• Newbie Artist Training Grounds: Day 30


    Leap Before You Look Edition. Caution's all well and good, but sometimes before you can get a little too caught up in looking, and you forget to actually leap. You only really need a basic read of the situation in 9 cases out of 10. Don't take that too literally though, ok? Anyway, tonight tonight tonight! We've got a stellar lineup of 154 scholastic little ponies, with a hoof-full of bloggers mixed in for good measure. With that, our grand total for the event is now a whopping 5439 images! Gasp and surprise!

    Here's your nightly link to the submission guidelines, which seem once again to be flubbing for a minor collection of you. I have no idea what the problem might be with that - it's a higher incidence rate than usual, but still far far far from the majority of entrants. Maybe it's just getting tired. I bet you know the feeling, huh? Well, phoe@equestriadaily.com remains available if you need to use that, instead.

    The Theme of the Day

    Draw a pony using any previous theme. You can probably guess what this means. I've given this a lot of thought over the past couple of days, and I've been monitoring your comments... and I think that it's best if we begin our Final Examinations tonight. If you need it, here is a document listing the exact wording of every theme to date. So take an older theme and redo it. Let's see how much you've improved. This is also your chance to go back and take another stab at a theme you felt slipped through your grasp, or that you didn't handle as well as you could have. And of course, if you're brave crazy enough... perhaps you can manage them all in one picture. Show me what you've got.


    I don't want to dwell on this too much because I need something to talk about tomorrow, but I wanted to give my reasoning for deciding to bring this to a close with one final night. I know that all of you love this event as much as I do, and I think it's going to be a very bittersweet experience to see it wrap up... but that feeling is going to persist no matter how long we keep trying to stall it. If I give another week, we're only going to start wondering if we can push just a little bit past that. But like I said, I've been reading your comments on every night's gallery. And the vast majority of you are this close to a burnout. Working through this grind has helped you improve tremendously, and it's taught you that you have the power to draw something each and every day. But now you've earned a rest. It's time to relax, to breathe, and to unwind before we push too hard and start doing more harm than good.

    For one last day, let's concentrate on drawing. Everything else to come after that can come after that. And I can promise you that once we go on break we will be discussing ways to bring this event back, better than ever. Chins up, and smiles.



    1) By badzerg (It's probably safe to say this was not the conclusion to the Longshy saga any of us were expecting.)



    2) By DarkKnightWolf2011



    3) By Mandy Tise (I should start reading recursive self help books, too.)



    4) By Interrobang Pie (I will never be tired of Mega Man. In fact after this I'm probably going to sit down and play through the first 8 games in marathon.)



    5) By Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi (Our first instance of 'Seth is a pretty filly' jokes begin here. Also still loving the continuation of your comic.)



    6) By Goggle Sparks (This is probably pretty accurate.)



    7) By FoxOfWar (You know I hadn't really thought about it before, but this probably does make Rarity a pretty lousy cook.)



    8) By ChaosDrop



    9) By Thanqol



    10) By Quint-t-W (Cloudsdale. Up. Or is it straight ahead? I could never decide which kind of arrow I wanted those signs to have.)



    11) By otherunicorn



    12) By Vanner



    13) By Gig (I approve of Sethcube in a tutu.)



    14) By Doctor Dapples



    15) By Edzepp (Every time I sneak a peak at ego's deviantART page to look for previews of what might be submitted, I am forced to admit she has an awesome hat. I am not surprised you felt the need to draw her.)



    16) By Tarynsgate (Written by Pinkie.)



    17) By PandaRoux



    18) By Vanner



    19) By harley (Teeny tiny Fluttershy! Twilight, are you researching a cure? I dunno, she looks pretty happy.)



    20) By Sherlock Hooves



    21) By Doc-r (You cleared away the majority of a malignant tumor in a dying pony's skull, relieving enoough pressure on the brain for him to live until doctors could arrive and save the day. You don't remember this, Pinkie?)



    22) By Goggle Sparks (Rarity does not seem to enjoy reading fanfiction.)



    23) By ShakeBunny



    24) By SelectFew ('Sethista', hm?)



    25) By Smock (Basically the heirarchy of cute goes like this: Dinky + Derpy, filly Celly + Luna, any sufficiently tiny pony. Just in case you were curious.)



    26) By PrincessSpartana (Another useful book for the library.)



    27) By EssAeEm (I've often wondered if this is what it's like for Deadpool.)



    28) By WoefulWriters



    29) By Dangereaux (It's a cook book!)



    30) By Philith (The Neverending Story is a great movie.)



    31) By Prismatic Pretzel (Three part extravaganza!)



    32) By Prismatic Pretzel (Seth is such a pretty filly!)



    33) By Prismatic Pretzel (And the note just makes it all the better.)



    34) By Vergioso



    35) By loz (Done on a napkin, I'm told.)



    36) By raichudoggy (Looking on that cutie mark makes me realize some of the peculiarities that must be involved in professional Equestrian sports. Do they even bother drafting, or just look at your mark?)



    37) By Emerald Dust (I need a copy of that book. For serious.)



    38) By Conner Cogwork (I am emitting the kind of high pitched sound right now that is only audible to dogs. Tiny Lyra in my hooves, squee!)



    39) By Atlur (I'd love to be able to read like that, wouldn't you?)



    40) By Invidlord (Which is of course why you have the centerfold out, right?)



    41) By T-Brony (The specific subjects she's reading about make this an extra 6% funny.)



    42) By Saphin (Damn but that is a tough choice. I... sheez, which would you pick?)



    43) By Colin (I have always imagined Fluttershy would be the sultry one in that relationship.)



    44) By Colaz



    45) By Immersa (Triple blogpony action. Are you satisfied yet, Sethisto? Do you feel pretty? Can I have my makeup kit back yet?)



    46) By tabs (*snicker*)



    47) By DB



    48) By Tabs (Late at night with only the glow of the screen to light the room. Er, I mean I don't read that stuff at all. What are you talking about?)



    49) By A Terrible Person



    50) By A.Q. Nichols (Tiny Twilight or giant book? You decide!)



    51) By Spaerk (Welp.)



    52) By Infinity (I envy all unicorns for their ability to type.)



    53) By rich-tea (It's like you guys have never seen a fanfic before.)



    54) By Mere Jump (You tell her, Twi! See you on the moon!)



    55) By Shiver



    56) By Starlight Bolt (It's ok, Scoots. The story begins In Media Res.)



    57) By Ori (Polls suggest more than a third of us enjoy a good plot.)



    58) By Caron (I would be very excited to read 'Derping It'.)



    59) By Ambrose (This came out looking very atmospheric and unique.)



    60) By Latverian_Ponyfan_2993 (Happy nwhllr ammamu.)



    61) By Xiagu (How delightfully meta.)



    62) By TensaiOni (Twilight looks to be having about the same reaction I did. 'This got published!?')



    63) By Farvei (Glad to have given you an outlet, friend.)



    64) By GonzaHerMeg (You're a silly pony, Applejack.)



    65) By Jenbun Spahging



    66) By Ori (29-1 = ... oh god, zombie ponies!)



    67) By Easteu (I think this is my favorite Sethisto-pony.)



    68) By Horizon Bound



    69) By Horizon Bound (I think you have set the record for consecutive nights of saucy Lyra, yes. Thanks! =D)



    70) By DI-FL (This isn't actually true. Anymore we just look at each other and quietly shake our heads. They're so delusional, it's sad.)



    71) By Nido Media



    72) By nissa_lion



    73) By Amehdaus (Evidently it's a bad idea to update iTunes. I'll just keep using atunes then, shall I?)



    74) By Pony Stark (Applesauce is too spicy for Equestria Daily.)



    75) By NonoPony (Iss'ok, Tw- Twilight. Take yer time.)



    76) By ASGallardo (She is so excited for season 2.)



    77) By Jdan-S (Updating my heirarchy list to include filly Applejack and Bloomberg.)



    78) By PinkamenaPie (I'm glad somepony heard the hidden call to pun the secondary theme.)



    79) By IIya



    80) By Alipes



    81) By nissa_lion



    82) By Mr.Paulsen (Some forms of glue must exist. By the way, Octavia? Not the nicest pony in the world.)



    83) By Syggie (This is probably a book you should have finished reading first.)



    84) By Argembarger (Nice try, but I know she's hiding comic books about higher math in that thing.)



    85) By Partition (Pfft. What are you going to do? Cuff me?)



    86) By Chris



    87) By Snap77 (Who would <i>write</i> that!?)



    88) By Ego (In the next panel she sheepishly admits there wasn't really time anyway, then goes out on another wacky adventure with her friends.)



    89) By Lunar Apologist (So cute. So magnificently cute.)



    90) By Kitsune (The Neverending Story, part 2!)



    91) By TheLaughingMare (This can only end well.)



    92) By Chocolate Splash



    93) By 041744 (It's probably because you're hoofing it instead of using magic.)



    94) By Nullh (The 'for eggheads' series is a lot more robust than I realized.)



    95) By Kt Kat (I can very easily see this happening in an episode.)



    96) By Gray



    97) By Sabicon



    98) By Several Alpacas



    99) By Da Chi (And thank you, too!)



    100) By RaspleZS



    101) By McGack (I'm sad that we've run out of days for catch up art.)



    102) By toonboy92484 (There's supposed to be a for in there, I swear.)



    103) By Neoridgeback (I think you've unearthed a conspiracy.)



    104) By Rachel (...Payday loans? Trixie you card!)



    105) By kits (That is an interesting book Dashie's reading.)



    106) By Buddy Vox



    107) By harley (Woah! Did you seriously sculpt that for this event?)



    108) By blasthemis



    109) By MHPayne (And thusly books help close another comic.)



    110) By Doc Steedly



    111) By Relias (His special talent is loving Trixie!)



    112) By Windfall



    113) By yiKomega (That's a very nice Pinkie, but it doesn't look like she's reading any-- hey, what the!?)



    114) By Djrk16



    115) By Tenchi Outsuno (...is it too late to revise my heirarchy of cute to put these two on top?)



    116) By Spurs (Only one way to find out!)



    117) By The Recliner (Derpy lives in a world beyond our ken.)



    118) By Kelz (Oh you little rebel.)



    119) By 20percentcooler



    120) By Leaf Growth (Simply fantastic. I love pony cutouts.)



    121) By Zach (Look at that, got his favorite banner and everything!)



    122) By rabidcow147 (Everypony read to join me in a 'wow'?)



    123) By ShoeboxWarrior



    124) By Circuit Mane



    125) By Uncle Leo



    126) By Chromadancer (*headdesk*)



    127) By Lieutenant Babycakes



    128) By Starlite



    129) By Riokenn (Reading and comprehending are entirely different verbs.)



    130) By Thattagen (Tell your nephew I said hi! It'll totally confuse him!)



    131) By Passer Palmatum (I think that's the strangest tarot card ever.)



    132) By Frith



    133) By Albert (I won't lie, this made me smile.)



    134) By Capt-Nemo



    135) By Kooldude



    136) By Fox E:



    137) By Natry


    138) By DJ RBDash


    139) By Hiro


    141) By Lurkingear (Cereal Velocity Guy)


    142) By Pageturner


    143) By RToasts (The things some ponies write...)


    144) By Rydel



    145) By Shockwave



    146) By nuclearsuplexattack



    147) By Virga Rainboom (Sethisto is an endless source of entertainment, for all of us. I'm glad he's such a good sport.)



    148) By Muffinsforever



    149) By djTeka



    150) By HyperMark



    151) By Periphery (Do Braille and hooves mix? Well Derpy?)



    152) By Liska (Hope the party was fun at least.)



    153) By Drilltooth



    154) By Black Tea



    155) By Eeful

    83 comments:

    1. I am such a pretty filly. I love all of you.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Yay 148! I got ambushed again by my college friend, so I didn't get to finish...

      ReplyDelete
    3. This one was rather... on the edge. x.x

      ReplyDelete
    4. So many Playpony magazines. XD

      #134 here! This was a great day. Are we going to do the training grounds some other month? I'd like to get more involved.

      ReplyDelete
    5. wooo mine's 21 yay¡¡

      121 seth looks a bit like timmy turner or is it just me??

      ReplyDelete
    6. #100 OMG!!! I can die now! A MLP crossover with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! I love this fandom!

      ReplyDelete
    7. #143 Reporting IN! Finally a Phoe comment! Yeah, and not only written but also drawn, hehehe.

      ReplyDelete
    8. #148 is now in my backgrounds folder, and will be the new background/prank screensavers for my schools computers.

      ReplyDelete
    9. I feel like crying now that the event is almost over. It's become part of my nightly routine. I really hope that we can see this return someday!!! I loved it!!!

      ReplyDelete
    10. 144 here

      42 - Regrets + Ponies. I'd still have regrets in my dream life, unless I completely forget the past, in which case it wouldn't be my dream life.
      56 - Don't worry Scootaloo, context won't make that like make sense anyway
      60 - No Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet?
      62 - Twilight, you have my pity. You can also have my hugs
      97 - Phoe is in favor of shipping Bonbon and Colgate to free up Lyra for herself?
      107 - Color me impressed. That's skill and dedication.
      134 - Derpy may have just topped Lyra for weird sitting positions

      ReplyDelete
    11. @Sigil You're welcome for Hitch-hoofers Guide To The Galaxy. I want somepony to write the fanfic now, too! (I would, but I'm busy not writing my own charaters' story(ies)...)

      Oh, #100 here, btw (nice round number, yay!).

      ReplyDelete
    12. 73 - why. strangely...interesting.

      ReplyDelete
    13. @HyperMark

      Thanks, I was going to add Derpy, but I ran out of time, and she looked sorta... off... anyways, so I said WALLPAPER IT UP! and for those 16:10 screeners, sorry, but I want it to be my wallpaper too. And that muffin is there because every post must have a muffin in it!

      @Anonymous

      I say we turn it into a weekly thing!

      ReplyDelete
    14. Me=59
      A few faves tonight: 8,29,39,41,47,60,62,67,77,83,84,88,89,95,104,107,113,115,134,151,152.
      Nice work, everyone! Looking forward to the final examination, I hope I can do something good!

      ReplyDelete
    15. #3
      (Apple Bloom) You know... ponies only have four legs.

      ReplyDelete
    16. Oh, my sketch is on top today! I did not expect that. Silly Twilight!

      I'll be saying this tomorrow too, but thank you Phoe for making this event something really special. I'm going to redraw the theme I did first, draw a pony as a filly, and put them side-by-side for comparison. I can't believe I drew ponies so poorly only a month ago!

      ReplyDelete
    17. #105 here
      @Phoe Yes this pic is kind incomplete. So YAY for the theme being redos. I get to add the bit I didn't have time for tonight! XD

      Anyway, I came to drop this off: Drawing guide for my entry today =O http://kitsuneymg.deviantart.com/art/day-29-wip-Thanks-SmallTalk-214841827
      Hope somepony finds it useful!

      ReplyDelete
    18. Ooo, #5 today. Don't think that'll be happening again anytime soon, though. Totally didn't expect to get home in time to draw what I was wanting to do (and I was mostly right... an hour and a bit would have been pushing it a lot), so I did the logical thing any pony obsessed artist would do an lost 2.5 hours of sleep to just stay up and marathon out my idea.

      Aside from the somewhat rushed job while being half ready to pass out making some (but not all, yay.) things look pretty rough compared to what I'd done in past days, I'm happy with the way things turned out. For anyone trying to follow the narrative, I'm sorry for jumping around again, but this theme was just to conducive to the last page I'd been wanting to do for a while. Anyone wanting to get the order straight can find a quick and dirty listing here: http://no-contest.shorturl.com/mlp_comic_listing.htm

      Oh and one thing I didn't realize I forgot until I was halfway through my work day: I forgot Cereal's horn. But looking back at the picture now, I think the horn would have messed up the Cave Johnson hair, so Cereal gets to stay an earth pony in my interpretation. :P

      @Phoe :D

      ReplyDelete
    19. I predict many crying ponies tomorrow, sad to have reached the final day.

      ReplyDelete
    20. Great stuff tonight! Now I just have to figure out what the definitive versions of Seth and Cereal are for tomorrow!

      I WISH I could have done something for every day, but school and such gets in the way, it seems. Maybe the next time around...

      There WILL be a next time. I don't doubt that for a second. :3

      ReplyDelete
    21. 148 was just too awesome to put into words. XD

      ReplyDelete
    22. This was my favorite drawing training grounds. Everyone did so great! :D

      ReplyDelete
    23. 123 here. Thanks to Rabidcow (122) that was fun! =D

      This one was a lot saucier than I expected it to be! Favorites for tonight:

      7 I love that her face is all the way in the book
      11 oooo 3D pony
      29 creepy but I love the coloring-so very sinister
      30 NOOooooo Artex-rarity! ;_;
      42 Simple. It would not be a dream life without ponies
      47 Oranges?! GASP, Applejack!
      57 I can totally see her reading Pride and Prejudice
      60 hehe two bits
      73 I am frightened and confused
      77 well THAT overloaded my cute meter
      85 BWahahahaha mustache
      88 lovin the TZ reference
      100 uh oh! Where is Arthur’s towel?
      107 WHOOOA another 3D pony
      134 Oh, Derpy-you’re my favorite
      144 Haha Pinkie’s face is classic

      ReplyDelete
    24. #19 and #107

      well on 19 fluttershy is quite happy to be a more comparable size with some of her beloved critters. but recognizes the importance of regaining her normal size.

      on 107 the pony was not sculpted specifically for this event, however the book was when i realized she fit soo well with the theme.

      i laughed a lot with some of these in particular 148

      and the bound bonbon, embarrased lyra, with twilight helping get out of a little ropey mess

      ReplyDelete
    25. Mandy: Anonymous can't I dream? Yeah that's me in #3 It's easy to fool a high flying pegasus but I doubt I can hide my mantis and dog nature. Not to mention my occaisional fit with cosuming the heads of male Mantis's. Anyway, Yippee I got a phoe comment! But i'll still never be a pony, however I do have souvenirs(from previous art) and a really decent halloween costume for the month of Octorover. (Hybrids have slightly differet holidays)

      By the way has anyone seen Jenbun? I see her art but she isn't here.

      ReplyDelete
    26. So, like, its 2 in the morning. Since I can't ART when the sun is up, I guess I'll start now?

      I need to do better!

      ReplyDelete
    27. #138

      Eye wonder if mine counted, knowing Zecora is a zebra~

      This is it everypony! Our last part to our big-time project! Let's end it with a BANG!~

      ReplyDelete
    28. #37 today. I really don't have any time to do anything today, if I want to at least get something done for the last Training Grounds, so I'm afraid I can't spend any time talking about how great these pictures are. I love pretty much all of them, and I especially enjoyed all the different interpretations of blogponies.

      It really is too bad that I'll have to rush my last entry, but I saw that coming and that's why I pretty much spent all day working on my submission yesterday, so... in the end, it shouldn't make too much of a difference, I hope.

      ReplyDelete
    29. #7 here. 'Cause we all know there can't be enough Rarity fanart.

      Faves tonight 38, 40, 50, 113 and 148. And a lot of others were just so cute <3

      I have no idea what to draw for the last, so I'll just drop this down for now before I flee off to brainstorm:

      "Phoe, you're putting me in a bind
      I have no idea what is on your mind!
      Oh my gosh there's simply not much time,
      don't forget the last picture must shiiiiiine!"

      ReplyDelete
    30. @Sethisto <3

      uhhh dang, usually I come up with something pretty quickly for the theme, but I got nothing that'd be good for a celebratory pic idea. D=


      #136. Blogponies are way too much fun to draw. Also, this is totally theme–related because Seth has open one of Luna's books on modern fashion! She's gotta catch up with the times after all, right?


      Seth's pose was done without a ref, so he sort of came out looking like a dog or something. *??* Sorry Seth. =X Also I ultra failed at his hair. The Mandark resemblance is completely unintentional, I assure you.


      One thing that saddens me is that I didn't have time to draw in Abacus! Mini–Luna is staring at me disapprovingly from on top of my monitor. Also I had to leave out a little conversation between Emerald Dust and Zarkanorf. Emerald kept coming out looking less like her refs and more like some kind of jelly doughnut, so unfortunately she didn't make it in. That's why Zarkanorf's standalone text sounds odd on its own there.

      Also just noticed I forgot Luna's crown. And breastplate. Whoops.


      One final note: PERSPECTIVE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


      Pic idea inspired by Zarkanorf.

      Seth's design taken from Easteu's Day #20 entry.

      Luna inspired by Chocolate Splash's Day #27 entry.


      +fav time! Today's include #8, #10, #13, #17, #38, #39, #46, #53, #55, #57, #58, #60, #66, #68, #72, #75, #76, #80, #82, #83, #84, #85, #86, #87, #89, #91, #92, #93, #94, #95, #97, #98, #100, #102, #103, #106, #115, #117, #118, #120, #122 + #123, #126, #129, #130, #133, #138, #139, #141, #144, #147, #148, and #151.

      #4: Isn't that face the truth?
      #30: That's brilliant. You're brilliant.
      #35: Napkin? I'd tear that thing to shreds by accident, nice work!
      #41: I just burst out laughing at this.
      #42: I'd go left probably.
      #48: Pose + expression = best.
      #50: Lorem ipsum isn't that hard to read!
      #59: Oooh how I like this one.
      #67: This is now Seth.
      #77: Teeth exploded from sugar overload.
      #88: That episode is one of my favourites, ludicrous props for referencing it.
      #99: /agree!
      #104: This is fantastic.
      #105: Flying action pose, excellent!
      #107: Too adorable.
      #113: This is also brilliant, never once occured to me.
      #134: Woah, beyond impressive. D=
      #142: I like how the elbows come out, nice touch.

      ReplyDelete
    31. #130 today! Sorry, Phoe, my nephew is only 1 and a half, so he won't understand no matter what I tell him!

      Also, I hope you guys took the time to read Pinkie's entire stream of consciousness. That took quite awhile to write. Her binary reads "Theorem! Hypothesis!"

      In the future, I think we should either do weekly drawing tasks (I usually draw on the weekends when I'm busy anyways), or a 7-day monthly challenge, with a new theme every day for a week. Or...both! This is a fantastic event, the only time I've ever gotten so involved in a community before (and before now, I've only drawn maybe 70 things in the past few years...wait a sec, that means I've probably broken 100 images?!?). Wait, where was I...? This community is the best, cause there's so much positive creative energy floating. People make stuff, and comment on stuff you make, and encourage you to make more stuff and then you do because you know people like it!

      I'll save the rest of the hindsight for tomorrow. It is only the second to last day, after all. Let's have some favorites!

      11 - Awesome 3D art! That's a first.
      29 - Amazing lighting!
      37 - You guys totally deserve a break.
      38 - Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Phoe's face is priceless.
      41 - Derpy reads two books at once!
      42 - Who'd want a perfect life? Gimme ponies!
      46 - Oh my...
      50 - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adepiscing elit...
      55 - Haha, this is what happens whenever I cook something for the first time...and the second time...
      56 - Scootaloo is the deadpan master. She and Spike would make such a snarky duo.
      59 - Ah guess a hieroglyph cutie mark is fine too...
      60 - Wait...what?
      63 - that sketchy style is really cool
      67 - Seth is a pretty filly
      75 - -snicker-
      76 - :3
      83 - She'll live. She's got magic!
      88 - Love the reference xD
      93 - What do the "Bros" think of ponified humans? I bet they're totally against it for soem reason.
      99 - Awww, thanks!
      100 - Don't panic!
      104 - This is awesome.
      113 - Ow my fourth wall >.<
      115 - Awwwwwwwwww
      117 - She doesn't even need a decoder ring!
      118 - This is how I felt after my last math class. My last math class EVER!
      120 - I approve of the increasing number of cutout entries.
      121 - that totally looks like Seth.
      138 - I laughed at this one for a minute or two. Dr. Seuss!
      141 - This one too! Pokemon flashbacks, augh!
      142 - Cutout! Yay!
      148 - Blue screen of "Oops".

      Phew! That took awhile. I admire you guys who type up all these comments EVERY DAY. Er...night...

      ReplyDelete
    32. Oh no! I just realized that during these precious last hours of the training grounds is the speedfic competition D:

      I've got energy drinks and muffins though :P

      ReplyDelete
    33. @Muffinsforever
      I can't find this on DA. I must favorite it. Can I have a link?

      ReplyDelete
    34. #4 here. I didn't have to go into school until 2 hours later then normal, so I found time to draw before leaving this time.

      #46 is definitely my favourite of today, but I also liked #8, #40, #51 and #106.

      Also today's theme is the hardest of all!!!! I'm probably going to end up doing a theme I haven't done yet (which is 80% of them)

      ReplyDelete
    35. I'll miss this so much when it's over... ;_;

      Keep up the awesome, everypony, even if this finishes, you'll still all be great artists, no matter what!

      ReplyDelete
    36. Ug. I just finished the thing... (warning--bondage) http://i.imgur.com/0sNRG.jpg Is a camera phone shot. @Phoe, you now have bondage for this theme. Even if Twilight is a bit derped up. *Sigh* I should really learn to draw her right. It doesn't help that I can barely see at the moment.

      Text should say "I thought you said you knew what you were doing! The Princess will be here any minute now!"

      I debated drawing a window with Trollestia in it. But I've overdone round object framing face. Enough.

      You just had to go suggest we do every theme...
      Looks like I die tomorrow.

      ReplyDelete
    37. Oh I forgot to mention, the stop codes at the bottom mean something well, at least 1 does, the other is vague (and no, I'm sure these aren't real stop codes)

      Also, its a combination of many BSOD that I have seen, 1 of which is quite obvious.

      ReplyDelete
    38. If anyone is curious, there are a couple subtle jokes in mine (#151) tonight, on top of the clear one about Derpy's eyesight. First, it's a play on her cutie mark, since her circles do kind of look like Braille bumps. And second, as Phoe alluded, the words, though not entirely visible, should read "Braille and hooves do not mix" if I did it right.

      Cheers to #68, by the way, with the only other Braille pony.

      Now to see if I can come up with something epic or otherwise fitting for the final day. This is going to be tough, considering that I take forever to settle on an idea for the normal themes.

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    39. #84 today. It's always very encouraging to see people list mine among their favorites!

      I too will miss this event when it ends. I joined in really late, but I can definitely see the improvement in my own work and that makes me feel good.

      In fact, these training grounds prompted me to get a cheap beginner's graphics tablet! I can't wait to start learning how to use it. I hope there will always be some channel available through which newbies like me can submit art for review in order to improve. Especially once I get used to the tablet. It'll be great to get clean lines, the option to undo lines entirely, sketching in glorious almighty layers and no more scanner woes.

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    40. @Argembarger
      I did the same, and feel the same way. I never did figure out how to really use it due to the time constraints of this project.

      1 more to go! If all goes well, it'll be a big'un!

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    41. It occurred to me while brainstorming (read: laying in bed trying to sleep) that calamari, who runs the submissions page, gets pretty much no recognition whatsoever, even though his work is probably one of the biggest pillars that supported this event.

      He has no OC (or any representation for that matter) as far as I know, but he's getting included in my pic anyway because by shkeezix he deserves it.

      Calamari, you rock.


      @Argembarger The number of times I've subconsciously clicked my mechanical pencil to undo a line I just drew is staggering. I know you'll love your new tablet. =D

      /agree on the newbie channel idea. No idea how to implement it, but it is motivating to post your work to such a publicly visible place.

      Maybe one day I can actually use a real live Drawfriend thread! =O

      Only issue now is how do I come up with further themes and inspiration, haha.

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    42. @FoxE

      My idea was to do a weekly-thing in a DA group. Themes can be posted as announcements and a gallery for each theme made. Each person who joined the group would be included in the members section. So there you have
      Sort by theme
      Sort by Author
      For zero effort.

      I could set it up (i think) but don't want to take Phoe's glory (assuming she still wants to oversee this. It must be a massive time sink for her.)

      ReplyDelete
    43. ;awww man, penultimate drawfriend.

      we have to do this again!

      I'm going to *try* to draw something for the last one. The very last *sniff* one. I've missed so many :(

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    44. Number 38 here. Glad to see my mission accomplished!

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    45. #48. Does anypony know if this is based on an actual writing? Just wondering. For the sake of curiosity, you know.

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    46. 41 here.

      Love this fandom. Love this artists training grounds. I will miss it :'(. Thanks for hosting Phoe - lamentably i don't know if i'll be able to attend the final exam (i'm a very busy pony), but maybe i'll give it the ol' college try.

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    47. #67 reporting in.
      I'm at a loss here since I have no idea what to draw for the final day. Redo my first entry? Catch up on all the days I missed? Try to express all warm feelings I have towards all of you?
      I want it to be perfect for this occasion, it won't happen but I'll try anyway.

      Great day and I think #29, #37, #39, #89, #104, #148 are some of the best.

      @Fox E:
      OMG a reference to my picture! I'm so happy you mentioned it, thank you.
      And you are absolutely right about Calamari, the only picture to mention him I can remember is one by Partition during the Swimming day.

      Calamari, if you are reading this, know that you are awesome. Who knows what would happend to this event and Phoe without you?

      ReplyDelete
    48. #30 today. I suggested tonights theme pretty early on though my wording was "Draw any previous theme 20% cooler."




      29. Oh Pinky, you're going to hurt your eyes reading in that light.

      60. Pony Skeletons are made of a non-newtonian substance which only gets hard when it meets significant force. The rest of them is made of love and Tolerance which is kind of like marshmallow cream. Therefore one that was aware of these facts could mold ponies into any shape they wished merely by not exerting too much effort.

      62. This almost exact idea crossed my mind. Thank you for drawing it.

      75. A couple years later she died of a stroke. The Friends say that she still had a smile on her face.

      90. Guess she didn't get to the swamp of Sadness yet. Great minds think alike.

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    49. 46 & 48 here.

      @Anonymous
      Nope, sorry. :P Wrote it to give Phoe something to read.

      ReplyDelete
    50. Latverian_Ponyfan_2993June 25, 2011 at 5:34 AM

      #60 Here. The repeating text was from Pinkie Pie's birthday cake. I was hoping it'd be too small to read, I rely on a low dpi output to hide a multitude of sins...

      The horribly unnatural poses, naturally, are from Dragonshy and A Bird in the Hoof.

      Also, I now hate 3 things:
      3. Drawing Pinkie Pie's hair.
      2. Drawing Rarity's hair.
      1. RICHARDS!

      ReplyDelete
    51. #36 is here.

      Is the event really almost over? I kind of like drawing ponies.

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    52. #135 here I obviously didn't put much time into this. Forgive me for the really bad drawing. From left to right is Seth, Phoe, and Cereal to let you all know.

      ReplyDelete
    53. I expect to see a lot of Madmax ponies tomorrow, everyone. ♥
      ^_^

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    54. I like the way 148 used none hexadecimal values in the stop code.

      ReplyDelete
    55. 142. The character with magic as a specialty reading Carl Sagan's 'The Demon-Haunted World', on the page about how "magic" only works if the audience cooperates. Twilight gets best pony for her ironic skepticism.

      ReplyDelete
    56. #92 here. I think I may draw every theme today. Or at least I'll try e.o

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    57. 142 reporting in with a list

      #8 hmmm where'd she learn that one
      #29&88 love those Twilight Zone refs
      #38 love those faces on Phoe & Lyra
      #39 I would
      #46 dorky Twilight is my favorite
      #113 great use of the format
      #134 sweet vectoring must have taken forever

      Thank you to the anon above who got that twilight was reading Demon Haunted World. I thought no one would notice.

      ReplyDelete
    58. 43) **Has the song Centerfold stuck in head***

      ReplyDelete
    59. Really hoping this comes back soon. I've only just gotten into drawing ponies and I haven't had a chance to contribute anything.

      ReplyDelete
    60. #50: lol at lorem ipsum, but latin, even when nonsensical, is not chicken scratch!

      (desperately tries to justify the choice of taking latin in school)

      ReplyDelete
    61. Lots of funny and cute images this time around :) And lots of silly, dirty ponies.

      I must say, Phoe's expression in #75 made me giggle.

      Time for me to draw more pony than I've ever drawn before... So many ponies... we'll see what happens

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    62. #88
      I was tempted with that one, then sent with 'To Serve Ponies' instead.

      ReplyDelete
    63. Since I can't send a picture, only one thing left... lists!

      #4 (Haha! And to think I did what Phoe is going to do not so long ago... though I played through 1-7 and 9)
      #11
      #15 (Dat hat...)
      #25 (Is there a rule somewhere about Dinky and Ditzy pictures being necessarily adorable? Not that I'm complaining...)
      #27
      #40 (...)
      #42 ("Dream Life but No Ponies"? That's not a dream life! IT'S A LIE!)
      #46 (......... Ok, I laughed)
      #47
      #48
      #50
      #55
      #56
      #57 (...........................)
      #67
      #75 (......... How can "Advanced" and "for Dummies" be in the same title? /purposefullyavoidingtherestofthepicture)
      #77
      #88
      #89 (...Well, I can only assume that rule really exists...)
      #94
      #95 (Agreed)
      #99 (Those are some words I'll have to agree... and maybe make them mine, too)
      #105
      #107 (Ain't that lovely?)
      #113 (Pinkie! Not again!)
      #115 (Phoe, can't you just settle for a tie between everything?)
      #121
      #132
      #134
      #141 (I think... I'd react in the same manner...)

      So, this is coming to a closure, eh...? I'll really miss this event...
      When I read the last theme, I thought that, even if I couldn't participate, I could at least see how much progress I made through my picutres... and... I am really pleased with myself! From the "pony standing" in my notebook, to the "ponies cooking" in my papers... I can feel and see how much I have improved!
      Thanks, Phoe, for allowing this event to happen! And encouraging each one of us, no matter how bad our pictures were! And, as someone mentioned up there, Calamari for saving Phoe a lot of trouble with the submission page (I feel bad for not recognizing you for your work before... >_<)! Otherwise, I don't think I'd ever try to draw anything... much less show up here...

      This is just me wishing it, but... could it become a weekly event? I don't know, maybe until season 2 starts?

      ReplyDelete
    64. Ack! For some reason I thought the event would continue to the end of June. But you know what, that's ok! I am ready to move onto a less pony-intense drawing schedule but this event has encouraged my drawing on all fronts :) I was 95 and it was probably the fastest thing I've drawn yet!

      But enough about me, Onto the comments!

      17-Love everyone's expression here. ^^
      41, she can read both books at once because of her special physiology, I love it XD
      46, Heh, Rainbow Dash is at the edge of her patience. >:D
      47, Aw, AJ is gosh-darn adorable! I love her illicit love of forbidden fruit. >;)
      48, Hee, I love how intent she is XD
      77, Simple, clean and adorable! Wonderful lil drawing. :)

      ReplyDelete
    65. i also vote to turn this into a weekly thing!

      ReplyDelete
    66. Phoe, regarding 88, Twilight Zone episode: Time Enough at Last, she can't go have another adventure, everypony else is dead, haven't you seen the episode? if not i would recommend seeing it, even though the twist has been spoiled for you

      ReplyDelete
    67. Numah 110 *hoof-salute*
      I have a similar agreement. maybe a weekly pic deal would be cool n.n

      anywho, its late again, im tired from drawing late, then not being able to sleep last night( new bed ). so im not going to be able to long comment or participate in this one . . . i was late for work this morning, so i want to try to be a little early tomorrow.

      I really enjoyed this event. It was a blast, i was able to draw again, first time in almost 8+ yrs. I do hope it gets reincarnated later on. I found a lot of hilarious pics in my quest for comments . . .some awesome ones, others that were just plain "DAWWWW" worthy, and lets not forget, some new BACKGROUNDS!!!!

      I really like alot of the pics i seen today. Im surprised i was the only one who did a scoots obsession pic this event. I dont think i seen anypony posting a pic similar either. LOL When i seen reading, i immediately thought of that. What if scoots found a certian book in Twilights library that could help her "keep" her "friend" Rainbow dash . . . I know scoots looks a little wierd, but i was really preoccupied watching deadliest catch . . . and it was hot as hay in my room. (AC was acting up)

      Again, I will miss this event. Hope something like this comes up again, so i can grace the gallery with muh oddities of "art" If you want to call them that.

      ReplyDelete
    68. what is time due time? Is it 2:00 Central?

      ReplyDelete
    69. Gawd dammit!

      I never seem to get the time to do these things to finish my works on time...It'd be awesome if we could start this again in the near future...

      ReplyDelete
    70. @Fox E:

      less than 4 hours left

      9 Pictures left

      I WILL NEVER STOP THE JOURNEY
      NOT UNTIL I GET MY CUTIE MARK!

      ReplyDelete
    71. @pageturner1988

      Pageturner, I am going to say that when I noticed which book she was reading and posted the findings earlier, the implications of it really struck me as one of the funnier moments in the fanon of this show.

      ReplyDelete
    72. @Kits You can do it, I believe in you! Climb that mountain, pull that toffee, colour that hair— wait, wrong journey. Still!

      I have one more pic to do myself. This first one's already rushed, the second one is going to be even more so.


      @Easteu I'm using your recent Seth pic for today's theme, you came up with the best design for him. =P I should be thanking you instead!


      Welp, it finally happened. Going over the drawing one more time to darken the outlines and mess up on one of the letters. Pick up my eraser to fix it, aaand water. Water everywhere.

      Apparently my drink glass started perspiring all over my eraser (not even cold or hot in here, wtf?), so now there's a big glop of water on the paper where I haven't finished darkening yet, much less shading.

      @#$!.

      I'm sure everyone who uses paper has gone through this at least once, figures that it has to happen now on the finale.

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    73. *yawn*
      looks like even trying to cheat and using my earlier pony vectors as a base for my new drawing I'm going to be pushing it, shouldn't have stuck so many ponies in...

      ReplyDelete
    74. Now that the 30-day training extravaganza is over, time to drop in a few comments! ^_^

      Favorites:
      42 by Saphin (The choice is clear: the path on the right is a trap! There can be no dream life without ponies.)
      62 by TensaiOni (Twilight reads Twilight and is aghast.)
      107 By harley (Modeling clay pony has lovely, detailed eyes)
      121 by Zach (Pony Sethisto burning the midnight oil. This has a 1960's Disney feel to it, like Sword in the Stone with internet ponies)
      142 by Pageturner (cut-out of young Twilight Sparkle reading... The Dragon in my Garage? It looks like a very dry book on magic, showmanship and dragons)

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    75. Dear nissa_lion, thank you for the "IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE TO BAKE A PRETTY CAKE" entry. (72)

      That made my day.

      Sincerely, the Anon that requested it in Training Ground 29's comments section.

      ReplyDelete