The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Mewtwofan1 on October 24, 2021, 12:36:37 AM
-
In media, it seems there are many different takes on a unicorns horn. You can have the spiral shaped horn, a curved horn more akin to a rhinoceros horn, or curved and shaped like a branch even. You can have a horn that is the same colour as the unicorns coat, a different colour, gold, or even multicoloured. They can even be super long or short! The combinations are seemingly endless, and every unicorn who’s born has worn a horn that’s unique.
So what’s your take on the mythical and magical unicorn horn? Do you have a preference on what shape and colour the horn should be?
-
Not exactly MLP, but I really love the way the unicorn's horn looks in The Last Unicorn. Long, slender, straight, spiraled, and separate from the rest of her head. I like that G5 is doing something pretty similar. The spirals engraved onto their horns is a neat touch, but I think I still prefer spiraled horns. Also wish that the horns on the toys would look more like they do on the models, instead of being the same color as the coat. Ooh, a translucent or a more crystalline horn would be pretty!
-
Not really picky, as long as they're long enough to actually be *visible*. Some of the G4 horns were way too tiny. Also not a huge fan of horns being coloured differently to the main body colour.
I'm also not crazy about the current "stick a horn on everything" trend x) Unicorn horns are for unicorns only!
-
Whether on MLP or other unicorns (artwork etc.), I like horns that are proportionate! :D Big, bulky horns are my pet peeve but I'm also not a fan of super long slender horns. The ideal length (IMO) is about 1-1.5 x the length of the horse's head. Short, stubby horns may be cute but they always make me think of foals, so they look a little funny if on a horse/pony that's meant to be an adult. That said, I'm all for artistic freedom, and I like a variety! Classic spiral horns are my favourite, but I enjoy seeing and drawing other styles, like smooth curved horns, uneven twisted horns (think Queen Chrysalis!), branch-like horns, and so on. And while this thread is about horns, I like the variety in depictions of unicorns in general. To me, unicorns will always be first and foremost white horses with horns, and I wasn't in love with The Last Unicorn when I read the book around the age of 12-13. :D (Still haven't seen the film! I should watch it some day...) I've become more lenient since then and now enjoy pretty much all iterations, from cloven hooves to lion tails, and even a goat-like appearance. Melody Peña's (Windstone) "gothic" unicorns are some of my favourite!
I like G1 horns. G2 and G3 are fine too. G4 could've been better, they're a bit too stubby to my liking (I'm speaking of regular unicorn brushable toys here). The huge difference between the princesses and the other unicorns is a bit funny. I don't have any strong opinions about G5 horns so far... In art, I prefer natural-looking horns so the colour should be white/off-white like bone or brownish like keratin. However, for some reason I think MLP look best when the horn matches the rest of the body, especially as most MLP don't have distinct hooves. I don't like the horns that light up (G2/G3).
-
They're great for stabbin' stuff :bigups:
I like spiraled horns, and like Griffin, when they are proportionate.
-
However, for some reason I think MLP look best when the horn matches the rest of the body, especially as most MLP don't have distinct hooves.
You know, I think that's why I don't much care for MLPs with unmatching horn colours, too. I was looking at some non-MLP unicorn art earlier, with the horns a different colour to the body, and I wondered why it didn't bug me as much as it does with MLPs... but that must be it. You need the hooves to be a different colour too if the horn is, otherwise the horn stands out too much, I think. Looks too "tacked on".
I love medieval, lion-tailed unicorns. :lovey: Would love to see one in MLP one day. (Oooh, imagine if the G4 princesses had lion tails instead of their galaxy manes....)
-
Personally I don't have a number-one favorite--I actually like the variety of different Unicorn horn depictions, because it gives the suggestion that there is (or once was) a healthy and wide variety of different Unicorn sub-species. The idea that there are regional variants to the ways that different Unicorns evolved, and that this variety is the result of the great abundance of Unicorns in the wild across the realm, is a very happy and heartening thought to me! In terms of MLP I like the G1 spiraled horns best, but on other toys or animated characters or real horses, I'm down for whatever!! I once built a snow Unicorn with an icicle horn that looked pretty rad being lit up by a cell phone flash light--maybe that's the closest thing to what I'd imagine a real Unicorn (perhaps from my regional area!) looking like...?
-
I agree it has to match the rest of the design! I love the sharp, slender horn of the Last Unicorn, but it would look out of place on the otherwise very rounded G1. I'm also a fan of using curved horns for more mystical designs, like Mistmane in FiM :) would've liked to see a toy version of her.
-
Oooh I just looked up Mistmane, she's gorgeous! I'd love a toy of her, too.
-
I like the good old spiral unicorn horn, that looks silver to white(like pearl or ivory). I, too, am a fan of the Last Unicorn film. BUT!!! But when it comes to My Little Pony, having been raised with uni's that have matching horn/body color, I like for the Little Ponies to stay that way.
-
I'm pretty happy with just about any unicorn style...long, short, stubby, slender, spiral, matching body color, gold, crystal, shimmery, just about anything goes! The only thing that I actively dislike is if they're not straight or solid. Curved horns look super weird to me in a very unattractive way, and I hated Chrysalis' jagged horn. I did give Tempest Shadow a break though since her horn was injured and not naturally meant to look that way. Otherwise, if the horn is straight, I think they're all pretty or cute in their own way.
-
Oooh what a fun topic! I didn't realize I had strong opinions on unicorn horns until now! :lmao:
So I generally like The Last Unicorn type horns as well; long, spiral, of a similar color to the body. Pearlescent or shimmery make sense, or if it's white like bone; like a narwhal, basically! (If we consider a unicorn a biological reality, then a horn would be bone!) I get a little squinty when horns are gold or the like, because it feels more 'tacked on' and less like it grew naturally; for that reason, I really like MLP horns, because even if it's the same color as the body, it makes sense because it's obviously connected! Basically, the more a horn can look like it's a natural part of the body, the more I like it.
-
to contrast everyone here I really like how different G5's horns are.
But to agree with everyone else I do like 'em long. G4 mention goes to Mistmane and her tribe.
Also do the kirin count? 'cus I like those.
-
Oh right, I forgot the kirin had horns! I guess the shape and angle makes it read more like a singular antler to me... now I'd be curious to see a branched horn on a unicorn...
-
For My Little Pony, I like the G1 style best. Twirled and the same color as the body, is really cute. But, that doesn't mean that I'll get upset if they're not that way on other generations. G1 will always be there for me.
And as for other art forms, I like them all. It's neat to see how other artists interpret the unicorn.
-
Kirin aren't really unicorns though, at least not in the western understanding of what a unicorn is (the word kirin can be used for unicorn but it's also used for giraffe, so...yeah...let's not even go there). In any case, I am not quite sure how I see them, but I don't see them as a unicorn - more related to a deer than a horse? Maybe that's just the Japanese though, but it does feel that way (which would be more of an antler maybe than a horn...possibly?)
Personally, I've never thought about this before. I don't think I've a massive strong feeling about it overall. I was always happy with G1 horns as they were. I like statues with long pointed unicorn horns. I'm not wild about fakies in general, so am not sure if the horn/hoof thing matters to me...
I agree that horns do not belong on every species just to make money. But narwhals are fine :)
-
Kirin aren't really unicorns though, at least not in the western understanding of what a unicorn is (the word kirin can be used for unicorn but it's also used for giraffe, so...yeah...let's not even go there). In any case, I am not quite sure how I see them, but I don't see them as a unicorn - more related to a deer than a horse? Maybe that's just the Japanese though, but it does feel that way (which would be more of an antler maybe than a horn...possibly?)
IIRC, classical unicorns are closer to deer and goats than horses, so I can see kirins as the edgier cousin to unicorns.
-
Kirin aren't really unicorns though, at least not in the western understanding of what a unicorn is (the word kirin can be used for unicorn but it's also used for giraffe, so...yeah...let's not even go there). In any case, I am not quite sure how I see them, but I don't see them as a unicorn - more related to a deer than a horse? Maybe that's just the Japanese though, but it does feel that way (which would be more of an antler maybe than a horn...possibly?)
IIRC, classical unicorns are closer to deer and goats than horses, so I can see kirins as the edgier cousin to unicorns.
There is an old theory that a unicorn is actually a rhinoceros, so...:)
I guess I see your point, but for me they're distinctly different enough to not overlap. A kirin is a kirin to me, not really a deer and not a unicorn. Just a kirin.
But I'm not quite sure how the chinese (Qilin) is represented in general. The Japanese may have taken theirs closer to the deer because the deer is traditionally sacred in shintou, so I'm not sure if we're talking about two mythical creatures who have evolved from their roots or just one.
And the Japanese do use kirin to refer to a giraffe, which is definitely NOT a unicorn. :)
-
I actually did some research on kirin/qilin myths for a character and mlp got pretty close. Yes even the Nirik thing they had ties to spitting fire.
-
I'm also a fan of the Last Unicorn and I think that they are the ideal unicorn for me.
-
I have no strong opinions on unicorn horns other than G4's were too stubby.
However...
In G5 it seems like the horns are on TOP of the head rather than on the forehead, which bothers me. A bit hard to tell on Izzy because of her bangs (it's hard to call it a forelock when there's so much), but it's very obvious on Alphabittle.
visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Right between the ears. I don't like it at all.
But maybe it's just a problem with Alphabittle? Don't feel like skimming through the movie to get profile views of background ponies, but the other unicorns don't seem to be as extreme. Would still prefer it to be further down.
-
^ TBH I think it's just the shape of his head and probably the angle, because unicorn horns are very difficult to draw from the front. :D And this generation seems to favour the front view a lot! It's probably related to the fact that the anatomy in general is closer to predatory animals (cats, dogs, humans), apparently to make them "cuter". But now that you mention it, the position kinda reminds me of anthro/human unicorns, or people wearing unicorn headbands. Anyway, any profile views I could find of G5 unicorns seem pretty normal to me. The G5 ponies have a rather weird skull shape...
As for non-MLP unicorns, you sometimes see interpretations where the horn doesn't protrude from the middle of the forehead but the top of the head (occipital crest? anyone here more familiar with horse anatomy?) so that it's kind of aligned with the spine. I guess anatomically that would make more sense. In fact, medieval (http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=royal_ms_12_f_xiii_f021r) and Renaissance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicorn) depictions of unicorns tend to favour this style...
-
Spiral horns are the best. But depending on the unicorn, different horns may be better suited so I dont mind different styles. My big no no is when horns are put in the middle of the mane growth. That is just wierd... Its fine if the mane is styled around the horn but it shouldnt just sit in the hair.
-
I have always thought the horn on the dieu et mon droit crest is quite elegant actually.
Also thank you Griffin for separating mediaeval and renaissance. I see so many comments online where people say renaissance when they mean mediaeval...they overlap yes...but are not the same.
That first image looks a bit odd mind.
-
you know who does good horns?
all the bella sara artists
-
you know who does good horns?
all the bella sara artists
Cannot deny
-
I was gonna post examples but something went wrong with the imbed