This is actually really cute!
Also, making this post took way longer than it should have... I was going to post sooner but I ran into a wall of 503 errors. Anyway, this is the colored version of the vixen sketch I did a little while back.
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This is actually really cute!
Also, making this post took way longer than it should have... I was going to post sooner but I ran into a wall of 503 errors. Anyway, this is the colored version of the vixen sketch I did a little while back.
Thanks very much!
Yeahy, those 503 errors are pretty frustrating. Your vixen is looking good though! Wasn't expecting the grey, but it suits her!
So, I got some interaction going between the fillies, figured I'd ask for feedback before colouring. I also tweaked Silver's glasses to be bigger. Seriously, pony glasses need to be HUGE to fit over their eyes :smallbiggrin:
SpoilerDay 91
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...cessTiara5.jpg
Sadly, I had to move Silver Spoon in from of Tiara's legs, which is a pity, because I thought I'd done them pretty well this time.
Actually, to be completely honest, I wasn't too sure what was wrong with the arms either at the time. I just knew something was slightly gorgy about them. This often happens when I'm drawing and it becomes frustrating when I can't find out what is wrong. I took another look at them after a full nights sleep and I think it's because one of her shoulders are slightly smaller then the other.
Maybe that was what was throwing me off. Not too sure. Another thing is that the hands could be a bit more feminine, meaning to say, a bit smaller. But that's something I need to work on. More types of hands. I have shovels for hands, it's always surprising when I notice that most people don't.
It's gray! And it's wonderful!
For some odd reason I wasn't expecting gray as a fur color, it's very nice!
Looking good!
I find that the best drawn parts of pictures will end up having to be covered up half of time, either because the composition will look best if you move over a character or there is just no other place to put a word balloon or whatever. That's just life I guess.
I think you should make Spoon's eyes looking up at Diamond's general direction though. It would make it look a bit more natural. But that's just a opinion, it also looks okay as is.
Here's some more references for the back legs in similar positions. None of them are precisely the same position as yours, but it is what it is. the first one is a very odd leg position for a horse as far as I know, but the second Sweetie Belle is better.
Spoiler
Day 22-23,
SpoilerWell, this is a large image so I spoiler'd it. For Day 22, I just drew that unfinished pose of someone pointing at you. Just wasn't feeling it yesterday.
But today!
I went on a drawing marathon! I started drawing whatever came to mind. From 12:00 AM - 7:40 AM, with plenty of coffee and root beer! Well ok, there was plenty of procrastination in there as well. But a lot of drawing got done! Well, ok, so it's mostly doodles... But it was a lot of practice!
I had to celebrate having a whole week without work and the forums being ponified. It was like life just got more awesome.
The final full figure of the week was the sitting woman, I think I got her pose somewhat right, but I always have problems with these back to you slightly like poses. And I am awful at drawing rumps, I need to practice drawing those. Note to self, draw more butts.
The Chinese warrior half-figure on the right has a strange right hand arm hand grabbing glitch as he's peering at the head bag. At times like this I wish I still had a full body mirror in my room, but alas, that quick reference is gone for all time. I'm sure I'll see what's wrong with it after a good night's sleep.
The ponies are all around the map, some good, some bad, others questionable. But I did practice Twilight and more Pinkie Pie so yay for that. I need to get to start practicing Rarity and Fluttershy's manes.
I also drew Ado and Adeline! Two completely different Kirby characters!
I also recorded my first reaction to ponified GITP for historical purposes.
And other random stuff. I dunno. Before you judge me, remember it all seemed like a good idea at the time.
Anyway, here's to another month of drawing!
Days 92-93. Did some quick colouring yesterday, but not much. Worked a little harder today and got Tiara more or less finished. Had to go over a fair few lines too, as they were hard to see after being coloured.
Silver Spoon tomorrow.
I did have them that way at first. I'll see about changing them back, but I kinda like how it is now. It's like she's just looking into the distance thinking "How did I let her talk me into this?"Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakuel
Thanks for the ref poses, BTW. I used one from Call of the Cutie, where Apple Bloom was depressed, just before RD arrived. I forgot to save it I'm afraid.
I loved your page of random stuff! Some really good poses there. In which order did you draw the chain of artists, and did you plan it like that? :smalltongue:
Actually, I might not have considered gray myself, but the color was specified as part of the request. It was actually a nice motivation to check out different fox subspecies and learn a bit about them. Also, thanks for the compliments.
Bakuel: Your massive draw-doodle canvas is really cool! The people are looking good, and I've actually been trying to work on some anatomy stuff lately myself, so it's good motivation to see others pulling it off. Keep up the good work!
You know, while watching Saturday's episode, I kept thinking "Huh, DT's getting some character development. Wonder what Diego thinks?" I take it your avatar is related?
Indeed, Diamond Tiara has grown on me. This is mostly because I actually RP as her over at canterlot.com, having applied for her back when she only had the one appearance in call of the cutie. This was due to a combination of liking her design, the challenge of playing a bully type character (whom I normally hate) and the working on the idea of her cutie mark/special talent (which I first assumed was jewellery making, though someone in ponythread suggested her talent was leadership, and I may just steal that idea).
So yeah, her getting a bit of character dev this season made me happy. Interesting to note how she didn't seem to hold a grudge against the CMC for the cutecenera incident. Also, I think I have free reign to play her as evil and manipulative, rather than just loud and obnoxious. :smallbiggrin:
Baahh!
You have the week off, but then you just roll-around and procrastinate instead of drawing. It's almost as if when I'm working I'm procrastinating from work by drawing, then when drawing is my main aim, I have to procrastinate by doing something else. Maybe I need to tell myself I should be cleaning or something, then I'll procrastinate by drawing.
It's full proof!
http://i.imgur.com/KwcDX.png
Looking good! Not much to say, really. Are you going to do some shading on this one?
I spent a good couple of hours struggling with shading on that Moon Cake Luna today, still didn't get it looking like anything I could bare to post.....
True, it does look nice as it is now. It is ultimately up to you. Another thing to consider, have you thought about having her look to the lower left (her right) to the ground? Or even just lowering her eyes to look at the ground? It might help with that expression. But this could be read as more submissive, so it might not be best.
Or you could also have her looking up and away from Tiara like she's rolling them. Rolling eyes are always good.
Honestly I'm just throwing ideas out there!
Thank you! :D
The chain of artists grew from a picture concept that I haven't done yet, basically having Adeline paint Ado, who has come to life and leaning out of the canvas to try to paint Adeline. The idea being that whenever Adiline paints people they come into existence fully formed with memories, thus from Ado's perspective, he would have been painting Adeline and bringing her into existence. I dunno.
I planned it when I saw that I had enough room to make a line of artists, I knew I wanted to draw Ado and Adeline and wanted to fit a master painter renaissance type chap in there somewhere. I started with Pinkie drawing my missing tooth pony OC, then I ultimately decided I wanted to end it with Derpy. I almost did a long string of Derpys drawing each other into infinity to reference the "turtles all the way down". But I got lazy. I'm going to have to do that one day.
Thanks! Anatomy is hard and I've been trying to go beyond the standard anime poses. But there's nothing to do but get right down in the mud and wrestle with it. You should post some of your anatomy stuff!
Need to catch up on new pony episodes, I am horribly behind...
Day 24-25-26,
Spoiler
Well, the few times I have been drawing I have been wrestling with a picture idea and a short comic (30-60 pages) concept. Basically, ponies in fantasy high-violence medieval (somewhat Edo Period) Japan. Not historically accurate by any means, but more tongue-in cheek.
Now I know what your probably thinking, that I'm bat-feces insane and a trite pickle headed man. And if that's what your thinking, then you hurt my feelings.
SpoilerThe tale would be somewhat tongue and cheek in tone, have a lot of violence, and a large helping of ham.
The setting of the story would be basically this, two feuding merchant families, the Apple family, and whatever the name of Rarities' family is. The tide would have turned in the Apples favor and Rarity's family would be tittering on the edge of total ruin. However, Rarity's beauty would have caught the eye of a powerful noble, Smarty Pants, who become engaged to her. As a wedding gift and to patch things up, Smarty Pants would oversee a truce between the families, one that would be only grudgingly accepted by the Apple family.
The conflict focuses on an incident arising from a passing friendship/childhood infatuation between Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, the two begin to exchange letters via an Apple family hanger-on/servant (Scootaloo). After awhile, Scoot is sighted by someone in the Rarity mansion, and when Rarity inquires about it to the AJ she denies anything, being completely ignorant of the CMC's hijinks. Not believing AJ, Rarity hires two ninjas (Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy) and task them to infiltrate the Apple family, capture Scoot and bring her in for interrogation.
Hilarity and fight scenes ensue.
As soon as I have free time I begin to generate half-baked plots. It's a sickness of the mind.
Roughly rough stuff,
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9321/day2425.jpg
I was struggling with a art concept of AJ and Applebloom walking by Rarity and Sweetie Belle on a bridge and AB and Belle sharing a backwards glance at each other. Sadly, I forgot how to do perspective and arches! I spent most of sunday and monday pouring over different tutorials and trying to get something that at least looked like something. Not to mention collecting traditional Japanese bridge references and wood block paintings. But regardless, I didn't actually get that far as far as actually drawing.
I made a rough of the bridge and characters and realized that I should use two vanishing points, while many traditional woodblock scenes have basic perspective, I figure there is no reason to hold myself to that standard. Also I realized that I didn't know how anthro-like I wanted the characters to be, I knew that I wanted them to be basically more comfortable Lyras joint-wise. After all, we need horribly inaccurate period clothing, the best thing of any historical tongue in cheek adoption. This leads me to Tuesday's drawing,
Day 26,
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6711/day26.jpg
I was trying to get AJ's proportions' down. But thanks to a annoyinglysexyfunky/electronic smooth Megaman X remix (odd I know, but it happens to me), my mind wandered and I begin to draw a more humanized anime AJ. But the one on the left is the standard I'm aiming for the picture. I also drew a half-backed conquistador and a goofy cartoony Rainbow Dash, still pecking away at a style were I can draw ponies in under ten minutes. Dash's wings are a bit odd, but I need to practice pegasus wings.
Anthroanime AJ's left hand is sadly bigger then her right. She got picked on at school about that. Also I botched her legs slightly, the knee should be a bit higher up. Also her other foot finished into oblivion.
Oh yes, I also drew a doodle of Twilight from the top down. She's that blob besides the conquistador. Shows you how well that went!
Keep leaving this stuff until late. So tired... but must post...
Day... 94? I'll check later. Yesterday:
There! Done!
Oh... uh... yeah... I could totally do that... Aha... ¬_¬
SpoilerDay 95?
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...essTiara9a.jpg
I seriously don't know if this is good or not.
Could do I guess... rolling eyes might look better... buuuut I just coloured it so... maybe another time.
Your medieval Japan themed story sounds cool, though I hate those kinds of super violent stories, especially in conjuction with ponies, so please forgive me if I don't read it.
That said, the sketches you did look good!
Actually, I can't say a word for or against so bad is my own shady work so take anything I say with even more salt then usual... The shady parts look good.
But I think you should try some darker colors for the shading next time, just experiment with it until you get a style that works for you.
It looks good as is and it shows the emotion it is supposed to!
Just as a note, when I throw ideas around, they are just that. Ideas and alternative ways of doing things, I'm the type of guy who grew up with the saying that there were a million different ways to skin a cat. Though I love cats and found the saying a bit cruel, the meaning has stayed with me and I spend more time thinking up alternative ways of doing things then doing things at all.
Thanks on the sketches! :smallbiggrin:
On the fantasy Japan idea, I need to work on communicating ideas better and the words I use. Especially since the pony fandom has a strange fascination with grim dark and gory stuff. I was aiming for very violent and gory type stuff, but lighter fare. I was aiming more for a parody of grim dark *twist/crossover* pony fiction and grim dark serious business old school samurai flicks and manga, but as they say about parody, a brief description can be easily mistaken for the real thing.
A more indepth explanation.
SpoilerWhen I said violence, I meant more action. The comic I may or may not do is not a gory comic, but more of a action comic in the style of say, Powerpuff Girl style action. Or that scene of Fluttershybeating upmassaging the bear. Cartoon violence. It has fight scenes, but they are not taken overly serious. No one dies, and no one is maimed. There really won't even be any blood besides paper cut levels (and I'm really not even sure about that). It is filled with swords that don't ever seem to cut, and bullets that don't seem to ever hit anyone. Ponies are beat up, but no lasting harm is done rather then a few bruises and being knocked unconscious.
Even the dark and gritty medieval-pre-modern society I was going to play around with. While the setting won't follow any historical Japanese society that closely (actually it's pure fantasy), I was toying with having Pinkie Pie as a minor character and a censor/investigator or metsuke-type official sent by the Empress Celestia to investigate reports of violence and illegal weapon ownership in Fancy Pants' lands. Replacing the last easily bribed investigator Derpy (muffins). While incorruptible and steadfast in her duty, she will overlook and miss all incidents until the very end. Basically a running minor sub-plot of Fancy Pants trying to stop the two families from fighting and cover everything up from the ever watchful and ever present-when-you-least-expect-it Pinkie. Also a reason why he doesn't do anything official about it as he can't do anything openly about the feud without basically admitting that yes, his province is mess.
Basically I was aiming more for humor and parody, rather then serious fiction. The ending I'm leaning toward is a happy one, or at least a neutral one (I'm notoriously bad at endings) with the families at peace. Or at least hopefully anyway.
To sum the concept up, a light-hearted fast-moving period and grim/dark/gritty parody, a somewhat light Romeo and Juliet style plot, but with friendship rather then romance and the focus on the two feuding families. Comedy arising from the actors/characters in a complete different setting and the differing dissonance and harmony which that may bring depending on the character (Think of the Muppet movies, such as Christmas Carol and Treasure Island), as well as comedy based on situations, lies and differing motives of multiple characters (Think A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, or the Roman comedies of Plautus which inspired it.) Plenty of action and fight scenes in the style of PPG and a light parody of shonen action manga.
Granted, this is a idea in it's infant stage and I have no experience with these matters. So it's best to put it on the back burner and let it sizzle, it it's still smells good in a month or so, then it's worth pursuing.
*Edit: Fancy Pants, not Smarty Pants, gah! My mind is slowly devolving into jello*
Warning! Nude man with his bits blacked out! This is my first time actually painting for realz. Blargh, I hate tonal values, and I'm sure my friend is going to tell me it's still dull and gray. Needs moar white.
Day 27,
SpoilerDrew Fancy Pants, Investigator Pinkie, and Rarity. And some misc. half formed poses. Including Richard the Third for some odd reason.
Still fooling around with the proportions of these slightly anthro ponies. I'll just hand wave their lack of fingers to hold objects. It's all magic!
Was trying to draw out Pinkie's natural hatred of falsehood and double facedness as seen in "Green isn't Your Color" and "The Last Round Up", as well as her sneaky/sleuth side as seen in "Party of One". I figured much had been done with the minor trait of Pinkamena, so I would focus on bringing out another one of her traits.
I gave Fancy Pants Bishounen hair and slightly tweaked his mustache. No reason really, it just fit with the setting.
Still having trouble with Pinkie's mane, and Rarity's tail isn't even trying to follow canon.
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8937/day27.jpg
BLAST! I uploaded that DT & SS pic to Canterlot and Ponibooru, and didn't notice that Spoon's glasses are covering her nose >_< I can fix it on Canterlot but... ah well.
Anyway, didn't feel like doing much today, so here's a dodgy-looking Elan. Day 96.
Spoilerhttp://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...Havoc/elan.jpg
Yeah, okay it's not very good and I didn't make much of an effort. It still counts, okay!?
Thanks, I'll practice with shading a little more down the line. I've noticed a few things I did wrong the first time, so that's a step in the right direction already.
Aaaah. Okay, I misunderstood, but yeah, after Cupcakes and Rainbow Factory and the rest of the grimdark garbage I'm very wary of anything labeled violent. But I think I can check out the comic. If anything, I'm looking forward to it after seeing your sketches (which I'll comment on below).
I don't think we've seen you here before. Welcome aboard! Not sure what we can offer you since that is some mighty impressive artwork there!
If you're looking for critique, I guess I can say that his face seems rather feminine, probably to due the mouth. Unless that's just a bishonen style you were going for?
I'm loving Fancy Pant's new look here! He looks very handsome with his new do and moustache. I can see improvement in Pinkie's mane from before. Rarity's tail... well I don't blame you for having trouble XD
Yes, he is supposed to be a feminine looking dude. XD I pretty much hang out at the Dominic Deegan thread, I've never really painted before in this fashion, and this piece is my first attempt, so I just wanted to share. It's okay if you have no input, I have a friend who will readily point out any problems I have. :smallsmile:
I'm mostly drive-by posting however, as I don't draw pieces like this very often. :smalltongue:
I really hope you flesh out this comic idea, because the concept stuff is looking really neat!
The shading looks broadly right, at least to my eye. You might consider trying more tonal variation and doing a little more blending with the shadows, as I think someone else suggested. Keep up the good work!
It's looking very nice! The anatomy looks good, to my relatively novice eye, and it's always nice to have new folks swing by!
Ok, time for some of my stuff. I've been doing some sketches for a picture for a friend, with the filly version of the character. For practice, have some CMC doodles:
Spoilerhttp://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/...id/fillies.png
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/...d/fillies2.png
Neither set is really where I want to be. I think drawing humanoid proportions for a while threw me on pony anatomy, because I see lots of little width/height issues of various body parts. Still, something is better than nothing, I guess...
I should have responded to this yesterday, but I was too busy rolling around double checking what I was typing like a bumbling nincompoop.
It looks great really! I can't really say much because I don't know anything real about anatomy and muscles rather then surface knowledge. Your higher far higher on the art ladder then I, so I can only offer subjective comments.
It has a real androgynous feel to it as others have said. Like it could be anything from a statue-golem, elf, angel, a human with supernatural linage or some otherworldly life form.
You should post more! Draw/paint and post in this here thread, give it life! Whenever you feel the need to do a drive-by post in an art thread, you should instantly think "Pony Draw Thread"!
Ok, ok, pushiness aside, it would be great if you posted more if you ever feel like making it. Personally it would be nice to see, even if I can't offer you any critical feedback.
Of course it still counts! :elan:
Grim dark is almost reaching meme proportions in the pony fandom, indeed, perhaps even grimderp levels. I read Cheerlie's Garden recently, and I must admit I couldn't take it seriously. The funny thing is, I rather like grim dark, and can take some gore as well! I love me some ye medieval/ancient/pre-modern time settings for example and often just playing medieval society closer to history will create something more then grim dark enough, like in the Vinland Saga manga.
Yet, the fandom seems to be flooded with it, it's starting to become trite. On the flip side, it seems good pony fanfiction which makes you think "This could be on the show" is rarer. Or even fanfiction which isn't *serious business*. While the concept I'm brewing isn't show worthy, and, due to it being set in a more nuanced setting rather then Equestria, deals with some morally gray themes. It runs, on a whole, more on a sense of humor, fun, action and adventure rather then grim, dark, seriousness. Comparable to say, Girl Genius, though by far not that much of a trash-heap world (Seriously though, that alternate Europe is the stuff of nightmares if you think on it) and no death, but similar in that the harshness/problems of the setting are not the real focus of the narrative. While the story is still being generated, the final theme I'm aiming for is that while the world and society may be imperfect and suck sometimes, a little friendship and tolerance can solve a lot of problems, not all of them by far, but quite a bit. In alternate Samurai-Equestria, friendship may not be magic, but it's pretty darn close.
Thanks! :smallbiggrin:
I think I did marginally better with the Rarity's tail today.... Marginally anyway.
I will, I figure it gives me more drawing subjects to choose from at the very least!
These are really, really cute!
I can see what you mean about the anatomy issues, I can't really say anything as I always had trouble with filly proportions especially when trying to adhere closer to the show.
Ghargh! Scoot with a halo is too cute....
Day 28,
Spoiler
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6186/day28j.jpg
Nothing much today, Fancy Pants and Rarity. As well as two psychopathic faces. Next weeks going to be my facial expression week so I'm warming up. Nothing really to say besides Rarity's mane and tail are still hard, and kimonos are fun to draw. I'm going to look into alternative hair-styles for Rarity, I think there was at least one pined up mane style which she used which would look nice with a kimono. Not that I'm running away from her twist whirlwind curls, that would be cowardly! Besides, Spike would be sad.
I was playing with the idea of Fancy Pants only recently coming into the position of governor, perhaps inheriting the title from a great aunt or some such. As he was a minor one episode character I was chewing over personality attributes. Well-cultured, snobbish, pompous and upper-class, but kind, generous and noble. The type of pony who thinks highly of himself (and often with good reason). The type of leader who wants everyone to get along, nobles and common people alike, even if at times he doesn't truly fully understand the common farmers, merchants, and craftsponies' issues, needs and conflicts due to having lived in high society all his life.
A blurb on Samurai-Equestria Fancy Pants,
Spoiler
This early middle aged early-thirty-something stallion has spent most of his life dominating the social circles of the elite and is well cultured and learned in etiquette, calligraphy, art, music, poetry, classical literature as well as some learning in the practical sciences and magic. A renaissance stallion if you will. Yet somewhat lacking in real administrative drive. Fancy would have turned down the title if it wasn't such a great social faux pas, his family has governed the province for generations and he is the only adult suitable for the role. To renounce the title would be social suicide. Besides that, he feels that as he is the only one capable in his family to run it, it is his responsibility in the end. After all, the state of the province can be said to be his family's fault as well.
While a normal province could be at least expected to run with little real interference or innovation from the noble family ruling it, Fancy inherited a mess.
But this well cultured stallion has risen to the challenge and cleaned his "house", from top to bottom, dismissing corrupt officials, cleaning the streets,making the subway run on time.etc. There are still plenty of *problems* here and there, but nothing major to worry about. He has even settled one of the largest problems, a violent ongoing feud between two well known merchant families. And found love as well, while he was at it...
Things can only go right from here on out. The province's old reputation has finally reached Empress Celestia and the last ditzy Imperial Investigator has been recalled and a new one is due any day, but he isn't worried. This one should be easy enough to satisfy as well, and if not, find ways to... Compensate her for the trouble. If he even needs to bother, after all, what could go wrong? The province and city are completely at peace, may as well return to the finer things in life.
On a odd note, I'm stuck between Edo-Equestria and Samurai-Equestria as concept labels... On the one hand, Samurai-Equestria is more easily understandable, generic, silly and nonsensical enough that people won't be lead to belief that it is supposed to follow any historical period and is pure fantasy. On the other hand, no real Samurai make an appearance and the setting is much closer to Edo-period urban stories...
The more you talk the more I want to see this. You're onto an otherwise untapped vein of awesome right here. I'm unable to provide cogent feedback because I just want to see it happen.
Hopefully in a few days when my brain has rebooted and you've got some specific areas of concern I'll be able to be more helpful.
Yep, I see what you mean about proportions. It's the body shapes here that look off. Make them a little thicker and a little rounder and it will be fine.
http://img.ponibooru.org/_images/3e7...age%20this.PNG
So today (Day 97. Getting closer and closer to 100!) I tried out some human faces. I'll post them tomorrow, since my connection is slow enough right now, but it didn't really go too well. I just can't get the shape looking right, especially the jaw and nose. Anyone got any tips or good tutorials for this kinda thing?
So. Human faces.
Day 97:
SpoilerJust trying to get the hang of those jawlines. That's the killer for me, I think.
Random Detective Gumshoe there, just because of that chin. Incidently, the Phoenix Wright style is a good idea of what I would like to be able to do in the future. It's a good mix between cartoony and realistic. The later Advance Wars games have a similar style.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...cepractice.jpg
Day 98:
SpoilerTrying to get the hang of the differences between male and female faces. Going back to the manga style that I originally learned for drawing people.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...epractice2.jpg
With human faces really the best thing you can do is try for realistic proportions and shapes, even if they take much longer. Once you have that down you can stylise a lot easier and a lot more effectively. Starting with a flat, cartoony form means you're essentially stylising a stylisation and that quickly inbreeds out of the point of recognisability.
Agreed.
Day 99. Grabbed myself some reference pics (which I actually had from way back when I used to do 3D) and got to work.
Spoilerhttp://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9.../mansface1.jpg
It's a start. His hair is pretty flat, I made his head in the side view too narrow, the ears are wrong in the front view, the chin, the mouth, the eyes etc.
I'll work on it (but I also have a few pony things I want to do too.)
It helps to draw out the underlying structure before drawing the actual details. I'm not very good at explaining, but you can see how I drew it. Top of the iris should be under the eyelids or else you will get a very surprised expression. One way to draw noses is to draw 3 circles, the 2 smaller circles representing the nostrils. I hope this helps.
The only explanation I have for this is Dwarf Fortress plus ponythread IRC:
I actually did draw the structure, I just erased it afterwards. Clearly I didn't do it right. Didn't know that about the nose though; that will come in handy.
Yours is really good though! :o How long have you been drawing for, if you don't mind me asking?
._. Well.... it's a good camel! I dunno about whatever that it next to it :smallredface:
Day 100! Woo! Sadly unfinished thanks to RSI kicking in (ouch! >_<) so I'll continue tomorrow. More pony, because I had an idea I really wanted to draw. I'll get back to humans soon enough.
Spoilerhttp://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...rtwilight1.jpg
Based on this, from April Fools:
http://img.ponibooru.org/_images/710...ht_sparkle.jpg
:smallbiggrin:
Yea, your structure wasn't very good then, it is very important to get the shape, which your drawing didn't have. Proper placement of the features isn't the only thing you have to look out for. Think in simple shapes if possible.
I have had a passion for drawing for as long as I can remember, people at school were often saying how good I was, altho it was only during college that I learned the techniques to refine my work. :smallsmile:
A surprise roadtrip and the Easter festiveness kept me away from a internet connection, but I was still drawing!
Thanks! It's full speed ahead on this concept then!
Thanks! :smallredface:
I'm embarrassed. Your fanfic, "Yours Truly" remains one of the best I have ever read and the reason why even though I generally don't ship ponies, when I do, I ship Twilight/Applejack, and Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy. And the only one which has lead to manly tears.
Any and all comments would be welcome, if there are any leaps of logic, or anything like that go ahead and point it out. Or even if my blurbs are too wooden and boring.
I'm not much of a writer outside of boring academic essays (and even those are just serviceable) and am most worried about dialogue. So when I get to that bridge help with that would be great!
Camels are always nice! :smallbiggrin: Everyone always overlooks camels as wonderful animals!
That's some nice bones on the (fantasy? alien? mutant?) camel and it's legs are rather freaky and nice. The one on the left's back legs seem off.
Congratulations on day 100!! :smallbiggrin:
I need to finish coloring that Luna mooncake...
The only nitpick on your Twilight picture I could see was that her right back leg seems off in it's placement. It's too far to the left in the picture.
This is extremely helpful, I also have never heard of the three circles for the nose, I'm going to try that tomorrow!
Day 29-30-31.
Spoiler
Day 29-30
I've been trying to get the actual dimensions for the Samurai-Equestria characters right, I think I've settled on between 4-5 heads for most characters. But it'll probably change depending on whether I'm having a good art day or a bad day.
I drew some Inspector Pinkie Pie, and AJ and Applebloom, not much to say, just trying to keep at it. If I do manage to hammer out a comic I'll have to be at least somewhat constant with the designs. While still being able to go at a nice speed. Still trying to get there.
Day 31,
Today I started off with the Chariot sketch and ended with Ninja Dash and Shinobi Shy. The chariot one blew up in my face with the humanoid character anatomy and placement. The horses are also questionable and I haven't tried to define their legs. The one on the right's head is either too fat or not long enough, even for cartoon horses. Still, I really want to draw a warchariot, even if the perspective on it is bad. I'll work on fixing most of the glaring anatomy issues later.
After I was warmed up on the chariot debacle I could draw a bit cleaner with Shy and Dash, nothing really to say, just posing. I think they're still somewhat close to 4-5 heads. At least I hope. I have a feeling consistent anatomy size is going to be a problem.
A blurb on Imperial Inspectors and government, even though most of this information won't show up in the story, I guess it'll be easier to flesh the setting out first. And I do love world-building. The government is a mixture of feudal (regional governments) and bureaucracy (the central government). I figured that the feudal government ruled by warring daiymos was the original one until the rise of Celestia and Luna who imposed the central government and bureaucracy, however, the daiymos and noble class still exist and the elements come into conflict with each other.
I was thinking that Samurai-Equestria is a bit harsher and larger then normal Equestria and a little less magical. Unicorn magic is less versatile and powerful, Earth Ponies need to till the land harder to get crops, Pegasus can't fly as far or as fast. Rising and lowering the sun and moon is harder. There is simply less magic everywhere and life is a bit more harder. So the government reflects that too.
SpoilerImperial Inspectors have a somewhat spotty reputation. The bureaucracy and feudal system of the government is large, hierarchical, layered, and more then often, a bit corrupt. Magistrates are at the bottom, often composed of a few hamlets. Any number of magistrates are combined into provinces, ruled by governors from the largest city in the area. Provinces are combined into regions ruled by daimyos. Finally, the Empress Celestia and her sister rule over the daimyos.
Taxes, crops, and goods change hands a thousand times and while the system works for the most part, a lot more slips through the cracks then the immortal Empress would like. Just like in many premodern societies in the real world, information travels slowly, even with Pegasus carriers. Complaints and tales of corruption from the provincial level take time to reach the daimyo level and even then the daimyo may or may not do something about it. Often governor titles are given to families which are the daimyo's vassals or that have some family tie and taking the title from them is out of the question. Better a loyal incompetent or corrupt governor, then a new one who's loyalty would have to be tested.
Ponies can also appeal directly to the capital, however, the complaint takes time to reach the capital and even longer to reach the Empress' ears if it even ever does, having to travel through the necessary bureaucracy. This system is not in place to be insidious, far from it, it's just that Equestria is just so large and composed of so many provinces that the Empress and her sister would not be able to deal with all the problems personally. Raising and lowering the Sun and Moon is tiring and outside of this most of their energy is devoted to dealing quarrelling daimyos and the upper levels of government, rather then the affairs of some far off rural province.
However, in her eternal wisdom, the Empress Celestia has appointed a special corps. of Inspectors to go out into the provinces and investigate local governments and sniff out corruption and report wrong doing. Each inspector reports directly to the two most high sisters and their reports are read daily. Naturally many local governors fear the local Inspectors as a bad report can lead to their titles being revoked and given to more worthy individuals. While many nobles get their acts together while under investigation, others do their best to bribe, misdirect or misinform Inspectors. Sometimes some less then savory inspectors have even threatened governors with a bad report unless they find it in the kindness of their hearts to give them a nice gift or two. But this is rare as the Inspectors are hand chosen by either Celestia or Luna, but while wise and powerful, the two are not gifted with omniscience. Of course, though not all-knowing, the alicorns are still powerful and, though kind, they are vengeful when pushed. Thus only the most foolish of the dishonest Inspectors attempt outright extortion and blackmail.
All these facts make the relation between governors and Inspectors tense to say the least. Even if they are both perfectly honest officials, the two will generally be somewhat suspicious of each other.
I already said a little about the side of Pinkie's personality I was going to focus on. Another thing is that in this else-world, it is Pinkie Pie, rather then Twilight, who has become one of Celestia's chosen ponies, so she will also want to prove that she is actually competent and can be relied on (like in "Baby Cakes").
A young untested adult, Inspector Pinkie is, humorous, sneaky, just, weird and relentless with her task. She still loves to party, but do to her time in the palace is much slower to open up to other ponies and show her party side. Generally in private with non-official ponies and fillies. She is determined not to mess her assignment up. Though untested and somewhat naive, she believes that the central government's system works and is far from a fool.
Another blurb,
SpoilerInspector Pinkie Pie was born into a prestigious rock farmer family. Unlike in normal Equestria, rock farmers are a big business because of the appreciation of rock gardens. Every large shrine complex, mansion, or palace needs at least one of these gardens for quiet contemplation and meditation. Pinkie Pie's family was not only well known for the harvesting of rocks, but also for the artistic ability to put the gardens together. However, Pinkie Pie has never fit in with quiet stone gardens, meditation, or contemplation. Though she often tried and did her best to please her family, she's always longed for something more, a little more noise, a little more laughter, and a little more happiness. When the Palace's rock gardens were being renovated Pinkie's family was called in to redesign them. It is here during a chance inspection by the Sun Empress herself that Pinkie came to face to face with her and actually managed (to the shock of everyone present) to make her laugh for the first time in days.
Recognizing her kind, uncorrupted spirit, Celestia took her under her wing and begin to train her to become a Imperial Inspector. Needless to say, as time passed it became apparent that Pinkie Pie didn't really fit in with the proper offical ponies in the palace. Her humor and jokes only lead to arched eyebrows amongst nobles and snorts of dismissal from career minded bureaucrats. When they did laugh, it was generally at her rather then with her. Sensing her loneliness, Celestia often spent her personal time with her and listened to her jokes and stories. However, this would only lead to rumors amongst the staff about how Pinkie was Celestia's personal pet and that the rock farmer clown was unfit for *real* government work. After hearing about the corruption and lawlessness in a rural province and the failure of her appointed Inspector, Celestia has given Pinkie her first assignment, investigate the administration of the Fancy family and bring any and all lawbreakers to justice. Eager to please and prove herself to the patron which saved her from a life of rocks, Pinkie has set off for glory. Whatever the other officials at the palace may say about her, she is sure she will prove them all wrong. She just has to.
Also, sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes on the blurbs...
Aw, I'm really glad you liked my story :smallredface:
Can do! I find myself providing a lot of writing advice recently, and I'm quickly becoming quite practised at it. I'll be more than happy to provide advice, general or specific, once I have a sample of your writing to riff off.Quote:
Any and all comments would be welcome, if there are any leaps of logic, or anything like that go ahead and point it out. Or even if my blurbs are too wooden and boring.
I'm not much of a writer outside of boring academic essays (and even those are just serviceable) and am most worried about dialogue. So when I get to that bridge help with that would be great!
Dialogue is something of a strength of mine, and a lot of it comes down to one trick I figured out: Read everything out loud! And read it in the voice the character would be saying it in. There are some words you cannot shout, and some words you cannot whisper. There are phrases that outright never occur to you when you're worked up, and nine times out of ten people will go for the answer that is witty or makes them look good rather than communicating the facts.
My best general piece of writing advice is read and watch widely, with an active, critical mind. The Marx Brothers are funny - why? Those two characters have a good dynamic - how is that communicated? Why do we like one partner and not the other? Question everything, and reflect on the world around you. It's the best way to improve your writing.
Can't look at the pictures on my current machine, so I'll get back to you on those.
The trick with worldbuilding is that you want to have as much of it as possible and say as little of it as possible. It can all function freely in the background but the characters who live within it will almost never reflect on it. Those are their assumptions; the truths that come with their setting.Quote:
A blurb on Imperial Inspectors and government, even though most of this information won't show up in the story, I guess it'll be easier to flesh the setting out first. And I do love world-building.
The real strength of a setting like "Samurai Equestria" is the seeding. Seeding is a term I coined; it means when you phrase something a certain way it immediately calls to mind a whole pile of associations and structures in an extremely few words.
If I start a story with a girl walking towards Bethlehem then you instantly recognise all the associations that come with it. If I begin by saying "Once upon a time" then your mind automatically switches to Fairy Tale mode. Tapping into humanity's collective experience is as important as having thought things through.
Have you ever read the Tales of the Otori? The first in the series, Heaven's Net Is Wide, is possibly my favourite book ever. It's set during feudal Japan, and it came to mind now due to the treatment of the Emperor in it. He's a distant, almost mythical figure with so much power and wealth that it scarcely processes in the minds of the poor northern clans.Quote:
Ponies can also appeal directly to the capital, however, the complaint takes time to reach the capital and even longer to reach the Empress' ears if it even ever does, having to travel through the necessary bureaucracy. This system is not in place to be insidious, far from it, it's just that Equestria is just so large and composed of so many provinces that the Empress and her sister would not be able to deal with all the problems personally. Raising and lowering the Sun and Moon is tiring and outside of this most of their energy is devoted to dealing quarrelling daimyos and the upper levels of government, rather then the affairs of some far off rural province.
I'm seeing an exceptionally cool scene where the governor and the Inspector have a delicate social duel over tea, trying to discover how corrupt the other one is and if they should offer or demand a bribe - and if evidence of bribery will be met with retribution.Quote:
All these facts make the relation between governors and Inspectors tense to say the least. Even if they are both perfectly honest officials, the two will generally be somewhat suspicious of each other.
Does "Party" in this context mean "Party" in the same context as Equestria? Does she enjoy the stately feasts of court, or is she prepared to risk her reputation by trawling dive bars with the commoners? If so, that would give her a low popularity and high scorn. If so, what would her reaction be? Hide her commoner friends? Try to prove herself despite them?Quote:
I already said a little about the side of Pinkie's personality I was going to focus on. Another thing is that in this else-world, it is Pinkie Pie, rather then Twilight, who has become one of Celestia's chosen ponies, so she will also want to prove that she is actually competent and can be relied on (like in "Baby Cakes").
A young untested adult, Inspector Pinkie is, humorous, sneaky, just, weird and relentless with her task. She still loves to party, but do to her time in the palace is much slower to open up to other ponies and show her party side. Generally in private with non-official ponies and fillies. She is determined not to mess her assignment up. Though untested and somewhat naive, she believes that the central government's system works and is far from a fool.
So Pinkie is aristocracy? How does that fit with her personality; her base assumptions; her motivation? Does she think palace life is boring, has she been trained in etiquette and formal socialisation? Is she still a slob? Is her show personality there underneath layers of formal training, or has she more successfully integrated the two?Quote:
Another blurb,
Inspector Pinkie Pie was born into a prestigious rock farmer family. Unlike in normal Equestria, rock farmers are a big business because of the appreciation of rock gardens. Every large shrine complex, mansion, or palace needs at least one of these gardens for quiet contemplation and meditation. Pinkie Pie's family was not only well known for the harvesting of rocks, but also for the artistic ability to put the gardens together. However, Pinkie Pie has never fit in with quiet stone gardens, meditation, or contemplation. Though she often tried and did her best to please her family, she's always longed for something more, a little more noise, a little more laughter, and a little more happiness. When the Palace's rock gardens were being renovated Pinkie's family was called in to redesign them. It is here during a chance inspection by the Sun Empress herself that Pinkie came to face to face with her and actually managed (to the shock of everyone present) to make her laugh for the first time in days.
Is failure to get a laugh from the nobility a failure of the nobility, casting them as enemies/a false path? Or is it a failure of Pinkie - she has to learn restraint and more sophisticated humour, fitting her jokes to her audience rather than assuming lowbrow humour will work for everypony?Quote:
Recognizing her kind, uncorrupted spirit, Celestia took her under her wing and begin to train her to become a Imperial Inspector. Needless to say, as time passed it became apparent that Pinkie Pie didn't really fit in with the proper offical ponies in the palace. Her humor and jokes only lead to arched eyebrows amongst nobles and snorts of dismissal from career minded bureaucrats. When they did laugh, it was generally at her rather then with her. Sensing her loneliness, Celestia often spent her personal time with her and listened to her jokes and stories. However, this would only lead to rumors amongst the staff about how Pinkie was Celestia's personal pet and that the rock farmer clown was unfit for *real* government work. After hearing about the corruption and lawlessness in a rural province and the failure of her appointed Inspector, Celestia has given Pinkie her first assignment, investigate the administration of the Fancy family and bring any and all lawbreakers to justice. Eager to please and prove herself to the patron which saved her from a life of rocks, Pinkie has set off for glory. Whatever the other officials at the palace may say about her, she is sure she will prove them all wrong. She just has to.
I asked a lot of questions through this because every decision should have a reason behind it. None of it's meant to imply that anything here is bad, just to open up possibilities and question assumptions :smallsmile:
Alright, I'll give it another shot soon. Thanks for the advice. :smallsmile:
Thanks very much! I'm glad I made it this far.
I think you're right about that leg. That's fixed.
Day 101:
Spoilerhttp://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...twilight1a.jpg
I'm not sure about the far side guns. I think they look a little off.
EDIT: Found a really good pony face reference sheet!
There probably won't be any dialogue or anything for awhile now. I plan to start making thumbnails of comic pages of scenes which are already in my head as practice during breaks at work, but other then that, it'll be mostly setting stuff for the next two months or so until summer break.
Thanks for the advice!
Reading out loud was actually the advice given to me to improve my essays. As my old prof said, if it sounds stupid, boring, wooden, flowery, or trite when you read it out loud to yourself, it is double that for everyone else.
I'll start listening in on how people talk to each other, as well as how they use their bodies and eye contact (this being a comic after all). Now I not only will be known for looking at people oddly for sketches, but also listening in on their conversations!
Alright, maybe I'll stick to looking at movies.
I agree! Most of the setting stuff is actually for me to get a feel for the characters and setting. I figure if I don't know their issues, concerns and how they live in their society, I won't be able to get them to act naturally. And if the characters aren't even individuals to me, then I know that the reader certainly won't feel the same way. I'm more of a history and anthropologist man and one of the criticisms I usually level against many fantasy settings is that no one seems to act like they truly are truly a product of a fantastical, foreign society. I don't want to fall in the same trap. Even if this is going to lean more to the action adventure humor style of comic.
I'm trying to think of good ways to show rather then tell. Pictures worth a thousand words and all. And this is going to be a rather short comic. Less then a hundred pages, so it will have to be nice and neat.
I have never read it! I'll have to get a hold of a copy.
Most of the divine ruler actually comes from my reading of chinese history which I know more about then japanese.:smallredface: Though, I also knew that the japanese emperor was divine (at various degrees) too for various parts of history so I just rolled with it.
I'll get to the rest of the stuff on Pinkie tomorrow, it's already 12 AM here and I need to get my sleep. But I must respond to this one point.
Question Samurai-Equestria! Don't hold back on comments and criticisms! None of what I am discussing is canon(!) the setting and characters are still in the formative sketch stage, if half baked ideas show up during this stage then it's best that they be questioned, fleshed out, distilled, or (if all else fails) dumped and replaced by others. I really want to at least make a concept for a story which could be released to the general pony fandom public, so any feedback is appreciated.
If there are any holes, then I'm sure they can be patched up and fixed. If the hole is too big, may as well tear out the wall. Better now then later.
After all, suppose I build a lot of scenes and plot progression around say, Pinkie's relationship with the nobles back in the palace. Then someone asks why Pinkie hasn't mastered the social circle yet, after all, Pinkie is a very extroverted social pony. If I don't have a good reason for this, the whole thing comes crashing down like a house of cards.
For setting and backstory stuff, it's best to poke, prob and nit-pick right now.
Also your questions really helped me flesh out Pinkie Pie and the setting, such as taking another look at what bawdy entertainment middle class sorts could do in Edo Japan and figuring out what types of entertainment would be popular in Samurai-Equestria, as well as the relationship between the arts/craftsman class and the nobles in the Edo period and how it corresponds to Samurai-Equestria. Questions are good.
They do look a little off. But not too sure how... Sorry, I'm a little light headed today, I'll do better tomorrow.
But I must say if I haven't, your linework is getting much cleaner.
I don't know if you do this, but as a side note and cheat, if you want the curves to be even cleaner you may want to draw larger and then shrink it down. I don't for sketches, but I do for finished projects that I want to be a little extra nice and sharp.
Thanks for the reference! That Pinkie Pie mane is the mane I will dream about when I try to draw Pinkie Pie, it's almost perfect.
Day 32,
Spoiler
No concepts today! Just a ugly coloring attempt!
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9063/day32.jpg
I seem to have entered into a dark age with coloring. But here is today's attempt at Luna Moon Cake colored. I need to clean it up and try again tomorrow. Lazy stars are lazy. The candle flame needs work. I don't know. It's a work in progress, who would have thought this would turn into the greatest coloring challenge I ever had?
How people talk in movies is much, much different to how they talk in real life. It's important to be aware of the difference because some stories benefit from perfect movie dialogue and some from more rambling reality.
Cinematography tricks are great resources. Stylisation can communicate a lot of assumptions.Quote:
I'm trying to think of good ways to show rather then tell. Pictures worth a thousand words and all. And this is going to be a rather short comic. Less then a hundred pages, so it will have to be nice and neat.
The Japanese Emperor was fairly consistently divine, descended directly from the god of mountains and a sea dragon I believe? The majority of real power was concentrated in the hands of the Shogun, however. (Fun fact: Shogun means "Great barbarian smashing general")Quote:
I have never read it! I'll have to get a hold of a copy.
Most of the divine ruler actually comes from my reading of chinese history which I know more about then japanese.:smallredface: Though, I also knew that the japanese emperor was divine (at various degrees) too for various parts of history so I just rolled with it.
Will do! Problem is that the raw concepts and worldbuilding are kind of hard to provide feedback on because a lot of it is completely backseat to it's actual role in the story.Quote:
Question Samurai-Equestria! Don't hold back on comments and criticisms!
The what is always subordinate to the how!