May Custom Spotlight

[jupiternwndrlnd]

Our customizer for the month of May is ....coinoperatedgirl!!

wonderful details, and creative design -- congrats coin!

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How long have you been customizing ponies?

A little over a year now.

What got you started?
I had recently decided to start recreating my childhood pony collection and discovered the Customs forum.  I think I started the way a lot of people may have, by seeing some killer custom ponies and thinking "I could do that."  I did a couple for my husband, and then did my first Starry Night pony, and was blessed with scoring a commission for a 4-pony set right after that, which pretty much "bankrolled" my initial paint and airbrush purchases.

Do you enjoy other types of art?
I've always been artistic.  I was known as "that girl with the sketchbook" when I was in high school, sketching models from Elle and Cosmo, and later switched to 3D modelling programs like Bryce and Poser.  I've been doing origami since about '86, and if I could keep my animals from destroying it, I'd do more amigurumi-style crochet.

Do you have any favorite customs done by you or another artist?
Ambar_Jul can do no wrong, I'm in love with Tiella's little resin girls, and I would sell my husband for one of Darkhorse's or LoveLauraLand's customs.

What inspires you?
Nature.  Classic art.  Comic books. 

What types of customizing disasters have you run into?
My airbrush once hid a chunk of red paint until I was nearly finished spraying a lovely pale blue FBR, at which point it released the red and ruined everything.  Also, I'm still trying to scrape the color-change coating off of a styling g3, and it is not going well.  I may actually just set the whole thing on fire and be done with it.

Do you have any favorite tips or tricks?
I don't remember where I heard it suggested, but I started using airbrush paints for fine lines, and my eyelashes have never been better.  If you're airbrushing and thinning down plain acrylics, use Windex.  It's like magic.

Are there any products you just can\'t live without?
It sounds really trivial, but I have a medicine dropper that I use to get just the right amount of Windex mixed in when I thin my paints for use in the airbrush.  It's saved me so much frustration (and paint!).

What advice do you have for someone just starting to get into customizing?
Thin your paints, read some tutorials, and be patient!  Let it dry, and don't touch it.  And don't ever be afraid of experimenting - some of the best things I've ever done came out of thinking "I think this might work."

[kaoskat]

Huge congrats!!!!

[achab1984]

Congrats on being the May Custom Spotlight!

[Saja]

Awesome, Love your work, Massive congrats!!

[coinoperatedgirl]

** squee **

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I'm honored, everyone


Post Merge: May 02, 2013, 06:52:47 PM

I should also make it known that my husband has just banished me to my workshop for the "I'd sell my husband comment"

[Colorscapesart]

Loooovvvveeee your Starry Night girls!  Really, I love all of your work! Congrats on a well deserved spotlight!

[hannaliten]

Congrats, love your ponies!

[StrawberryMeadow]

First of all, A YEAR?!?!?! *dies*

Secondly, I chuckled so much at the selling your husband comment.

Thirdly WINDEX?! *runs out to buy windex and a pipette immediately* Brilliant tip!

[coinoperatedgirl]

First of all, A YEAR?!?!?! *dies*

Secondly, I chuckled so much at the selling your husband comment.

Thirdly WINDEX?! *runs out to buy windex and a pipette immediately* Brilliant tip!

He wasn't amused by the comment, and will likely never let me live it down.  I've apologized profusely to him!

Also, if you've got a pharmacy near you, check with them before buying a pipette.  We give little droppers or oral syringes out to parents when they pick up liquid antibiotics for their kids, they might give you one or two at no charge

[Griffin]

Congrats, Coinop! You do some gorgeous work!

[Elfpony]

Congrats!  You do such lovely work.

Elf

[coinoperatedgirl]

Congrats!  You do such lovely work.

Elf

Thank you!  Your tiny Cthulhu actually inspired my husband to give customizing a try last spring - he made one for himself after getting a basic lesson in sculpting and then airbrushing.  Her tentacles are falling off, but she stands watch over my workshop

[WaePonies]

congrats your ponies are amazing
xoxo

[LadySatine]

Congrats!

[Diamond]

Congrats, a well deserved spotlight.  I like CAS love your Stary Night Pony.