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>>Anon Y Mous
I don't think a piece like this needs that much background. This art, like the story, is about the characters. The background is enough of a frame to give us claustrophobia and the crepuscular rays from the window provide the atmosphere. Anything more would have felt cluttered without an exceptional amount of detail, and it really would have taken some colors to make the characters stand out at that point.
If you really wanted a background, still, then there's a technique you could have done, to draw just the highlights of a background in white paint pen on black paper, as if all we can see of the room is the light gracing the edges of the furniture and drapes. Then you could photoshop the characters onto that background. But that seems like a lot of work for what's clearly concentrating on the characters.
I think the background is fine.
I don't think a piece like this needs that much background. This art, like the story, is about the characters. The background is enough of a frame to give us claustrophobia and the crepuscular rays from the window provide the atmosphere. Anything more would have felt cluttered without an exceptional amount of detail, and it really would have taken some colors to make the characters stand out at that point.
If you really wanted a background, still, then there's a technique you could have done, to draw just the highlights of a background in white paint pen on black paper, as if all we can see of the room is the light gracing the edges of the furniture and drapes. Then you could photoshop the characters onto that background. But that seems like a lot of work for what's clearly concentrating on the characters.
I think the background is fine.
I think anything I would have said has already been addressed. I'll just say that I enjoyed this story, and it should be reworked into a story that the wider public gets an opportunity to read.
I liked this one. Some of the dialogue had jarring tone shifts that pull the reader out of the medieval fantasy world into a firmly modern tone.
A lot has already been said about most of the stories before I had a chance to read them, so most of the in-depth analysis has been done.
I found this story entertaining, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable.
A lot has already been said about most of the stories before I had a chance to read them, so most of the in-depth analysis has been done.
I found this story entertaining, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable.
>>BlueChameleonVI
*cough* Bowsette *cough*
Also, it's a bizarre coincidence when this is the second fic in the contest involving male-to-female transsexuals who are also royalty. That's an oddly specific trope to appear twice.
*cough* Bowsette *cough*
I dunno. I called it from the beginning (not Mr Turnip specifically, but the twist in general) and the rest of the story just was a painfully long wait for the punchline that I knew was coming.
From the other readers' reactions, it seems to work well when the punchline is a surprise.
From the other readers' reactions, it seems to work well when the punchline is a surprise.
My only complaint with this one is that it was easy to lose track of who was talking sometimes. This led me to believe that this was set in an alternate timeline wherein Starlight (and a cadre of friendship-laser-armed friends) had successfully brainwashed Twilight into becoming evil. Then, after getting an apologetic letter from Twilight promising to be more eviller, allowed her to move in to her castle.
Meh.
I'm sure this is funnier if you're into drug culture, but it landed kind of flat for me. I will echo the sentiment that this story was trying to shoehorn a real drug into Equestria, rather than letting poison joke be its usual punny self.
I enjoyed what character interaction there was between the flower girls. I would have liked to see more of that and less "tee-hee they're doing drugs."
I'm sure this is funnier if you're into drug culture, but it landed kind of flat for me. I will echo the sentiment that this story was trying to shoehorn a real drug into Equestria, rather than letting poison joke be its usual punny self.
I enjoyed what character interaction there was between the flower girls. I would have liked to see more of that and less "tee-hee they're doing drugs."
This story started out cute, but...
Also ended up cute!
This was a great example of a story that didn't exceed its scope, yet excelled at what it did.
I have read the other comments, but I don't agree with either of the criticisms therein. It works fine as-is.
Also ended up cute!
This was a great example of a story that didn't exceed its scope, yet excelled at what it did.
I have read the other comments, but I don't agree with either of the criticisms therein. It works fine as-is.
Just from the title, I'm expecting something BDSM related.
Okay.
1) Why is she wearing pants?
2) What is the purpose of wearing pants if they're clear?
3) The pants are loud? Made of cellophane or what?
:P
I've not seen all of season 8 so the whole camera bit was confusing and didn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of the story. I get that it's a nod to canon, but I feel it's unnecessary and just wastes words that could have been used to give us more of this delicious interaction.
I liked the love/hate relationship, the dependence and rejection of independence. Chrysalis as a resentful sub and Fancy as a reluctant dom.
Upon a second reading, I'm not sure that's accurate. There's a complex and interesting power dynamic here. Chrysalis seems to be topping from the bottom, but Fancy is still in many ways in charge of the relationship as a whole... yet still trying to help her become independent, even as she rejects his direction and his attempts to help.
This is good, and the majority of it is tightly written. I agree with the others that the opening could have been better, but it's still top tier for sure.
her arid pants loud and clear.
Okay.
1) Why is she wearing pants?
2) What is the purpose of wearing pants if they're clear?
3) The pants are loud? Made of cellophane or what?
:P
I've not seen all of season 8 so the whole camera bit was confusing and didn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of the story. I get that it's a nod to canon, but I feel it's unnecessary and just wastes words that could have been used to give us more of this delicious interaction.
I liked the love/hate relationship, the dependence and rejection of independence. Chrysalis as a resentful sub and Fancy as a reluctant dom.
Upon a second reading, I'm not sure that's accurate. There's a complex and interesting power dynamic here. Chrysalis seems to be topping from the bottom, but Fancy is still in many ways in charge of the relationship as a whole... yet still trying to help her become independent, even as she rejects his direction and his attempts to help.
This is good, and the majority of it is tightly written. I agree with the others that the opening could have been better, but it's still top tier for sure.
>>PinoyPony
"Your mileage may vary"
It's a colloquialism to mean that the advice may or may not work for you.
"Your mileage may vary"
It's a colloquialism to mean that the advice may or may not work for you.
Well, I'm not at all surprised that it didn't make finals. I'm surprised anyone thought that it might!
I wasn't going to write for this round, but on a whim I whipped up a dumb story.
>>Samey90
Heh, actually, I couldn't decide whether she was telling the truth, mentally ill, or really good at bullshitting.
>>Trick_Question
o_____o
Glad you picked up on that.
>>Cassius
Was this a jab at Clumsy? Yes. Was it also a jab at all the folks in the comment section who got their panties in a twist about Clumsy? Also yes.
>>Miller Minus
This story was as much to make fun of myself and the other commenters as it was to make fun of Clumsy. I didn't realize you would take it personally, so when I saw you getting upset in the discord, I tried to come here and point out that it wasn't a personal attack.
>>Hap
What are you doing here?
>>bloons3
Heh. That could have been pretty good.
>>CoffeeMinion
I'm just glad that someone liked it!
I wasn't going to write for this round, but on a whim I whipped up a dumb story.
>>Samey90
Heh, actually, I couldn't decide whether she was telling the truth, mentally ill, or really good at bullshitting.
>>Trick_Question
This story is very unrealistic from the outset
o_____o
Glad you picked up on that.
>>Cassius
Was this a jab at Clumsy? Yes. Was it also a jab at all the folks in the comment section who got their panties in a twist about Clumsy? Also yes.
>>Miller Minus
This story was as much to make fun of myself and the other commenters as it was to make fun of Clumsy. I didn't realize you would take it personally, so when I saw you getting upset in the discord, I tried to come here and point out that it wasn't a personal attack.
>>Hap
What are you doing here?
>>bloons3
Heh. That could have been pretty good.
>>CoffeeMinion
I'm just glad that someone liked it!
>>MLPmatthewl419
Hit me up on discord and I'll walk you through a tutorial of GIMP to fix up this picture a bit! That can help compensate for sub-optimal equipment (like having to take a picture with your phone instead of using a scanner).
This picture could have had a lot more impact - and been much closer to what you actually created - with just a little bit of work in GIMP.
(Go to www.gimp.org and download the latest version which I think is 2.10 something)
Hit me up on discord and I'll walk you through a tutorial of GIMP to fix up this picture a bit! That can help compensate for sub-optimal equipment (like having to take a picture with your phone instead of using a scanner).
This picture could have had a lot more impact - and been much closer to what you actually created - with just a little bit of work in GIMP.
(Go to www.gimp.org and download the latest version which I think is 2.10 something)
>>Moosetasm
You called mid-tier pretty accurately!
Yes, those are pastels, and I did sharpen them regularly to get lines that sharp! I sketched the bodies and detail lines heavily with a 2H pencil first - the pencil lead kept the pastels from sticking on the detail lines and the craters of the moon. Then, I went over the bodies and the moon with a blending stump after the first round of pastels, then did another layer on top of that. The hair I left with a single, unblended layer so there was more contrast between the strokes and the background, with the hope that it would look more like hair.
>>Kritten
I will put the high-resolution version on DeviantArt. I'm going to matte the original and sell it at the BronyCon art show!
>>CoffeeMinion
I did indeed start with a single pencil sketch! I made a photocopy, then cut it out to trace on the colored paper so I could get the same(ish) outline. The stars and moon were freehand.
>>GroaningGreyAgony
You're the only one who noticed that! You've got a good eye.
You called mid-tier pretty accurately!
Yes, those are pastels, and I did sharpen them regularly to get lines that sharp! I sketched the bodies and detail lines heavily with a 2H pencil first - the pencil lead kept the pastels from sticking on the detail lines and the craters of the moon. Then, I went over the bodies and the moon with a blending stump after the first round of pastels, then did another layer on top of that. The hair I left with a single, unblended layer so there was more contrast between the strokes and the background, with the hope that it would look more like hair.
>>Kritten
I will put the high-resolution version on DeviantArt. I'm going to matte the original and sell it at the BronyCon art show!
>>CoffeeMinion
I did indeed start with a single pencil sketch! I made a photocopy, then cut it out to trace on the colored paper so I could get the same(ish) outline. The stars and moon were freehand.
>>GroaningGreyAgony
You're the only one who noticed that! You've got a good eye.
This story seems to be as much commentary on the saltiness in the comments (including mine) of >>Miller Minus 's story as it was about the story itself. The ending, at least, seemed like a pretty direct reference to Monokeras's comment about sad stories being medal bait.
Paging WIP