So...my first pony

[Fluttermena 1,223]

I just started using Inkscape a couple days ago and this is the result, it took me about 5 hours to make it.

Now I haven't drawn in years, and this is the first time I used a graphics program so hopefully it's decent enough, although there isn't much detail and there's a lot of room for improvement.

It's just some random OC, I don't have a name or cutie mark for her yet, but it'll probably have something to do with lemons and/or limes...

 

So, any thoughts? Is it good or crappy?

[Brook 663]

It's good for a first time, for sure, it's not bad. Now, it doesn't look perfect, but it looks really unique, if you may, stick with this style, because trust me, nobody actually wants to see show-accurate from aspiring artists. I really like the unique style is what I'm trying to say, keep drawing more like this man

 

There are some things I could say that aren't so great, but that would be ruining the style, therefore, I'm just gonna say I like it.

 

Good job man, truely, /)

[JeanHover 326]

So, any thoughts? Is it good or crappy?

 

Well it's definitely better than anything I can conjure up with a pencil and paper. I like it! Don't try to change your style, no matter what anyone says. It's not about being accurate, it's about making a nice drawing.

[Pix3M 607]

Don't try to change your style, no matter what anyone says. It's not about being accurate, it's about making a nice drawing.

 

Bad advice. While an artist does not need to worry about staying accurate to produce good pictures, I was once told that good artists should be able to draw in a variety of styles. If there's a number one reason why people don't improve, its because they are too attached to bad habits.

[Reversalx 129]

Yeah, if your just beginning to draw,you need to focus on getting the basics down. From then, you can examine the different artists' styles, and learn from it. Once you have that, the many different styles out there will be much easier learnt.

Well i didnt even start that way, the first thing i started drawing was anime

And as for your OC, it is well done, especially for it being a first

[moduz94 78]

lmao, you should have seen my first pony drawing....still have nightmares of that beast haha!!

 

 

it's really polished and well-made, for a first pony it's actually kind of impressive, most people don't realize how hard theese ponies can be to draw at times XD

[Fluttermena 1,223]

if you may, stick with this style, because trust me, nobody actually wants to see show-accurate from aspiring artists.

Well...I was actually trying to be show-accurate......oops.

 

There are some things I could say that aren't so great, but that would be ruining the style, therefore, I'm just gonna say I like it.

 

Please, do say them, I posted this so I could get some criticism. I don't care if it hurts, I want to hear it anyway.

[Pix3M 607]

Please, do say them, I posted this so I could get some criticism. I don't care if it hurts, I want to hear it anyway.

 

Let's see...

 

I think before we get too attached to your new OC's colors, I think we could have a darker eye color that stands out more. The cyan used for the eye doesn't seem to really stick out from the yellow coat.

 

If you want to draw something with likeness to show-accuracy, your best bet is always to reference screenshots from the show itself. Pay attention to the proportions, and shapes. Try to imitate it. You can definitely consider looking around this dA group for a vector: http://mlp-vectorclu...rt.com/gallery/

 

Find whatever looks fun and not necessarily easiest, copy the body and face proportions by eye. Use the grid method if you want some fail-safes.

 

Right now, we have eyes that are wider than it is tall. Show-accurate eyes are taller than they are wide. Your nose is round and bulgy but show-accurate noses don't curve up then down like a really round nose but instead they curve down. There are plenty of other things, but for now, we're probably better off getting more accurate pony proportions into memory through referencing. Doesn't matter if you don't get it right, as long as you know what not to do next time, I can say that you're on a path of self-perfection.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Pix3M

[CluelessLlama13 55]

It's a heck of a lot better than my first pony!! Great job, really! @@Pix3M is a really good artist to get advice from.

Show-accuracy is pretty cool if you can do it, but honestly, people love it when somepony has a really unique and still adorable style

[Faceless 101]

Pretty tidy! Interesting colour scheme that makes the character very unique. I'm liking the style, don't scrap it, but don't hold on to it as your only style. On the whole, not a bad first drawing and nothing that I could ever conjure up!

[Radiance64 7,051]

Reminds me of this pony from Boast Busters:

Anyway, looks ok. The body is very nice, but the face should be more FiM style, doesn't look quite right.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Good for a first. The head seems a little squished, but honestly it's great for a first. Also the eyes should go from dark to light. It's good other then those.

[Fluttermena 1,223]

I've been procrastinating like crazy and haven't finished a single drawing since that first one. I've been playing around with the advice you guys gave me, I can't seem to do the face right however, it always come out weird when I try to do it by eye... I decided to go back to the basics and figure out the anatomy before I try making complete drawings.

I took an image of Applejack from the wiki and drew some shapes to guide me, and I traced some parts I had trouble with so I can get used to them, I replaced her mane and tail with an improved version of my original OC's design. I've already found so many bits I got wrong, and if I keep tracing templates like this I'll probably get used to pony anatomy well enough to make drawing from scrach eventually.

 

Here's what I came up with, although I think the tail needs some more work.

 

 

 

 

 

I've also been thinking of a name and backstory for her, I'm thinking "Daiquiri". She'd be the owner of a beachside bar and restaurant.

 

[Zygen 6,065]

Darn good for your first try! Pretty good actually in my eyes overall to, especially after a break. Much better then my first abomination lol.

So yeah i'd say its pretty sweet I dunno what to say for critique actually..

 

So good job!

[Pix3M 607]

I've been procrastinating like crazy and haven't finished a single drawing since that first one. I've been playing around with the advice you guys gave me, I can't seem to do the face right however, it always come out weird when I try to do it by eye... I decided to go back to the basics and figure out the anatomy before I try making complete drawings.

I took an image of Applejack from the wiki and drew some shapes to guide me, and I traced some parts I had trouble with so I can get used to them, I replaced her mane and tail with an improved version of my original OC's design. I've already found so many bits I got wrong, and if I keep tracing templates like this I'll probably get used to pony anatomy well enough to make drawing from scrach eventually.

 

Here's what I came up with, although I think the tail needs some more work.

 

 

Daiquiri 2 body.png

 

 

 

I've also been thinking of a name and backstory for her, I'm thinking "Daiquiri". She'd be the owner of a beachside bar and restaurant.

 

Kinda funny when I hear 'pony' and 'anatomy' in the same sentence as when you think about it... they have no proper anatomy. They're literally a bunch of flat shapes put together to create the illusion of having anatomy. I dunno if there's a more proper word though.

 

I think it's more important to observe what you see and look at what their shapes are and where they're placed. For example, if we're dealing with 3/4ths perspective, the closest eye of a regular mare is ovals with a slant, with the bottom placed below the top of their nose. The eye slants back as far as the ear. If you have proportions like these memorized, you'll be drawing more accurately.

 

Also, a funny thing about the nose. I think it looks off because your lines are very thin. In the past, I have confused myself wondering if the outer edge of the outline is part of the nose, or the inner edge of the outline being part of the nose.

 

At some point, I realized that a mare's 3/4th nose is totally nonsenseical and I started considering coming up with an anatomical style that is easier to work with. Don't dive too deeply in drawing your own style as you'll be drawing better if your observational skills become good enough to emulate FiM-style to begin with.

[crazitaco 596]

oh how lovely! i like her! i have nothing else to say... i don't WANT to criticize her... i just want enjoy her simple charm for what it is

no name yet? she reminds me of citrus... and carbonated drinks.... all the names i keep thinking of are terrible and generic sounding

Edited November 29, 2012 by crazitaco

[Rainbow-Crayons 44]

Oh, very good for the first try! I like how the style has a more, 'unique' twist to it, it just looks more cartoony and bubbly. I think you were going for a more 'FiM' style but I just think of a cartoony style when I look at this!  But the trick to improving is to practice, and have fun with it! And you are already off to a great start.~ 

[PonyPowaX1000 69]

So, any thoughts? Is it good or crappy?

 

It's good for a first time better than anything I drew. Drawing pony anatomy is hard (well for me at least)

She looks cute, I like the way you drew her eyes  . Flank should be slightly rounder, but a good effort overall

Edited November 30, 2012 by PonyPowaX1000

[StargazerDC 24]

Not bad for your first time, very good. By the way, I think you should fix the eyes and the eyelashes, for the rest it looks cute ^^I remember when I tried to paint my first pony and the result was terrible xD 

Edited November 30, 2012 by Dan Sparkle

[Lucifer 210]

Well, I am freeing the side of my brain who likes to compliment, so be ready...

 

Well, for a first try, it is rather beautiful, yet still not perfect. The way for perfection lies in re-making it again, this time with a reference close to your sight. Someday you will be able to draw almost flawlessly.

 

Keep it like that, and don't let your left side of the brain take you down.

 

(The left side of the brain usually is the one responsible for rather sad emotions, although I am not sure which is the area that controls the emotions...)

[Fluttermena 1,223]

Kinda funny when I hear 'pony' and 'anatomy' in the same sentence as when you think about it... they have no proper anatomy. They're literally a bunch of flat shapes put together to create the illusion of having anatomy. I dunno if there's a more proper word though.

 

Yeah, we're just pretending they have actual anatomy because otherwise we would have a hard time with proportions and perspective, we need to visualise how they would work in 3D so the illusion is accurate.

I've traced a few more poses from pictures of Applejack. I noticed one thing and it bugs me: the curve of the ponies' belly goes over their thigh in some pictures where it seems like it shouldn't.

 

 

 

 

It's fine if it's a front view, but from the side it looks really weird. so I'll probably draw it differently when I do make complete drawings.

A couple news: I'm working on an improved version of the first drawing I did, with a slightly new style thanks to Jokuc's advice in another thread, I fixed the proportions but I still have to color it, which will take some time.

I'm also doing a Flutterised version of Twilight's psycho grin from "Lesson Zero", I think it'll make a lovely avatar. I was thinking of doing some Christmas event where I could take requests but I figured I'd be biting waaaaaay more than I can chew at the moment, so maybe next  year...I'm still open to suggestions though, if you want a Christmas drawing of your OC or something like that, I'll see what I can cook up.

 

 

 

 

[mitcheb0219 136]

Yeah, we're just pretending they have actual anatomy because otherwise we would have a hard time with proportions and perspective, we need to visualise how they would work in 3D so the illusion is accurate.

I've traced a few more poses from pictures of Applejack. I noticed one thing and it bugs me: the curve of the ponies' belly goes over their thigh in some pictures where it seems like it shouldn't.

 

 

12applejack-standing-around-S1E12.png

 

 

It's fine if it's a front view, but from the side it looks really weird. so I'll probably draw it differently when I do make complete drawings.

A couple news: I'm working on an improved version of the first drawing I did, with a slightly new style thanks to Jokuc's advice in another thread, I fixed the proportions but I still have to color it, which will take some time.

I'm also doing a Flutterised version of Twilight's psycho grin from "Lesson Zero", I think it'll make a lovely avatar. I was thinking of doing some Christmas event where I could take requests but I figured I'd be biting waaaaaay more than I can chew at the moment, so maybe next  year...I'm still open to suggestions though, if you want a Christmas drawing of your OC or something like that, I'll see what I can cook up.

 

 

Daiquiri 3 body.png

Daiquiri 4 body.png

 

 

Yeah I understand completely about the thigh.  I've noticed that it seems to favor whatever "piece" of the body is closer to the camera (either the flank or the curve of the belly) FiM anatomy is deceptively simple, not hard to do, but easy to get wrong.  The last two poses for Daiquiri look pretty spot on, I can't really offer any critiques on them.  The improvement is obvious =)

[Pix3M 607]

Yeah, we're just pretending they have actual anatomy because otherwise we would have a hard time with proportions and perspective, we need to visualise how they would work in 3D so the illusion is accurate.

I've traced a few more poses from pictures of Applejack. I noticed one thing and it bugs me: the curve of the ponies' belly goes over their thigh in some pictures where it seems like it shouldn't.

 

 

12applejack-standing-around-S1E12.png

 

 

It's fine if it's a front view, but from the side it looks really weird. so I'll probably draw it differently when I do make complete drawings.

A couple news: I'm working on an improved version of the first drawing I did, with a slightly new style thanks to Jokuc's advice in another thread, I fixed the proportions but I still have to color it, which will take some time.

I'm also doing a Flutterised version of Twilight's psycho grin from "Lesson Zero", I think it'll make a lovely avatar. I was thinking of doing some Christmas event where I could take requests but I figured I'd be biting waaaaaay more than I can chew at the moment, so maybe next  year...I'm still open to suggestions though, if you want a Christmas drawing of your OC or something like that, I'll see what I can cook up.

 

 

Daiquiri 3 body.png

Daiquiri 4 body.png

 

 

 

If you ever referenced a picture of an actual horse in 3/4ths perspective, the belly curving into the leg is 100% anatomically accurate. In something I've written, there's a reference that shows exactly that: http://fav.me/d5lwqfl

 

I also don't think this seemingly mathematical approach is gonna work out. I think one of the better ways to learn anatomy is to try to copy stuff by eye quickly, not trying to fix mistakes but draw over them instead. It will help get proportions into memory so you don't need to rely on mathematical constructions and at some point, you'll be able to draw from memory without guidelines.

[Apple-Jack 312]

I just started using Inkscape a couple days ago and this is the result, it took me about 5 hours to make it.

Now I haven't drawn in years, and this is the first time I used a graphics program so hopefully it's decent enough, although there isn't much detail and there's a lot of room for improvement.

It's just some random OC, I don't have a name or cutie mark for her yet, but it'll probably have something to do with lemons and/or limes...

Prthr.png

 

So, any thoughts? Is it good or crappy?

congratz it looks great for you first pony...i've been working in inkscape for over an year so if you need any help with future projects im here to help unless im not working at my songs (actually just started working in flstudio 10 and ive been already writing 5 songs)

 

Ps: i see the belly is a bit bugged

Edited December 3, 2012 by Apple-Jack

[Fluttermena 1,223]

I also don't think this seemingly mathematical approach is gonna work out.

 

Sorry about the delay, procrastination strikes again, and I guess it doesn't help that I decided to make that ponified meme myself instead of finding a pre-made one (god knows there must be a ton of them lying around).