Custom Tutorial At last, there's content in the tutorial section! ^_^ What spurred me to create this tutorial? I do sell most of my creations, after all, so why would I want to give people instructions on how to create their own customs? The answer is twofold. First, I've never been impressed by customizers who guard every tiny step of their process as if the creation of a custom is a government secret. I can understand keeping certain secrets and tricks of the trade to oneself, but there's no need to get snappish about one's technique in general. Second, I see the average tutorial as a leaping-off point for new customizers, not as a step-by-step, "do everything just as I do it" manual. That's the way it should be, I think. In the end, your most successful customizing process is the one you develop yourself. What works for me won't always work for others, just as what works for others hasn't always worked for me. We all have our own preferences for brands of paint or rehairing techniques. If you're new to customizing, I encourage you to seek out as many tutorials as you can find, and start experimenting with your own process once you have some basic concepts in mind. This tutorial will take you through the steps I used to create Tropicala. I chose Tropicala as my example because her creation included all the basic steps: a dye job, rehairing, and symbol painting. Not everything I'm known for (like gradient dye jobs) is covered, but a pony like Tropicala is a good example to start with. Once you know the basics, you can learn a lot for yourself through trial and error. MintyTip: Look for Mintytips like this one scattered throughout the tutorial. They contain additional or updated information, such as new tricks I've learned since writing out the original tutorial. If you're new to customizing, I recommend that you go through the entire thing in order. If you're looking for a specific step, use the links below to take a more direct route. Disclaimer: my tutorial consists of techniques that work for me. I can't guarantee they'll work for you. If something goes wrong, it's not my responsibility. Start at the beginning: prepping the custom :prepping the pony: :dye jobs: :rehairing: :symbol painting and final prep: Customizing is a highly individualized process, and the different tutorials out there reflect that. For another point of view, R. Korol of ignes-fatui.com has allowed me to archive the tutorial she used to maintain (all the text and images are hers). Click here to walk through her tutorial. I also recommend Dava's Customizing 101 as another very useful resource. And here's a bare-bones list of what I've found to be some of the most important customizing lessons: Practice and patience are your very best friends. No matter how many tutorials you study, your best, tried-and-true techniques will be the ones you come up with (or alter to fit) yourself, based your own abilities. Don't paint symbols when you're stressed or distracted -- unsteady hands are a bad thing. Try to think of designs or details that are uniquely yours -- this is far more satisfying than copying someone else's work, and it's also better for your reputation as a customizer. No nail polish, ever. I can't stress that enough. Experiment with new techniques, but not on almost-finished customs. Straight glitter almost always triumphs over glitter glue or glitter paint. Always keep your eyes open, because you never know where you might come across a unique custom detail or accessory. Keep kittens and customs separated. Beware the Sharpie marker -- it may seem like an easy way to darken hair or add eyelashes, but Sharpie ink can bleed like crazy. Only Hugh Jackman autographs are exempt from the no-Sharpie rule. ;) Shortcuts don't necessarily lead to better results. I'd rather see a handpainted symbol with minor flaws than a perfect decal printed from a computer. Don't give up due to technical difficulties -- some really nice designs began as mistakes. :home: :ponies: :purchasing guidelines: :FAQ: :order: :links: :commissions: :sketchbook: