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Onionleaf 02-04-2012 05:37 AM

☼ My Little Pony Art Tutorial ☼
 
Hi everyone!
I have volunteered to write a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw your own little pony from the show "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic".
Don't be shy and try it out! Have a read, the steps shouldn't be too difficult.
I would love it if you would share your finished work with me! Don't worry, I don't bite. :D


Contents
Step 1: Drawing Sketches
Step 2: Know Your GIMP Tools
Step 3: Preparing the Sketch
Step 4: Outlining (body, hair, eyes)
Step 5: Coloring-in (body, hair, mouth, extra)
Step 6: Eyes
Step 7: Cutie Mark and Other Accessories
Step 8: Finishing Off



Step 1: Drawing Sketches.
Here is a wonderful tutorial that you may use to get you started. DragoArt.com
It describes the basic principles of drawing a pony, from head to toe, step-by-step. Then, you may try your hand at drawing a pony, starting from Step 15.
Tips and Tricks:
  • The first thing I started drawing was all the example sketches that are shown in the tutorial, in order to get a 'feel' for all the different curves and angles. I would recommend you to do the same. When you finish, you will notice how simple it is to draw ponies, and will feel much more confident. :)
  • There are no rules for drawing - only suggestions. ;) For example, the tutorial says that you should start from the head. Personally, I draw a quick layout of the torso and then draw the legs, leaving the head for later. It's always up to you in what way you wish to draw. As long as you are comfortable with it, and it comes out nicely in the end, do whatever you feel like doing.
  • During the first few practice sketches, I strongly recommend that you find some pictures of ponies (such as screenshots from online videos) and work off from those.
    If you have trouble finding pictures, you may ask me to find some for you. I have over 300 pony screenshots on my computer and I am willing to share. ;)
  • Pony drawings do not have much detail, so if you make a mistake, it's easy to fix.
  • If you feel like giving up, just continue to draw, draw and draw again, and one day, you will look down at your notepad and realise how easy it has become for you to draw. :yes:
  • It doesn't matter what pencil or paper you use, as long as the sketched lines are visible. You won't even need to erase your guidelines. I use a lined notebook to draw in and leave messy erase marks on my paper, and they don't hinder my work later.

If you have any other questions about sketches, or need some more advice, feel free to ask. :Happy:



Step 2: Know Your Tools.
Let's start off with an introduction to the different tools available for GIMP.
Some of you may not have used GIMP before, so I wouldn't want to find anyone stuck in the middle of the tutorial, not knowing what I am talking about. I will not be explaining how layers work, because I'm sure most of you will know enough about them. If you're new to GIMP, I suggest that you tinker around with the different tools and see how they work before starting on your pony.
If your Toolbox and/or Layers windows are missing, then go to Windows > Recently Closed Docks and find them there. (hopefully.. I never close them, so I wouldn't know, lol.)
Also, always make sure that in Image > Mode, RGB is selected.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...orial/menu.png
I've color-coded the different tools using this key:
Red - these are the Paths and Ink tools, which I will explain in detail, as not many people know what they are nor how to use them. (If you do know, Kudos to you! You may skip this part of the tutorial!!)
Green - Easy to understand and use. You'll be using these frequently to fine-tune any detail.
Blue - Even easier to understand and use. Don't have to use these too often, but they are still important.
Color tool: Click on either of the two boxes to pick colors and use them. Pretty straightforward.
Yellow circle - the Zoom tool. I never click on it, but use it all the time. How, you ask? Well, there is a handy hot key that you can use. Simply hold down Ctrl and scroll up and down with your mouse wheel. Try it out! The percentage number at the bottom of the center screen tells you how much you have zoomed in or out.

Here are some other important hot keys:
Ctrl+Z = Undo. Use this often! ;)
Ctrl+C = Copy.
Ctrl+P = Paste.
DELETE = Deletes the selection or everything on the selected layer.
Shift = when using any type of tool that uses a brush, you may draw a straight line by making a dot on the canvas, then hold down Shift, draw the line and click to end it.

Okay, let's start from the easy tools (blue):
Rectangle & Oval - selection tools. Simple as pie.
Lasso - free select tool. More versatile, as you can select whatever shape you need. (except for curved shapes)
Four Arrows - move tool. It moves things (no kidding), such as a layer or a selection.
Craft Knife - crop tool. Used in the same way as the rectangle selection tool, but crops away the edges.
Rotate tool - Rotates the layer or selection.
Scale tool - Only scales the layer, not the whole image. Can also be found in Layer > Scale Layer. If you need to scale the image overall, go to Image > Scale Image.

Easy so far, right? :)

Okay, now for the next set of tools (green):
Eyedropper - Pick out those needed colors from the canvas! As a hot key, you may hold down Ctrl and click on the canvas.
Paintbrush - Well, there's nothing much to say. It's a paintbrush! :neutral: I'm sure you can figure it out.
Eraser - Same with this tool. The name speaks for itself. Just remember that you can either erase a layer to transparency or to white, depending if there is an Alpha channel added to the layer or not. (If you don't understand what that last sentence means, don't worry about it)
Airbrush - Lighter than a paintbrush. Useful for adding small tweaks to things. Used best with a Fuzzy Circle brush.
These last three tools I use a lot for the eyes (and sometimes for the hair):
Waterdrop - blur/sharpen tool. Also great for small tweaks. I only use the Blur tool.
Smudge tool - mainly used to correct anything after using the Dodge/Burn tool.
Dodge/Burn tool - a simple way to create a 3-D effect with the use of the Fuzzy Brush. There are three ranges: Shadows, Midtones and Highlights. Keep note of the Exposure and Opacity options. I will talk more about this tool later in the tutorial.

Now you're probably dying to know what the Path tool is, right?
I will try to explain it as accurately as possible, and I strongly suggest that you open up GIMP and complete the steps with me for this next part.
By using the Path tool, you can create any kind of line and shape. It is extremely useful when you need to draw neat lines on the computer, but do not have a drawing tablet.
Click on the Path tool. There are three edit modes: Design, Edit and Move. Keep it on Design, and click on the canvas to add points, in exactly the same way as you would use the Free Select Tool.
Hooray! You now have a new path!
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/path1.jpg

But I want a curved line! How do I make one?
Hold down the Ctrl button (or choose the Edit mode), click on a path point and 'drag out' the now-formed square out of the point.
Congrats! You now have a curved line! :D
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/path2.jpg

There are two squares available, so drag out the other one as well. (If you need to, that is.)
Once the squares are visible, you don't need to hold down the Ctrl key to move them again.

Also, if you wish to create a curved line straight away, without having to go back and edit it, then 'click and drag out' the squares when you first add the point.
Or hold down Ctrl and click and drag the line between two points.
If you want to connect the first and last points in your path, then select one of the two ending points, hold down Ctrl and click on the other ending point.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...athexample.gif

If you want to make a new line (one that is not connected to the current one), then hold down Shift and make a new point.

Also, a point can be selected by clicking on it:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/path4.jpg
You can then press the Backspace key to delete that point. Deleting a point will NOT split the path in two.

The Move mode allows you to move the WHOLE path around, so that it won't lose its shape.
Either hold down Alt or choose the Move mode in the Path menu.

You clicked on another tool and have lost your path?
Don't worry, it's still there! Simply click on the Path tab on the right and there will be a list of all the paths you have created. Right-click on the path you want and select "Path Tool". You may now continue to edit your path.
You may also show paths, hide them, merge them down, delete them and name them in exactly the same way as layers!
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...thlocation.jpg

How to make another path: Choose any other tool and then choose the Path tool again. You may now begin setting up another path.

Now what do we do with our path?
Right, well so far it has been rather useless, hasn't it? But the Path tool has a few more tricks up its sleeves. :)
If you look at the Path menu, you will see two buttons: "Selection from Path" and "Stroke Path".
Selection from Path does the same thing as the Free Select tool - selects an area that you are able to copy, delete, draw in or fill in. See how it's better than the Free Select tool?
It allows you to create a curved edge, whereas the Free Select tool can only create straight lines.
Before I talk about the Stroke Path option, I would like to introduce the Ink tool.

The ink tool works like a calligraphy pen.
So, select the tool and look at the menu in the bottom-left corner.
Looks complicated, doesn't it? You might be thinking,
"Wow Onion, you must be an expert at using this tool! So, how should I set it up?"
Errm...leave it as it is. Don't touch ANYTHING except for the Size.
"Wow, really??"
Yes, I have NO idea how to work with this tool except to make the line size larger or smaller. :Embarrassed:

With that out of the way, I can now proceed with the Path tutorial.
You have your path ready, and now you wish to turn it into actual paint strokes. :yes:
Click on Stroke Path, and this menu should pop-up:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...kepathmenu.jpg
There are two options: 'Stroke line' and 'Stroke with a paint tool'.
Stroke line creates a simple line. Choose the line width and click "Stroke".
Before that though, make sure to click on the little + next to "Line Style", and set Cap style and Join style as Round (the middle ones). This will make the lines more smooth. ;)
If you want more realistic-looking pen strokes, then use the paint tool option. (You'll be using this often!)
Make sure to choose Ink as the paint tool, and check the box to "Emulate brush dynamics".

Here is the difference between the two strokes:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...ifferences.jpg
SUPER helpful to make those neat outlines of your ponies! :Excited:
It might seem like a lot has to be memorised for this section, but once you have practised a few times, making paths will become second nature to you. (My hands pretty much move on their own :))


We're all done now with the introduction to GIMP. Feeling tired yet?
Sit back, relax, maybe make yourself a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee for those of you who love that horrible stuff) and think about what you have learnt today,
while I go and take a break from writing...

All right, break over! Here is the next part of the tutorial.


Step 3: Preparing your sketch.
You will either need a scanner or a digital camera in order to transfer the sketch to your computer. I take a photo of my sketch and upload it to my computer through a USB cord. :rolleyes:
Let's begin! Open your sketch in GIMP:
This is going to be your draft. It will help you with creating all the paths. In the end, it will be deleted. ;) We'll keep the layer name as 'Background'.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...al/sketch1.png
Notice the zoom % at the bottom. Mine is 18.2% - the image is much too large for me to work on!
Use the crop tool to remove any unnecessary space around the edges. Then go to Image > Scale Image. Change the height to approximately 1500 pixels (no larger than that).
Note: Keep the little chain icon linked, otherwise the image won't keep its current proportion!
Go to Colors > Desaturate if your sketch is not in grayscale. Now go to Colors > Brightness-Contrast. Increase both to make the outlines more prominent.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...al/sketch2.png
The zoom is now at 33.3% - much easier to work with.

Oh! :pork: Almost forgot! Don't forget to save your work!
Go to File > Save, or press Ctrl+S, and type in the name of your file and choose file location. Make sure that the file extension is .xcf.
Remember to press Ctrl+S once in a while (or after every step) so as not to lose your work.



Step 4: Outlining.
We can now begin with the actual outlining. (yay!) I start with the body first.

Body
Create a new layer on top of the Background (right-click anywhere in the Layers box and choose New Layer. Make sure to choose Transparency). Let's name it 'body outline', and click on it to select it.
Now you need to choose the color that you wish the pony to be in. (Since Sophie asked me to use the color Candy Blue, I used the Eyedropper tool on a Candy Blue dye bottle.)
Once you have the color saved on your palette, you need a darker shade for the outline.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/.../colorpick.png
Look at the arrows and move the scrolls to the given direction. Saturation needs to be increased, and Value needs to be decreased. Click OK.
If you are unsure about the color, don't worry, there are many ways to change it again without ruining the picture.
We are almost ready to create Paths, but first, select the Ink tool and adjust the size of the stroke. We will start from the legs first, so a medium stroke will do. It always depends on how large your sketch is, but I normally have it somewhere between 8 and 12.
A way to check how thick it will be is to draw a line over your sketch 'slowly' and then Undo it (Ctrl+Z). This time I set mine to 11.2.
Now open up the Path tool and set up your first path!
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline1.png
Try not to have ANY straight lines in your Path. Always make them slightly curved, otherwise they will come out much too straight.
I always add a few extra points at the end of each line, because the strokes are thinner at the ends and I don't want that.
So, let's add a few extra dots to your path. Now you may stroke your path.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline2.png

Hmm.. the color kind of clashes with the grey background. Well, that's easy to fix! Make a new white layer below the Background and hide the Background layer.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...background.png
Hooray, the outline is more noticeable! :Excited: Now take out your Eraser tool and remove all those extra lines. And keep your paintbrush close to you, in case a chunk is missing from a line (it sometimes happens with paths). If you don't know where the line is supposed to end, make your sketch layer visible again, and sometimes it helps to lower the Opacity of your outline layer to see what is below.
You really have to zoom in and erase it pixel by pixel, extensively using the 'Shift' trick I had mentioned earlier to erase away straight lines. It is just like sharpening a pencil with a craft knife.
I try to be a perfectionist, so I like to have all my lines ending neatly, but if you are in a hurry or do not care much for detail, you can do a quick job of it. :Innocent:
If the outline doesn't come out right, Undo it and try again. It is going to be all about trial and error, believe me.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline3.png
First outline done? Great! :Clapping: Now do the same thing for every other line. :Teasing:
When you finish all four legs, do the torso. You might have to increase the Ink pen size by a smidge, but I don't do it very often.
Decrease the Ink pen size when you do the face, and then even more (down to 4-6) when you do the line on the ear, the nostril and the flat part of the hoof.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline6.jpg
Well done! You've finished the body outline! (and so have I, lol!) :Happy: This technique does take time, but it's quite simple and neat, don't you think?

Hair
Now create another transparency layer and name it 'hair outline' (or whatever floats your boat).
It doesn't matter whether it's over or under the body outline. Where the two outlines meet, you don't have to make it look perfect, because once we start coloring-in there will no longer be any blanks in-between.
Use the same technique as you used for the body, with thicker lines on the main outline, and any other detail with smaller lines.
If you need to use the paintbrush and eraser tools and it's difficult to work inside the sharp angles, then use the Free Select tool to make a selection and work only in that area.

Make sure that the new layer is selected! I've had many instances when I didn't pay attention and drew my outlines on the wrong layer (then having to undo everything and start over :()
I have no other tips to give, except that the path tool will probably irritate you more when you do the hair. There are a lot more curves and extra details required. Try not to lose yourself in the process.

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline8.jpg
Once you have the main outlines complete, you may add any extra lines to show how the hair flows.
In my sketch, I haven't actually drawn any details in the mane, so I'll do that now.
Make a new layer and name it 'draft'. Pick a bright color (one that is seen very clearly), and draw any extra details on that layer that were not in the sketch.
(You should then either delete or hide the draft layer)
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/draft.jpg
Of course, if your sketch was perfect, or if you can create lines without needing a sketch, then you do not need to do this small step. =)

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...l/outline9.jpg
You're finished? Paw-some! Now do the eyes!

Eyes
Make a new layer and name it 'eye outline'. Click on the small black & white squares on the color tool to reset it back to the color black.
Again, same idea; use the Path tool to draw the outlines.
Here's a series of images to help you:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...eyeoutline.jpg
Note the way in which the path is done for the eyelashes and do exactly the same thing (a dot and a 'flick'). Erase the roots of the bottom eyelashes to make them less round.
To make different types of eyes you will need to edit with the eraser and paintbrush, such as changing the thickness and shape of the eyelashes.
Sometimes, when the eye outline or eyelashes need to be quite thick, you can draw an "outline" of the line on your sketch, then click on Selection from Path and shade in the selected area. (I did this for Jezzi's pony).

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...nefinished.jpg
And that is the end of Step 4! :D Give yourself a pat on the back, you've done a HUGE amount of work!



Step 5: Coloring.
This step will be less tedious, I promise you. ;) So, let's get right to it!
PS. Have you saved your work? Don't forget to save your project once in a while!

Body
Make a new layer right under the body outline layer and name it 'body color'. (Make sure that it is the active layer!)
Still have that color that you wanted your pony to be in saved? Select it! (If you've lost it, use the Eyedropper on the body outline and work you way backwards from there.)
Take out your paintbrush, choose the largest circle brush, make it size 10. Now, roughly color in the pony.
Your pony should now look something like this:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring1.jpg
Take out your eraser, make it an average size (1-3) and erase away the paint around the edges! You should have no problem with this, especially if your image is very large.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring2.jpg
Don't worry about having the eyes colored in as well; we will get back to that later.
Now we need to add a shadow effect to both left legs. Use the Free Select tool (or the Path tool if you wish) to select both of the legs, or one-by-one. Choose the Dodge/Burn tool and use the Burn tool to darken the color. It always depends what the body color is, but I usually set it to Midtones. If it comes out too dark, try Shadows, or lower the Exposure and/or Opacity. Similarly, if it's too light, do the opposite. =)
This is how mine turned out (including the border of the selection):
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring3.jpg
(To remove the selection, choose the rectangle selection tool and click anywhere outside of the selection.)

Hair
Do exactly the same thing with the hair. Make a new layer underneath the hair outline layer, name it 'hair color', fill it in with color and erase away the edges.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring4.jpg

Hmm.. the hair looks a little bland. I would like to add some lighting effects to make it look more realistic.
Use the Dodge/Burn tool with a large Fuzzy Circle brush to add dark and light spots in the right places. If you are an artsy person, this will be a breeze for you!
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring5.jpg]
Of course, you can do the same thing to the body, but personally, I think it's always a bit too much. It's up to you what you do. (;
Notice those little squares that have appeared on the tail, making the highlights look grainy? That could be fixed with the Smudge tool. Go ahead and smooth those lines away.
(Watch out and don't go over the edge, otherwise the transparency will blend with the color pixels, and you will have a ghost pony...Not good..)
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...colouring6.jpg
Errm.. hmm.. uhhh.... that looks better now, right? (nod with me.) Yep, it's all right.

NOW it's starting to look like a pony!
Let's do the mouth now. =D (If it's closed, then you may skip this next part.)

Mouth
Make a new layer, name it 'mouth' and have it below the body color layer.
We're back to making Paths, except that now we only use the "Selection from Path" feature.
Create an outline of the whole mouth (it's under the body layer, so it doesn't have to be perfect where you can't see it). Click on "Selection from Path" and fill the selection with a purple-ish red color. Do the same for the tongue, but an orange-ish red color.
To draw teeth, color in the mouth area white and draw a straight light grey line (using Shift) on the side.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/mouth.jpg
If your pony has a very toothy smile, then add a little horizontal stroke through the middle.
Other than that, a screenshot from the show would be the best example of any type of mouth!

Extra Color Edits:
Unhappy with a color you picked? Not to worry, there is a way to change it. =)
I tend to use these tools to change the color(s):
Select the layer that you would like to edit and go to Colors > Color Balance/Hue-Saturation/Colorize/Brightness-Contrast.
They are easy to understand, so you will be able to figure them out without my help. ;D
I normally use the Colorize tool to change the color completely, then the Brightness-Contrast tool to lighten or darken the tone. The other two I use less often, but they are still very useful.



Step 6: Eyes
Ponies have a special eye design which is easy to draw in GIMP.
First, we need to erase the body color in the eye area. Hide your body color layer and show the Background sketch layer.
Create a path around the whole eye region and click on Selection from Path. Select the body color layer and erase away the whole selection. If there are other layers obscuring the eye, select and erase them as well.
You should now have an empty area for the eyes:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eyes1.jpg
Now we'll be making SIX layers for the eyes. :Shocked: I'll be calling them 'eye1', 'eye2', 'eye3', and so on. They all need to be below the body color and hair color layers.
So, make layer 'eye1'. Show your sketch layer and outline the pupil with a path. Make the path into a whole circle shape, not just a section (ie. imagine what the whole eye looks like behind the eyelid), because if you will have to, say, change the direction of the pony's gaze, it will save you a lot of trouble later on.
Choose Selection from Path and fill the whole layer black.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eyes2.jpg
Do exactly the same thing for the other eye. If the eye is right next to the edge of the face, then obviously, you won't have to go over the edge and draw the whole circle shape.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eyes3.jpg

The next two layers will be the irises. Have them sit below the eye1 and eye2 layers.
Use the same technique as before, except fill them with the eye color of your choice.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eyes4.jpg

Hide the eye layers 1-4 and make an 'eye5' layer. This will be our white light spots layer. I usually make it for one eye (again, using the same technique as before), and then copy and paste it as a new layer for the other eye, then re-sizing it and changing its shape using the Scale Layer, Rotate, and Perspective tools, and sometimes the Flip tool.
Now either make a new layer or use the mouth layer, and paint the remainder of the eye white.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eyes6.jpg

Great! We've got our basic eye finished! All that is left are the highlights and shadows.

Go back to the eye layer that has the colored part of the eye (the iris), on the largest eye.
Every pony has two highlighted bands in each eye, one band lighter and larger than the other. It is usually located in the lower left or right corner of the iris.
Use the Free Select Tool (or the Path tool) to trace the first band, starting from the smaller white light spot and down to the edge of the iris.
Choose the Dodge/Burn tool and a normal circle brush, and dodge the selected area several times, changing between Midtones and Highlights (and changing the Exposure when necessary) to create a lighter band.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...orial/eye8.jpg
De-select this selection and do the same thing with the next band, but dodge less Highlights and more Midtones.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...orial/eye9.jpg
De-select again, and choose the fuzzy circle brush for the Dodge/Burn tool.
This is the fun part! :P You will have to do a lot of trial-and-error, so keep you left hand on the Ctrl+Z keys!
Make the brush about the size of the width of the iris (see picture below), and Dodge first the Midtones and then the Highlights in the area on both sides of the two bands.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eye10.jpg
Burn the Highlights (and Midtones/Shadows also if you'd like), above and below the highlighted area, and also lightly around the edges with a larger brush, to add shadows to the eye and create a 3-D look.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eye11.jpg
Use the Smudge tool where necessary to fix anything (like how you do with the hair).
Now we need to do the same thing with the other eye. If you are confident, you may repeat everything manually, but I normally copy and paste the first eye into the other one.
(This might get a little confusing.. Get ready..) Roughly Free Select the finished iris and Copy and Paste it as a new layer (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, then right-click on Floating Selection and choose "New Layer").
Move it over to the other eye and move the layer down (or up), just above the layer of the other iris. Re-align it using the Rotate, Perspective, Flip and Scale Layer tools, to make it fit. Then select the layer below it (below on the canvas & on the Layers list), right-click and select "Alpha to Selection".
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eye13.jpg
Go back to your Pasted Layer, copy and paste as a new layer, and delete the previous Pasted Layer. (We're almost done..)
Repeat the same Alpha to Selection as before, go to your new pasted layer and smudge all the colors around the edges to fill in the whole eye area.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eye14.jpg
Merge down the pasted layer and add any extra details to fix the eye(s).
Finally, choose a small circle brush and blur all the edges in both eyes, in all six layers, including the two highlighted bands.

Zoom out and check to see if there are any mistakes before merging all the eye layers. (I had to select the second bands again and make them lighter)
I tend to merge all the eye layers once I'm finished with them, because GIMP work slowly for me when there are too many large layers open.
If you wish to have eye shadow, go to your 'body color' layer (or create a new layer), use the Path tool to create a selection (remember the Selection from Path tool?) and fill it in with the color of your choice.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/eye16.jpg

Continue on to the next step to start on the cutie mark!


Step 7: Cutie Mark
Each cutie mark is different, so this step will be very brief, explaining the basic technique. You will be using the Path tool to create your shapes.
Create a new layer for the cutie mark and have it sit on the very top of the other layers. Hide your 'body color' layer and show your background sketch layer.
Choose your color, create your path of the outline and click on the "Stroke Path" button. We do not need the Ink tool this time (phew!), unless you have a special cutie mark design (such as a brush stroke or something).
So, choose the Stroke line option, choose your line width (it always depends on the size of your image - this time I picked a width of 7.0px)
Leave the Solid Color choice as it is, but click on the little + next to Line Style. Change Cap style and Join style to Round so that your lines will be smoother.
(There are some extra options for dashed lines if you need to use those.) Finally, press Stroke.

Sophie has asked for a very simple design, a light blue heart, with no fill:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...rial/heart.jpg
I did a bit of extra tinkering and created a glow around the heart (which is described in Molly's tutorial), and altered the angle with the Perspective tool, since the pony is not standing at a straight angle.
If you would like to fill the shape in, simply create another layer underneath and use the "Selection from Path" tool like you have done for the eyes.
Do exactly the same thing with any other accessories. Here's my example:
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...orial/clip.jpg
Three layers have been used, and I also dodged/burned the heart to make it look rounder.

With the Path tool, the possibilities are endless! Have fun experimenting and creating different cutie mark designs!
Unfortunately, I haven't yet had the time to practise drawing outfits, but maybe you might like to try it out!

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...orial/pony.jpg
Our pony is almost finished! Proceed onto the last step to complete your pony's look!


Step 8: Finishing Off
Save your project and keep it safe in a folder, just in case you want to work on your pony later. Right-click in the Layers box and choose "New from Visible". Make sure that the new layer is selected, Copy and Paste it as a new project. (Ctrl+C, File > New > OK, Ctrl+V) Right-click floating selection and choose "New Layer". Right-click Background layer, click on Delete Layer. You may now close your previous file and work on this new one.

This next part is not necessary if your pony is flying (or if you do not want to have a shadow underneath your pony).
Create a new layer underneath the one with the pony, and select the Ellipse tool . Select the shape for the shadow, press Enter, choose a dark grey color and fill in the selected area.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...ial/shadow.jpg
De-select the selection. If the shadow needs to be in perspective (ie. on a slant), then use the Rotate and/or Perspective tool(s) to adjust it.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...al/shadow2.jpg
Now lower the Opacity of the shadow layer to about 50%. Check to see how it looks on a white background by creating a new white layer underneath and then deleting/hiding it.
http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...al/shadow3.jpg
Looks good! All that is left is to make the image a smaller size.

First, merge your pony and shadow layers together. Then I tend to go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur and blur the whole image by about 1-2px (no more than that!). This removes any grainy lines when resizing the image. It is totally up to you whether you wish to do this or not!
Go to Image > Scale Image and change the image size to whatever you wish it to be. Make sure that the chain icon is linked to keep the picture in the correct proportion! Crop the unwanted edges, if necessary.
If you would like a glow around your pony, you can use Molly's Glow tutorial.
Go to File > Save As, name your file and add .PNG at the end, click Save, then OK.

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/...ial/sophie.png
And there you have it! Your very own pony on a transparent background! Congrats, you have done a lot of work!
If anyone would like to share their work with me, I would love to see it! :Happy:




Thank you all for reading! I have put a lot of effort into this tutorial and I hope it is going to be helpful to others!
Good luck, and feel free to visit my art shop whenever you feel like it! :Flowers:

Olivia Diamondsky 02-04-2012 05:53 AM

Thx for the tutoring! Maybe I'll give it a try! Olivia

Iris Waterdew 02-04-2012 09:32 PM

Thanks for the tips & tricks! I will have to try making a pony sometime :)

Sophie Silkpetal 02-04-2012 10:13 PM

Ohh I'm so excited to see more!! If you're really using my pony in the tutorial... I can't wait to see/know how you make the ponies!

:)

- Sophie

Onionleaf 02-05-2012 03:00 AM

Haha, yep Sophie, you're pretty much going to see EVERYTHING. :D
I would be very happy if even some of you would try drawing a pony. :Happy: It would be so exciting to see other people's pony designs!

Julie Roseblossom 02-05-2012 08:50 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I tried drawing a pony based off of one of the My Little Pony toys I still have from years ago. This was entirely done on the computer, took about an hour/hour and a half. It was actually really fun to do.

Onionleaf 02-05-2012 08:58 AM

Wow, congrats Julie! :Clapping: I still have some of those toys standing on my book shelf. :D Your drawing looks a lot like those toys - well done!
And everything was done on the computer?? That must have been difficult! I would have given up, lol.
This tutorial will only be about the newest MLP design though. I don't know how to draw the old version. :rolleyes:

Julie Roseblossom 02-05-2012 09:05 AM

It wasn't, actually. I did it all in GIMP, with my mouse. I do a lot of computer drawing - my hand drawing is... usually pretty horrible.

I tried drawing the new MLP design as well... it ended up looking more like a cross between a pixie and a blob :Laughing: Maybe I'll have to use your tutorial and figure out what went wrong :Wink:

Onionleaf 02-05-2012 09:12 AM

A pixie and a blob? :Confused: I'm very curious as to know how that looks like, lol.
Well, now it makes more sense. My 'mouse drawings' are always awful. Maybe it's because I'm left handed, but I use the mouse with my right hand. :neutral:
Good luck with the sketches! :DancingStar:

Julie Roseblossom 02-05-2012 09:45 AM

2 Attachment(s)
Your curiosity has been appeased. Image #1.

Here's my strange-looking MLP drawing. Image #2. This is what happens at 10:00 PM with no real experience drawing the newer ones.

Onionleaf 02-05-2012 09:50 AM

Oh my.. it really is a pixie blob! :Shocked: XD Well, at least the second one looks like an actual pony.. My advice would be to keep on practising! :Teasing:

Straw 02-05-2012 05:11 PM

mine ended up looking like a mouse with horse legs and eyelashes.

vilmadebora 02-05-2012 10:19 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Here is mine.
Dandelion. (:

Attachment 5752

Took me a long time.
Followed the tut's pose.

Sophie Silkpetal 02-05-2012 10:47 PM

Oh, Nightshadow, she is so cute! How in the world did you do such a amazing job? On the first/second/third try?! I can't even draw stick figures. :o

- Sophie

vilmadebora 02-05-2012 11:11 PM

It was my first try, ;]. I don't know, it just happened. The hair, though, needs help.


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