Greetings! This was the pic that most grabbed me from the Drawfriend on EquestriaDaily 08/26/2017, and I wanted to share some feedback.



Ever since I started making art, I was always fascinated by the types of images that use an irregular border. Rather than construct a simple rectangle or circle to bring to mind images of viewing something through a photograph or telescope lens, instead the entire image is used as a shape itself, setting itself up like a floating diorama in front of me that I can hold in my hand. It's interesting in that it leaves the "true" background color to that of the website hosting it, which can make the quality of the color choice vary depending on which website you view it on. DeviantArt's typical light green works especially well here.



The most visually striking element of this picture is how you shaded the character of Rarity. You applied such clean, shiny texture to the hair to distinguish it from the fur, and it really does look like hair, and visually attractive hair at that. The shading on the body is less textured but gives a clear depiction of the form, giving the viewer a reasonably transparent view of her muscular structure. Even the tribal markings are well-shaded, and they are given added credence thanks to the quick paint strokes used to render them as well as naturally flowing with the body.



Though most of Rarity's mane is identical to her canonical appearance, I have to give massive credit for modifying her hairstyle ever so slightly and constructing your own unique look for her. Making a believable yet compelling hairstyle is a very difficult task, and I applaud it when I see it. I also like how Rarity's hair is mostly still well-maintained despite being tribal, but we can see tiny strands of purple sticking out of the front of her mane that subvert this norm. Although, it does make me wonder how the top of her mane is messy while her lower half and tail are still flawless.



Your line of action is great, perfectly appropriate for the pose she's got. Bending down to eat grass, her front legs are spaced out to leave room for her head, and her backside curves upward since she's still standing up. It's an elegant pose, though since it's Rarity, I suppose I'll call it "refined". One thing I find to be a mixed bag about this one is the expression. On the one hand, the fact that she's smiling with grass in her mouth is obvious from her body language and the context of the environment. Her eyes definitely read happy, her bulging cheeks suggest that her mouth is full, and the shading on her face kind of makes it look like one of those ancient stone statues with the big noses. At the same time, there looks to be almost a complete absence of an actual mouth. I can see a tiny recess under the nose that would indicate where it is, but it's so minor that I can't read it at all. The immediate expression I get out of this pic is one of contentment, but the lack of mouth makes it ambiguous enough that it might not be the case. Speaking of ambiguity, I'm not entirely sure what the red stuff is in Rarity's mane. It might be flowers, but it could also be mushy rotten tomatoes that someone threw at her. The texture could point me to either.



In addition to the nonstandard border, the background art looks like something straight out of an indie game. There's a highly legitimate style to it that makes it look just as refined as the character, and the colors used keep the entire palette on the cool side of the spectrum, setting a calmer and more "natural" tone. If I look closely, even Rarity has a little green in her fur coloring, so I can see this tone you've set is intentional. It fits in the sense of realism too, as I believe it is the light reflecting off the grass. Nicely done. If there's one thing I might have wanted so that this picture had a little extra "something", it would be an extra dosage of personality injected into the scene. From this image alone, I can read that Rarity is in the jungle, eats grass without silverware, wears something red in her mane, and covers herself in tribal markings. You covered the two points I'd expect about Rarity: being "native" yet still fashionable. However, I could just as easily see this exact picture working equally as well with Fluttershy, Applejack, or even Mrs. Cake since tribal markings and "things in the mane" are such common tribal character tropes. Rarity's always been the character that likes to stand out from the crowd, and showcasing her wearing something original would go a long way to make this picture feel more character-specific. Something like wearing a vine or even a snake as a scarf or even something as simple as having her tribal markings covered in glitter. You gotta be a Rarity to get the most out of Rarity, and I hope you can get a little more out of her next time. I also hope you are able to put this feedback to good use. Make the most!