Mohawk's Ponies

I've mostly been too busy to deal with anything pony, but I thought I'd take a minute to share this.

Normally I use fairly cheap acrylics for my customs — not quite bottom-shelf stuff, but decent craft quality, like Apple Barrel. A few weeks ago I was at the craft store for something unrelated when I breezed past the paints, then stopped, backed up, and peered at this new section.

I remembered seeing some ads in a magazine for these Martha Stewart brand acrylics, how they were supposed to work on more surfaces, etc. I was curious. I grabbed a bottle of what looked more or less like a good Rainbow Dash color, just to try. I didn't notice that I'd grabbed the satin finish, though honestly I'm not even sure that there is an absolutely matte variety.

It is an absolute pleasure to work with. The paint is creamy and even, and I barely had to add any water to it. It goes on smooth with very little trouble and feels pleasant to the touch once it's dry. Whereas Apple Barrel, Folk Art, and comparable brands have a sort of chalky texture, and the artist-grade tube of white that I have feels almost waxy, this stuff is brilliantly smooth and my fingers feel clean after handling it. It's a bit shinier than a factory pony, but not by very much. It also seems more durable than the other brands I've used.

The best part is the coverage, which is way more thorough than a paint this inexpensive has any right to be. The photo below shows two of my WIPs; although the original bait colors and the paint colors are very different, I looked at these very closely, and the level of coverage is about the same for both at this stage.

But in order to achieve the same kind of coverage as the new Martha stuff, I had to use three times as many coats of the cheaper paint.





So I just found my new favorite brand. I'm not sure how well different colors would blend together for mixing, but once my life settles down and I can work on customs again, this is definitely going to be my go-to paint.

...and I never, ever thought I'd actually go out of my way to recommend anything that has the name "Martha Stewart" attached to it.

NEW PHOTOS, 5/7/12

Name: Sun Runner
Year Made: 2012
Base: G4 Fluttershy
Hair: DH Nectarine and Buttercreme; clippings from blank G3
Features: Original base color. NDS side has an older version of his cutie mark, so he's like his own historical document.
Production Notes: I really wanted to give him a turning head, but I cannot for the life of me get the plug back into his head. I tried everything I could think of: sticking objects in the neck hole to stretch it out, carving the neck hole wider with a knife, pliers, vaseline... all I got to show for it was this really painful open wound on my thumb from when the pliers slipped. The head is glued on for now, but it would be easy to pull off again if I decide to try again.

Also, Buttercreme was not the right color to use. Way too pale. I'm thinking Butter Pecan next time.

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Guess I'm on an OC kick.

I don't usually make unicorns, but Starscrape insisted she had to have a horn. Her cutie mark represents the fact that life is never free of struggle or suffering, even when things are going well. So uplifting, right?

She might be related to Sun Runner.



( Ref )

IT IS FRIDAY THE 13th.

Here's the auction link, if anyone wants to post it all over the internet. *whistles innocently*



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It was so secret, you didn't even know it was happening!

This finally reached completion yesterday, and I've been running around to different spots at different times of the day, chasing the light and trying to grab the best photos for his big day on eBay.

But here's a sneak peak!

( Drumroll please )