever thrive in such a place where pretty bright jewel tones and flamboyant flouncy dresses would seem to be decidedly discouraged!
@Coconutswallow
Well hello darling, and thank you for such an enthusiastic response to this latest artwork! You are so very kind. I'm glad that most everyone seems to like the way the snow turned out here (I considered adding a bit more falling in the background, which perhaps I should have done) as well as the roofs because even though they are a relatively small mention, I was satisfied with them myself. Especially considering that every little bit of thatching was hand-rendered (since I never use custom brushes or textures in my artworks).
The compliments to Rarity's outfit are very much appreciated, especially since the fur cape was my own idea as I said, and because my client and I discussed the matter of an appropriate color for a while before deciding to go with something a little more militaristic to match the tank. Effectively keeping the entire palette of the piece on the cool side of the spectrum in the process (otherwise it really might have recalled Steampunk Rarity). I think you really picked up on the sort of mood that I was going for with this piece, and in that vein (in answer to your question about Rarity's expression) I didn't have anything too terribly specific in mind, but I supposed imagined her as someone who has been existing in very bleak conditions for some time, who has become wary and cautious though still maintains the elegant demeanor that makes Rarity Rarity. I'm not sure if that really makes any sense, but hopefully you can understand at least some of what my personal feelings and thought processes were here.
And lastly, as far as Applejack in the tank goes I must say I love that idea, and am officially adopting it for my own personal headcanon for this image. Now all I want to do is to paint her in a Soviet scene too, hah!
@Kinetic Spud
Good evening, and thank you very much for taking the time to comment here on my blog! It always is such a pleasure to see some new faces around here I must say. I really appreciate the kind compliments (both on this work and my others!), and am glad you like the way the whole picture turned out... I was hoping that Rarity's fur cape would be deemed a good decision seeing as how it's one of the few things in this picture that was left up to me to decide.
And oh! Well that certainly is a difficult question, but for me at least Applejack must decidedly be voted cutest pony. She likely would resent it if she knew I thought so, but I really can't help it... everything about her (and even her stubborness in a way) is just very endearing to me for whatever reason.
@Favo
Oh, dearest, you are so incredibly sweet and kind, thank you very much! <3 You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear how happy this picture made you, but believe me it's quite a lot of happiness. It's very flattering to hear that you would consider it to be wallpaper-worthy as well, thank you~!
Actually (and probably surprisingly), the tank was one thing in this picture that I didn't really edit very much, other than adding a number to it and straightening the treads just a little bit... this version as you see it is the original though and contains no edits except for some minor shading touch-ups that I added myself (and not at my client's request). It honestly does thrill me to know that you feel it turned out so well, and of course the compliments on Rarity herself are equally appreciated. I always adore drawing her though, and perhaps that enthusiasm manages to translate through in my finished pieces, I have no idea.
But yes, thank you very much again for the great comments, and regarding Ponibooru I actually am extremely sorry to hear that saddening news. I may not have utilized that site as much as I probably should have, and certainly was not involved in whatever community existed there but I know that it's served as a major hub for the online pony community for some time now, and feel it's a substantial loss. It really is too bad.
@jodyjm13
Jody-dearest, hello hello! As always it's such a welcome delight to see you posting here! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kind feedback, as I know you tend to see a whole lot of pony-art with how active you are in the community, and your exceedingly generous sentiments regarding Rarity's mane and tail especially are appreciated. As I said to Harwick, I was probably ridiculously excited that I had a chance to try painting both of them with this project... it's something I've wanted to do for some time now and just haven't gotten around to on my own, for whatever reason.
You know I always appreciate expression/pose compliments, more than probably anything else, and this case is no exception at all. And in fact, I can tell you that the vast majority of the edits I ended up doing for Kerensky involved different looks for Rarity, in the form of alternate facial expressions (a different smile or two) and so on, just because he preferred to have a selection to choose from. This version, the original is my personal favorite though, because originally he and I discussed her having a look of "vigilance"/"wariness" and I think I subconsciously made many of my decisions to compliment that look as I worked on other elements of the piece.
Haha, my signature... that was silly of me wasn't it? But for whatever reason it just looked so terribly plain that I felt I needed to embellish it somehow! I appreciate the snow compliments as well, and will admit I struggled somewhat in trying to render it convincingly; being the born-and-bred native southern Californian that I am, I think I've ever only seen actual snowfall once, and that was from the inside of a moving vehicle.
Thank you very much again for the lovely words, my friend!
@Poppun
Oh my goodness, this certainly is a pleasant surprise! Welcome to my blog my friend, and thank you very much for the lovely comments as well! I certainly hope you will always feel welcome to stay and post/join in the conversations here, should you ever be so inclined.
As I've said to all the others who have so kindly spoken praise of the tank, I really must thank you for the compliments on it, as I was admittedly nervous to tackle it at the beginning. My client Kerensky was very, very particular about how he wanted it (and the turret) positioned, and it was crucial to him that it be immediately recognizable as a KV-85 to anyone who has much knowledge about such things. Hence why I did my best to research it thoroughly, and why I am incredibly relieved to hear that most people feel it turned out well in the end.
As far as Rarity's expression goes I have rather addressed your question in some of my other replies above, but the short answer is that I was going for a look or wariness and "vigilance" more than anything, as that was what my client had initially asked for. Hopefully that will come across as believable here, but as is usual with my artworks I also encourage people to draw their own different conclusions if they prefer; truth be told the chance to hear others' interpretations of my fanarts is one of my favorite things about receiving feedback.
Thank you very much again for commenting!
@Favo
zzz
schools out this Friday. Expect more rounds of TF2 in the coming weeks. (When I'm not playing Mass Effect, that is)
Thank You (-^u^-)
And you're very welcome! I know how difficult drawing vehicles can be, especially when it's one outside of your comfort zone; once I had drawn a picture for a contest and used a stock image as a guide for the car in one part of the picture and the engine was....well....it's a lucky thing the character has a talent for engine repair (^.^')
Ah, I see. Well considering that war time Soviet Russia wasn't an especially safe time and place to be a non-pulling horse I can certainly understand why she would look that way. Though I personally think she looks as if somepony has just asked her something related to the tank, or rather a mixture of mild surprise and lack there of that comes from being asked a Question that you know the answer to and knew would most likely be asked but that you did not expect to have asked at that particular moment....Or that she's posing for a photograph in one of those period replica villages (Somehow I can easily imagine her putting together authentic Sovient-style Clothing to visit one)
On that note I AM surprised that you've never seen snow before, or rather looking at your rendition of the snow, not hearing that you're from Southern Califonia (I can't imagine what the weather must be like there)
I can read the cutie mark on the flank, my sweet. DA is convenient for me to see your updates, to always be reminded of them, but lets face it - it's SO public. How can we ever communicate? I will repost my comment from there here, that we may begin again.
Ahem:
In Soviet Equestria, FASHION DESIGNS YOU.
I do not understand the Soviet Equestria meme, so I'm not sure what I'm looking at symbolically. Instead, I will rave about how delicate and fragile Rarity looks in this picture. Her femininity is out of place in the harsh background, which just makes her prettier.
I can only assume she's a beautiful black widow spy type. 'I never thought I would have to rely on the kindness of an Ameriquestrian. Please, friend Applejack, let me get you another drink. The nights are so very cold here.'
I know they don't all have to be about Rarijack, but it's just too much fun making them be.
@Favo
Oh, you're always so nice, thank you dear. I'm glad this picture serves as a good wallpaper for you anyway, and as far as Ponibooru goes I agree with you; it is a sad loss to the community whether or not I used to frequent the place. I even liked saying the name.
As to the edit I mentioned yes, there was one with a red star as well as a number added to the tank, that also features Rarity's face slightly "cleaned up" as my client Kerensky was not overly thrilled with the somewhat looser brushstrokes I utilized here (looser as opposed to those of my steampunk Rarity picture, if you know what I mean). I don't think he'd have a problem with my sharing it, so I'll either email you a copy or else post it here in a link as soon as I can get it uploaded somewhere, if you really do want to see it so badly (no offense to my client's tastes of course but I do still prefer this original version overall).
Oh and lastly, though I recognize your sense of humor you really shouldn't joke about such things as killing yourself dear, for my sake at least. For some people, it can be something of a touchy personal subject, do you know what I mean?
@zhoomcar
Wait a moment... just how far ahead of my time zone are you Aussies after all? Because I think it already is Friday (later in the afternoon) where you are. If so, congratulations on making it through to summer break, dear!
@Poppun
Oh, not at all! I told you a while back that you should always feel welcome to visit and post on my blog, and I meant it. Please do make yourself at home here.
Yes the tank certainly was a worthy adversary, though judging by the feedback I've received so far most people seem to feel I pulled it off well enough (thank goodness!). And of course my client was happy with it which was the most important thing to me. I can see what you mean about Rarity and understand how you might interpret her expression that way, and as far as posing for a photograph goes you're right; that probably would be the most likely explanation for such a picture.
Oh, well, as I said I have seen snow before but have only witnessed actual snowfall once, if you'd count driving through it... I've seen it plenty of times in movies or on TV though I doubt it's really the same thing as actually experiencing it. The weather in southern California varies depending on where you go (we do have mountains where it still does snow of course), but where I am living at the moment it tends to vary from dry and warm to dry and warmer, and finally, dry and warmest.
@Frankensteinbeck
Oh darling, there you are! I haven't seen you around the blog in ages, and though I would have gotten around to that comment eventually, of course, it does sadly take me a while at times (honestly, I don't know when I'll manage to make it through what is still so close to 200 comments, meep..).
But thank you very much for the exceptionally kind feedback on Rarity and the picture; you know I always do value hearing what you have to say! On that note, I have to say that I, ahh, enjoyed that little proposed scenario of yours at the end very much, mweehee... ^.^;; I (ahem) really must feel sad that you haven't had the occasion to post on the blog more regularly as-of-late~
It's 4am; why am I not sleepy?
@WhiteDiamonds
Actually, in terms of pony art, I doubt I see more than anyone else here; on the other hand, I've been studying and collecting cartoons and animation art for about 25 years, which has no doubt shaped my preferences and my commentary when it comes to fan art. (I can't remember exactly when I bought my copy of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation, but it must have been before the release of Aladdin, as my first thought when seeing the magic carpet was "Hey, it's the sack of flour!") In particular, it's why I focus so much on expression, gesture, and body language when looking at fan art, areas in which your pony fan art has always excelled, even your most casual doodles.
It's interesting that Kerensky wanted to try a variety of facial expressions for Rarity, though I believe you're correct in saying this original expression works the best. No doubt some of the other decisions you made in your drawing reflect her wariness, but it's her pose that most strongly suggests that uncertainty. I think it would be possible to give her a smile or a frown that would work, but such an expression would work against her body language instead of reinforcing it (and vice versa).
@Frankensteinbeck
Oh my stars, that quote is just perfect. And yes, I can very easily see Rarity in that sort of role; she does seem to have a bit of Marlene Dietrich in her.
@WhiteDiamonds
As me and Favo found out, much to our dismay, I am about 18 or so hours ahead of people in the US. So according to the time stamp of June 22, 12:09AM, the Australian equivalent is June 22, 5:09PM. And then you throw daylight savings in for both regions and then you have head explosions.
And then I went and grabbed the newly released season "box sets" for Season 1 of pony today! Hooryay!
@WhiteDiamonds
I only thought it would be easier to do my commenting on DA. But now I've seen it's exactly the opposite. The best laid schemes o' mice and men...
It really is lovely! As you said, very reminiscent of your steampunk Rarity piece! Something about the tank made me think of Rarity dressed as a Russian military officer aboard it and barking orders at her subordinates. (Because it would be hilarious.) The fur really suits her, and I'm sure the commissioner is ecstatic with it!
I can imagine it was, especially when everything was so specific, I'm glad that you client enjoyed it as much as the rest of us (-^u^-). Though I imagine what would have come after if this were a photograph:
"Did you take it?"
"Yes, it turned out really well too, see?"
"Oh, that IS nice"
"Mmm-Hmm....Can we go back inside now?"
"Let's, my hooves are freezing! How did Ponies back then ever survive without hoof-boots?"
And I see, I'm from Canada (or the Northlands). Relatively close to the boarder, mind you, but nonetheless I've definately experienced my fair share of snow (^.^')
@WhiteDiamonds
Heh, okay, so Red Square might be a bit much to tackle for a background. You keep giving me credit on my backgrounds, but really all of the ones I've done recently are really quite simple... That's why I enjoy using nature as a backdrop to my pics, as you can't really get it "wrong", and there's not really as much detail there as you might think.
I don't know if anyone here is following spiritto and her husband's fan animation project, telling their version of the falling out between Luna and Celestia on the first Nightmare Night, but they released a rather lovely animatic on Youtube portraying Luna gathering children to start her own kingdom that's well worth checking out. Some of the backgrounds depicting Old Canterlot have appeared in recent Drawfriends. It's all looking quite impressive at this early stage.
I really hope I got all of that HTML right.
Hm, this piece has gathered an assorted crowd of irregulars and first-time commenters, hasn't it? I did not expect to see any new names since the drawfriends started linking to your deviantART gallery. Could they be revolutionaries, assembling to stage on uprising to overthrow the authority of the regulars? You'll never take me alive!
I admit, I never expected to see anything like a tank in one of your commissons, but it effectively sets a darker, more serious atmosphere for everything present. Since there is a difference between simple, cartoon weaponry like the party cannon and an actual military vehicle that real people used to kill other real people... It brings to mind a comment that Harwick made on a drawing of ponies reenacting the Civil War: "I hate to see pony fighting against pony in a national tragedy." I don't mean to say that this picture is distasteful, and I appreciate that it wasn't your idea but when I first saw it, I was a bit surprised that you agreed to take this sort of commission. I'm sure a freelance artist does need to separate her own personal interests from her business very often, and on a daily basis, but since this is such an extremely "Safe For Work" blog, it comes as a bit of a shock in comparison to your other pony artwork. For many (myself not included), the main appeal of ponies is simply that it allows them to take their thoughts away from such things as conflict and tragedy. But I'm only overthinking the combination, and I have no real qualms or objections to it. What matters is that the elements of the picture are integrated in a manner that projects the intended theme, and you have succeeded at making such a usually unfitting addition feel as if it belongs, and that is an impressive feat in itself.
I am taken with soft shine in her eyes, to reflect the blizzard surrounding this scene. Her eyes beautifully express her solemn and cautious, but dauntlessly enduring temperament. I recognise the authentic, painterly shading style of her body as the same one you used in your gift art for Harwick, as it distinguishes her from the dull snowy grey and white ground beneath her hooves. Her gentle strides are also very telling. She is nearly as frozen in time as the historical setting of this illustration. (As I assume she is not simply admiring the architecture. In my experience, one does not simply walk through snow; he stomps through it.) Rarity's practical winter wear is especially finely detailed while still adhering to the style of the painting. The layered, textured fur cape, the touch of cool color in the button gem and its metallic frame are all expertly done, and make great additions to the outfit, Rarity herself and the painting as a whole. I am also very impressed, as always, by how richly and deeply you have rendered her hair and tail. You are a master of depth, shade and light, if only you would realize.
I do not actually interpret the tank as Rarity's. I see her as an outside observer to a somber reality. The only possible detractions I notice on the more technical structures are in the distance between each wheel and the way they are aligned. I understand your references may have been different from mine, and the back wheel may be intentionally smaller due to mechanical design (similar to a penny-farthing), but I think the short triangular walls of the tank seem to be facing in slightly differing directions. (Specifically, the middle one looks like should be facing a bit more to the left.) You know me well enough, though, that I probably would have done it with measurements and a percentage calculator, but only because I have not the freehand skill of an artist of your talents. You have made great use of snow speckled surfaces to show depth and shine on top of and inside the tank's wheels, in its tread, covering the thatched rooftops of Ponyville, filling what is normally quiet, modest village air. I am also a fan of the way you have shown gleam in the windows even while they are iced over. For someone who does not specialize in technical forms, you don't give yourself enough credit, and I think you handled every one of these challenges excellently. I don't believe there is anything you can't do.
You have done another great job of making something decidedly unfamiliar fit in your soft, intimate style. I am glad this project was not so terribly difficult for you (and you didn't wait until July to share it with us and make me look like a fool). I should remember you when I need someone to paint the Death Star. Despite the restrictive elements of the design, you have integrated every plate of a caterpillar track, fiber of a fur cape and sprinkle in a snowstorm with the expression, emotion and grace that only a WhiteDiamonds drawing or painting, doodle or commission ever could. Perhaps we need an Anastasia Rarity to balance this one out. As they say in Google Translate, белые бриллиант есть лучший пони ("A job well done, Diamonds").
@WhiteDiamonds
Oh, and I was going to ask if this was the last commission you had on queue, but it seems you have already mentioned that there is at least one more commission to be done. A secret project, you say? Considering who else has been especially prolific lately, I can perhaps guess what that may be. I will always anticipate your future creations.
@CaineScroll
All this time, I thought your birthday was on the 27th of July...that's inconvenient. Well, I'm sure I'll find a way to make it up to you...eventually...
@Harwick
Certainly from the bit that we can see, that project is turning out to be very promising. Also very depressing, when I realise that I would be proud to have drawn a single frame of that sketched alicorn. The added music (Did they compose it themselves?) is also rather majestic, even if it seems her voice cracked at 1:20. It almost makes me wish you and Diamonds had an interest in animation, but I understand your talents are in fine details, not rushed work. Thank you for letting us know. In the meantime, I'll be keeping tabs on BronyToons; I like easy jobs.
@jodyjm13
I heard from my secretary, Deviant Art (she is self-conscious about her name; please be civil) about your power line plight. In response to this injustice, and in collaboration with my supervisor, Freeman Timothy, we contacted your city council with regards to this unfortunate matter. However, the public service department was unreasonable with us, declining comment on the removal of offensive power lines responsible for this incident and ceased to respond to our calls. Therefore, we were forced to take matters into our own hands. After setting up camp at the location of the original photograph and purchasing a camera of the same model as yours, we quickly and efficiently removed any guilty utility poles (as it was found in our experimentation that the cutting of power lines most often resulted in electrocution) and waited patiently for the clouds to align. When the time was right, we assumed our positions as planned (keeping last-minute improvisation to a minimum) and captured an otherwise identical photograph for your perusal.
I did not have the time available to fix the uppermost lines, because as you can see in the photograph, it was getting quite late, and the state authorities had located us by that point, so we left it as-is. We're on a budget, here. I hope the community appreciates our contributation to the scenery of your residential area.
Okay, normally I don't have much to say or share when it comes to fashion, but I have to admit that Prada's Menswear fall/winter campaign is pretty awesome. Steampunk Rarity would have nothing on me if I could afford those outfits.
@Harwick
While I'm not sure where you managed to find such a thing, I agree, I really quite like them as well. (If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to go for anything Gary Oldman models that is not dotted red or otherwise outrageous. In photo 13 of 18, his coat even looks like a cape. At least the Dark Knight knows to dress warmly for his film shoot.) I feel sorry for the ladies, who cannot wear an outfit that does not involve Christmas ornaments hanging off their pantlegs without distracting you with a muffin hat. In some cases, it would make more sense if the shoes were bigger and redder. It seems like the designers must have gotten fashion advice from the nearest carnival. Maybe I'm naive, but do 'real' women actually wear things like that? I will try not to criticize these Southern Californian trends. Out here in the flat mountains, if you wear anything besides single-colored T-shirts and cargo shorts, the populace will accuse you of witchcraft. I envy you tasteful people, living in your so-called "civilizations"...
Of course, it's not all too surprising that an artist would have an eye for such a thing. After navigating away from the page, I realized that I had been unwittingly lured into a trap. The next Google advertisment I saw was for designer shoes.
@Anon
My sister-in-law sent me the link, knowing that I had to design a bunch of steampunk characters for video games previously. I'm pretty much with you... anything that wasn't heavily patterned looked pretty swanky to me.
I hadn't even looked at the women's campaign before... Dear lord, I'll never understand high fashion. While the menswear was certainly quirky, that stuff is downright insane. I could almost admire the pure maniacal nature of some of those pants/socks/shoes combinations... I guess if the guys got Gary "Commissioner Gorden" Oldman and Batman stylings, the women got the Joker outfits.
In regards to the animatic posted earlier, here's a frame that is nearing completion from the short film. I think most anyone should be happy to turn out an image like that, let alone one a whole animated sequence. I'm really curious to see what the final animation looks like, as it looks so daunting for a simple 2-person team.
I forgot to post this earlier, and most of you have probably seen it already in retrospect, but stumbled upon an old 1945 collaborated animation between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. Those more surrealist than I might enjoy it (again?).
@WhiteDiamonds
Of course, my comments on the picture are in comparison to your other work. Everything you make is uncomparable to most any other artist whose work is featured in the drawfriends. You are always amazing, and you are always more capable of undertaking a challenge than I would think possible. I just don't know from where to judge at times.
@Harwick
A steampunk video game? Well, that certainly sounds interesting. It brings to mind the indie game Guns of Icarus Online, one of my dream games recently coming true. (Among other things, like that Unlimited Detail project, but I'll spare you the video as I assume you have heard of it by now.) I was actually going to mention in my previous comment that any of them would make a great base for a steampunk Fancypants. That thought led me to search far and wide for any artwork of a steampunk Fancypants, but surprisingly, I couldn't find any. I couldn't even find a steampunk Blueblood. Fandom, for shame.
It gets even worse when you bother to watch the video. For some inexplicable reason, they decided to apply so much eyeshadow that it looks...well, interesting, to say the least. Not to mention the awkward way they walk with one foot in front of the other as if they're trying to trip themselves, even though the male models are allowed to walk normally. But then, that's 'normal', isn't it?
In any case, that animation project is turning out even better than I was expecting. The bloom, the town, the stars, the clouds... You could say that they went the easy route setting the scene during a bright night, but it's still turning out very impressively. I'm starting to imagine what animations would look like in various artists' styles. At least now we know what Riz Cifra's looks like (and it's surprisingly anime-esque, but in a good way). I wouldn't mind giving that sort of project a try for the sake of art, and an excuse to make some less-detailed drawings. Those two are taking this seriously though, and it will no doubt make a great contribution to the fandom's creative content. I hope they have a good story to match the great art talent they are showing in this preview.
@jodyjm13
Oh, my, that little sack of flour is incredibly cute! And thank you so very much for that Jody, really... I've always enjoyed cartoons from the time I was a child (my parents were frequently working when I was young and I was raised in large part by my older siblings, but I do have good memories of watching old Warner Bros. cartoons with my father as he loved them), and I guess I just absorbed so much of what it is to express thought and emotion through watching them. It's amazing what some of the simplest little tweaks can do to change the entire mood of a scene and/or the character(s), and it is those lessons in subtle nuance that I love to study and observe in life and in art.
On that note, in regards to Rarity and her posturing here I really must agree with you completely!
(.... I still adore that little quote of Frankensteinbeck's...)
@zhoomcar
Eighteen hours, really? Oh dear, that's even worse than I imagined! It is interesting though, in a way to think about how times have changed and how we really need to take such things into consideration as we converse with each other in real time from all over the world. I know I've essentially grown up in this digital age (or well, for the most part) and it shouldn't amaze me any more, but it sort of still does at times anyway.
@Frankensteinbeck
Well, regrettably the problem is likely more myself these days, and the schedule that I am now forced to keep. In actuality I probably work the same amount of hours as I used to when I started this blog, but now I (generally speaking) receive a great deal more traffic here, plus my pony-related emails have increased tenfold. And to say nothing of deviantART, of course! For better or for worse it's a lot more for me to keep up with, and as such I'm not as responsive here, nor as active on Equestria Daily, nor as productive with my pony-art as I used to be... something had to give somewhere though I do my best to maintain a decent balance at least.
@Kateasaurus
Hello my dearest girl, and thank you as always for your kind comments! Yes, Kerensky was quite happy with the piece and I am exceptionally grateful, and as for your interpretation of the idea, though I can't say that it occurred to me it likely would be very funny. In fact, it quite reminds me of a certain Flash animation on deviantART... I'll have to look and see if I can find it for you!
@Poppun
"Hoof-boots", haha how adorable! I know, other people have mentioned that as well and perhaps I should have considered the idea, but for whatever reason neither Kerensky now myself seemed to have thought of it at the time I was working on this. Perhaps Rarity (in whatever separate self-contained universe this image took place in) is merely accustomed to the frigid Russian temperatures by this point, who knows.
I've never been to Canada, but I have always thought it would be nice to experience and honestly, I often wish that the weather got colder here where I live as well! Sunshine is nice and all and I do adore the almost constant clear blue skies, but at the same time I do not like the heat at all and always thought it would be pleasant to live a more "natural" existence with real seasons. As long as I didn't have to worry about driving too much through snow and ice that is... I would have to live in some area where things are easily within walking distance or where they at least have a good public transportation system.
@Harwick
Ah, yes I have seen some of those project artworks before, but not the animatic until you were so kind to share it. That really is fabulous isn't it? I used to animate little flipbooks and things like that when I was younger, and used to enjoy it though it's been ages since I dabbled in the subject at all... seeing such a well-made fan animation project shaping up makes me want to try my hand at it again though. It's a shame that with my current schedule I likely won't be able to try anytime soon!
Thank you very much for sharing, and I shall certainly have to try to keep an eye on that project.
@Favo
Oh, alright, I shall make an effort to do that for you then dear! I'll make a note on the back of my lists so that I hopefully don't forget (though if I still do, please feel free to remind me), and as far as your pizza party goes that sounds like it must have been a lot of fun! I'm very happy for you that you will have a nice little break from school for a while, I hope you enjoy it!
@Anon
Oh, there you are dear! I was almost beginning to wonder if you hadn't entirely given up on ponies or my blog (or me) by this point, but I'm glad to see that you're alright after all and to hear that you mostly enjoyed the picture, thank you. While I don't personally feel this is quite the same style as Harwick's birthday gift (at least, my technique I approached it with was entirely different) the shading is slightly different from what I've done before, and especially in regards to Rarity's face. As mentioned Kerensky wasn't overly thrilled with how "brushstroke-y" her eyes and such turned out originally, but I at least considered it to be a valuable experiment if nothing else. I thank you for all of the feedback, critique and otherwise!
Regarding your questions this actually was the last paid project that I had lined up, yes, but recently I have taken on another small commission for somebody who you might know and despite the fact that I have not yet formerly reopened commissions on deviantART (you should be seeing this one soon enough, I think). Otherwise there are several more projects that people approached me with a few months ago, and if they're still interested at this time I'll be moving forward with those in the near future before taking on more new work. As for the secret project, I'm quite sure you have no idea what it pertains to but Ponydora knows (and Harwick too, if the former has mentioned it to him)... with any luck I'll be able to say more about that in a month or so! ^_~
@Harwick (again)
So this is what you were referring to is it! Ahhh yes, without a doubt the latest trends in men's fashion fill me with joy... I remember I first started taking notice of them right around the time I joined the pony fandom, and by the time I was working on Forderz's commission I couldn't help but ponder a correlation between the popularity of the steampunk genre (and movies such as Sherlock Holmes) and the latest designs. Personally I adore them; I think I've mentioned before that I am a huge fan of vintage fashions (and period films and so on), and I have been saying for years now that I really hoped that turn-of-the-century look would come back eventually... it just happened a little sooner than I had imagined but I am certainly not complaining about the fact.
@Anon
@Harwick
You two are silly, and at risk of sounding like Rarity here I can tell you that the 'Joker-like' outfits that you speak of are merely one more example of the recent "scarf trend" that emphasizes bright colors and bold (often geometric) patterns, and which has been largely inspired by tribal and African designs I believe. Africa has recently become a growing presence in the fashion world in terms of a legitimate market, and as such new designs are reflecting its influence for now. Besides, when you look at the garments themselves they really do share the same clean lines and streamlined designs as the men's fashions, it's just that the patterns.... are a little less subdued, is all. ^_^;
Oh yes and lastly Anon, as a small point and in regards to you mentioning "southern California trends" specifically I have to tell you that they are not so... in fact most people in the fashion world will happily tell you southern California is nothing but a melting pot of various influences with no real impact or say in fashion trends as a whole (this is not strictly true by the way, and actually a new book recently came out which does a great job explaining just what southern California culture has contributed to fashion over the years... I've been meaning to pick up a copy). But yes, fashion in the United States is decidedly based in New York, though you'll probably have to blame Europe if you really take issue with the latest styles.
I don't have time for a full response right now, but I did want to make an overdue reply to a comment from a few days ago:
@Anon
Thanks for the alternate version of my sunset photograph; I hope it wasn't a lot of trouble to make the edits. If I didn't have the original to compare it with, I'd have some difficulty determining that it had been Photoshopped, though I suppose experienced digital artists could tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in their time. I just might get a 4x6 print made of your version, actually.
And while I'm at it, thanks for the link to "Destino"; the last time I checked online for this short (which, admittedly, was quite some time ago) I couldn't find it, so I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. As long as nothing disrupts my connection this morning, I should have it downloaded and ready to view when I get back from work this evening.
And now I really need to try to grab a few hours of sleep before work beckons... :P
What's this about menswear? anywho recently we had our... school formal of sorts (you may have heard, Di!), and this would be about as formal as I will get... for now anyway. (oh look a face) But it still doesn't beat this photo from last year, the deviousness in our faces is absolutely perfect.
@zhoomcar
SHOCK
@CaineScroll
CaineScroll is paralysed! He may not be able to move!
@Favo
DREAM OF ALL THE PONES
And we have to get on TF2, Pyrovision beckons.
Or perhaps they were considered a luxery item, from what I've heard it was a bit difficult to own any luxery items then (Of course I could be wrong, I have to admit I haven't really done very much research on that period in time and, all things considered, classic films and the Aunty Mame books probably aren't the most accurate research material)....Or in the photo sanario she reluctantly agreed to forgo them for the sake of historical accuracy
But did you say that you're planning to re-open commissions!? If you are then....that is....if it isn't too much trouble....Could I perhaps order an image or two? I understand if you're too busy to do more than one at a time, or if you can and you want to put it further down the list I don't mind (In fact it may be better since my paypal has been a little bit....tempermental recently)
@zhoomcar
Oh dear Goddess you are adorable... absolutely, preciously adorable!! Squeeee~~
And yes, you look exceptionally handsome in that suit dear! I do remember discussing that formal with you, and am so glad that you had a good time! Thank you very much for sharing the photos; they were absolutely a treat for me to see and I did very much enjoy your "devious" faces there. ^.^
@Favo
I'm happy that you were thoughtful enough to email me a photograph of your hands previously, so that I could see that you indeed still had every one of your fingers after your last stunt. However, if this is going to be a regular occurrence for you than I might require more frequent health status updates, I hope you know!
That is absolutely fabulous to hear about your break! I remember how much I used to look forward to my school holidays... it was the most amazing feeling really. ^.^ As for that pony fanart you linked, mega-squee!! I have always adored that particular image, and recently added it to my deviantART favorites as a matter of fact.
Such adorable ponies~ <3
@Poppun
I'm afraid I'm not very brushed up on my Russian history either, but yes that might explain it if indeed you are right about that.
And well, I didn't actually say that about commissions, no... I am planning on publicly reopening them eventually of course, but before I do that I would like to give individuals who had previously approached me with ideas (before I had put a hold on new inquiries) the chance to move forward with their projects if they're still interested. I feel that's only fair, and I only took the job I mentioned earlier at this time because it's for a very good friend of mine for one thing, and it's also a relatively small and quick project. However, if you like you can email me about the matter and we can discuss it further that way... depending on what it is you had in mind (and whether or not my other would-be clients decide they are still interested in something) I might be able to squeeze it in sooner rather than later. My address is fabulous.gaijin@yahoo.com.
Thank you very much for the interest, and I'm curious what exactly you have in mind truth be told!
Oh, I'm sorry....But I understand, I must have just seen the part I wanted to see (^.^'), I'll try to have the message sent tomorrow afternoon (^U^-)
On that note how have you been recently?
Oh! And going back to the topic of seasons, I'm not sure how much of an improvement Canada is since we really only have two and two half seasons. Though if you do visit during the winter and have to drive do not go to Quebec, especially Montreal, though they do have a number of winter events, including ice sculpting the driving conditions are noctoriously bad (Vancouver would probably be a good place to visit, if for no other reason than the oppertunity to see where My Little Pony is produced). But I can hardly imagine what the heat must be like where you live, I have a hard enough time managing with the summers here
@WhiteDiamonds
New York is the center of 'high' fashion, certainly, but how much does that affect the rest of society these days? Are they really doing anything but providing rich people who can't judge what they're looking at an excuse to spend money? Yes, the popular 'look as poor as possible' trend has been ghastly, but high fashion hasn't impressed me lately, either. Or am I just yelling 'You kids get offa my lawn!' since I feel Western clothing never got back on track after WWII?
Well, except underwear. Major improvements in underwear.
@Frankensteinbeck
New York and Paris are where all fashion trends are born, all the way from Dolce down to Old Navy. Whether you are talking about Hanes, Levi Strauss, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Hugo Boss, or Gucci, all of those companies either have their designers permanently based in New York or Paris (or both), or send their designers to fashion week. Whether the clothes end up being sold at Mervyns or at Barneys, their genesis was in New York or Paris.
I'm not sure what you mean by "look as poor as possible," but this summer it's all about bright colors (esp. yellow and green). If you like old school, I happen to know that the "Mad Men" revival of skinny ties is still in full swing.
@PonydoraPrancypants:
You don't? The popular fashion trend of the last 20 years has been a bizarre reversal of historical fashion rules, aimed at mimicking poverty in a very expensive way. Pants around knees? Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera? It's dying slowly, but not slowly enough. And the designers for the common man's clothing may work out of New York, but they're not leading the trends, they're making small variations on the look demanded by the public. It doesn't matter what you do to a pair of jeans, they're still jeans.
All of this crusty old man complaining aside, there may be an important difference of perspective here. I live out in Kentucky at the moment, and I am offering the perspective from the 'heartlands', where fashion is blending into your in-group and that's it. Other than 'this is what everyone's wearing', there is no concept of being well dressed out here, and I cling to White Diamonds back in LA to tell me whether the whole world is so degraded.
@WhiteDiamonds:
I swear to you, my most fabulous pony, I will return to civilization, wander the racks in Shrine going 'I wouldn't wear that, but that is AWESOME' and buy waistcoats until I look like a peacock covered in ink. We'll see how these book contracts play out.
Though I have to admit my knowledge of modern fashion is a bit limited, I personally wonder why it is that the last time there was a war and recession it resulted in the media creating a beautiful fantasy world in films and magazines that provided escapism and the current war and recession resulted in shorts that don't even cover the pockets completely
@WhiteDiamonds
Thanks for the compliments! I'm flattered, really! :D
@Favo
Well, ugh, my dad seems to have set up this kind of Internet curfew of sorts, in which I'm only able to access the Internet for about 4-5 hours a day. But I'll be available around 8-11pm my time (which should translate to somewhere in the morning for you).
@Poppun:
Well, the entertainment creations of WWII weren't a result of the war, they were a continuation of the artistic trend of the first half of the century. Things took a very sharp turn after the war ended. No one knows why for sure, but the social pressures forcing women out of the workplace and into motherhood, and men out of the army and into fatherhood, are big suspects. The 50s were morally and intellectually escapist, pretending large portions of pre-WWII culture didn't exist to create a fantasy idea of 'normal' and 'safe'. Women's clothing became very plain, men's suits very conformist. I don't know much about the Korean war period, but the Vietnam war coincided with the baby boomers' rebellious adolescence, and that 'reject the establishment' defined cultural innovations. Blind rebellion doesn't last long, and as soon as the war ended, the Hippies' contributions almost disappeared. So basically, you can't tell what a war's going to do to fashion or entertainment until well after it's over.
@WhiteDiamonds
Diamonds, I hope you know I could never be so thoughtless. I am extremely lucky to be in conversation with you, and to be counted among your friends. There may have been some real-life conditions preventing me from leaving a comment on your latest work, and whenever the blog is stagnant, I fall out of contact. But don't ever think that I have lost any devotion to your creations, or moreso, yourself. I remain as starstruck in your presence as I have ever been since we met. You know how I treasure your company. I could never let you go.
With regards to your commission, of course you are so very impressive as always. Her eyes are the best part I believe, so I think you make the right decision of sharing this version with us. I hope I was not too unfairly critical with my observations and feedback. I wanted to make up for the delay, and a concise bit of appreciation didn't seem like it would be enough. I'm not very familiar with the way that you manage your commissions, and I don't mean to tell you what you're ready for, but I do hope you left a worthy break for yourself. The way you refer to your future projects does make them sound like story art, but I won't speculate, as of course I have plenty of my own secret projects in the works right now. (Some more successful than others...)
I later found that those outfits from Prada were featured on Steampunk.com (and are still listed on its homepage at the time of this writing). I think I may have found Harwick's sister-in-law's secret resource. I find it funny how he and I seem to have such similiar tastes in asthetics. And, well, what I meant by that comment was that the people who live in an expensive area known for its entertainment industry would be more likely to follow high fashion trends, not necessarily that the culture of southern California would be their inspiration. I once read a comment from sommeone who claimed to live in Los Angeles, and they said that they often see "celebrities" in their commute, but none of the "big ones". I have since imagined the people of that region as the type who would live like actors and actresses, donning giant hats and hazel eye contacts that would shock any senior citizen within a thousand miles. (Oowoowoowoowoow...) I may have a slightly warped view of people from southern California.
(I may have also stolen that line from Harwick.)
A small aside: During my routine observation of your deviantART page, I noticed that apparently, I was not alone. If my view had been counted, we would've had a full house.
@zhoomcar
Of course I have known your name and age since you first started posting here, but at least I'm sure your photographer takes better pictures than I could. I have always been fond of fancy clothing (and anything fancy, really), but I've never actually worn anything formal, if you'd believe it. The most formal clothing I own is a thick-collared shirt and pants that cover your whole legs. Needless to say, I envy you for that. You also look much older than I do (considering we are of such similar ages)... Now I just feel ashamed.
@jodyjm13
It really was a quick job using Paint Tool Sai's Blur tool, though of course it helps to be using a tablet. It isn't the most professional work, but it was the best I could do. Half of the work involved was finding semi-accurate legalese, which is always an integral step in the process of photomanipulation. At least, it is whenever I do it. I think I must be doing something wrong.
Anyway, I decided that I should stop being so lazy, so I tried it again on the full-resolution picture, even removing the top lines this time. That part of town may have to resort to water wheels and rubbing their hands together by this point. To be honest, I can't see anything wrong with the image unless you compare the texture consistency of the pixels, assuming you know where to look. I think it's better than nothing, anyway...
I really only linked that video because I was led to it from Harwick's profile and I wanted to ensure that everyone has seen it, if only out of curiosity. I'm glad to hear it was a help to you.
Coincidentially, I happened to notice that the sunset tonight was giving the nearby clouds a three-dimensional appearance, much like how they tend to look in a Renaissance painting. I casually mentioned it to my parents, and my father took two pictures. The first was taken with his phone, showing the darker clouds away from the sun, and (Warning: Large image) the second was taken with his camera as the sky was getting darker, focusing on the center clouds that framed the sun. (I refuse to photoshop the power lines out. I might need electricity for something later.) It's hard to appreciate the true size from a photograph. Note the house in the background. The combined height of those clouds was about 6 houses tall, despite being much farther away. That is enormous. Or maybe it was only Cloudsdale relocating for the summer.
@Favo
Because everyone knows that book forts are an impenetratable defence.
-screams in rage for the umpteenth time as opening another pile of ash reveals yet another scorched crate-
@Anon
Tut tut, you forgot mister Scrolls over yonder. But that was a pretty fine suit, even if the bow tie wasn't exactly the type that had to be tied up. And bah, that's just the photo making me look old. You'd think otherwise if you could actually see my height. My partner was actually slightly taller than I was, so she had to stoop down a little for the sake of the photo :P
Which also brings to mind another height related incident where for the sing-off piece i posted in the last comment thread I was initially paired with the tallest girl of the bunch, but that was quickly rectified. Oh Asian genetic makeup, you fickle thing.
Interesting fashion fact that ties in so nicely with our Russian Rarity art: Banana Republic is launching a line this fall inspired by the forthcoming Anna Karenina film. Not sure how 19th century Muscovite aristocracy will translate to your local mall, but we shall see!
@PonydoraPrancypants:
That is the best news anyone could have given me. Pearls, fur, and funny hats? I'll never see it locally, but I will be infinitely soothed to know that SOMEWHERE in the US interesting clothing is making a comeback.
Between power outages, visiting relatives, and other RL happenings, my internet time has been greatly reduced and chopped up into tiny byte-sized pieces the past couple of weeks. I'm not quite sure when things will improve, so I may remain scarce for a while. The big thing coming up is my father's surgery; he goes down to the city later today (Monday) to see his surgeon, and will probably have the bypass tonight or Tuesday. Aside from the almost-blocked artery, he seems to be in good health, so there's no reason to suspect the surgery won't go well, but it's still looming rather large in my mind.
@Favo
Ah yes, I remember my college days when I could eat an entire pizza for supper, and have one of those large convenience-store Little Debbie snack cakes for dessert. And I still walked around enough on campus that I lost weight. I didn't really realize then how good I had it.
@zhoomcar
They're both fine photos, but I have to agree that I prefer the second one; while I don't know if this is the case, it definitely looks less posed that the first photo. I've always hated posing for photos, but within reason I'm perfectly happy to let someone take a picture of me while I'm busy doing something else.
@Favo
I'm glad no harm was done; I love setting off fireworks myself, although it's decidedly less fun in Virginia, where they've outlawed anything that moves, explodes, or shoots off anything other than a mild shower of sparks. Fountains can be pretty, but they're weak tea compared to rockets exploding in the air.
@Anon
I have to say I'm even more impressed with your work on the full resolution photo; the only way I could tell where the edits had been made is by comparing it to the original. And my statement about being able to tell by "some of the pixels" was just me referring to one of the few internet memes I like, though I know it's usually used in response to a plainly bad Photoshop job. (I'm sorry if that seemed to be my implication.)
As for your father's cloud photos, the first one is good (and makes me wish I practiced taking panoramic photo sets with my camera), but it's the second one that's truly impressive; the lighting really does give the clouds a three-dimensional appearance even in the photograph.
Quick update, in case anyone's worried/curious: My father's surgery ended up being scheduled for today (Thursday), and it went smoothly; as of now, it looks like he'll get to go home Monday or Tuesday.
@jodyjm13
...And I was just about to reply to it, too. Confound this Jody, he drives me in circles.
@jodyjm13
Anyway, I'm glad to hear that everything turned out well for you and your family, and I hope it helps you enjoy your time visiting relatives and your celebratory "successful bypass surgery" steak dinners. I don't have much news to share about anything over the past few weeks, except of how hot it has been. I checked the temperature numerous hours after sundown, and even then, it was about 87 degrees indoors. That is the temperature at which any surface in contact with skin will make you sweat. I'm sure it has been affecting my productivity, but I'm still working on my various projects when I can. I'm avoiding the art-related ones, though, because the last thing I need is to lose it all the next time my computer overheats...
It's nice to hear an update from you, in any case. The blog has quiet lately.
@Anon
Then my work here is done.
Thanks for the well-wishes; the next several days will mostly be spent visiting at the hospital, but I'll pop in when I can.
@jodyjm13
Thank you for posting the update with the good news! I wish him the best and a speedy recovery.
Have people been checking out the Season Three info coming out of Comic Con, including the web premiere of two new, fully animated songs? I hadn't been overly eager for the new season until I saw them. I'll avoid discussing it all here so as not to spoil people who don't want to know to much, but I'm amazed that they're previewing so much. Looks like they're really reaching out to expand the audience at Comic Con.
@Harwick
I saw it aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
but can this emulate the success of the season-ender?
@jodyjm13 Glad to hear you father's surgery went well! Hopefully he gets to go home early. Hospital food has never been good in any of my experiences.
Hope everyone else is doing well! It gets so quiet here in between posts. :P
It's been so slow and quiet around here because I've been so busy recently, I guess... truth be told I've had a very hard time keeping up with this blog as of late (but well, I suppose you've all realized that). Contrary to what I said several months ago I have admittedly been prioritizing deviantART comments, I suppose because there are so many more people following/posting to me there and of course, I now see many of you there anyway. I can only hope things will get better once the summer's over because then I won't be quite so busy at the studio, but I guess we'll see.
@Favo
Well at this point dear, I suppose you're probably on your way back to school soon enough... I hope you managed to make a dent in your fanfiction pile at least. I'm also thrilled to be reassured that you are indeed being very careful when you're messing around with various explosives... I'd hate to have to worry about you unnecessarily you know, so it's appreciated.
@Poppun
Oh, there's certainly no need to apologize dear. And yes, please do email me that whenever you like! I'm in no hurry.
I've been fine recently thank you for asking, albeit busy as I've already stated and as you all have already noticed by now. I've had a difficult time staying caught up with my comments here, there and everywhere and unfortunately, have had little time for working on artwork on any kind over the past week. My silly heart has also started acting up again ever-so-slightly, but I suppose it's because I've been a bit stressed, more than likely... at least it hasn't been as bad as it has previously so I'm not going to complain too much. I hope you are fine as well and that you had an enjoyable birthday!
Thank you for the travel tips and pointers as well, I appreciate it. As for the summer here, while it had been bad last week the weather has now taken a very sharp turn for the weird, and it's actually very cool and moist tonight. Almost cold actually. It thunderstormed a bit the other day as well which is also pretty unusual for my area, so I don't know what's going on... horrible unnatural global climate change or something, who knows.
@Frankensteinbeck
Well as Ponydora has explained New York is just where the fashion business in this country is centered, pure and simple, though ideas which influence trends can come from anywhere of course, and despite wherever the designers themselves may be based. That's the same as with any art form. Popular media has always had a certain amount of influence for example, which you already know, and as I said African and tribal aesthetics are currently pretty big because as a growing market, many in the industry have their eyes on that part of the world right now and are drawing inspiration from it. Hence all those loose light fabrics, and bright colors and patterns and so on.
In regards to high fashion specifically, I suppose one could argue that it's always provided the wealthy with an excuse to spend money... however that doesn't mean that it can't and does not have a real impact on the rest of society as well. I do understand what you're saying, but contrary to what many people seem to think "high fashion" is not all about elaborate, impractical couture creations and the like... right now for example the emphasis seems to be on very clean and streamlined shapes and fits, which I do think is reflected even in "low end", casual trends to some extent.
As for me serving as your 'window to the fashion word', darling, while I'm not writing from Kentucky at the moment I'm afraid I'm not exactly living it up in Malibu or Santa Monica either... far from it really. I'm far more conscious than the average person of course but even still, Ponydora probably has his finger more on the pulse than I do, seeing as how his wife is involved in the fashion world to at least some degree. I'm more of a simple seamstress really, and I suppose something akin to a costume designer if you want to be really generous (seeing as how I hardly ever have the chance to work on clothing designs at all), sigh~ Anyhow, I certainly wish you the best of luck with those book contracts of yours, but I hope you would already know that.
@PonydoraPrancypants
Aaaaghhhh how incredibly fabulous is that!? Like dear Frankensteinbeck, this news thrills me, but at the same time I can't help but find it strange that right around the time I'm working on my Steampunk Rarity picture I begin to notice what are arguably steampunk-inspired fashions cropping up in magazines and such, and now shortly after completing work on Soviet Rarity this makes the news. Not that I'm complaining about this of course, quite the contrary, but still I can't help but ponder the coincidence... very interesting.
Oh, right, and as far as spring/summer trends don't forget about tangerine, dear! It's all about tangerine right now.
@zhoomcar
Oh, no need to thank me for that dearie! I meant it, and yes you really are adorable. I'm glad you had a good time and thanks for sharing the pictures. ^_^
Also, 'fickle Asian genetic makeup'... you are far too hilarious, I hope you know. It's a shame I wasn't there to dance with you, because chances are you would somehow still manage to tower over me, boohoo~ ;_;
@Anon
Dearest, of course I did not mean to imply that you have so little to do with your time that I expect a hasty response to any new posts as soon as I make them, and I hope it didn't come across that way at all. Much of that statement was more of my "humor" and I said it lightly and without much thought, so my apologies if it sounded too serious. As always, I appreciate your support and yes, your comments, and I hope you'll always feel free to post things as long or short as you like, regarding new artworks or any sort of trivial banter the rest of us might all engage in. It's all equally valued.
Anyway, as I said to Poppun I'm afraid I haven't had much time (or energy) for working on new artworks at all recently, but I still hope to get something new up very soon. And oh, did Harwick say that now? I'm sorry to say I must have missed that comment, whenever and wherever it may have been made, but I'll have you both know that hazel is not the only color of contact lens that I happen to own. After all, you never know when you might be having a blue eyes-kind of day, for example~ **sings Crystal Gayle**
Oh yes and also, I have to say those photos of your father's are absolutely beautiful dear. Such amazing clouds! I love all of the colors.
@jodyjm13
Dearest Jody, I'm so sorry that I've been away for so long and as such missed wishing your father a safe surgery and speedy recovery! But obviously, I'm very happy to hear that he's been doing alright, and I thank you for updating us. Hopefully he'll be able to come home very soon... I've spent enough of my life in hospitals that even thinking about doing so now is usually enough to make me feel horrible, and I never wish it on anyone.
@Harwick
Oh, so there you are! Set off an entire involved discussion about fashion and then tip-toe off quietly without participating further, I see. Well anyhow it is nice to see you around again dear, and as for the season three information I have indeed seen some of that (Goddess only knows how now that I think about it, seeing as how I don't really frequent EqD anymore). While I am indeed excited about the songs and how excellent the animation looks to be this season, as far as those rumors go I am somewhat... meh on the subject. I guess if they turn out to be true it could be nice depending on how things are handled, but for now I will remain cautious and not get my hopes prematurely up (or down) about anything, I think.
...I really should be asleep now.
@Favo
Well obviously, I would certainly hope you were not serious about that... **stern glance** I had no idea anything like that had ever happened with your father dear, but I can only imagine that must have been a very scary thing even though you were so young... I'm so glad that story had a happy ending. And at least you still have some free time during which you can hopefully enjoy yourself, that's a good thing! I guess I underestimated just how long your break really is.
And oh my Goddess I know, isn't that first image especially just too adorable for words?!? I honestly think I nearly squee'd myself deaf when I first saw it (I have since favorited it on deviantART)... SO ridiculously cute. The second picture is nice as well, and very well done though I will confess I haven't a clue what's going on! That won't stop me from enjoying it though, of course~ ^.^
Thank you so much for thinking of me and sharing dearest, it really brightened my day up! There have been a lot of lovely Rarity/Applejack pictures cropping up lately... I am so happy. <3
@Harwick
As always, your work never fails to leave me speechless. Maybe someday, I will have the chance to comment on all of your remarkable creations properly.
I did happen to notice those two songs when they were posted, in spite of my inactivity on Equestria Daily since I started to catch up with the parts that I missed. (I am currently wading through the expansive, unending sea of Chrysalis art. And that was not a "smooch" noise; it was a cartoon "swink" noise. Pinkie Pie makes something similar each time she jumps.) I thought Dash's line did sound a bit awkward, but her part in At The Gala was not much better. (Perform for crowds of thousands/They'll shower us with...diamonds? That doesn't even rhyme.) I don't tend to get very excited about new episodes or seasons, but it's nice to have a bit of background to think about until it airs.
Oh, and (Spoilers?) while I wish there were at least some powerful figures or bad guys besides Discord that were not alicorns or derived from them, wouldn't it be funny if that new villain is based on terrible OCs?
@Kateasaurus
WhiteDiamonds swung in before I could say it (I was going to post these responses last night, but the wireless internet connection in the laptop stopped working), but we're usually waiting for her to pass the lingual baton before our discussion of ponies and related studies may continue. I kind of wish we had more fun things we could do, but our host tends to be very busy, and I think there is a sense that we shouldn't engage in too much activity when she isn't available to participate... It's a shame, because this is such a great community we've gathered, and this blog can be such an experience when everyone is present. This party is still waiting for CaineScroll. He's a few days late, and he'll be done for if he hasn't brought the punch.
@No one in particular
I haven't been following Comic Con, but I'm sure I will read about it once I catch up to that point. I have been following Equestria Gaming's "Pon-E3" though, because I'm so interested in the large game projects that are in production right now. Fighting is Magic, My Little Investigations, Mock Equestrian Wars, PonyCraft, PonyKart and MLP Online (Equestria Tales was scheduled, but it didn't show for the event) all had streams and/or updates posted to the Equestria Gaming blog, but as always, my favorite feature was Legends of Equestria.
Their stream and Q&A session didn't really tell me anything that I did not already know, but we got to watch an artist draw an "August picture" in an interesting traditional-like style (though it really looked like an "autumn picture", so I may have misheard that part), a speed modeling of some of the hats that will be in the game and a few clips of dialogue for some of the future NPCs. They even had the lead programmer attempt to teach Anya, another team member, "how to code C#". By the end of the segment, she had successfully added an empty "if" statement. (That is generally considered the most basic thing in any scripting or programming language.) I think I might have heard them mention that "people are leaving", because "Anya, you aren't interesting enough." That was when they went on to the ridiculous hat commentary. Anya was further blamed for anything that went wrong for the rest the stream, including the times when the sound would cut out. She reassured the team, "You can leave it to me; I can do all of the coding."
@Character limit, my only nemesis
But above all, currently, one of my strongest inspirations for everything that I make, including but not limited to 2D art, is this gameplay video. The background music fits the scene perfectly. It makes me want to fly through the village, or draw a pegasus flying through the village, or to make my own village to fly through. I feel like I can't stress that enough. I may be making a big deal of it, but...it's almost moving. I'm starting to consider sacrificing show-accuracy to draw the parts for a new 2.5D model, so that I won't be bound by the frames and screenshots that I have to work with. It might be similar to a hand drawn animation. (I was a bit disappointed to learn that "Children of the Night" will a Flash animation, but it's more practical for production I suppose, not to mention show accurate.)
@WhiteDiamonds
I confess, his exact wording was as follows:
I know you didn't specify, but I like to picture the cop in this story as a Mountie, complete with red coat, riding pants, hat, and Dudley Do-Right voice. I may have a slightly warped view of the Canadian police force.
As I see it, the first half of the conversation was only between him and I, as two uncultured ruffians who don't know a pleat from a placket, before a second half was picked up by those with their finger on the pulse of obscure sewing terminology. (No offense intended to anyone present; I would dream of owning such things personally, and it will be interesting to see where a line inspired by 19th century Russia will lead.)
If you hadn't gotten any sleep by now, while I don't doubt your impeccable work ethic, I would be slightly concerned for your health.
Ah, alright then, I just tend to be a little bit shy with this sort of thing
Hmm, on the bright side, perhaps you WILL get to see it snow after all (^u^)
Well at least is isn't as bad as it used to be, but if you've been stressed there's only one solution....Cuteness! Since everyone is posting pictures I'll add a few that I've found:
Filly Derpy, Fancy Foals in costumes, Filly Rarity With Kitten Opal, Filly Applejack with Sapling Bloomberg, Hmm, appearently her usual approach does not work in this case
And of course (Congratulations! (^^) You and Rarijack has now officially been added to my list):
This one is really nicely done, This one is only a sketch but their expressions are adorable, Aww!
@Favo
I've really wondered how people do that.
BUT WHO WAS PHONE?
Is it really just because I haven't been around here as much that things have gotten so quiet? Because honestly, it's somewhat discouraging, and is a catch-22 in a way. The less activity the less I feel inclined to type up my big elaborate comments because it seems so few people read them anyway (or responds, at least), but then not doing so seems to see things going slower than ever. I'm sorry I've been so busy everyone, but I am excited t be back right this moment!
@Anon
Yes, Harwick is amazing, and that latest artwork of his was wonderful as you're already well aware. If he reads this, I wonder if he would consider linking to another artwork of his that he recently shared with Ponydora and I (I don't know why he wouldn't, but I don't want to just assume of course)... he's a talented artist and we're all very lucky to have him as part of the fandom.
And speaking of Hariwck, I see; that makes sense because I do recall him saying that about the Canadian police force before. You both are incredibly silly. Don't even worry about the whole fashion thing dear because honestly, most people I know have no knowledge or care for such things anyway, and at least all of you are willing to humor me most of the time and in some cases, even feign a certain degree of interest which is nevertheless appreciated. So thanks for that.
As for my health thank you very much for your concern. To be perfectly honest I had been sleeping more than usual until recently, because as I said I had been extremely tired and rather sore and I can only imagine much of it is/was a result of all the heart fluttering starting up again (since, prior to the problem restarting I had been feeling fine). But I'm starting to feel much better now; happily this problem never does seem to last for much longer than a couple weeks at a time, and I've gotten a great deal of my inspiration back as well which is obviously a huge relief to me!
And regarding pony video games, I'll confess that I've had little to no interest in any of them, with the only exception of Fighting is Magic (and I honestly don't even know why; it's not like I play fighting games or any games in general really, but watching the demos of that one I feel I might like to try). However, I really must say that the video you linked to piqued my interest, and though it is sort of strange I agree with you that something about that really stirs the imagination. Maybe it is just the music, which was very soothing somehow but it was really enjoyable to watch (what's that internet meme again? "It gives me feels"?). Thank you very much for sharing. =)
@Favo
I'm so sorry to hear you've been sad at all dear! I know how you feel, because that's sort of the way that I've been feeling recently as well, or similar enough. I guess you can almost say "discouraged" more because I've had so many things on my plate but not enough time or energy to devote to them, but at least this has begun to change as I said earlier. I hope you're feeling better now as well.
And those pictures are both so adorable, thank you for being so sweet and always thinking of me and indulging my silly fangirlishness! <3 <3 **glomping digital hugs** You are too thoughtful you know! ^^
@Poppun
And speaking of which, oh mercy! I LOVE cuteness, and those pictures are so incredibly darling! <3 Derpy and Applejack are always adorable of course, I love that 'fancy-foals' picture with Sapphire Shores and whatnot (Fancy Pants and Hoity-Toity are so adorable there, and even Blueblood looks cute, amazing!), kitten-Opalescence(!) is precious, and of course theatrical Rarity always entertains me. I've since seen and favorited that tea-time picture (isn't that one gorgeous, really?) and the sketch is charming; I love Applejack's expression and her messy tousled mane!
Aren't they just precious ponies really? Haha, while I certainly never set out to convert anyone, I will admit it's very nice not being the only person here who understands my silliness... thank you so much. =^.^= ^_~
Announcement: I'm still alive and I haven't forgotten this blog yet.
That is all.
More Filly Cuteness
Ooh! I pressume then that I didn't go over board posting (^.^-'). And they really are (Though I admit I've given a few people a slight nudge towards the series, but in my defense they did enjoy it), so many characters and things in Equestria look so soft, it looks like the sort of place you could hug without either of you objecting, if that makes any sense
Though I am glad that you at least enjoyed the pictures (especially since there were so many....). Actually the "Theatrical Patient Rarity" picture always makes me think of the time Twilight mentions being from the "Show the patient who's boss" school of medicine; although judging by their expressions it appears Twilight's usual approach has failed her.
Hee-hee, perhaps something along these lines:
"You don't expect me to drink that, do you? Anything that horrible colour could not possibly be fit for Equine consumption! Especially not for a poor, sick, bedridden pony, who is too weak to care for herself and completely at the mercy of-'mmph! ugh!' Twilight~! I was in the middle of a dramatic monologue and you put a spoon filled with that awful medicine in my mouth~!"
"But- But it was open! I saw an oppertunity and I seized it!"
"Hmph! No Fair, tricking a sick Pony like that!"
(Ehehe, I really do have too much fun captioning pictures like this)
On that note (It is strange though....I tried previewing to make sure that I had posted the link correctly and it posted several times):
I know that this picture was probably intended to look a bit sultry, but that tipsy little smile is adorable!, Aww, Filly Cuteness, More Filly Cuteness, These two really do need to have a proper adorable moment in the show, Sister pair bonding time...., This appearently is the counter part picture to the other one, This is one of my favourites (^u^-), Really, who wouldn't want a tiny Filly Twilight guarding their page?,
Hopefully this will work, apologies for the testing comment but trying to get this darn OpenID to work so I don't have to use my Google account. D:
Hoooray it work!
Anyway, just a quick post to say hello! WD invited me here as hopefully we're working on a little project together (if you still have the time m'dear!).
Feel free to call me Dice, DicePony, or Mark. :)
Gosh, I really am spamming. Decided I would knock up a new Google account so I can have a proper "Pony Profile" just for pony stuff! (this is the Jewel of Reinsburg guy from above... aheheheh)
I'm Dice, FanFic writer and RariJack enthusiast! Hi!
I cleaned up all the comments that had been removed by people... I hope none of you mind; it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine to see so many cluttering up the page~ ^.^'
@CaineScroll
Well, that's nice to know! Or at least I think so.
@Poppun
Yay, more adorableness! Thank you again for sharing such cute pictures, and for reminding me of some of those that I have seen before but which I never added to my favorites at the time, for whatever reason! I really need to make an effort to do so in the future. I enjoyed them all (I like Rainbow Dash in the Scootaloo image; for some reason her pose or something is incredibly funny and almost cute), and of course I can't help but think of Harwick whenever I see little Twilight. And more Rarity, Applejack, and anything of the two of them together is always welcome, of course!
I know what you mean about "so many characters and things in Equestria look so soft" you just wish you could hug them, haha... that was an adorable statement. ^.^
@Favo
You and your hyperlinks dear, and blowing up chairs? Silly lovable goober. But anyhow yes, I certainly hope school is not too hard on you when you return, and as for DicePony and our little collaborative project, I'm very excited and really appreciate the enthusiasm! *^_^*
@Dice Pony
And speaking of, dearest, there you are! Perfect timing too, because guess what I was planning on doing later this evening~! ^.~ Anyhow yes everyone, dear DicePony here and I are going to be working on a little project together, one I'm really looking forward to! I would have mentioned it sooner but of course, with as busy as I've been and considering how long it's taken me to get any new art posted recently I didn't want to get anyone's expectations up prematurely, but now that he's turned up it's nice to be able to share. It's a project I'm going to be committing to for a while, and it should mean a lot of new artwork to come in the eventual future. But in the meantime, as he is a fabulously nice guy in addition to being a fanfiction author and Rarijack fan as he stated (and I'm very grateful to have another ally in that regard, joy) I recommended the blog to him in hopes he might be interested in joining in our little conversations sometime! Unfortunately, things have been a little bit slow around here recently dear but I hope you'll make yourself comfortable all the same.
First and most importantly, thanks to everyone for their concern and well-wishes regarding my father. He's been home from the hospital for just over two weeks now, and has reached the point of getting a decent amount of sleep at night and having more good days than bad. Aside from his being forced to take it easy, things are getting pretty close to normal.
@Harwick
I tend to avoid spoilers as much as possible myself, but given how long the wait is until season 3 starts, I expect it's going to be pretty much impossible to avoid them, so feel free to discuss whatever you'd like about the info that's been leaked so far. Besides, Studio B has been very good at not leaking info that spoils anything important plot-wise.
@Poppun
Thanks for the links to the pics; I'd certainly missed a fair number of them the first time around, and they're all worth seeing. I'm still hoping for a drawing of filly Rarity and filly Hayseed Turniptruck playing together, myself. ;)
@WhiteDiamonds
Speaking just for myself, I always read the discussion here, even though I don't always have something to say. It's certainly understandable how you might not always have time to keep current with the comments here, but I really hope you never let fear of being unread keep you from commenting here. And while it has been unusually quiet around here lately, I figured it would be for the best if someone else got the ball rolling again, since if I attempted it I'd probably wind up discussing Molly Moo-Cow or trying to get people to check out The Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo.
@CaineScroll
It's great to see you on here again, however briefly, but did you bring the punch?
@Dice Pony
It's good to meet you! And you say you're working on a project with our esteemed hostess? My, this should be interesting...
@Dice Pony
Diiice, it's been ages! How're you doing lately?
Glad to hear you and Di finally got something up and running...Can't wait for the results! =D
@WhiteDiamonds
It is this time! July is FINALLY over, so I can move on with my life and hope for the best again...and in the meantime, good luck on your collab with Dice!
@jodyjm13
*Gasp* Jody, hide me. o_O
Te-he (-^u^-). But it really is nice to have such a sweet and charming series, especially since so many other shows seem to rely on shock value to gain attention (I suppose it's true then, when everyone else is trying to be more unusual and attention grabbing that taking a few steps back stands out the best)
But now I'm interested in what this up coming project will be (And Welcome Dice Pony, it seem a good few of us have joined during this picture)
And of course (Oh Dear....This is probably going to end up happening with a good number of my posts)
More Cuteness: Sleeping Ponies Edition (^u^-), Overworked Seamstress, Oh Dear...., Hmm, doesn't this picture look familiar?, Aww! These are even cuter than the official ones, And of course
@WhiteDiamonds
Ah, about that story art... Now, Diamonds, don't doubt me; I was right all along. I wouldn't expect you to have time for all of that work (I really wouldn't consider it "little"), but I guess it helps to be so relevant to your interests. Next, we need to turn you into an animator so you can live out your lifelong dream.
(Side note: "And speaking of Hariwck" I do that so often, my keyboard has practically renamed him to "Hariwck". Please inform his family.)
I think that some of us are less likely to leave responses than others, or there just is not much more to be said, but I'm a bit surprised that no one has stepped in to present a new topic. I'm sure your next art release will stir enough commotion here, not to mention on deviantART... Honestly, as your blog loses its former activity and its users move to dA, this place seems to be losing much of its significance and usefulness. I understand that you, Harwick and Ponydora have extablished an exclusive trio, and of course that's fine. Some of the conversations on dA have also gotten to be pretty long and usually gather responses much more promptly than the ones on this blog. Any common fan can leave a comment or a muro drawing, and they might even appear in the latest impromptu discussion of anything that happens to come up in conversation, or of how life has been lately. Even those who are extemely disrespectful (Yes, you should be working for my franchise by drawing my ponified Sonic OC for free. Because apparently, you don't do enough REAL WORK as it is). It's my own fault that I didn't follow along when the tide was changing, but I can't say it isn't kind of isolating. My work is returning, and I might not be as active here for a while, so it shouldn't matter anyhow. I hope one day, I will have the time to leave a nice comment on your page, as any common fan would, to thank you for what you have given me. Should that day ever come, you needn't mind the bitter ramblings of this old man.
With regards to your health, maybe it's a sign that you should focus on getting more sleep whenever the problem arises. I can understand the feeling of being inspired, but too busy to make use of the occasion. When I was working (as I will be again soon), I spent much of my time thinking about all the things I could be making in the countless late hours I spent at that desk. Except for me, it isn't just drawing that I would be anticipating, but anything generally related to game development. If I would rather spend hours punching out game code than spend hours punching out mobile code, I can understand you would rather return to your creative projects than move boxes all day. (Come to think of it, that sounds like a much more likely explanation for your soreness and exhaustion.)
Though you're very welcome for anything I may have done, I'm not sure you really need to, because none of the interest I had shown was fake. I may not be a fashion designer, but I am a game designer, and I do need to mind the culture of any setting I am working with. I may not know much about Russian culture or its history, but variety is usually appreciated, and the picture from the article did look interesting. When a style or culture becomes popular in any manner, it can inspire new creations from any sort of media industries. Though I don't expect to see anyone walking down the street wearing a tipped hat with a peacock feather on top any time soon, who knows what could become of a popular new theme. I may even find myself researching it some time in the future. I would be interested to see where that leads.
@WhiteDiamonds
(This comment is turning out much longer than I had anticipated. I just want to clear a lot of things up. I am sorry to make you read through so much.)
I may be reading your paragraph incorrectly (or my eyes may deceive me), but I can't really imagine you playing any pony game like Fighting Is Magic, though admittedly I'd like to watch if you ever did. I tend to be very interested in any large game project in the fandom. Not because I would necessarily want to play them, but because I can relate to the developers, watch their progress and note their decisions. I believe I have mentioned this before, but there is one thing about Fighting Is Magic that I find hard to get over: (Initiate rant sequence.) Most of their effort was spent on creating art assets and character animations rather than the gameplay. As I'm sure I mentioned earlier, my friend goes to the (often ridiculous) effort of making his own game engines from scratch. The first time we ever spoke of Fighting Is Magic, he was quick to express his relative disappointment that they are using the premade fighting game engine "2D Fighter Maker 2002", which was also used to make this game. What that essentially means is that they didn't make the "game" so much as add pony characters to it with their own movesets. This might be a wise choice for the sake of efficiency, but it imposes limitations on the developers that they would not have to worry about if they had spent a bit more time with another large engine like Unity3D (the choice of MLPOnline, Legends of Equestria and myself). Their FAQ tells of technical limitations that come with the engine (No OC reskins, 640 by 480 pixels only, Windows operating systems only, among others). It could have been more original and pony-themed if they hadn't gone the easy way out. Overall, it could have been the best decision anyway.
I don't play classic 2D Mortal Kombat-style games (I don't like having to remember combos), but I plan to try out Fighting Is Magic anyway. Just the singleplayer, since I won't have anyone to play against. After all, compared the other games in development, its hype is similar to this. (All the streets will be deserted / The White House will be alerted / When bronies finally give us LoE. I'm not sure why, but I really hope Jody sees that.) Legends of Equestria, however, there is no question. It has the rights to my feels. They have a corporate monopoly on all my feels. I also plan to try out PonyKart, My Little Investigations and Adventure of the Lunar Bolts. (I never play JRPGs, but something about...ALB is sort of intiguing, and even a bit inspiring. The pixellated graphics are well-rendered, and I would never get tired of reading the dialogue of every background character in the scene.) There was also a game that was announced in late May, which was similar to Fighting Is Magic, except that, instead of actual characters from the show, the playable characters would be the OCs of famous brony musicians. It sounds like an odd idea, but I can only imagine the music-based themes, stages and attacks they might come up with. Besides, it would be fun to have yourself as a playable character. MandoPony could have a mandolin-based martial art all his own. They are even making the game in Unity. (That's the way you do it, guys.) Interestingly, they plan to use something called "RageSpline", which gives you something like 3D vectors for the Unity3D engine...and I actually tried using that for my 2.5D model. I deemed it too CPU-intensive to be useful for a constantly-animated character. But I'd like to be wrong about that.
Well, if there was ever any question about me being a nerd...
@Favo
Mwuahahaha! Well, if you're a fan of cute romances, Disney-esq plots and the incredible art of our lovely White Diamonds, then I think you will enjoy it! :D
@WhiteDiamonds
Hello m'lady! *bow*
You are too kind, it's definitely going to be exciting working on our little project (still very happy that you're excited and keen to work on it with me!).
:D
@jodyjm13
Thank you kindly! Good to meet you too!
@CaineScroll
Hey buddy! Doing good man, looking forward to getting my project with M'Lady Diamonds here done and out!
@Dice Pony
Meanwhile I'm still getting used to drawing ponies again...and giving out dA Muro presents. I have to say I'm getting addicted. XD
@Dice Pony
A challenger appears! Looking forward to your collaborative project, and while I'm at it (and when time allows it) I'll have to check out your work.
@CaineScroll
Aren't we all? -insert random existentialist comment here-
Meanwhile it seems this week on the blog it's double/triple post week. This calls for a party.
@Dice Pony
Sorry I missed greeting you last night, but it was 5:00 in the morning and I wanted to finish my previous comments before I went to sleep. Most of us have tried our collective hands and hooves at digital art, but we haven't had many vistors who have authored fanfictions before. I am glad to see that I won't have to worry about confusing my posts with yours, as I do with Poppun's. (If you must to call me anything, I am the troll that lives under this blog, never to see the light of deviantART.) In all seriousness, it's nice to meet you.
I had the nerve to take a look at your Google Plus page, and I feel like I should mention that I'm also a fan of Rob Paulsen's podcast. (And Rob Paulsen himself, for that matter.) If you really are a voice actor, then I envy you for that profusely. Though I already felt that way when I found that you lived in London...
@CaineScroll
>yet
I've never understood why people greet the end of months and years. Does July have special significance to your college work?
Oh, and: Nothing can stop the Smooze. Resistance is futile.
@jodyjm13
I was waiting for you to reappear so I could tell you that you made an appearance on the blog "BronySay" (and thankfully not as the subject of the image), which is dedicated to the less favorable quotes from bronies. Someone happened to link to the blog in the comments of an EQD article, and I recognised your name.
I'm not sure for how long this bit of activity will last (Actually, I do: For as long as WhiteDiamonds is present.), but you came just in time. Of course it's good to hear that your life seems to be somewhat less worrisome. I don't know where you find these things, but I have to say, you have a few odd, but nevertheless funny interests. One of them seems to be "Messing with the spatial perception of his peers."
Wait a minute-- you remembered...! When I read about your greatest desire, I thought of Mr. Turnip, Pinkie's bucket of turnip friend(s). For that, I will grant you the next best thing.
By the way, my father seems to be building a computer for a paying neighbor, so he plugged the large 24 inch, $300 screen into my computer so I could use it for the week until he sends it to the man's house with the rest of the new computer. The resolution is 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. It can almost display the full-sized version of The Mare Nubium Sets Sail. I even took a picture. I should probably use this opportunity to draw impractically high-definition ponies, but so far I have only used it to browse Equestria Daily and type this comment. I would say I'm making the best use of it I can.
@Favo
^.^ Dearest, with you around I can never want for Rarijack fanworks, it seems... thank you so much for always being so sweet and thinking of me! I went ahead and read that story since it was a relatively short and sweet little one-shot, and it was good but admittedly not my favorite sampling I've come across to date. I've come to realize that I prefer shipping fanfictions (or well, I guess Rarijack fanfictions since they're the only shipping stories I read, unless there are other pairings included on the side) that focus on character growth and introspection more than dialogue, which is probably why "Home Grown" remains amongst my favorite example to date. Unless it's a comedy-based story of course, and admittedly those are usually amongst my favorites, especially when there's a lot of bickering involved!
Anyhow, much appreciated!
@jodyjm13
Yay, Jody-dearest! I'm so glad to hear that your father is doing well; thank you for sharing that with us! Thank you also for the sentiments about commenting and such, but if I can help it I want to get back to commenting more here, not less I think... I've really been missing the more laid-back pace offered here recently. As for conversation starters, I suppose Harwick was really our man for that but at this point, I'm wondering if he at least hasn't abandoned the blog... it's rather been looking that way but I suppose considering how things had been going (and how much we talk on deviantART anyway) I can't blame him. Anyway, Anon is correct about the fact that you have some rather obscure interests though I am certainly not anyone to judge... in fact that second link in particular fascinates me; I've always loved artworks that function on more than one level.
@CaineScroll
'Out with the old, in with the new' is a fabulous thing. And thank you dear!
@Poppun
Yes, I agree with you there, it is very nice, and the wonderful thing is that Lauren Faust created a series that is capable of bridging age and gender gaps all thanks to a cast of charming, well-rounded (marshmallowy-squishy-looking adorable) characters.
Regarding the upcoming project with DicePony, it was probably somewhat misleading the way I phrased things initially; we are going to be working together but it's probably less a collaboration in the traditional sense and more that I'm to be doing a series of commissioned illustrations for one of his stories. Details are still being worked out and I'm not sure how many artworks just yet, but it should be a few at least!
Thank you for sharing more cute images (I'm quite sure I recall squeeing when the last one showed up in an EqD Drawfriend months ago)! And oh yes, I remember that doodle of mine from the silly beer-pong sketches, which that person colored and posted without my permission... Favo brought it to my attention ages ago (before I had a deviantART) and back then I'd wondered if I should make an account and ask them to take it down. For one thing (and forgive me if it's somewhat rude to say so) they really got a lot of the linework wrong, which doesn't surprise me given the very sketchy nature of the original, and again they never did ask me for permission to begin with which I would have appreciated. In fact, if the person who had requested it had only asked me themselves, I probably would have been happy to color that drawing for them! But on the other hand the artist was at least thoughtful enough to credit me, so perhaps I should just let it alone after all of this time... bleh. I don't know.
Anyhow, yes, thank you again for the dose of cute! <3
@Anon
What are you referring to exactly, my project with DicePony do you mean? I don't believe I've disclosed exactly what it is I'm going to be doing yet so I'm not sure why you would feel it will necessarily be a lot of work, but if it is I imagine I'll be doing it in lieu of new commissions. We'll see though; he and I are honestly still just in the planning stages ourselves. As for animation I'm actually quite capable of doing it to some extent, but of course it's extremely time-consuming and I definitely am not at leisure to undertake any project like that in the foreseeable future. I wouldn't at all say it's my dream either; I briefly thought about trying to get into the field when I was much younger, but a visit to Production IG in Tokyo, among other things, helped to change my mind.
As for the blog, yes, obviously I've become aware that things have changed around here over the past couple of months but honestly, I've recently started hoping that we might be able to recapture something like what we used to have again. Especially as deviantART is a decidedly more "public" forum and (in a way) it's become more of a chore in the sense that I have a lot to keep up with, this place once again is calling to me as a secluded little sanctuary where I can let my guard down more and just converse with some of you whom I've gotten to know. At this point, perhaps that's too late for some people but as you can see we're now starting to see some new faces around here, so I have some hope. And as for deviantART again, I'm sorry to hear you feel that way but I remember trying to encourage you to make an account shortly after we all began growing more active there... there's nothing to stop you from doing so now of course, as apparently you already spend quite a lot of time there (obviously, I know which disrespectful individual you are referring to, and while it's slightly discomforting to know that every conversation I have is eligible for close scrutinization, I can't really object!). Anyway, I hope you'll still think about that at least, and don't even get me started on the "old" comment, hrmph~
If it's any comfort to you to know, I very rarely am responsible for moving boxes at my job; that's only when we receive a vendor bisque shipment and I happen to be scheduled. I do believe I explained to you what it is I generally do for a living once upon a time... it was many months ago yes, but amazingly enough I still remember! As for pony video games, I'll reiterate that I haven't really been following any of them and obviously, don't understand the vast majority about anything you just said (if anything really, I'm probably flattering myself), but yes you read correctly and I think I would at least like to try playing "Fighting is Magic" when it's released. Perhaps just because so much of the emphasis has been on "art assets" and character animations as you said, I find the project strangely appealing.
And lastly, thank you for taking the time to point out my typos to me, as obviously I don't bother proof-reading as much as I arguably ought to. Especially these days when doing so can cost me who knows how many precious minutes, haha... I honestly need every single one that I can get.
@Dice Pony
Oh, and you are too lovely my dear, always~ ^.^ I am indeed looking forward to it, you know it! <3
Yes, I'm still lurking about. Let me offer a welcome to Dicepony, whom I believe is the only new face since I last posted.
As for my relative scarceness, I fully blame our hostess White Diamonds, who I don't believe is fully aware of just how often she ends messages to me with the suggestion that new artwork from her is right around the corner. Seriously, I can't count the number of weeks I've lived in the vain hope that she's going to post something new and delightful at any given moment. And since there have been multiple times on this blog where I have started and/or continued a conversation without ever realizing that everyone else has since moved on to the next entry, I tend to just clam up and wait.
See? My forehand shot is pretty good at returning a volley of guilt. :-) However, I will try and participate more often in discussions around here, and I do indeed look forward to your next new artwork as well as your illustrations for Dicepony's fanfic (which I was about to read but then thought maybe I'd wait for the announced edited and illustrated version. Some very favorable comments suggest it'll be a fun story either way!)
@Harwick
Hey, it was never my intention to make you feel guilty about anything, honestly! I really, seriously believed that you haven't been around or checking this blog recently, and as I said it's not like I would have blamed you. I've said before, and truthfully so, that none of you should ever feel obligated to post here or anywhere on my behalf; of course I understand and respect what it's like to be busy and we all have our own lives obviously. You're no exception! Concerning the artwork, I believe our last private correspondences consisted of my confiding in you that I've been having quite a lot of trouble with this most recent artwork, and have been growing frustrated with it... but yes it's taken me forever to finish and I genuinely am sorry if I've disappointed you at all... repeatedly by the sound of things. =<
I guess, as usual, all of this is a result of my overextending myself... the lack of new artwork, the fact that this blog ever slowed down to begin with and the fact that I seem to have fallen out of touch with some people. I feel like I should be able to get everything done in a timely manner, but then it always seems to take me so much longer than I expected and I end up letting people down, ugh. ;_; But as for DicePony and his fanfiction yes, while I've enjoyed what I've read so far, and as he already knows I'll confess I haven't even managed to finish the entire story yet (read again the part about overextending myself..)... but yes thus far it's been quite cute, and hopefully you'll enjoy it when you do eventually get around to it.
I really am sorry about the lack of artwork though, and everything else everyone... my sincere apologies. I won't promise when it will be finished and able to be posted because honestly, I can only hope, but I do at least want it to be soon.
@WhiteDiamonds
I obviously have to give up any attempt to tease you at all, because it apparently never comes across well and you end up hurt that I'm hurt and/or upset and then I feel like I've kicked a puppy. And I really, really like puppies.
I live in endless hope of new artwork from yourself, whether you indicate it might be near or not, but you must understand the lack of it does not wound me, it simply keeps me in a state of anticipation. I would never make another artist apologize for not having artwork ready to share, and I certainly wouldn't hold it against you.
I was merely trying to express my (sadly true) paranoia that the moment I do sit down and take the time to type up something, I'll find that a new subject has been opened in the meanwhile, while at the same time gently teasing you and expressing my eagerness to see your next work, whatever it might be.
I failed to take into account that this is a sensitive subject for you, obviously, and for that I apologize. Just because I don't think you have any reason to worry about it doesn't mean that it doesn't upset you, and it was truly bad form to push those buttons on you. The last thing I want is to cause you to fill a post with frowny and tear-filled faces.
So please don't apologize to me... you never made me feel bad or disappointed or guilty. I obviously did those things to you, however, even though I never meant to. So I apologize to you. I shall still try and post here more often, despite massively bungling that last attempt, and hopefully those attempts will make you happy instead of depressed.
@Harwick
Oh, no, you didn't do anything wrong! Don't feel bad, please don't. Perhaps I have been on edge recently and somewhat sensitive about this subject, I suppose because I've gotten a few comments and even several notes asking about when there will be new artworks, if I'm still alive, what's going on and when will commissions open again and so on, just in the last three days (I am not exaggerating this fact), and it makes me feel very guilty. Not to mention of course that I really, really want to be able to give pieces of artwork to those people I owe them too (even if they told me originally there was never any rush), but I can't seem to be able to finish anything! It's terrible because it's not like I don't have the energy back at this point, but nothing I do seems to be coming out the way I want it so I keep scrapping things and starting over... bleh.
So in other words, I am just stressed, but don't worry because this is something that happens to me on a regular basis and I'm quite used to it, and certainly you didn't do anything wrong! Saturday I'm going to visit my cousins, most of whom I haven't seen in several years (because I'm always so busy 6_6;;;) but when I get home I am going to treat myself to a Young and the Restless marathon and open up the box of sweet liquors my father recently brought to my house (he's a bartender you see, if I never mentioned that before). I'll be fine, but please do forgive me if I alarmed you at all dear, or made you feel guilty; I truly did not mean to do either!
@WhiteDiamonds
I'm very tempted to apologize back to you for making you feel like you needed to apologize to me, all out of a certain curiosity to see how long we could keep such a thing going. However, some part of my brain is noting that it's well past 2 am here and my judgement hasn't been all that great even without sleep deprivation, so I think I should just count my blessings that you're such a good friend and go to sleep.
Please don't stress over your artwork too much... We all go through those phases of being unsatisfied with our output. I can't speak for others, but my anticipation for your work hasn't dulled over the wait, nor has it soured me towards it in the least. And never underestimate how much everyone here simply loves your company regardless.
@WhiteDiamonds
Dice did mention the project on his deviantART and FIMFiction pages, but I think you summarized it well already. I actully had our old conversions in mind with that animation comment, and I meant it as a tease about your old considerations. It really is difficult to express tone of voice in text.
I have been busier lately, but I will try to contribute when I am available to. Browsing dA is the only way I can somewhat keep up with everyone, and of course I'm not the only one here who does so. I would say that I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable about the comments that you leave there, but it seems to be too late for that... Obviously, I can't just intervene when I see a user treating you badly, so I meant to do the most I can to give you confirmation and acknowledgement, though I'm sure you don't actually need it. You are always exceedingly polite with everyone regardless of what anonymous children will say to you on the internet. If it were me, my responses would be exceedingly passive aggressive. (That same user has been bothering various artists for free drawings, once even asking for his character to be included in one such artist's comic series. "NOTE: You WILL NOT have control over my character." And that's not even touching on the traced drawings that he refused to remove at the request of the original artist.) I felt like I should say something for your sake. Oh, and thank you for indirectly sharing Echowolf800's sharp gallery. I might even try that style some time. (It's a shame he has been inactive for the past two weeks; I should complain to you about it, because clearly this is all your fault. Diamonds, we are all so disappointed in you.)
As do I! Sadly, I happen to follow pony video games pretty closely, and as such, I felt the need the rant about one of them. It could be summarized with "It's well-animated for the price of all programmers' rage." It could be interesting to see more games by artists rather than software developers, but prioritizing graphics over gameplay is what resulted in the Call of Duty series. Anyway, I have good expectations for the project and I hope to experience its success firsthand.
The ironic thing is, since he has been renamed to "Hariwck", you actually spelt Harry's name correctly. Even her typos are ahead of her time!
I have said it before, but you really shouldn't worry yourself so much about fun fanart of ponies. I understand your commissions have been frustrating, and that's all the more reason to give yourself the time you need to attend to your responsibilities. It is a responsibility to finish a commision order, but it is not a responsibilty to draw ponies just because you have fans who are wondering about your status. You are under no obligation to appease any impatient or curious followers simply because they tend to enjoy the results. (It gets more complicated when we're talking about paying clients, but they never did set a deadline and they must know by now that quality art takes time.) You could never disappoint us. If anyone feels they are more important than your busy life, then they the last people you should concern yourself with.
@Harwick
SO IT BEGINS
I would say that "our King hast returned", but that might make you WhiteDiamonds' father (and consequently, a bartender).
I don't mean to speak for her, and I realise my word is not worth much, but I think you're being too hard on yourself. I believe we can all relate to some extent. That appears to be a common side effect of her work. Come for the art, stay for the artist. It can be hard to go without something we have grown so accustomed to. You show yourself to be an exceptionally caring person, and that is something you should be proud of.
Hey, what's all this then? Apologies flying back and forth, guilt, anxiety - my goodness! This is most unsettling. I'm certain that my unfortunate absence from the blog hasn't gone unnoticed, as it's been a month or so (amazingly), but of course it has nothing at all to do with you, our dear host.
Rather, I've been alternately sick, traveling for work, inordinately busy, on vacation, and now sick again, and I just haven't been able to put the time together to post something meaningful. What I should have been doing was popping in and out to chat and post blurbs and tidbits, but I (inexcusably) failed to keep in touch. Well, no more! Let's recapture some of that old magic, and get back in the swing of things.
Di, I am certainly excited for your new work, as is everybody in his or her right mind, but certainly I would never want to pressure or rush you, nor complain about your schedule. I'd much rather you enjoy yourself and work on your own time than feel compelled to hurry along by any of your online fans. I certainly empathize with the feeling of being compelled to get out more work lest the mob grows restless.
I do check this blog every day, and your dA page every day, and now I am going to get back in the habit of posting early and often, that is, if you still want to read my random rambling.
Speaking of - I see "Fighting is Magic" is on the table for discussion. Was I ever disappointed that the creators reacted to the leak by apparently shutting down testing and canceling all press releases! It seems that they have now softened that position by saying that they will be doing internal testing until they can find more trustworthy testers, and will eventually resume updates when they have more new content to share. I for one am greatly excited about that game, despite having never played a "2d fighter" since I was a wee Prancy lad.
Di, I had no idea that your father was a bartender. What a fabulous revelation, and lucky you - my other good friend whose father owns a bar has a million great stories from growing up among the glasses, taps, and barflies, and I bet you do too.
Harwick - find something interesting and off-kilter to post about so we can get a good discussion starter and push this thread over 200. If anyone can do it, you can.
DicePony - I don't know you, but anyone who has got a collab going with Di must be great to know. I'll have to check out your work.
CaineScroll - welcome back to the fold, my friend!
Anon - love that big picture of Harwick's latest. It makes a great desktop background.
WhiteDiamonds fan club poster crusaders are go - yay!
Official map and Season 2 Case Picture ... I really like them!
The map is spooky-close to my preconceived notions, and the cast picture(s) are really wonderful this time. How do those guys get these so spot-on? I think this year's is even better than the last.
@PonydoraPrancypants
I'm getting ready for a house guest this weekend, so I can't take long to comment, but those are very cool! I can't wait for a nice, clear, high resolution version of that map to show up. (It was actually gotten from a store not far from me, so I suppose I could swing out there and grab one myself.) There are a few things on there that I can't make out, but generally it does seem to match up with my impressions well.
The location of Sweet Apple Acres in regards to the Everfree forest has always been a bit confusing. Sometimes it seems like they're right next to each other, and others it seems like they're on opposite sides of Ponyville from each other. (This can be blamed on the Season 2 show opener, where they suddenly dropped Canterlot into the background of the shot of Ponyville, changing it from a south-facing view to a north-facing view, without changing the position of anything else.) The only thing I see missing/wonder about is the location of the big mountain from "Dragonshy" and "Secret of My Excess". And of course the relative sizes of everything (though the map says it's not to scale.)
Love the season 2 cast shot as well... so many call outs to fan favorites with the choices and the placements of characters. Screwball at the base of Discord's statue, Octavia and Vinyl together. Love Lyra being an attention hog, Berry Punch hanging with Carrot Top and Colgate, the CMC's with Luna (and Applebloom wearing her chest piece, while Sweetie wears her crown!) Twilight and Celestia curled up reading, Future Twilight freaking as the sands run out, SMARTYPANTS!, All of the pony pets (including Pee Wee), Krackle, The Labowski Ponies, AJ in her "I didn't learn nothin'!" pose, the airship!... I can keep at this all afternoon.
So much fun and very cool.
@PonydoraPrancypants
I want those posters omgosh omgosh omgosh. But will my country see them being distributed here? Probably not for a looong time, but at least we have sequential season DVDs, even if they're coming at a trickle of a pace.
Okay, apology party it is then! I'm sorry I ate all the corncakes.
@PonydoraPrancypants
Pixelkitties apparently bought those posters about 1/2 hour from where I live (or rather, she bought the toys which entitle her to the free posters.) I checked my local Walmart and they didn't have any as of yet, though. I did find the dregs of the new assorment of blindbag figures, and lo and behold one of 'em sported the code (hastily looked up on my phone) for Big Mac, so that was nice.
Pixelkitties posted the high resolution versions of all 4 posters, which lessens my need to drive the half hour out to find real copies. I'm a bit bummed that Junebug didn't make the cast poster. (Yet that little colt who got a bowling cutie mark did. Life is unfair to poor Junebug.)
@zhoomcar
Pffft. I only had 2 corncakes.
Okay, 4.
@NobodyInParticular:
I'm currently between assignments again, which could lead to most anything if it goes on long enough. I might try my hand at sculpting. I haven't done any since college, unless you count assembling random junk into folk-art rayguns... which you probably don't.
Try your luck! Click and drag the image to see if you can catch your favorite shipping pair.
Source.
@Harwick
Flitter and Cloud Kicker? Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? Who came up with these? ;) Thanks for the link, though. There aren't any Wal-Marts near where I live to get those posters, so I'll keep an eye out for them on eBay. Sorry about the lack of Junebug though - what really irks me is that they forgot about Rarity's Mommity and Daddity!
Oh, and kludged-together toy ray guns are most certainly sculpture art.
Oh, and just for the record - it was SIX! Okay? I admit it.
Sorry I've been away again, everyone! I certainly didn't intend to be, but I guess all of those long days at work with little sleep caught up to me, and I went and caught a cold. If I haven't been at work the past few days I've been sleeping, but I feel much better now!
@Harwick
Hahaha... it's a good thing that I love you and your company regardless as well, or I might find you quite exasperating at times (in the best way possible of course ^_~). I can absolutely imagine you apologizing again just to see if I would fall for it, which I undoubtedly would... probably more than once. But of course that certain Harwick humor is arguably one of your most endearing qualities, and even when you do genuinely tease me about any number of non-sensitive subjects... I must make a fabulously easy target most times if our track record has anything to say about it.
But anyway, I appreciate the support and encouragement dearest friend, and whether I owe anybody or not I'm just going to keep working until I'm happy enough with something to share it. I would still like this to be very soon though, because it's been far too long since I got any new work up here or anywhere. On that note, I have to say I'm very excited to see what you might manage to come up with now that you'll have some free time to yourself (I've been thinking about getting back into sculpting recently too, though of course that's decidedly on the backburner for now given everything else I'm working on), and for what it's worth, of course I caught my favorite shipping pair. Even my trigger-finger wouldn't have been happy with anything less.
@Anon
You think I summarized what well dear, DicePony's story or my role in the project? Because I don't think I've really done either (considering I haven't finished reading the story yet, and as I said we are still working out the details of my involvement ourselves), but thank you.
I hope you won't worry too much about that remark regarding my online conversations/comments and such... while in a way it is discomforting to know that anyone (not just you) could theoretically keep such an eye on all of my online comings-and-goings, that's just the reality of the internet, and it's not like I don't realize anyone can view my comments when I make them. I have nothing to hide anyway, and you're correct in that I always do my best to remain poised and respectful to everyone, even if that particular individual has/had begun to sorely test my patience recently. But yes I do appreciate the encouragement, and you're welcome about EchoWolf; people are always telling me I'm kind and incredibly patient for doing whatever I do, but I think he must put me to shame.
Thank you for the reassurance as well! I know I don't owe any of my art followers anything but still I can't help but feel bad when I learn I've apparently disappointed someone, or many people as it may be. I technically only have one commission in the works now (DicePony and I haven't gotten started on any actual artwork yet) and my dear friend who I am doing the work for has assured me there's no rush, but all the same considering the non-difficulty of the art itself there's no reason I shouldn't have been able to finish by now. But for whatever reason, I just haven't been satisfied and able to create what I want this one simple piece to be, so I've started over a couple of times. Anyway, I'll work it out eventually I know.
Regarding Harwick yes, you can speak for me in this instance as he is truly a dear; I told him so shortly after we got acquainted on Equestria Daily all those months ago, and I meant it way back then too. <3
@PonydoraPrancypants
Deeeeeaaresst, there you are! <3 <3 I have missed you you know, but of course I realize you are also very busy, and I knew you had been on vacation and such so I certainly wasn't going to bother you. I'm sorry to hear you have been sick as well, and as there was no need for Harwick to apologize (I interpreted his teasing as genuine disappointment, which naturally made me feel badly) there's no need for you to do so either. I didn't take your absence personally, and you're back now which of course is a wonderful and welcome thing... let's recapture some of that old magic, indeed! I have to say, now that I've been watching the Olympics almost constantly when I've been home (and probably since I don't watch sports often) I again find myself wishing that the three of us could hit up some nice sports bar somewhere together... perhaps someday in Vegas even (haha), who knows.
I know what you mean about Fighting is Magic; there is no logical reason for me to be excited about that game, but somehow I am anyway, and really hope I might be able to try it out someday myself. Perhaps we could hold matches! And yes, regarding my father he is indeed a bartender and has worked as such since before I was born I think, but I'm afraid I don't really have many stories or memories that are worth sharing or which would be particularly entertaining, really. Mostly I remember sneaking as many maraschino cherries as I could from the garnish bins before I got caught, however my mother would probably be more than happy to share a story concerning a four-year-old me climbing up to a bar and trying to order a light beer... ugh.
Thank you for sharing that map and such! I'm most excited about the fact that this proves I was right in my guess, and that "Los Pegasus" does indeed correspond with Los Angeles, and not Vegas as so many people have maintained. And hahaha, while I don't doubt that Harwick could easily come up with a fabulous topic of conversation to carry us to the 200th comment (and beyond), I am determined to have a certain artwork finished before we have a have a chance to get to that point, at the very least. Unless we all start recklessly spamming now to make it there in record time... (on your marks, get set...)
@WhiteDiamonds
Here I am! <3 I've missed you as well, quite ferociously I must say. Yes, there has been a LOT going on over here recently, and perhaps we'll have some developments to talk about soon (or perhaps not). In any case, tragically I haven't bought a ramshackle tavern to rehabilitate and turn into a happening watering hole for literate sophisticates and pony-fan types. Not yet, at least.
But at any rate, it's great to be back here with you and all the rest of these great folks. I'll try to keep the comments coming en route to 200+!
I wonder about watching the olympics at a bar - baseball games where half the time is spent standing around between pitches or during changes are great for the bar, but in the olympics all the events are blink-and-you-miss-it. Maybe we could spice things up whenever by taking a drink whenever the camera cuts to a teary-eyed mom. I'm sure we can think of something!
If I can manage to run Fighting is Magic on my computer, you're absolutely on!
Oh my, adorable tiny Diamonds sneaking cherries and ordering a beer? Absolutely too cute, and I would have been right with you on the cherries. I love those "things" - whatever they are! By the way, did you get that beer?
Oh, and I, like you, was positive it was LOS and not LAS Pegasus. The three syllables and a flying pegasus correlating to a winged angel sold it for me. I'm glad we were right all along. :)
Darnit, I shouldn't leave that many tabs open. =/
@Harwick
I love the Season 2 posters as well, though it's a little less neat than the Season 1 poster in my opinion...still, I liked how they put the Crusaders with Luna, and also Screwball with the Discord statue. Chaos is Magic was a really nice twist too, especially with Discord taking the spotlight. =P
By the way, if you actually do end up making a giant sculpture out of spatulas or something, do keep me posted. I love a good shock.
And why wouldn't they include poor Junebug?! She's such a lovable sweetheart! =(
PS: Rarijack on the 3rd and 8th try. Must be a sign. #successkid
@zhoomcar
Well at least you have DVDs! =) We're still stuck with Youtube for the time being.
And while I don't do corncakes, I'm sure my totally-not-imaginary friend Bob does. Sorry if there's been a receding stock lately.
@PonydoraPrancypants
Well I'll have you know I missed you as well! *hugs* And sorry to hear about the setback in your plans...I know prices are sky high nowadays. But if it does pull through, I'd suggest Irish-style deco or (if you're feeling brave) Arthurian English taverns for that rustic feel. And if you're willing to hire me, I'd gladly take up the post of dishwasher or garbage boy. Least I could do. =P
And speaking of Fighting is Magic, I've been following the project as well and I was kinda disappointed at the recent leak lately...and if I recall correctly it only runs on Windows to date. But other than that, if you have a decent RAM and graphic card I don't think it'll be a problem at all. And when that moment comes...bring it. >=)
@WhiteDiamonds
It's nice to hear you're doing fine! And I was surprised to find out your dad was a bartender...is there anyone here without an awesome job?
Ooh! Those posters are amazing!
Actually, I admit it took a while to click which story Dice Pony is the author of. But that must mean you've read it then! What was your favourte part? And Fighting is Magic does look like a lot of fun, another game that looks like it will be good is My Little Investigations (though I would probably be looking forward to it more if I had been casted in one of the voice acting parts I auditioned for)
Hmm, between you two, Jodyjm13's Father and my Aunt, is there anyone here who hasn't either been sick or had a member of their family in the hospital during the past month?
But your Father is a bartender? E-he-he, I have to admit, when I saw that bit my first thought was "This could explain a few pictures...."
(^.^')
@Poppun
My aunt just suffered a stroke a few weeks back and is still recovering, so that counts me out. =(
@PonydoraPrancypants
I was going to remark that everyone is finally back, but since some of us still are only appearing intermittantly, I will instead say that it's great to be that much closer. Random rambling is always appreciated. Or at least, I would better hope so.
@PonydoraPrancypants
@WhiteDiamonds
(Allow me to demonstrate.)
Judging by the map, Equestria seems to be either a land bridge or a pennisula depending on whether or not there is ocean beyond the Frozen North. The mountain(s) from "Dragonshy" and "Secret of My Excess" is probably Smokey Mountain, south of Unicorn Range, though the ones surrounding Ponyville could also work.
However, it does raise a few more questions. What I wonder is, if the main six needed to get to the ruins in pilot, why did they walk down the dark, dangerous, zig-zagged path through the Everfree Forest when they could have taken a train to Dodge City (or at least walked around the forest) and used the almost clear entrance from there? If the Badlands is the volcanic plateau where the dragons migrated to in "Dragon Quest", then where is the mountain and swamp that Spike had to cross between there and Ponyville? I can forgive the absence of Steven Magnet's river for its size, but I don't think we could miss such an expansive area. They also have a city based on Los Angeles titled "Los Pegasus", when the "Las Pegasus" that Dash mentions in "It's About Time" refers to Las Vegas. If there are two cities named "Las/Los Pegasus", then where is Las Pegasus, and how do they know which town they are referring to in speech?
What I think caused these inconsistencies is a lack of communication between whichever department designed and produced the poster and DHX Media. Hasbro's Hub marketing team was the one responsible for airing the "Equestria Girls" promo, and it was aired without consulting the writers or most of the show's development team. (The only reference I could find was at 16:40 of this interview with Daniel Ingram, but I was sure that one of the show's writers had stated the same.) What this means is that, sadly, I'm not sure the map is necessarily canon. It's very nicely rendered, and I would like to take it as canon. I'm just not sure they would gather all of the deciding staff members to plan out a workable setting for the sake of an inexpensive merchandise piece. Especially if they never even mentioned the TV promo that would be the first official material to reference bronies by name. I know how cynical and negative I sound in saying that, and regardless I only hope for the best.
Of course, this means that no character in Season 3 can mention another city in Equestria with a horse-related pun, or else we would ask why the map did not depict it. (Where is Vegas? For that matter, where is Trottingham? Did the marketing people miss that one?)
@Harwick
No, no, Junebug is there; if you look closely, she is between the Doctor and Derpy. (Unfortunately, they seem to have forgotten Rarity.)
They seem to have thought of everyone else in the second season, though. You mentioned all of the specific details that I would have. I wasn't sure if Luna could remove that chest piece, or if it was a natural marking, or a second (third?) cutie mark. They are all impressively assorted compositions. I'm sure it would've gained a large percentage of cool if you had drawn it, though.
@Harwick
It would have been nice if the maker of that .gif had a picture for every intra-main 6 pairing. Since I have none to retrieve, I can't tell if I am guaranteed to succeed or doomed to fail.
I would be interested in seeing any sort of creative projects you have a hand in. Even if your handiwork is an artistic mess, I'm sure it will be an impressively insightful and ultimately worthwhile mess.
@WhiteDiamonds
I think we've all missed you already. Really, you shouldn't feel any need to apologize that you haven't felt well. I won't even ask if it was really an escape from work to watch soap opera reruns. We only feel better when you do.
That same politeness is a big part of the reason why you are so generous to us. There are thousands of artists willing to take any request at the drop of a giant, feather-plumed hat. But the world has only one WhiteDiamonds. There are plenty of artists that we could be following, but your personality is the reason why you are so adored among those who have met you. You are not just another pony artist. You are an venerable exception, something rarely found. It's much like the show itself.
(I was referring to the project associated with the story with that comment, but if the project is subject to change, then probably there is no need to further define it here at this blog. I just thought that your description was succinctly stated.)
Your talk of meetups is making me wish I was many years older. But it makes me wonder, since Jody lives in the East coast with Harwick, and I believe he is old enough to drink in the United States...have you already met Jody in person? Or is he not worthy?
@CaineScroll
But-but...what does July mean? Who is out to get me, CaineScroll?
Well, my father is a construction contractor (or was, before he aquired the company), and if I have any formal job, I'm a part-time software developer who makes business applications. Now, that's a title of envy.
A third contender? At this rate, we could almost host our own tournament of people who never play 2D fighting games. Those matches are the most epic.
Despite that I have no contact with my extended family, I have heard from my mother that my grandfather recently returned home from the hospital after he started having "fainting spells". He's 89 now, and my parents suspect that his worst problem is loneliness.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW... MAYBE. I DON'T REALLY KNOW FOR SURE, BUT IF YOU'RE WORRIED THEN DON'T READ THIS ONCE I STOP YELLING AT YOU.
Okay, that good? Now I just feel like I need to ramble and offer a little more buffer to disguise the part that might be the spoiler just to make it harder to accidentally pick up on it if people don't want to. Not that I know anything, or that it's really obscure information, what with being on the front page of Equestria Daily, or that I like the odds of anyone making it to the new season where such a spoiler might come true without accidentally stumbling upon it anyway, but it's only fair to be considerate. Is that enough rambling? It'll have to be. So what's up with Princess Skyla? There's a new, creepy-looking plush doll with that name coming out, apparently, and from the show-art style picture of her on the packaging she looks to be a young filly with some strong resemblance to Cadance. Some are speculating that Twilight's going to have a niece in the new season, but unless they do something funky with time travel I doubt she's Shining Armor's kid... Otherwise, the CMC's should be older, and the cake twins should definitely be walking/talking/etc. It does seem like we'll be getting some more Cadance story this coming season, and the toys say she and Shining Armor lead the Crystal Kingdom, so maybe there's a backstory to the recent bride that gives her a little sister who, for some reason, wasn't at the wedding. Or maybe she's just as related as Blueblood. Who knows?
So that pretty much concludes all of the spoilers and speculation. Check out the EQD post with the toy at: Link to spoiler images
We now return you to your regular White Diamonds comment section.
@PonydoraPrancypants
@Favo
Yes, the choices are somewhat odd in that shipping gif. I got more Pinkie/Pinkamena than any other combo when I tried. As far as Twilight goes, I'm shocked that they only offer Twixie and...Twarity? Whatever that last one is, it's fairly rare (although I've seen a few such stories.) Sometimes I think half of all stories on FimFiction are TwiDash, which still doesn't much work for me.
Thematically, when it comes to shipping Twilight, I have to admit that Twi-Luna actually makes a good deal of story-telling sense... but that one's not on there either. Twixie mostly works for me in that "our horns are touching!" comic.
Oh, and @Ponydora: It's a crime they left out Rarity's parents. Really, if a character is both identified and has a speaking role in the show, how can they be left out?
@WhiteDiamonds
My family teases each other good-naturedly as a sign of affection, and I admit I can get myself into trouble by not remembering that this isn't how everyone behaves. Regardless you still need to have enough common sense to recognize when some topic is too sensitive... (Although I personally think that Fluttershy would have gotten a good laugh out of that squirting turtle gag.)
Ultimately though, if I have ever targeted you in the past (and I'm totally not admitting that I have, especially with that lawyerly Prancypants guy reading things), please do know that it's all done out of love. Maybe with a hint of work-inspired boredom on this end to instigate it, true... but the rest of it is totally love.
I hope you're feeling better, by the way, also that Nikki and Jack's wedding was entertaining, and that they successfully repelled any Changeling invasion of the Abbott house.
@CaineScroll
I did love the "Chaos" poster, with Discord hugging Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis. When I get a chance, maybe I'll post some of my rayguns somewhere online for folks to see. They're kind of fun.
@Poppun
I need to ward off any kind of jinx now... This is one of the rare stretches were nobody from my family is in the hospital. In any event, my sympathies to everyone else who hasn't had such luck recently.
What role did you audition for in My Little Investigations, if I may ask?
@Anon
I know the writer of that episode picked Vegas when pressed as to which it was, but I put more stock in the map than I do in a random tweet. Regardless though, I'm guessing the people working on the show don't have a map in mind when they write stuff anyway... it just makes it that much harder to make things up as they go along. And now that there is a map... well, they'll probably still completely make things up as they go along. I don't begrudge them that one bit.
Re:Junebug. Huh. I don't know how I missed her the first time.
As for artwork, there's some stuff that I don't share on open websites like this because it's easy to find out my real name from them... and while I don't mind the idea of anyone I know here finding that out, there are always crazy people out there and more than I'd like to deal with have contacted me in the past. So now I try to simply stay polite and anonymous to the masses. However, as mentioned above, I may try and upload some other odds and ends to share. And thanks as always for the kind words!
@Favo
Well, as an American, I don't cotton much to royalty, so I'd say any amount are more than necessary. I will say, however, that a genuinely benevolent dictatorship with an immortal ruler is probably the best system of government one could ever ask for, so I can't get too critical.
@Favo
...Oh dear Goddess... that last picture is so ridiculous and is so horribly anatomically-incorrect somehow, but it's still hilarious. I can't stop laughing at how silly that is!
I always figured Rarity would like Applejack and respect and value her for her integrity, dedicated work ethic and so on, but I suppose a well-toned body couldn't hurt either (if we've learned nothing else from watching the swimming events of the summer Olympics, we've learned this). Aherm~
But anyhow yes, I do appreciate your thinking of me dear, as I've said before! **digital hugs* Thank you. I'm so terribly sorry to hear that you've been having bad headaches recently because I've suffered from those myself in the past, and if you are really interested in writing I hope you'll manage to give it a shot! As for Rarijack stories or whatever, well, since you put it out there of course I'm imagining it now...
@PonydoraPrancypants
Dearest, darling friend~! ^.^ **glompage** It really hasn't been the same without you around, and I've missed all of our silly random muro exchanges and conversations terribly in recent weeks! The good thing in this instance is that children in my area go back to school very soon, and as all of the summer classes and programs offered by my studio will be coming to an end I won't be working as many hours there I'm sure. Not as nice for my paychecks I'm afraid, but arguably good for my internet social life... (oh dear Goddess, I really did just say that..).
You may have a point about the Olympics, but then I suppose it would depend on the event; certainly gymnastics would be out because my eyes are always anxiously glued to the screen whenever I watch those athletes perform, with bated breath (same thing with ice skating really, and thank Goddess I missed seeing that one diver hit his head the other day because I'm nervous enough watching them as it is). In answer to your beer question no, I don't believe I ever did, but I do have vivid memories (and my parents still laugh about this) of stealing my father's beers and sneaking behind furniture to drink them when I was very young, when he would get home late from work. Natural Light too, UGH, whatever was I thinking?? (forget parties and nights out on the town; the sickest I've ever been in my life thanks to alcohol was the day after a friend of mine convinced me to get off my high horse and play beer pong with a group of her friends and cheap light beer. Never again... I'll stick to classier pastimes and potables from now on, please and thank you~).
@CaineScroll
Well, I'm not sure if he would consider it such an awesome job, but yes as I said it's true. Before that he worked as a cook (and a very skilled one I must say) for many years... I really miss that about living with him.
Also, I have to say I'm very sorry to hear that about your aunt. I hope she's doing alright now!
@Poppun
Well actually, as I said to Harwick I unfortunately haven't finished DicePony's entire fanfiction yet! ^^;;; But the latter and I have gotten to be friends and we share similar feelings about the ponies in general and Rarijack specifically, so when I heard he was looking for an illustrator (and as I had been considering reopening commissions soon as I shouldn't be as busy with work in the coming months) I offered myself up for the job. I had at least read the first few chapters at the time and have found it to be a very cute story so far, so I'm excited to get back to it my next day off, now that I've sorted through three days' worth (over 1500!) of deviantART messages following my brief absence.
I'm afraid I haven't heard much about "My Little Investigations" (sorry about that vocal audition by the way), and know virtually nothing about the game it's apparently based on, but I have at least seen it mentioned on EqD in the past and from the few progress shots I remember it looked promising enough. And hahaha, do you know, until you said that about my father I probably never would have made that connection, but you probably have a point! An even bigger influence growing up in that sense though very likely was my mother... my father may have been the one who worked behind the bars, but she was generally the one who frequented them you see.
@Anon
You just had to spoil my happiness with Los/Las Pegasus, didn't you? You couldn't have just given me that satisfaction because I obviously happened to miss that particular Equestria Daily post... *pouts* Well whatever, geographically at least it does seem to work better as the Equestrian version of my California city, and maybe some future episode will officially establish it one way or the other, who knows.
Regarding my soap opera (and they're not really reruns by the way; rather they're all recorded episodes since I'm not usually at leisure to watch them during the week), I'm happy to say I didn't have to fake sick to get out of work and enjoy it... I think no matter what, I will always find a way to squeeze that in at the end of every week and enjoy myself for a few frivolous hours. Otherwise, you are far too kind to me as always but I thank you for the lovely words, but regarding Jody I must admit I'm rather confused by your question? I'm not sure why I should have met him (though I realize that you're joking when you asked this)... I suppose out of everyone, Ponydora would be the most likely candidate for me to meet/have met in person, since we live in the same state and his business occasionally brings him down to my area (and vise-verse).
Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather as well. That really is incredibly sad, and all of this familial health status-sharing is beginning to depress me to think about, I have to say.
@Harwick
OH DEAR GODDESS... do you mean to tell me you watch Y&R too!?!? Or did you just get that information off some website synopsis or something?? Well, either way it was surprisingly touching yes, especially given that Jack isn't my favorite character, and of course we all know Nikki and Victor belong together and will forever have that tsundere love-hate relationship-magnetic pull to each other... even the writers have both characters openly admitting that to each other and everyone else at this point. Honestly, my favorite story arc recently is the whole thing with Phyllis' malevolent past coming back to bite her in her... well, you know. I hate Phyllis (or should I say, love to hate her); I absolutely despise her character, and watching her suffer brings me tremendous pleasure, mwahaha~ Oh yes, and I've also been enjoying Adam and Chelsea's happy newlywed moments recently. I love Adam; he is absolutely my favorite character and I need to send his actor fan mail. ^.^
Uhm, but anyway. Regarding your "spoilers" I'm not quite sure what to think about that. Certainly it seems likely this pony will be a new character this coming season, but as we can only speculate on how and who she might be related to it's somewhat difficult to comment. Even though it seems unlikely and as though it should break continuity for her to be Twilight's niece, that would be very interesting and arguably fun to see (and wouldn't it be fabulous if that was the case and that turned out to be the "surprise" that Madame Pinkie predicted in "It's About Time"? I would love to see that ^.^).
Obviously at this point we've talked more about that little miscommunication... don't even worry about it! I think in this instance it can all be blamed on the fact that obviously, I sometimes have a difficult time discerning when someone might only be joking on the internet. Also, though this is off-topic now and I know you weren't speaking to me when it came up, surprisingly enough I think I agree with you about the Twi-Luna thing. True, it wouldn't be a "pairing" in the traditional sense, but I can imagine those two having a special and intimate connection that could substitute for something like that, if that makes sense. Otherwise, I have always had a very difficult time shipping Twilight with anyone and including the rest of the mane six... I suppose if I had to pair her with one of them it would be Fluttershy, but even then my heart isn't really in it, ah well.
Well, anyhow, it's quite late now and after a very long day at work I'm exhausted and need to be getting off to bed, but guess what everyone! I am happy to randomly share that Harwick and I have now officially spoken on the phone for the first time ever, and I have to say he is just as charming a conversationalist (whatever he may say to deny this) in "real life" as he is here in virtual space. ^.^ You are a dear, you darling thing you... thank you for keeping me company while I got in some overtime at work, I really appreciate it! <3
Oh, and on that note I believe I told you I probably wouldn't be commenting again until sometime later tomorrow... well, I lied! (and honestly, somebody really needs to upload those Twilight Sparkle meme faces onto 'My Little Face When'... I laughed way too hard to be allowed at those ridiculous things, as I think I admitted before)
@Harwick
@Favo
Alicorns are clearly a female only race of pony, and are synonymous with "Princess", who come from some weird place in space somewhere called Allicornicus. Skyla is probably some weird space pony that crash lands into Ponyville and adsfkjsafdhjsgnfaljhdasjfh -headcanon explosion-
Oh and my dad is currently resting at home following an operation relating to his... I haven't asked. He's fine!
@WhiteDiamonds
Sadly, I have to come clean and admit that I don't watch The Young and the Restless, but I happily put in the research necessary to comment on your intended marathon. I did, however, truly enjoy your fantastic rant on the ongoing storyline. I have a soft spot for convoluted continuity in shows, probably instilled in me from watching the entirety of the sitcom "Soap" at far too young of an age.
As for little spoiler, I suppose anything is possible on a show about magical talking ponies. I know a lot of people are hoping that Pinkie's prophecy does in fact have a pay-off on the show, and her becoming an aunt does seem like a nice fit.
When it comes to the show, I'm mostly curious about the fact that there are only 13 episodes this season, confirmed by the head writer in a recent interview. I'd be rather shocked if the HUB really did intend to just end the show with all of the attention and added importance they've given it this year, so that begs the question of whether they're using the studio's time to do something else... be it a movie, mini-series, spin-off, or something else entirely.
The thing with Twilight and Luna for me is that there's a lot of thematic elements at play between the characters that set up a nice background for any kind of story about the two of them, romantic or otherwise. I like the almost Shakespearean drama behind Luna growing jealous of the adoration the ponies have for Celestia, falling in to darkness and betrayal, and then being saved/redeemed and later befriended by Twilight. So Luna's personal savior and first real friend as of Nightmare Night is pretty much the one pony who completely embodies the worshipful adoration of Celestia that drove her mad in the first place. It makes it a pretty natural set-up for all sorts of melodramatic tales. Of course, there's no need for them to go the shipping route in exploring those themes, but since I've grown to accept that this fandom is going to go there anyway, I've come to shrug and give them credit for at least using a pairing that isn't completely random like so many others.
And let me just say that you are even more charming (and downright adorable) over the phone. Honestly, it's hard to imagine that parties don't spontaneously erupt around you as you cheerfully offer up conversation that would be the life of any such event. So it was definitely my pleasure to hear from you!
@zhoomcar
These super-powered beings from distant planets always seem to generate more living relatives over time, despite the fact that their homeworlds blew up just as they left. Must be an alien thing.
@zhoomcar
Whoops... hit the publish button before saying that I'm glad to hear your father is fine!
@WhiteDiamonds
Glompage accepted and returned! It's so good to be in regular contact again.
I'm glad you will have some more time to yourself, even though of course it would be ideal if that development wasn't accompanied by less pay. Selfishly, it will be wonderful for us internet folks to have more of you to us.
Equestrian events would make for great drinking games, especially dressage. Drinking is kind of a necessity in order to sit through that, if you ask me.
You know, I used to be pretty good at beer pong/beirut or whatever the kids are calling it these days, AND I own a ping pong table. I-DE-A! ;)
Let me just close for now by letting you know how jealous I am of Harwick that you and he were able to have a real, live, telephone-style conversation!
@Harwick
You've drawn art shipping Luna with the entire mane six - even Spike - so I didn't realize you had such a preference for TwilightxLuna. ;)
Also, I was guessing that Skyla might be Cadance's sister, since she isn't a "baby" foal like the Cake twins, and therefore too old to be her daughter. Then again, she doesn't appear to be an alicorn ...
Also, what kind of a name is that? The Mi Amore family seem to really love giving their kids the most obnoxious, yuppiest names imaginable.
Also - I'm so. very. jealous. that you got to have a real, live phone conversation with Di. :)
@PonydoraPrancypants
Lunar Express Freight and Cargo is an equal-opportunity employer that way. But Twilight's clearly employee of the month.
My main question if the little spoiler is indeed Cadance's pre-existing sister is why wasn't any of that side of the family at the wedding? Or if she was, she must be a little monster to not even get a flower-girl spot instead of related-to-nobody Scootaloo.
And would it have killed you to say to Di that you were so jealous of her for getting to talk to me? I'm a charming conversationalist, dammit!
Aw... now I feel guilty. My next pony artwork happens to include Scootaloo, among many other characters, and I had her watching young Pound Cake fly.
So over on EQD they have a video from a guy who worked security at Bronycon where he shares a bunch of things Lauren Faust supposedly said about things planned and unused for the show. (Apparently Lauren Faust says the information is "interesting" and refuses to confirm or deny any of it.)
Anyway, according to this guy, Scootaloo was supposed to be handicapped and find out that she'll never be able to fly, and have to come to terms with the idea that her talents lie in a completely different direction.
So now I feel really mean, rubbing her face in it and all. Ah well.
Here's a link to the post on EQD that has the guy's video in it. There are a couple of other interesting tidbits in there, if true.
I heard there was a call to push 200+ comments on this blog post before a new one crops up? I don't back down from a challenge. Incoherent prose incoming.
@WhiteDiamonds
You have a new project? To say I'm excited would be an insult to the English language. I'm quite sure I'm beyond that. Exuberant, perhaps?
So am I the only one who actually wants it to be Las Vegas? Not that I have too much of a problem with it being Los Angeles, but I have this nice headcanon vision of a ritzy, gaudy, city in the clouds, filled to the brim with casinos, restaurants of the fanciest sort, and some sort of method that enables non-pegasus ponies to go there. I will write a fanfic featuring it, mark my words.
Thank you ever so much for sharing those Twilight meme faces, I hadn't seen those before and they are simply splendid. I'll have to separate those out for personal use.
You played beer pong once? I am truly sorry. Though keep in mind, it makes for an excellent spectator sport!
I do have to ask, have you been keeping up with the latest season of Project Runway?
@Anon
Have you seen much footage of the gameplay of Fighting is Magic? If you have, I'd be greatly interested to know what your opinion of it was. I've seen practically none, and I too am greatly wondering how much effort is being put into it to make fun. It looks quite pretty, but bedazzlement does not alone a good game make.
If it's turn out good, though, then you had better bet I'll be on it, playing Rarity with ferocity (and having the tar beat out of me because I haven't played a fighting game in many, many moons).
@Harwick
Has "only 13 episodes" been confirmed now? That's... disconcerting. I want my full year of pony! However, I'm quite sure that they have something in store and this is nowhere close to the end of the show. As you said, there's simply too much attention being given to it. I suppose patience is in order until such plans are released...
Prophecy? Which prophecy exactly? The really cool birthday present? I'll admit, my memory of that episode is somewhat hazy.
I really don't have much of an opinion of this newly presented youngster, but no matter how she is introduced, I'm sure the fandom will do something interesting with her in fanart and fanfics. That is my solace.
Oh, and, though a far, far away comment, you have my exceeding gratitude for sharing Prada's new menswear campaign. I now know what to save my pennies for (bahaha). How much does one of those suits run you, per chance? I'm assuming if I have to ask...
@Coconutswallow
Yes, 13 episodes is sadly confirmed. The head writer of this season (sorry, but I can't think of her name right now) was on a panel with some other animation types (the creators of Phineas and Ferb and others) talking writing for animation in general, and as part of an answer she said this was a shortened season with only 13 episodes. Didn't give a reason.
The worst case scenario would be having them stretch those 13 episodes out for an entire year... which I pray they don't do, but I suspect they will.
And yes, we were talking about Pinkie's "birthday present" prediction to Twilight.
And I'm sure that the Prada line will show up at a nice discount in a Kmart or something, eventually. That's my secret to staying so stylish on a budget.
@Harwick
Yes, of course I am jealous of her getting to talk to you. I'm sure the coversation was positively scintillating!
By the way, have you noticed that you can now freeze the FiMFiction banner on a drawing of Applejack and Rarity about to make out? I only note that because some folks might be interested in that sort of thing.
Now whose Aunt? Two of us have had an Aunt hospitalised....Though mine is recovering now and no longer in intensive care so hopefully your's will be alright too, Caine Scroll.
I see, but I agree, it is a very cute story (especially the climax). Oh, but more than the actual gameplay I just love mystery games (^.^) so it caught my interest. And since it came up I tried out for nearly every female character they had listed (instead of casting everyone at once they cast characters as their first chapter comes up), but I thought that Pinkie Pie or one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be my best bet since I have a very high voice (I actually auditioned for every part in a parody song dub around the same time and ended up being cast as Pinkie), I also tried Twilight (which was frustrating since I have done an imitation of her voice a few times, but it just refused to happen on command) and Rarity (e-he-he, if nothing else I've seen enough classic movies to know the difference between a Mid-Atlantic and a Brittish one....it was a really fun recording to do)
Hee-Hee, all of this time you've wondered about what those pictures say about you and at least part of it has been aquired knowledge; though I can't help but think, in light of what you've said about them, that your parents sound like a very happy match (^u^')
On that note, this seems somewhat fitting
Actually I remember seeing something on Equestria Daily alluding to there being a reason why season 3 is so short and that there will be a longer season 4 following it. But I agree, if anything Skyla is probably Cadance's sister (or she could be one of the many Ponies who appears as a toy but is never in the actual show). But, I'm actually glad that they decided not to have Scootaloo's wings be crippled, this leaves the door open for an episode with her being trained by Rainbow Dash, which would be adorable (perhaps they could keep a bit of their original plans and have her find out that they are developing very slowly and being upset by this resulting in Rainbow Dash sympathising with Scootaloo and helping her stregnthen her wings so she'll be able to fly)
Oh! And of course:
Chibi Ponies Wearing Socks, How Cute!
(Hmm, it was trickier than I thought it it would be, making sure there were six words....)
...Oh, my. I have ten separate topics respond to now. You should all stop being so interesting. It's unhealthy, and I'm not going to be the guy in charge of a blog-wide intervention. (Get well soon?)
@Harwick
If this "Princess Skyla" does make an appearance in Season 3 (which seems likely, considering its premiere will be focused on Cadence and her Empire), it's easy to see why she might be the newlyweds' daughter. Her main difference in appearance from Cadence is that she is a regular unicorn like Shining. It would explain the text on the packaging, "Mommy, are you a princess too?" Though, I remember the Celestia toy saying almost the same thing, so it could also just be a toy aimed at a young audience. Then again, Celestia is an actual character on the show. It's too hard to tell.
Her age does pose a problem. Unless she was born before the wedding, she has already grown up from being a newborn, and is now generally the CMCs' age. That would make the Season 3 Crusaders twice the age they were in seasons 1 and 2. Ponydora may be right, and she could be only a close relative odence who is living in the Crystal Empire. Do you think maybe that's just what the Imperial monarchy looks like?
What I dislike about Twilight/Luna is the same as Twilight/Celestia and Spike/Rarity. Luna is thousands of years old. She is one of the oldest entities in existance. Lauren Faust once said in an interview that she imagined Celestia and Luna literally were the sentient sun and moon until they took a phsyical form to look after the land. That's why Nightmare Moon's face was shown on the surface of the moon when she was banished to it. She was not teleported onto the surface of the moon to wander aimlessly and think about what she had done. Celestia had used the Elements of Harmony to force her back into the moon, leaving her to watch Equestria from afar. The face did not appear because Nightmare Moon was standing on it. The symbol represented that her concious mind was occupying the moon.
My point being, Luna is far older than Twilight. So if Spike/Rarity is "creepy", then TwiLuna is far creepier. I do think they have similarities and experiences that could give them an interesting relationship.
I once read on a forum about someone who analyzed the references to real-life cities and concluded that Ponyville is somewhere in Maryland. You can see on the map that Baltimare, Fillydelphia and Manehattan are placed in the northeast, and Los Pegasus in the southwest, just as they are in the United States. Most of the voice actors and actresses record in Vancouver, so it's understandable that they would want for Vanhoover to be a part of Equestria. I just realised; that means that the Crystal Empire is Canada. (They even have Neighagra Falls to indicate the Equestrian-Frozen Northern border.) Suddenly, I want to know what these crystal ponies look like. I heard they like jousting.
Wait, doesn't that mean the Season 3 premiere is about North American foreign aid?
Oh, I did know about your feelings on your professional work, and I was actually referring to your sculpting endeavors. I had assumed that you were mentioning it here because you might share a few pictures if you do end up making anything in your spare time. Otherwise, it would be a tease. I meant to express my interest so you wouldn't feel like you had mentioned it for nothing. Still, I'm sure your artistic eye will aid you in any of your projects. No pressure.
And yes, Diamonds is all the royalty this country can handle.
@Harwick
There are only 13 episodes in Season 3 because 65 episodes total is the minimum for syndication. This means the show taken be spread out into more production houses to get more episodes done more quickly. William Anderson confirmed on his deviantART journal that more seasons are to come.
Now, Harwick, you must answer the ultimate question: Exactly how thick was her English accent, and how did you manage to make out anything she was saying?
(To be continued when I'm not about to fall asleep on the keyboard.)
@Anon
Well, July as a whole was a totally crappy month for me, with nothing going right. August started off fairly good, then took a turn for the worse when - er - certain things happened. Now it's going through a definite spike and I'm feeling much better than I have since January. My life is a roller-coaster ride gone berserk. XDDDD
I do hope your grandfather gets better soon...I for one definitely know how hard loneliness can affect a person.
Re: Junebug. Oh.
@Harwick
Please do. I love a good raygun.
Regarding Las Pegasus, I think the syllable count would've been a pretty accurate clue to its allusion to LA; a name with a different number of syllables would've sounded way off, no matter how well it sounded. Still, the writer of that episode did state that it "wasn't the best pun he'd ever come up with".
As for artwork, I don't think I have any prior images to share, since ponies got me doing digital art in the first place. Of course, I could share some prior pencil work, but most of them are highly embarrassing (like I said, I was a lousy comic artist back then). I'm just saying.
PS: I don't get what Ponydora's going on about; the phone call thing can be easily settled with a Skype call provided everyone gets an account. Which everyone hasn't.
Riiiight.
@WhiteDiamonds
It's much better than working in the business sector (income aside), IMO...I mean, take a desk worker shuffling through papers and put him next to a guy serving food or whipping up a drink and it's not hard to see who's enjoying themselves more.
And while I know you weren't speaking to me I have to say it's rather cute how you go on about your soap operas...it reminds me of a couple of friends back in high school and they were a pretty sociable bunch. =)
@Poppun
(and @WhiteDiamonds, too) My aunt's condition is currently stable, though still too weak to hold a pen properly. My mom says that it takes time for a stroke patient to recover, so everything's fine now, I suppose...thanks for your concern, both of you (and I do hope your aunt gets well soon too, Poppun ^_^). *hugs*
And sorry to hear about the audition...y'know, I'd been following that project some time ago until the updates stopped coming in for a long time...not to mention Fighting is Magic caught my attention more (AJ looks strangely underpowered compared to Twilight and Rarity's special attacks =/) With regards to voice acting I think you'd get along well with DicePony; he's a pretty decent one from what I've heard.
As for EqD, I think you're referring to the poem William Anderson (one of the music producers for the show) wrote on his dA page...it seemed to hint towards a longer season 4. I also share your concern about Scootaloo's wings; it would've been a little too cruel to leave her crippled, and I'd go with your idea if I'd worked on the show. And about Skyla...I'd leave the speculation to the rest of the fandom. =)
@PonydoraPrancypants
"Some folks".
I see what you did there.
@PonydoraPrancypants
Oh, it was scintillating indeed. I learned of Di's most primordial fears and what she thought of just about everyone here, mentioned by name. (Here's a hint... it involved a lot of gushing and adoration.) She has a lovely voice, and is every bit as charming as you would imagine.
Oh, and I did indeed notice that particular banner... I believe it's the Titanic homage image. Yes, I believe it would go over well among "some folks". Really, all of their new banners look quite spiffy.
@Poppun
It would be fun to be able to imitate some of the cast, but I'm afraid I have neither the voice nor the talent for it myself.
As for Scootaloo, I'm not sure that they've decided on anything yet... It seems like they've maybe just put it off, as they haven't done any episodes about her while that video blog suggests that Lauren Faust saw maybe 3 episodes over the first 2 seasons exploring Scootaloo's handicap. While they have on occasion seemed to forget and have her hovering briefly, other instances have made it clear that she can't fly (the birds laughing at her in Ponyville Confidential, for instance). It's hard to say which way they'll go if they ever do decide to address it.
@Anon
Is there any firm proof that Skyla doesn't have wings? The only pictures I saw were inconclusive... It does look like the doll might have felt wings, and frankly I take the name "Skyla" as a pretty strong indication of a character meant to fly, myself.
I think her origin is probably tied up in the opening lyrics to that "Crystal Fair" season three song. Where are these Crystal Ponies that need saving? How is Cadance's magic temporarily protecting them? I think it will likely explain why Cadance didn't have any family at the wedding, aside from Celestia (and belatedly Luna) and Skyla will indeed be a pre-existing little sister.
As for TwiLuna, I'm not looking to support or defend the shipping of characters, I'm just saying that there are some story bones there that actually give some plot points to explore with that pairing, as opposed to just randomly wanting two characters to smooch. Personally, I suppose my "creepy" scale is a bit different from yours... Age difference alone isn't that big of a deal to me. Rarity/Spike doesn't work for me not because she's x number of years older, but because she's enough of an adult to own and run her own business and he's constantly referred to as being a literal baby (despite having a fairly mature personality.) It's obvious that they're not supposed to be on equal footing, developmentally, and that's what makes the shipping there highly questionable. It's pretty clear to me that they were going for a little brother crushing on his big sister's friend, and so it's a bit disturbing that so many people go for that pairing in the present continuity. I'm a bit more open to it in stories set in the future, but it gets confusing because how old/big is Spike supposed to be before he's considered to have hit adult age?
So Luna being (much) older doesn't bother me in the same way, especially since Twilight comes off as the more mature one in "Luna Eclipsed". I'm not overly concerned about immortals having relations with humans... just about every story involving immortals tends to do so, from ancient religions onward. For me, it all depends on how the immortal is portrayed. I have loads more problems with Celestia-Twilight pairings (sorry Favo), but that's mostly due to the whole Teacher/Student taboo and especially the overwhelming way that Celestia was designed to be the ultimate mother figure to the ponies and to Twilight especially.
I lived in Maryland for years, and sadly never stumbled into Equestria. I'm pretty sure Canterlot isn't in the Appalachian mountains either. (Although now that I think of it, there may very well be some members of the Apple family living there.)
Definitely good to hear that William Anderson hinted strongly at more seasons to come! Still makes me wonder how this coming year will play out.
Oh, and Di doesn't have an English accent at all, but her voice does indeed have a lilting sophistication to it that fits her quite well.
@CaineScroll
I'll see what I can do to get some raygun images up. I've started another work project though, so time's tighter again.
I, too, think Los Angeles fits better, especially with the "we've searched coast to coast" meaning that the original reference had. Ah well.
Hah... Skype. People keep bringing that up to me, and I keep stubbornly resisting. Maybe someday... but probably not.
Mercy, everyone!! Anon is right; I'm away for a day (I ended up getting a bit of a migraine last night I'm afraid, so went to bed early) and return to see this blog has exploded with posts. Well, so much for things slowing down around here (and for me getting a new artwork up before we hit 200 posts, haha).
@zhoomcar
As Harwick said, I am glad to hear that your father is doing fine following his operation, whatever it was, as well!
@Harwick
Ah, I see. I didn't really have you pegged as the soap opera type myself, but it was fun to allow myself to get excited for a brief moment there. After all the only people I can ever talk to about that silly thing are my mother and stepfather (she got him hooked years ago; he didn't have a chance) and my older brother to an extent, but he's mostly a fan of... General Hospital I think it is, phooey. I am happy you and CaineScroll enjoyed my pointless fangirlish rambling in any case!
I'm very sorry to hear there are still only 13 episodes slated for season three... I kept hoping they would change that somehow, and that I just hadn't heard about it yet. But it's good to know that more will still follow. Regarding Scootaloo, that's really quite sad and I'm not sure if I'm relieved the other writers never decided to use that storyline (as of yet, anyway) or if I should be hoping for it to still come to fruition. And you know, if something that is arguably that "dark" and much of a downer could ever be approved for this show, then surely the idea of Applejack's parent's being dead shouldn't be too much of a stretch. Because, let's face it, exploring that issue would likely make for an incredible, epic-tier episode and would finally give Applejack a chance to shine in the spotlight as she really deserves to do, albeit for some very depressing reasons. The poor dear.
Thank you for your comments about Twi-Luna (and by extension as it came up, Rarity-Spike and Twi-Celestia), both in regards to your initial post responding to mine and in your reply to Anon. All sum up my feelings perfectly and arguably with far more eloquence (and certainly succinctness) than I could have managed, so I thank you for sparing me a great deal of typing on top of all that I am already doing! It's lovely to know I'm not the only person who seemingly feels the exact same way about all three of those pairings, too.
And oh, stop, you're making me blush (and do you really think my voice is lovely by the way?? You're too sweet!)! ^.^ And not just any parties, but sophisticated dinner parties you know. Perhaps I didn't sound especially sohpisticated over the phone, I'm not sure, because for one thing I was very excited to finally speak to you and for another it had been a LONG day as I said, and I was full of pent-up, stressed out, nervous energy (besides that I am still somewhat recovering from being sick I think). But anyway yes, thank you again! That really was fun and made my hour of cleanup go by very quickly... we'll have to do it again sometime soon for sure! <3
@PonydoraPrancypants
Yes, indeed it is! I truly have missed you... I probably can't reiterate that enough. <3
And well, unfortunately yes. It just means less hours for me where I can depend on a regular paycheck, but theoretically this also leaves me more time for my independent work which, if I am very lucky, will be able to make up for this or even surpass it. That's the eventual goal anyway, so that I won't have to work for anyone else ever again! Unless you count the fact I'll still have to answer to individual clients... that never goes away unfortunately.
Ahh, I do appreciate the thought darling, but really I think if I never played beer pong again as long as I lived, it would be too soon. But still, if we could somehow ever make this work with you, Harwick and I ever meeting up in person, at Bronycon, Comicon, Vegas, a tropical Hawaiin getaway, your house (haha) or wherever our fortunes might take us, I might be happy to make an exception if that's the cost I must pay. ^_~
Speaking of Harwick yes, as I said he really is a charming conversationalist, and a true gentleman as well as he listened patiently while I rambled on about all sorts of things (bless you dear). He had given me his number a few weeks ago you see and I've been wanting to call him, but have just been busy and also always worried about calling at inopportune times due to the time zone difference. But anyhow yes, we really did have fun even though it was a pretty spontaneous thing and I was cleaning and closing the studio the entire time; there's no reason we couldn't ever talk some day as well, because I'm sure that would also be terrific fun! <3
I think somebody must have mentioned Rarijack here again; I have been summoned. If I've never mentioned it before either, though I think I have, I was kind of obsessed with Titanic when I was younger... that movie came out when I was 16 I think, and my then 14-year-old niece and I must have seen it seven or eight times together in the theatres. I'm afraid I really have no excuse for myself.
@Coconutswallow
Well hello there dear; what a pleasant surprise to see you back and posting again! I had only just been thinking about you this past week, I have to honestly say. Anyway yes, as I said DicePony and I are going to be working on a little project together, involving me doing some illustrations for a fanfiction he wrote while he works on making a PDF-format version of the story, among other things, and though I doubt Rarijack is exactly everyone's cup of tea (though you've all always humored me; thank you <3) I hope people might enjoy it all the same.
Well obviously, you already know that I prefer to see it as the pony equivalent of Los Angeles if you've been reading my posts, but that doesn't mean an Equestrian Vegas is something that I wouldn't enjoy seeing or reading about, especially if it was ever canonized! I know for a fact that I've come across examples of the idea in both fanart and fanfiction when I used to frequent EqD (and before "It's About Time" aired, the name "Las Haygas" was used by one example of the latter in a Hangover parody, if I recall). Your idea of it being a ritzy pegasus paradise in the clouds is unique and interesting though; you really should consider writing that story!
Eep, Project Runway! That's another program that I record for later viewing convenience, but I'm afraid that I'm not currently all caught up at the moment. Why!? Did I miss something absolutely amazing?!?
@Poppun
According to DicePony, there's something from Chapter 7 that he is really excited for me to draw, once I get around to that point. I keep trying to get back to reading it but every time I sit down at a computer there seem to be countless things and people always clamouring for my attention... it's been so much to deal with recently! At least I have made some progress with the story, and I am going to promise to myself and everyone here that after I am finished replying to Blogger comments, I shall go and finish the rest of it. On FiMfiction, so that there is no exploding deviantART message box to keep diverting my attention away (**sigh!**).
Well, they were a happy match anyway! For a long time at least. They've since divorced but at least they remain good friends, which of course was/is a nice thing for me. And I hope I didn't do my mother any discourtesies by that appraisal of her, even if it wasn't exactly inaccurate. She was and always has been a very hard worker, often working two or three jobs, and for a period of several years 80-100 hours a week for much of my childhood (I hardly ever saw her, unless she brought me to work with her which she sometimes did). She has never at all been irresponsible, but yes in those rare moments when she wasn't working, she enjoyed making up for it at local establishments.
On a related note, I will have to make an effort to read that Applejack story someday. Thank you~!
@Anon
As I said to Harwick, I think he touched on all the points I would have regarding Twi-Luna, and he really did sum up my feelings quite well which I'm grateful for. As I'll reiterate from my first post on the subject I'm still not positive if I could imagine the relationship being romantic in the traditional sense, but still I can imagine those two sharing a special and close connection and it's a Twilight pairing I can get behind more than any other. At least for anything more than a laugh (because he's quite right; Twixie definitely is great for that if nothing else).
And oh, you. I have already told all of you before, more than once that I'm not British and don't sound like it either! Nor do I sound especially like Rarity, or at least I don't think so because obviously, our own voices sound different to each of us when we speak. But still I would have thought somebody, and perhaps one of the handful of bronies who I've met via work (two of which now follow me on deviantART, by the way!) would have mentioned that if it really was the case!
@CaineScroll
Well, for my father at least that would definitely be true, as he despises paperwork (as I do). But really, the job is not at all just about 'whipping up drinks'. As someone who has grown up with both parents being heavily involved in the food and beverage industry (though my mother was always more involved in the management end of things by the time I came around) it can be a very stressful life, and hard on the body as well. A lot of heavy lifting, carrying heavy trays constantly, slipping on wet floors and so on. My mother has a terrible bad back now as a result (as does my eldest sister who also waited tables and tended bar for years while putting herself through school), and my father has had hernias operated on. I'm not saying it's all terrible of course but yes, definitely harder than you're seemingly imagining at least.
If you've seen any of the Fighting is Magic clips that I have, I think you'd realize darling Applejack really can hold her own quite well... I know I've seen one video that pitted her against Rarity for instance where the poor latter pony got her beautifully curled tail kicked in royal fashion. It was pitiful in a way but the other terrible part of me was admittedly entertained by the funny cartoony violence, which made me imagine "Look Before You Sleep" gone horribly wrong. And hahaha, yes... Skype. Harwick and I have talked about that and I really doubt either of us are going to change our stance anytime soon at least. As soon as I do I'm going to have to answer to many members of my family I'm sure, as well as several of the different brony podcasts and whatnot who have independently approached me for interviews over the months. ^_^; At least now I can still truthfully say that I don't have it and haven't the slightest clue how to use it (not that I wouldn't enjoy interviews and conversing with my nieces and such if I only had more time at leisure to do so though!).
@Harwick (again)
Oh, and I forgot to mention this earlier but I consulted Google, and I guess they're not actually Japanese beetles after all! For one thing those seemingly infect more the eastern end of the United States, and certainly not California, and for another they sound much too small to be the same horrific monstrosities I was talking about. Now I don't know what they are, but whatever it is I still have a lovely iridescent bracelet of one of them, encased in pretty resin forever. Let it remain a warning to all the rest of them~
@Harwick (again again!)
Ew ew ew, nevermind, I found it after all! It is THIS terrible creature, though I am more than positive the one I saw Saturday was two inches long at least!
Hwaaaadrhjgarrghaaa... **involuntary shuddering**
Egads, there seem to be a lot of people here with relatives undergoing health troubles. I do hope that everything goes well for all of them and I am quite happy that so far, nothing serious seems to have happened. (I’d be more specific, but I can’t keep track. I need a chart).
@Harwick
Stretch the season out for a year? That would be rather odorous. Though I suppose such is the way of things. As long as there is yet more pony to come, I can hardly complain.
It would be rather stupendous if the show writers did include something unexpected for Twilight's next birthday. Talk about an epic continuity nod, especially for a children's cartoon.
Ah, but if I followed your Kmart, budgeted method, then how would I wallpaper my living room in credit card bills? Nay, my method gives me a fantastic new outfit and more interior decorating material.
@Poppun
Well hello, official greetings and all from someone you don’t know! Isn’t that mysterious and exciting? (I fail to see what I did to warrant all that running and screaming…)
A fan VA, eh? What parody song did you wind up singing Pinkie in, out of curiosity?
@Anon
Watch as I talk to you again, before giving you time to respond to my first question:
This is about all I have to contribute to the Skyla conversation right now.
Also, I third Harwick. His sentiments about all those shipping pairs reflect mine almost perfectly, especially Spike/Rarity. Especially Spike/Rarity. That is one of the only shipping pairs in this fandom that I am actually “anti.” There are plenty I find no merit in, but Spike/ Rarity… oh my. Just no. It’s utterly nonsensical and ruins what is obviously going to be a very brother-sister relationship (similar to what Spike has with Twilight) in the future after he grows out of his little crush. Grumble, grumble, ramble, ramble…
Also, I have no idea what you mean about Miss Diamonds having an English accent or even speaking in English period. She obviously wouldn’t taint her tongue by speaking in such a crude language. On a related note, I would like to know how Harwick managed to understand the speech of an Ascended Being. Such sounds would be far too wondrous for the flawed human ear to comprehend. I say recording or it didn’t happen.
@WhiteDiamonds
Yes, I’ve returned, with more permanency, I believe, or so I hope. I was going to make a “I’ve returned” joke, but I already did that last time. Repetition like that kills humor, you know. So I decided to waltz back in with the strong implication that life had been beating me over the head with a truncheon.
Wait, I had been thought about? Now why would you want to go and waste precious think time on moi? I expect better thought efficiency from you in the future, Miss Diamonds.
I had to scroll up to find out about this soap opera gush. I was not disappointed. I greatly love seeing people getting excited about something they’re a fan of. Feel free to ramble, I say. Even if it goes over our heads, you make it interesting.
(Now if you watched Days of Our Lives, that discussion I could join in on... Actually, no I couldn't, I haven't kept up with it in forever.)
Like or no-like Rarijack, the key here is, you’re making new artwork. More pretty, pretty pictures. I’m sure we shall all adore them.
I’m all for an episode focusing on what happened to Applejack’s parents. I doubt they’d ever put something that deep into the show, but my, would that be excellently bold if they did. Really, all of the Mane 6 deserve to have their families discussed, in my opinion. I’m still waiting for an episode that actually features Twilight’s parents, fully-voiced, in some way or another.
I do agree that Las Pegasus, both geographically and referentially, works better, I think I’m just much too in love with my conjured imagery. Las Haygas? That’s simplistically clever. And thank you, I’m not sure what said story would at all look like yet, but I will make it happen some way or another.
Oh, don’t worry, I’m not caught up with Project Runway yet, either. When I asked you about it I had just finished watching episode two. Have you seen that one yet? The "unconventional materials" episodes are some of my favorites and this one lived up to my expectations.
That bug you encountered looks like the June beetles’s creepier cousin. We have plenty of June beetles over here but none that have come close to being as big as what you described, or were you talking about the larvae?
@WhiteDiamonds
Now you've just made me feel guilty about it... I may have been the only one in our discussion of the episode who chose to use "Las", as I recall, but that was only because it was the first thing that came to mind. Anyway, I'm not sure we will ever even see the city in the show, so you're free to interpret it whatever way you like. Certainly I would not want to hinder the imagination of someone who rightfully deserves the world at this point. Don't feel bad...nobody is happy when that happens.
Aha, all should know better than to doubt your devotion. It's nice to know you have some sort of escape you can depend on. I can imagine nothing better to help one forget the strenuous day than the strained relationships of touchy girlfriends and their alcoholic "just friends". It's a mystery why we don't all look to dramatic series of cliffhangers for all our relaxation purposes. (And because Jody is our only other financially independant member of the blog, I was pointing out that you didn't invite him to a blog meetup because I'm a terrible person. It isn't a party without your first fan and follower. I mean, he's got to be a duke, or at least an earl.)
@Harwick
Well, you can see by the character on the front of the packaging when next to a pegasus of similar size. If you look closely, you will find that when compared said pegasus, the "Princess Skyla" character is most likely a flat and unnecessary screentime consumer. You might also notice that no wings are visible where they would normally be on a winged equine of comparable size. It's possible that she has open wings that are being covered by her hair, but I think there would still be some traces of wing at the base. I would note that those pieces of felt are a different color than her body, but I happened to cross this pegasus toy that has the same design, and it has similar felt wings of a different color. It doesn't mean that the show's character has them though, as of course we know there have been certain instances of a character's toy version being notably different from the actual in-show character. We can see that the toy is wearing clothing that the character is not, so the toy seems to be only loosely based on the show's design. And I think her name is meant to follow the magic, royal, Canterlot unicorn tradition of naming after astrological or astronomical bodies (Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer. Not to mention the various unicorn background ponies who have star-based cutie marks and the ones that were named by their blindbag toys, like Trixie Lulamoon and Twilight's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet).
@Harwick
I understand what you're saying, and it also applies to real life. (You would nothing of it if you saw a 70-year-old who was married to a 74-year-old, even though it means that, if you go back far enough, a four-year-old would eventually marry someone who was a newborn at the time.) I don't mean to overstate how much it may or may not bother me, it's more that I'm just making conversation since it always comes to my mind when I see the pairing. It also makes me wonder how it would be taken if Spike was mentally older than Rarity despite being physically younger. Would be creepy because Spike behaves more maturely, or because Rarity is physically older, or would their physical and mental age gaps counter eachother out? Certainly our society does not take kindly to adults who greatly act like children and would rather marry a child than someone their own age. I don't mean to say that Luna is that way, but when I imagine TwiLuna, I feel like I'm ignoring how old she really is, or figuring that those years did not count. They could have an interesting dynamic and a unique relationship, and it's better than just forcing two characters to smooch, but there are infinite easier ways to explore those plot points. (I know you aren't specifically trying to defend the pairing, but that's what I think of it. It's more bearable and interesting than many pairings, but there are some things you have consider about it, or otherwise try to forget.) And by the way, the power, authority and dominance that Celestia commands is usually (from all I've seen) the appeal of a Twilestia pairing. It's convenient for sauce art, and Molestia is only a common example. I haven't searched for safe Twilestia content, but it isn't really what the pairing is popular for.
This country may not be a perfect match for Equestria, but Canada is nothing if not "the Frozen North".
@Coconutswallow
Personally, I don't really favor one or the other. I would just like to see a canon map of the area, if only for the sake of fanfiction writers and their readership. Los Angeles would probably be like Canterlot with more models and actors. Much of what Las Vegas is famous for would never make it into the show, and the casinos would probably be portrayed as more akin to arcades. I'd still give anything to see Pinkie Pie visit one, however.
Well, one's taste in video games is subjective at best, but I have watched my share of Q&A livestreams (They are all recorded and uploaded to the team's YouTube channel, in case you're curious).
According to the FAQ, the game is set to be a classic 2D fighting game, meaning that it will not feature environment hazards or randomly appearing items (a la Super Smash Bros). That type of game relies on concentrated, well-timed combos and the strategy of your opponent rather than third party elements that are out of the players' control. More of the players' thought can be focused on what they plan to do next depending on their current situation, and it's arguably more fair for everyone involved, but it sacrifices some replay value that comes with unpredictable conditions. I can understand why they would want to avoid plunging their fans into fits of rage over their luck with random objects and which characters are best to deal with them, but as a result, they are restricting themselves to static, empty stages that everyone will get used to pretty quickly. There is a "classic 2D fighter" fan audience and one that prefers anything but simplicity. The latter audience will have to decide if their favorite characters are enough to keep them interested in this particular 2D fighting game. Of course, the fact that they have no programmers on their team may also have something to do with that decision.
@Coconutswallow
A big factor in this type of game is character balance, but if the developers' comments during their livestreams are any indication, they are sensitive to what might be considered unfun or unfair. A single-player campaign and additional characters via DLC are planned, which could add some replay value for as long as the developers can maintain their creativity. I expect that Ponychan and a few small groups will host tournaments soon after its release. Many people will try it once out of "new toy syndrome", and never touch the game again. The players who will get the most out of the game will be the 2D fighter enthusiasts, memorizing combo moves and honing their skill on a particular combo-reliant character (most likely Twilight or Rarity). It is a freeware game, and the developers have clearly put a lot of effort into it, so for anyone who can bear this type of game, it should be worth at least what you paid for. I doubt the project will have much prominance in a year from now, but neither did Super Smash Bros. Brawl after its release. Newcomers will be told of it as a rite of passage, but unless your friends' fighting styles are just terribly entertaining, the gameplay will always be just the same as when you first tried it out at the height of its popularity.
Overall, I think they are doing well considering how restricted the design is, and it should be fun to try new characters with your friends until the novelty wears off. Grand success is still possible, but it would be far more likely if they allowed mods to be made for private servers. For example, see Mount&Blade.
(Edit: The only thing better than triple-posting is noticing a grammatical error in your third comment.)
(Edit2: Sigh. Alas, there is one thing greater than that: It appears when there is a grammatical error in your edit notice for a correction of grammar.)
@Coconutswallow
Er, my previous comments may have been a bit too negative. I may be trying to work against the considerable hype for the game. We have only seen four unfinished characters, and I think they are creative, they are quite different from eachother in design, and they look as fun to play as any. It will likely be the best completed MLP fan game when its release comes, but at a time when the only finished and released games in the community are Flash games that were made in a day, that is not saying excessively much.
Okay, for those that wanted to see my geeky hobby, I've posted a few pics over on my seldom-used blog.
@WhiteDiamonds
I'd be curious to know what the demographics of the show are among children, leaving out the bronies. I know plenty of other children's shows have dealt with some serious subject matter like deceased relatives and handicaps. Is MLP really aimed at a younger age than those? I don't want them to abandon the young audience for our sakes, but I think there's value to broaching those kinds of topics for many kids, as its a reality that most will face among their peers when they start attending school. I certainly think touching on what it's like for the Apple siblings to not have their parents around is something worth addressing.
And you do indeed have a very attractive voice... vibrant, warm and clear, it's a pleasure to listen to. Should you ever record an audio book, count me among the first to buy it.
Well, I must say that the larval stages of your nemesis are quite disgusting. I may have to experience the offending insect first-hand before I fully appreciate its evil. However, I can definitely say already that I wouldn't want one down my shirt.
Stay strong.
@Coconutswallow
The credit-card bill wallpaper is a novel approach to interior design, certainly. And here I was wasting mine on papier-mâché. I'll tell you though, it does make busting open a piñata that much more satisfying.
@Anon
When I saw that the comment number had jumped substantially in a short time, I said to myself "Anon has posted!" And indeed it was so! (Although Coconutswallow snuck in there as well.) You're our best bet for hitting 200 comments, and I enjoy your epic responses.
In any event, that's some compelling though mixed exidence regarding Skyla. Compared to Scoot, she does indeed look like she should have at least a hint of wing visible on that packaging, but as you note perhaps her wings are extended. It does look more and more like the doll has wings, but who know what that means? For all we know, she could have magic wings or butterfly wings or dragon wings or be like screwball and fly around with a propeller beanie. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.
I probably wouldn't think twice about Spike/Rarity if they had never made an issue of his age by calling him a baby dragon. I'd just think he was some small species of dragon, or that dragons only grow out of greed like we saw. However, since they did, it's pretty much a trump argument for me against the couple.
As for Twilestia, you're probably right although I was personally thinking of more safe depictions of it. It will never work in artwork for me because of the inherent nature of their character designs. The ponies were intentionally designed to have toddler-like features... stubby legs, rotund bellies, large heads, tiny noses... while Celestia was designed to counter that with adult features... long legs, more hourglass figure, smaller head, and a giant size compared to them... all to clearly be the mother figure to them. There's no way around that implication visually, at least for me.
There have been a few fanfics that have done a decent job of attempting such a match, which is much easier devoid of visuals. But the first thing that most of them have to do is to bring down Celestia in some way to make her vulnerable and more on an equal footing with regular ponies, combined with a future setting where Twilight is no longer a student. It's not impossible to pull off, but it's such a hurdle to overcome just to make it begin to work that I'm surprised so many people attempt it.
But yes, while I've grown quite tolerant of most shipping attempts as they're hard to avoid, almost all of my favorite stories lie in the "friendshipping" direction or are adventure stories with romantic subplots.
Some *possible* season 3 images have turned up that are quite shocking, and as it turns out focused on Applejack and Rarity.
I don't really understand where they came from, but Equestria Daily was fed them from some source.
If true, I'm really looking forward to that/those episodes.
Check 'em out here.... beware of spoilers, obviously.
@Harwick
Almost shockingly dark, right? I wonder if this will part of a longer arc of episodes than just two. Also, I was surprised to see that image of a certain character who I expected to see brought back in a lighthearted way, but who apparently will return in an extremely surprising, utterly villainous capacity. It looks as though things are about to get real in Equestria.
I'm ready.
@PonydoraPrancypants
My thought was "Oh, they better not just give us 13 episodes this year *and* end on a cliffhanger..."
It's so hard to judge with this show... Stuff that looks dark ends up being pretty light and silly. Of course, they also do scenes like heartbroken Twilight being consumed in flames and melting into the floor as the villain chuckles, so you never can tell. The biggest question mark for me are the dresses shown... What would lead to those "fashions" being featured in the Boutique?
That necklace sported by spoiler character does seem to indicate an allegiance with potential mystery villain, doesn't it? All very tantalizing and suggesting something pretty epic... assuming any of it is even true.
Hmm, I wonder which part that could be, chapter 7 has several good bits (•u~)
But it is nice that your parents were able to stay friends even after divorcing, my Mother works with troubled youths so I've seen what can happen when it isn't as smooth and one of her friends had a very clean divorce (though his daughter used to complain that their communication was "too good" so she couldn't try to get around either's rules because they were same no matter who she stayed with, hee-hee)
And you don't need to worry about that, you can't form a psychological evaluation of a person from one past time (unless of course you're in a show about criminal profilers). But I can imagine it would have been funny for them to visit the other at work (^.^)
Oh! And I've heard windex, mouthwash and bleach are all good insect sprays, looking at that picture
And while we're on the topic of Fighting Is Magic
Coconut Swallow: Well I've only been in one dub so far (and possibly a Japanese dub of the Italian opening theme if I can ever find a Karaoke version) and some of the other singers still need to submit their parts, but it was based off of a comment on a video, somebody saw it and adapted the full song
Personally I'm a bit on the proverbial fence in terms of pairing Spike and Rarity, true his crush on her can be cute. And I imagine his species of Dragon as having a similar size and life span to Ponies and that he's only called a baby due to limited knowledge of Dragons (he does seem to be roughly the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, both physically and emotionally), but I can't really see them as going very much further than the point they are now. Or rather I can't see them having a long romance or getting married or anything like that, then again I could just be biased by years of Shoujo Anime and Manga (It seems to be the unwritten rule of Shoujo that if you have a child or teenage character fall in love with somebody several years older, it dosen't work out and they both end up with somebody else who is closer to their age)
Hmm, if they do decide to touch on the subject of physical handicaps, I still hope that they don't have it be Scootaloo, I don't think they would make her completely unable to fly though; she has shown inprovement over season two (She DID manage to get mostly off the ground in Ponyville Confidential....apart from her head)
But looking at those images I can imagine that the villan shows you a sanareo that you fear most....or it could simply be over reacting, goodness knows there has been a lot of that already. Though I'm still optemistic that 'she' will end up being reformed, perhaps a lack of confidence after her previous appearence lead to her being easily manipulated by the true villan (Hmm, they did it with Night Shade in the First Generation T.V. Series)
And actually it's interesting that you would compare Canada to the Chrystal Kingdom as Canada is not as closely connected to it's Aboriginal past as it's international image would imply, which seems to be a problem for the Chrystal Kingdom as well
@CaineScroll
I guess that might explain it, then. I think that some people are just more prone to changes in emotion than others. You may have more worries than I do, but you can enjoy more excitedness when those worries are lifted. I don't know much about your life or what bothers you, but I will say that when July inevitably comes around again, you should try not to let it get to you. August is 31 days away.
@WhiteDiamonds
Well, let me just say that I am perfectly jealous of both of you. We actually have two home phone numbers at my house, one of which is our support number. I think I might have Skype as well, but I never use it for anything. Realistically though, I avoid speaking aloud as it is, and to talk to you over the phone would make me ridiculously nervous. My comments are slowly and (most often) carefully thought-out collections of decisions and statements, and as a result, I am quiet and uninteresting in real life. Yes, sad though it may be, it's probably for the best that I keep to my word walls.
But it doesn't mean we can't pretend, right? Just imagine my words spoken in the smooth, unwavering voice of Microsoft Sam. It's fairly accurate.
I've been too busy working to finish these responses (in case anyone would read them), but it's better late then never, I suppose.
@Harwick
I hope my last comments did not make me sound too troubled by anything (though three of them could have been avoided with more careful wording on my part). Regardless, your thoughts and feelings do mean a great deal to me. I am immensely grateful that you would even read and respond to what I have to say. Few deserve to have an audience with those who I would consider to be the most amazingly talented and kind members of our fan community. This blog is almost a secret hideaway for individuals who would otherwise be surrounded by their eager, adoring fans. I was only lucky enough to stumble in without a formal invitation. You are a very prominent part of this blog's greatness, and your art genius is not the only reason why that is true. Speaking of which, those rayguns really are quite impressively designed. (Of course, I would deny your involvement in their creation if they were anything less.) The base of the first one looks like it came from a glue gun, and the trigger on the third is reminiscent of a door latch handle or the handle of a beer tankard. I have always wondered how steampunk artists know what constitutes "steampunk" that they can incorporate in their extravagant designs. If only I could discover the secret, my next project would be to start my own steampunk series like Nastylady's Steampunk Ponies. (I would also be a millionare, but what's the use of money when you have steampunk ponies?) Oh, and I hope you did get around to perfecting your freeze ray. Did you ever use it to defeat your nemesis and prove to your oblivious love interest that you are a true villain?
I would say that I agree with you with regards to Twilestia, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen SFW material for the pairing, so I won't be the one to argue against your experiences. But I must say, that's plenty of character adjustments just to make the ship work.
Scootaloo will never fly, you say? That twist would explain a lot about her character, though in the harshest of ways. Since the ponies seem to somehow be named with relation to their character traits and future talents in advance, and I'm sure the CMCs' stories were planned out before the show aired, I would go so far as to say that Lauren has just given away Scootaloo's big secret. I've noticed that shows like this seem to start out lightly and humorously, but in time, they can delve into deeper story arcs and reveal less whimsical details about beloved characters. It becomes easier to imagine that format working for Friendship is Magic when we learn about things like this. It's an intriguing bit of food for thought, and a look into the show's future.
@Harwick
And speaking of food for thought; my thoughts are that a certain animator is well overdue for a pink slip by now. New Elements of Disharmony? An antagonistic return of the Great and the Powerful? Bright green feathers that don't match the patches on the rags? This must be the work of pure evil. Though, judging by the owner of this Carousel lookalike's, er, creative use of paper bag-based fashion to rival an "unconventional materials" episode of Project Runway, these are likely either flash-forward hypothetical futures of Ponyville in the absence of the main 6 or alternate worlds governed by their Disharmonious doubles. I believe the clothes on display are enough evidence that this is meant to be either the shop of a less capable designer or signs of poverty. I just have a hard time taking some of the suits on the rack as a poor pony's outfit. Why the windows and doors are boarded up, however, is beyond me. Maybe this Rarity really did fall off the deep end and became a crazy cat lady?
I am most excited by the thought of the antiheroic Trixie and her gang of villainous ne'er-do-wells working under the direction of the nefarious ORIGINAL CHARACTER DO NOT STEAL.
Phew, I think that mostly covered everything...be sure to let me know if I was asked anything that may have slipped my mind.
@Coconutswallow
Yes, I was telling the complete truth and I really had been thinking about you recently, as well as Jody as it's also been a while since we've last seen him around here (not quite as long of course, and he did say he might not be as active for a while but still, I do consider him a friend). It was time well spent too, because honestly you bring some fabulous conversation and an entertaining wit to the blog... it's lovely to see you back again!
Oh, no, I was talking about those terrible beetles themselves, I don't think I've ever been unfortunate enough to encounter a larva (even the word "larva" sounds disgusting, doesn't it? Ew). And unfortunately, that was hardly the first time I've ever encountered one of them... they are the bane of my existence I'm afraid.
Oooooh, unconventional materials episodes!! I absolutely adore those, and though I have not yet seen it I will make a point to get all caught up this coming weekend when I sit down for my regular soap marathon. <3 On that note, if you all really ever want me to ramble about it, I suppose I can, though I'm not sure why anyone who doesn't watch it would find it entertaining! I might have some good thoughts to share this coming week though; Victor's gone "missing" and Nikki and Sharon have consequently been fighting over him (involving drunken taunting and pushing each other into swimming pools and whatnot) as a result, and not to mention horrible Phyllis has now been abandoned in her murder trial by her very own sister (who had been serving as her lawyer too) bwahahaha. Good stuff.
And oh, you really are far too kind to me you know, much like Anon frequently is. But thank you for all of the kind words and for the enthusiasm about the illustration project as well! Progress has been slow so far, but DicePony and I are both busy working people... we're getting there though. ^.^
@Anon
Oh no, don't feel guilty dear, please. This is another one of those circumstances like that which Harwick and I recently found ourselves in, where I think intended humor/teasing isn't entirely obvious (I mean, I really was disappointed to learn that it was actually supposed to be Las Vegas originally, but still it's so not a big deal).
And there would never be any reason for you to be nervous speaking to me. I tend to ramble about any number of inconsequential things anyway, so you'd never have to worry about topics to bring up unless you wanted to. And yes, if it isn't clear I am saying this in good humor, though I'm afraid I'm not exaggerating too much with those remarks all the same. ^_^;
@Harwick
Arrrghh, dearest! Your silly blog still won't allow me to post any comments... it keeps prompting me to select a profile but when I do, the comments don't post anyway and then it asks again. That is entirely TOO irritating!
Well, I truly am sorry about that, but I want you to know that I did at least go and check out your photos, and tried to comment on them anyway! I am entirely impressed and I have to say, I can easily see these as being film props or somesuch... you are an amazingly talented individual you know! Though now I really am curious about that Halloween costume you mentioned (I know you've told me before you don't sew, but between your skills in "cobbling things together" and what I can only imagine is good fashion sense judging by your appraisal of the Prada line, I don't think I would be disappointed).
I agree with you about children's shows and what ideas and themes should be appropriate for ponies. *I* personally don't feel that making it clear Applejack's parents are now deceased should be an issue, especially if it was handled properly which I know the show could do, but I remember reading what Lauren Faust said before and that other people apparently felt it was too heavy a theme for the series to explore. I can only hope this might have changed by this point, given the fact that the show has obviously appealed to a much wider audience than anyone ever could have expected, but I guess only time will tell.
As for Princess Celestia (as you mentioned to Anon, in the Twilestia discussion) I've wondered before if she and Luna are maybe meant to be horses instead of actual ponies, which could explain some of the feature differences? Not that I think you're wrong about the fact she was designed as a maternal sort of figure to Twilight and the others, and I know they're both divine royal alicorns but still, Fleur de Lis shared a similar design too and I figured that could be one other possible explanation for it.
So much to respond to, my goodness. Thank you for sharing those season 3 (possible) spoilers, and while they are interesting I have to agree with you in that the series has frequently shared material that suggests something dark and disturbing, only to turn out to be otherwise (and vise-verse, such as said wedding episode). I doubt it will turn out to be too overly creepy, and actually I think Anon is probably on the right track with some of his guesses, provided (as you said) that any of this is even legitimate to begin with. It's certainly very interesting, in any case!
And oh, you flatter me dear. I can't say I've ever considered looking into voiceover work, but perhaps I should reconsider that!
@Poppun
Ah, well, I was older by the time my parents divorced so that wasn't really an issue, but still I imagine I would have found it very hard to deal with if they hadn't (or still did not) get along afterwards. As for the story I'm not entirely sure, but we'll be able to discuss it very soon now which I am excited about!
On the subject of terrible beetles and the like, do you know what else works as a fabulous insect killer/repellent? Hair spray. I can tell you this from personal experience.
Ah yes, and this is rather off topic but I still wanted to mention it to you, Harwick, and you, Anon, as well as anyone else who might be interested. Going back to the earlier discussion of TwiLuna, I thought I remembered seeing a story written by AbsoluteAnonymous (the author of several fanfictions I'm fond of) concerning the two once when I'd been browsing her FiMFiction, and it turns out I was right. I took the time to read it the other day since it's a relatively short oneshot, and I thought it did a good job touching on the sort of chemistry that I'd imagine for the two. It's not a shipping story but as the author says herself, it's probably the closest she'll ever get to writing the pairing.
The Cold Light of the Stars
I have to say though, if nothing else the story did make me consider attempting a Luna fanart for the first time in my life.
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