First off, Sleep has really gone and outdone himself. Gifts of art are some of the most precious ones for me, as even when they're commissioned, it still shows a lot of consideration and care and labor put into it. And this one is sure impressive that way. Sleep... you're awesome, and don't let anyone ever make you feel otherwise.





Now then, for the picture itself. Of course, AM, you got to flex your skill at making glows and illuminated surfaces and such like you rarely did before, and it remains ever impressive. I daresay this is the most impressive picture of yours in these terms yet, at least because of the sheer variety of those effects and elements present here. One of the most interesting parts is the interplay of colours and lights, how they interact: the green mixing with the purple in this whitish colour rising around the skeleton, the purple itself, in that pinkish-violet-hued mist that shows us where and what the ground is, the many blues from practically every point of the spectrum. They set the character and the mood of the piece. For example, the positioning and the level of intensity of the blue as compared to the violets and greens emphasises the Wraith's presence and power, and the predominance of "Twilight" colours on the field in front of the Wraith likewise shows who's the more powerful of the ponies. The glows of magic are rendered beautifully; I really like what you did for Twi in this respect, with those strings of energy in the air seemingly radiating from or following the shape of her wings and the massive splash of magic in front of her horn. Same goes for the magical energy flowing around the skeleton.

The other strong point that jumps out at me is the manipulation of sharpness of the detail focus and the blurs. The sharp focus on Twilight and the skeleton and on the Wraith's upper body and closest arm clearly sets out the attention zones of the picture, and you have put excellent detail into them. Meanwhile, the mist at the ponies' hooves, the indistinct swirling shadows around the Wraith and before them and the more fuzzy right arm, lower body (or what passes for it) and the distant clothing trail make for a nice blurry counterpoint. They produce a wonderful combination when placed close together like this, and the blurry parts both frame and enhance the impact of the detailed ones.





As for other things I like... well, I like everything, in short. But the frazzled appearance of Twilight's mane and tail, as well as even her fluffed-out wing feathers and the unkempt coat, together with her bright glowing eyes and the truly furious and warlike expression, suggest a lot of exertion of her powers as well as, perhaps, determination. After all, she's the determined one of the bunch (not to be confused with stubborn). I also really like how you shaped those sparks of magic flowing out towards the oncoming weapon; the magic appears to be deflecting it like a shield, and while it's not readily apparent, it may just be so. Meanwhile, the skeleton pony looks properly otherworldly and eerie with the illuminated bones, and fittingly both nigh-expressionless (being just bones and all) and yet showing a sense of purpose and resolve echoing Twilight's. Its magic interacts beautifully with Twilight's (at least that's how the mist feels to me, their magic manifesting itself), and is appropriately visibly less potent than hers. As for the Wraith, I absolutely love the detail of the metal plates and ridges of its armour; you really used those cold blue tones perfectly there and made them look properly metallic. Same goes for the rest of its look: how you reworked the chestplate of the original into an agonized face, the blue glaring out from inside the suit and clothing, the torn clothing itself, particularly the strips of it on the arms and behind it, the underside of the sleeve and the awesome hood, and of course, the weapons, with that hilt/swordguard detail, the beautiful work on the blades making them look as if they were made of icy crystal-like metal as well as the glowing trails they produce, suggesting the same power as infuses the Wraith itself or cold-based magic. Also, the way the Wraith is all surrounded by swirling shapes—the spinning blades and their trails, the cloth, even the shadows apparently turning along with it—and how it contrasts with the ponies' stable and steadfast position feels very impressive to me and gives an interesting feeling when I look closely at both.





Overall, honestly, this is a great picture. The fact that Sleep commissioned this for me is like, wow. And so is the picture itself. That's double wow. Amazing. Well done as always, AM!

Well then... it's finally time for the feedback. But fear not, it's all good.