Scenes you want to see illustrated, and a question · 10:36pm Feb 8th, 2021
Hey, y'all. I've mentioned before that I want to get more illustrations in future WWB books, and I'm interested in hearing what scenes you want drawn! Also I have a question concerning Playing House's print edition. Details below the cut
So I got a job! Target distribution center, making decent money and working good hours. I'll finally have the funds to get my WWB books in print with plenty of illustrations. I start in like two weeks, then it'll be a bit before I get my first paycheck, so I'm focussing on figuring out what illustrations I'm going to commission.
So, are there any scenes you think would make for particularly good illustrations? I'm starting with Looking Glass, but I'll be getting all the books into print eventually, so any scenes from anywhere in the series are fine. I won't guarantee that I'll get your suggestion commissioned, but I do want to get numerous coms from every book so there's a decent chance I'll get most of them! I'm mostly planning on commissioning artists I admire, but I'm also interested in any artist recommendations if you've got them! Link me commission info and I'll take them into consideration.
Related to the print editions, I have a question about the Playing House book. See, Playing House it too damn long for a single book without changing some things. Lulu only prints up to 800 page books, and Playing House is (without extra illustrations or introduction or any other bells and whistles) 955 pages. I can reduce the font size and margins to get it under 800, but it doesn't leave much room for illustrations and it won't be visually the same as other WWB books. This is obviously not desirable, but the alternative is to split it into two volumes. So... what do y'all think would work better? As far as cost, it would be cheaper for them to be one book; it's about $40 for a 800 page color book, about $30 for a 470 page color book, so approximately $60 to get both volumes, but they would have a lot more illustrations and slightly larger font that matches the other books in the series. I'm interested in hearing from anyone at all, but especially from Ice Star anyone who will buy the Playing House print book(s).
This is the randomest thing you’ve ever done and somehow I love it
In terms of Looking Glass, I think that like....void where Sunset sees the various paths she could have taken in life after she gets hit by the Elements could make for an interesting illustration
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Lol not sure how this is random but I'm glad you love it
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You're the second person to suggest that (someone on my Discord server suggested the same thing) so that'll be a definite illustration!
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It’s mostly cuz Idk if you done something like this before
I’d like to see some of the more out there psychosis/limbo bits of Playing House illustrated. You know the ones, especially with Sunny and Sky Shimmer.It’d also be neat to see human Flutters with some religious iconography (since you depict her as Christian) in a gentle, serene way. Depending on which denomination she is, that could lead to some fun classical symbolism. The two volume option sounds pretty good to me and is a fair price for what I’d usually get for that content. A glimpse at this some alternate designs for the graduated cast and what Bitchette and human OCs look like would be pretty poggers.
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I did actually have Looking Glass and Inner Strength in print before, but I pulled them from print to make cheaper and better editions.
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Those are good ideas! I particularly like the idea of Christian symbols with a serene Fluttershy, that could make quite a nice illustration. There will definitely be some pics of the band as well. And yeah, I'm leaning towards the two volume option as well despite earlier being opposed to it.
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Cool
Given that I just read it, I wanna see what Twilight's makeup job looked like. :B
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Oh heck I bought inner Strength on Black Friday for when I’m back from college this year...
Better get the wallet ready again smh
Personally, I'd buy PH as two seperate books if it means getting the matching font size and illustrations B)
And btw I will start rereading all of the main entries tonight and making notes on scenes I think would be cool as illustrations >°< I'll get back to you on that within a few days about at least LG if I'm able to read that quickly again haha
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You would wish this on some poor unfortunate artist...? Truly, you are the evil one among us.
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At least the books will be cheaper this time
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You're too good to me I swear...
Although I love WWB, I am abstaining from this discussion because I don't know if I can spare the tears required to reread Playing House upon purchase
Seconding Ice Star, though, on the psychosis/limbo-y bits. Likewise Sky at the end of Thicker Than Water
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I had an idea that I might do with Sky, actually. And the interludes of Playing House would be cool, but need to be approached very carefully or risk losing their effectiveness, I think.
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i see what you mean, yeah.
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The only issue I see with that is the way that it was described in the story. Don't get me wrong 'another way' is still my favourite chapter, it's just that I'm having trouble visualising how the various paths would look like in an impactful way.
The void she was in was vast, and if memory serves then there were only multiple paths within eyesight when Sunset was looking past the different choises she could have made in the past. This was after she saw the two main branching possibilities. And she was looking for the exit where she could make her own choises in the present.
Unless of course you meant her literally standing in a void, powerless, confused and without direction. That might be good.
Or her confronting the demon version of herself.
(Keep in mind also that there were cutie mark like pictures preceeding both branching paths we saw in detail)
There are already two art pieces for that chapter. One of Sunset growing the rose for Cadence and one of Snset asking human Fluttershy to dance. Even though the chapter is very long and very impactful I don't know how spaced out the artwork should be.
Is there already art of young sunset in the human world listening to classical music in the car with Rose the caretaker on the way to an appointment? I'm not too sure if would fit in well with the story as that was a happier scene before what I think was a more drama heavy part.
I assume it would be best to keep the art work more in tune with the overall emotion of the chapter.
It's just that Rose was such a great character. And that was one of the few moments I remember of them both being happy together.
I think there might have also been art of sunset and applejack meeting for the first time in the treehouse but if there wasn't then that could be an idea.
Um... Would there happen to be anywhere that we could see the already made artwork for WWB in one place? I feel like I'm only suggesting stuff that already exists.
Oh, one suggestion that I think doesn't exist yet is 'finding home' scene at the end-ish where Sunset celebrated her birthday by watching the literal sunset with her marefriends. (there was also most of the main characters in pony form which was nice but the focus I believe was on the three Ponies)
The scenes I'd love to see visually all come from later stories.
Honestly, any number of scenes as pony Twilight and pony Fluttershy confront Sunset on her alcoholism. Particularly the one where Fluttershy is still dealing with hearing that Sunset and Twilight kissed, and is taking care of Sunset in her inebriation, and Sunset says she loves Shy. Seeing that illustrated, the reaction in Fluttershy's eyes, would be a very powerful visual, I think.
My second request would be Twilight's Mama Bear Action Sequence in chapter 10 of Acts of Love. I know it's kind of a tense, exciting moment, but it's also a pivotal emotional development for Twilight, and possibly one of my very favorite moments in the whole series.
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Hmm. That's fair. I suppose the illustration doesn't have to be 1:1, but IIRC there were different flowers representing different paths. I think that could still work.
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Those are all good suggestions, none of which have art yet! And I'm glad you asked about the existing WWB art because yes you can see it all right here
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Those are very good ideas and I'll keep them in mind when I get to later stories. I'm making a doc with ideas that I'll keep updating as I come up with/get suggestions for more!