For the 20th anniversary of the Arena, we are bringing back the Custom Spotlight on a monthly basis! We want to showcase the talent and creativity of our custom community. Each month a new customizer will be chosen.
For our May Spotlight we have Griffin!
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loginSerenity (2010).
This may well be one of my most successful colour schemes ever, very subtle.
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loginTalvenmarja (2014),
Holiday swap custom.
How did you get started customizing ponies?A friend of mine had stumbled upon this hobby and made a couple of customs - I found them stunning and was instantly hooked! At the time the main idea was to give poor condition G1 ponies a new life, it was only later I discovered the whole range of things you can do and started getting more ambitious with techniques.
How long have you been customizing ponies?Since 2005. Almost twenty years!
Where do you get the ideas for your custom ponies? What inspires you?Everywhere. Nature inspires me, different colours and colour combos, music... Other people's art, including but not limited to ponies. I don't copy but might look for a certain mood or something less tangible when browsing artworks for inspiration. I love swaps the most because I'll have my partner's list of interests and can go from there.
Has your style or process changed from when you started?Not that much, I guess? Of course I've improved my techniques over the years, have found my favourite supplies to use, have become more confident with my style - and learning new techniques has brought new aspects. But the main process is still mostly the same. For example, I still rehair with the needle & thread method (well, at least it's not wire which is what I used first, it was so frustrating to use and rough on my hands!) and do all my painting by hand.
What's the hardest part of customizing?Finding the time for it, and motivation to finish things. One of the things I hate most is when my supplies like paint or sealer don't behave the way they should. And this happens more often now that I have so little time and all the products sit around for years.
Bait prepping can also be difficult and tedious!
What do you like most about customizing?Seeing my designs come to life, and even more so if there are "happy accidents" along the way! Sometimes things don't work out the way I thought they would but the unexpected result might be even better! I also really love detail painting. Like really love. It's my favourite part about customising
(Don't get me wrong, eyes sometimes give me problems and to be honest, I still leave out upper lashes because I couldn't get them right with my first customs so I kind of made that my "style"...
)
Do you have a favorite custom you've made?I'm not sure I want to name any favourites, I strive to make each custom a new favourite!
What was your first custom? Do you still have it?This one was my first and I still have her. Despite the obvious flaws I still like her. I made a few after this that were much worse in design and/or technique!
https://flic.kr/p/2kS95v3What supply can't you live without?Gesso and white Folk Art paint (other colours are fine but I've learned white needs to be this brand for successful full-body repaints).
Do you do other types of art?Yes, I draw/paint (traditional mostly, although I dabble a bit in digital as well) and do paper crafts. I also customise other toys in theory, lol! I just never seem to find the time. My first doll is still a WIP and has been for years. MLP customs have introduced me to sculpting and I've done some polymer clay figurines. I'd love to try my hand at posable art dolls some day.
What tips can you offer customizers just starting out?Don't be afraid to experiment! It's very difficult to "ruin" a pony unless you start hacking off limbs or something.
Invest in a small set of quality materials before branching out. Practice your hand & eye coordination and get comfortable with your supplies - learn the optimal consistency of paint, at what point to wet your brush, etc. Most importantly, have fun! Make the customs you've always wanted to make, that way you'll pour your love into them and it will show in the finished result.
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loginOctober Nights (2010).
A Halloween swap custom. I think this is where I truly started to find my style. I tried many new techniques like gradients and dry brushing!
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loginLindisfarne (2014).
I had a crazy idea and then made it happen.
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loginCandy Rain (2020).
Monochrome swap custom.
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