** EQD-Featured on 2/18/15 ! ! ! Thank you, for the submission**Phew! Man, I have honestly gotta say that this is the most involved picture I have ever done @_@ Not to say that I didn't have a blast, because I definitely did!As I look at this, it's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around that this started out as a very basic pencil-to-paper sketch and its transformation to what it is now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be cocky; that's the very last thing I want to be. But my favorite part about creating something is to watch it get from Point A to Point B. For the very first time, I actually recorded my art process, which I will edit later into a video matched with music to show you guys how it came to beCan't wait to work on that!Anyhow, I am proud to say thathas inspired me to create again. I used to watch the series back in the 80s and 90s and fell in love with it then, but the world ofhas created a unique culture I have never seen before.Whether it's art, fanfics, whatever - the possibilities for what I want to do are endless and I have met some wonderful people through this fandom. I enjoy browsing to see the amazing creations this series has sparked others to make and it's truly a beautiful thing to be a part of.Of all the characters in the show, Sunset Shimmer is my absolute favoriteI feel like I can relate to her and find her story very interesting. Since her introduction in the firstI was hooked to her character and took it upon myself to explore her world. Writing analyses on her character, her past, her cutie mark, etc. I even started writing a fanfic about her called, which you can *shameless plug* find here Among the countless things I wrote in my journal about 2 years ago was to have Sunset Shimmer rise above all the negative things that have happened in her life and to ultimately embrace her destiny as an Element bearer, perhaps some kind of lost or evasive element that isn't easy to master or even discover, but proves to be one of the most, if not the most powerful element of all...Forgiveness.Let's face it, guys. Friendship and relationships in general aren't always going to be sunshine and rainbows. There have been many times when I had a few falling outs with those close to me, but in the end, we forgave each other because friendship and love proved stronger than any tiff. To me, taking into account her past and especially the road she's on now as evidenced by, I strongly feel like Sunset Shimmer is the perfect candidate to be the next Element of Harmony bearer and a new leader to the others.Okay, I'm ramblingBefore I conclude this, I would like to say that not only does this picture represent my love for the show (and Sunset Shimmer)But I'd like for this to also serve as a testament to my love for my friends. Since I lost my best friend a few years ago, it's become harder for me to open up to others. I used to tell her everything, she was like a sister to me. This picture goes out to her, too. Tern, I love you, dude, and I know it was you that helped me make this happen.I'd like to give a shoutout to those who have definitely made a difference in my life, personally and creatively:Thank you all for being there for me when I just want to talk or chat about story and art stuff. Rob, I enjoy our conversations and am happy to call you my closest pal now. Thanks for putting up with me and here's to another near decade of friendshipSome of you I just started talking to, but your work has definitely left an impression on me and I hope we can become closer friends in timeYou have all inspired me so much and I just want to say thank youLast but not least, I want to thank all of the voice actresses/actors, animators, artists, and everyone at Hasbro and behind the magic of all spans of the MLP universe for making this phenomenon what it is today. Without you, I wouldn't have found my inspiration to create again, so my gratitude is endless for you allI know the background is atrocious LoL I have no experience in creating them, so I did my best. I wanted to do the grass myself, but it wasn't coming out properly. So I did some makeshift grass instead and used some of these brushes. For the Elements, I used these for the sparklesThe sky, mountains and clouds I did myself from scratch and to be honest, the clouds were my favorite part of the background and the most fun (and painful) to work on. It's not perfect and mostly likely, I'll be going back to it to make touch-ups here and there. But it'll do for now, I thinkFor the clouds, I used tutorials such this video and this as my guides.Well, I'd write more but I have to get up for work in about 6 hours, so off to bed I go!Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all enjoy the picture ^^Happy trails!My Little Pony/My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic © HasbroArtwork: Sketched on paper with mech-pencils, scanned into computer then inked/colored w/ Paint Tool SAI, BG done in PhotoshopCreated by me (JeNnDyLyOn aka J. Dilbert)Please do not copy, redistribute or steal! If you want to use it for something, please ask for my permission first.