Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!

[Bakuel]

I have been drawing, just really nothing to show for it. A combination of experiments with coloring as well as a combination of days when my drawings were just... Off. Like an art block but you can still draw, everything just looks bad. Like your hand got gimped up or something. But I got better. Or at least as as good or bad as I ever was.

No one ever saw the emperor because he was so busy raising the sun every day. Celestia might not actually be in the palace; she could be hidden amongst the common ponies while the shogun - maybe a dragon - keeps everypony from looking behind the curtain.

Doesn't fit with your role for Celly in the story though.

A dragon shogun and a slight wizard of oz thing... Can't use it... But that would be awesome...
But dragons, as well as griffons and diamond dogs as barbarian nations at the gates would be nice. More Roman/China then Japan, but it would be cool. A good reason for all the daiymos to get along besides fear/reverence of the alicorns.

Rarity Belle doesn't sound hateful.

Thanks! This name is now canon.

What's way more powerful than explaining where the feud started or what it's about is to show it. Have Applejack burn down one of Rarity's buildings in an introduction sequence, drop a cool one liner, and then cut to an angry Rarity. Have a few ineffective Fancy Pants soldiers show up to stop her, but have her demolish them kung fu villain style. We dunno how this feud started, but that doesn't matter - we know exactly where it goes from here.



Someone insulted someone else's momma and then a building got burned down and now the other guy has to retaliate and no one's backing down. Escalation until the airship's on fire and you've lost your hat. Honestly, thinking up casus belli's in feudal Japan is the easiest thing.

Starting it with a bang, I'll have to do that scene.

This is true, a small slight can lead to a ongoing feud. But at the same time, what has me worried is that the Apples are stronger number wise and bringing pure muscle and weight to bare so to speak. So I'm afraid to paint them as the bad guys sense before the truce they are winning and Rarity Belle are losing. And everyone cheers for the smaller one, I want the conflict to be a bit grayer then that. Granted, if Rarity is shooting at Scoot, it'll be hard to cheer for one side alone.
I read that one of the things that yakazu fought over was stall space in markets. I was thinking that the Apple family would be an amaglation of rural farming families and Rarity Belle would be based in the city proper (Ponyville? Need to think up the name for the city/town), and the conflict would be over the stall space/prices which Rarity Belle largely controlled before the conflict. While Rarity Belle is smaller in numbers it is richer and has the founds to hire people to fight for them. Like Dash and Shy.

Do not show restraint when you're doing a visual gag. Have her flip that damn table because that'd be hilarious.

Noted and thanks for the advice, drawing wise I need to work on my comedy and action scenes. Two things this project will hopefully help.

Everything else seems fairly reasonable!

Thank you for the comments! Now that I'm over my art block thing, I'll get back to work on setting and story.

Day 106. Firstly, the Power Armour Twilight pic, hopefully now finished, barring anything obvious that needs adding.

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I'm not sure about the positioning of the shine on the visor, but it's there.

Wondering if I should also blur the shadow a bit so that it's not as hard.

And also, real human face practice, take 2. Moderate success.

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Your Twilight is looking good. I'm scanning my brain for something to nitpick, but I can't find anything major. Cell shading looks good with your stuff, are you going to make this your main shading method?

I have to agree with Thanqol on the face though.

I can use some practice along those lines as well. Lining up the face to whatever expression is supposed to be displayed is surprisingly hard - even when you know what the expression you're going for is supposed to look like.

Instead of my usual timed practice, Day ... is it 5? Anyway, Day maybe-5 was spent sketching this. Ended up one panel short, because couldn't figure out a pose/expression that'd look convincing for it. This is in anticipation of RD's inevitable Outing today in the Heal/Hurt game. Sketchier than I'd like to do it, but rather short on time. Can't even estimate total time spent, but something on the order of four hours, including three discarded panel variants.
*snip*

I must say, the the way you draw your wings, makes me jealous.

Need to practice drawing wings...



Day 34-35-36,

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I was working on this one on and off over the last three days.

Ninja Dash and Shinobi Shy. Colored and with wings this time. Not much to say for this one. The colors aren't the best, but it is what it is. I don't think they'll wear red scarves and stuff on missions but I like red, it adds a little splash to nin dark grayish stuff. I gave Dash a, Shy fights with her fists when she is forced to. She is more of a sneaky shy ninja who people don't notice.



I was experimenting with more of a painting style of coloring with no success. But today I had a eureka moment when I figured out that if two different colors/body parts are besides each other, then the border should be darker and bolder. It tends to look better. Still, not much, but it was a interesting experiment. I'm going to full around with this some more and then take another stab at that Luna Cake as I think this softer painty style like this would be better for a picture like that.