The MLP Arena
Creativity => Customs => Topic started by: jupiternwndrlnd on March 01, 2012, 02:59:43 PM
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Our customizer for the month of March is....Kimmers4Ever!!
Even in a short amount of time, you have made a huge impact! Your customs are wonderful :) congrats Kimmers!
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How long have you been customizing ponies?
This May it will be one year. Wow, feels like I've been doing this for a lot... lot longer.
What got you started?
Interesting story. (Or maybe not, but you get it anyhow)
Roughly two years ago(?), my little sister handed me a box of supplies and said I should make ponies. I honestly thought she was crazy. So the box sat in my bedroom for a year. During that time, every time I passed it I found myself looking at it.
“I loved ponies as a kid...” was my thought.
“It kinda sounds fun...” was my other.
The thing that stopped me was it (at the time) seemed silly. Me? Customizing toys? I'm a grown woman. Of course, my husband had the same feeling.
However, last year I passed the box and actually stopped to look in it. All that stuff was intimidating and I didn't even know what half of it was for. So I ended up searching customizing online and found the arena. After looking around the customs forum... I wanted to do it.
My husband was my last hurdle. He wasn't thrilled about the idea, he pointed out a commercial... Remember the one with the room full of unicorn stuff, with the guy and his wife? She had a new unicorn painting. It was a commercial for a storage group? Either way, he was worried I'd turn our house into //that//.
“I don't want to be //that// guy,” he said.
Took some persuasion, but he eventually-and rather reluctantly-agreed to let me give it a try. I think I've won him over to the customs (not the collecting non-custom ponies tho) when I made Ali'ikai'kea.
He's still mad I sent her away to live with JPP. visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Either way, that's how I got started. The people of the Arena have kept me going with all the help, advice and encouragement.
Do you enjoy other types of art?
I have an AA in Art, so I've had my hands into various areas, but I've always been an illustrator/cartoonist, of sorts.
Before all this I was taking cartooning classes. I love coming up with things that would make people laugh. I had a couple of small projects I did: “A Bird's Life” when I use to breed birds. I also drew a bunch of comics for my husband's RC group, called “Al the Alien.”
Also got my hands into the Graphic Arts, owning a vinyl graphics business for a time, but I just couldn't do the work alone. I keep hoping to pull out the machine again and start doing it on a smaller scale.
I'm also dipping my feet into the ART of writing thanks to customizing as well.
Do you have any favorite customs done by you or another artist?
Not sure how to answer this one! How does anyone pick just one thing by anyone? I have so many favorite customs, by so many customizers. I don't want to leave anyone out and I know I would forget someone or something... so I think I'll take the political way out and say: “I have too many to list and we don't have all day. visitors can't see pics , please register or login
” Cause I really don't just have one or two, I have a huge list.
When it comes to my own? Ali'ikai'kea, I think is my favorite. She was my proof I could do this and that I still had it in me to be creative. Plus, it won over my husband, who now encourages me and whines everytime I box up a pony to ship. More recently, PopRocks was another. So much color! <3 I already have other ideas for pop art style ponies.
What inspires you?
The world and life. Everything I see, hear and experience. My husband's biggest complaint is when we are out and about and I look really carefully at something or take a picture. He knows what I'm thinking... “You're thinking of ponies aren't you.” Of course, he's right.
He once asked me, “Is everything a pony to you?”
My only answer could be, “Yes, yes it is.”
I just wish I had the time to do it all, cause I forget half my ideas while working on others.
What types of customizing disasters have you run into?
The long time running disaster I have currently? The paint flaking off the neck around the plugs when I rehair a pony. It's like... every pony I make, no matter how I try to protect it.
Another one was having the sculpting break on a G4 as I mashed it's head back on. visitors can't see pics , please register or login
That was no fun.
Or the time I had to totally rehair a custom, because I mixed to different brands of hair.
I know there are a lot more, but I think they were so traumatic I suppressed the memories.
Do you have any favorite tips or tricks?
Some of the best tips I got were:
1. Make-up sponges for full body repaints if you don't have an airbrush. I LOVE those things. I use them all the time. BUT! I learned the hard way that you don't use them for modge podge... the white sponges are not fully white. There are these tiny tiny blue and red micro fibers... a huge pain in the butt, especially on white paint.
2. Vaseline is your best friend when sculpting. You can bake Sculpy and with a thin layer of Vaseline you can put unbaked clay over it. It helped me stay sane when making my Under The Sea Swap pony. So... many... scales.
3. Lower Baking temps. You can bake just about anything with a lower baking temp, not everything, but a lot of stuff. I use to think everything HAD to be bakes at the recommended temp, but not so. Lowering to temp to 210 lets you bake things like G4's with no problem.
I think that's some of the best tips I've receive to date.
My own tip: Never mix Katsilk and Dollyhair. NEVER!!! Especially if you want to curl it. One doesn't curl as easily as the other.
Are there any products you just can\'t live without?
Paint brushes. *sage nod* Or PAINT! Where would we be without those!?!
What advice do you have for someone just starting to get into customizing?
Don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask for advice from the seasoned customizing vets. They are happy to help. Just don't take what they say personally or get discouraged, they are honestly trying to help.
Also take your time, this isn't a race to see how many customs you can crank out. Look at each as a masterpiece. Think of that plastic body as a canvas. Treat each as your life's work. Quality over quantity.
And never be afraid to show what you have done. One of the biggest lessons I was taught in college was: “Everyone is an artist.”
If you put your heart and soul into something, if you gave it your best shot and spent hours on it trying to make it the best thing ever... That is one awesome custom right there.
You can honestly tell when someone put a lot of work and effort into something. If you do your best and challenge yourself, you'll only get better. I've watch so many people just blossom and grow and get better over the short time I've been here. Heck, I look at Ivy and I look at my newer stuff and I see such a huge difference.
It's amazing.
Just never give up! The only bad custom is the one left unmade.
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Thank you so much guys. I can't even begin to express how humbling it was when Jupi told me about this. And Jupi... Your words right there just lit up me up and touched me.
<3 this place and the people.
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<--- is a huge Kimmers fan! I love everything you do! Congrats on a well deserved spotlight!
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OMG YAY! You deserve this so much, you are an AMAZING artist and it's been a pleasure welcoming you into our community and watching your leaps and bounds!
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Yay, you so deserved this! I have loved seeing you grow as an artist. You are amazing and an inspiration to me!
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Grats Kimmers! You are awesome and I have loved watching you progress <3
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Congrats girlie! I've loved watching you grow as an artist! Your ponies are amazing! :lovey:
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Congratulations, and I think that's my favorite interview to date! :hug: I'm glad you were able to bring your hubby around where customs are concerned. :P
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Congratulations! This is OH so well deserve, your work is inspirational!
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What fantastic customs! A deserving winner ! :D xxx
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Very big congrats!! Your work is beautiful!
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Congrats doll - I am so proud to own Ali'ikai'kea! She is one of my all time favorites :)
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Congratulations! I can't believe you've been customizing for less than a year! Your ponies are BE-AU-TIFUL!!!
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Kim, you really deserved it!! Love your art
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Congrats, is great to hear more about you! An im shock over how short your customising life has been! Far out, coz your customs ROCK!!
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Yay for the well-deserving Kimmers! Congratulations! :cheer:
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congrats hon, your customs really are works of art and truly beautiful xxx
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Congrats, Kimmers! You do some beautiful work. Every time I see that close up picture of you G4 Parasol I just melt - she has the best expression ever!
Elf
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Congrats! Love your work! :heart:
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I LOVE your work! congrats!! :)
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I have to admit it's been hard not to reply to each and everyone of the responses here. I didn't want to over do it, with thank you after thank you. However, I want each and everyone of you to know that I have read what you have written and it warms my heart. As a new customizer, I am always worrying what people think, even after people tell me such wonderful things. (It's amazing I don't have an ulcer from worry!) So each time someone says something, it's still like a heart warming and thrilling experience for me.
My only hope is that I can keep doing this well... continue to be worth of the title and even maybe raise the bar on myself some more, by continuing to learn what y'all have to teach me.
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Congratulations, Kimmers! I've loved your work for ages, and this interview was so much fun to read. thanks for being a wonderful part of this community, and an inspiration to everyone!
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Thank you so much for the advice, I recently learned the hard way about not mixing Katsilk and Dollyhair :(
I also won my husband over with a cool custom he loves. Lol...
Great work and congrats!
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*High Five* fellow cartoonist!
The way you do eyes is amazing, they're so full of life and energy.
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Just never give up! The only bad custom is the one left unmade.
This! :lol:
Congrats to you!
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major congrats!! my favourite part about your customs are the various expressions you put into their eyes...
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Congrats, Kimmer!!! :cheer:
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I e njoyed your interview--congrats! : D
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Congrats!!!! Your customs are beautiful, and you are such a wonderful person. :hug: