Brand New to Ponies!

[MeekKitty]

Hello everyone! I'm brand new to the site ((obviously)) and brand new to pony collecting/customizing...To tell you the truth, I've only just seriously gotten into ponies since Friendship is Magic came out & I became a fan of the show. Thus, I started to obtain the merchandize & one thing led to another, & now I find myself collecting the g3's & g1's!!!  What happened!? lol Well, I do remember I used to have a g3 playset & a green pony (was it you Minty?) as a kid but I gave it away, which I really regret doing. Besides that one pony, I never had much interest in girly stuff at the time (being a Pokemon obsessed tomboy) but, now everything's changed. I suspect my girly side finally awakened due to suppressing it for so long.

Anyway, I myself am from Arizona, US. I just graduated high school & am now entering college. I've always been into art- specifically animation & am going to pursue a career as a traditional 2D animator. Movies are my life (sad I know).

I joined this site mainly to get some pointers and advice from you fellow customizers, being the complete noob that I am. I'm currently working on my first g3 custom & I could use all the help I can get. (Like what acrylic sealer should I use? What kind of airbrush paint works best on g3's? So on.) It's great to meet all of you!

[Diamond]

Welcome to the Arena, if that green pony had mints on her side that Minty it was.  She happens to be one of my all time favorites. 

[Sarahlacewing]

Nice to meet you! Pokemon for the win btw although I am a big fan of digimon and beast wars and other 80-90s vintage toys.  I hang out on the customizers board a lot.  We have some really excellent tutorials.  As to the sealant it depends on what look you want.  The big thing is thin coats!

I have:
Testors dullcote (I use the spray not the paint on.  I ordered it form an online craft site because my local hobby lobby didn't keep it in stock) this one is great if you don't want the final pony to look shimmery.  Also if you find you have trouble with your climate making your sealant sticky this is a good option.
Mod Podge Matte (I have the spray and the paint on bought both at walmart but hobby lobby or most craft stores carry it)  This is going ot be more shiny than the testors.  It gives the pony a little shimmer.  If you are using bottle mod podge you will want to dilute it with water.  People use different ratios.  But generally a thin milk like consistency works for me. 
Mod Modge Gloss (bottle not spray) Great for eyes and symbols because it really is glossy and gets a nice shine.  I don't use this for a whole pony because it's too... well glossy and it makes them look very slick/wet at times.

Now I can't speak for everyone else but I have also used:
Americana satin varnish and Americana multipurpose sealer. Americana is a cheaper brand but the quality suffers (just my opinion).  With both I had trouble with paint loss even on dry surfaces so make sure you rinse your brushes really well.  And with both I had some minor color distortion.  The sealer portions looked darker than when they were originally painted.  However, I will say that I did have some success with them they just aren't as standard as mod podge or testors. 

I'll be watching for your customs! Feel free to drop me a line if you ever need help or I can direct you to tutorials.  Enjoy!

Edit: Also I know Netflix is really popular right now and they added season 1 and 2 of fim on there.  They also have the xmen animated series, beast wars, and some other really choice vintage shows in case you have it but are not aware.  I'm not really into FIM but it's a nice way to watch them from the beginning if you missed some.

[kittybethy]

Hello and welcome to the Arena!

 Glad to have a new collector!

[kiwimlp]

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 to the Arena

I hope you enjoy expanding your collection now that you are here.  Maybe you can even find a replacement for the playset you one had

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Welcome - please check out our customs board! 

[TrixieStix]

Arizona! 

Movies are great!

I just love the designs, costumes, sets, everything!
 
Good luck with your schooling!

[ZennaBug]

Welcome to the Arena!!!

[teresat]

Welcome!

[SourdoughStomper]

Hi there and greetings, MeekKitty! Welcome! Yay for another Arizonan!

[Tiella]

Welcome, there is lots of useful info in our customs forum!