So apparently Applejack needs more appreciation... and who am I to argue with that? I adore the show's apple farmer and her family, but I do agree that she too often gets shuffled to the back in favor of her more zany cast mates.
They've done a good job of showing how important her family is to her by building each of the Apple clan up into fun supporting characters in their own rights, but I think it's high time that AJ's devotion to her family take center stage in an episode and allows her the spotlight. Maybe it's time to explore what happened to her folks (be they elsewhere or deceased), or show her helping Apple Bloom deal with growing up without them. Sure, it might be some heavy and/or dramatic stuff for the intended audience, but I have the utmost faith that the writing staff can handle such themes with grace and humor, and still give us a touching and weighty episode showing off Applejack to the fullest.
Just... maybe let Derpy sit that one out.
In any event, I was just informed that "Applejack Appreciation Day" is this weekend, so I whipped up an image in the free time I had today. It's a bit rougher than some of my others due to limited time, but hopefully it still shows that I love the apple-flanked farm mare.
Yeah, I figured that out within about .01 seconds but still, the original impression is somewhat disconcerting.
To correct that, the ribbon likely should continue out of the other side of her mouth. I guess the artist figured that Applejack would naturally grab the ribbon by its end.
On the other hand...have you ever actually tried to grab the end of something fluttering in the wind? Pretty difficult. Far easier to grab it a ways back from the end, where it isn't moving quite so much.
This is spectacular. Not only does AJ look great (she conveys her emotion very well) but the scenery is superb. The contrast fo the dark blue sky with the stormy clouds is wonderful. The orange/gold of the clouds near the storm not only creates a sort of continuity with her coat, but also implies that this is a dusk/evening rainshower.
One reason this appeals to me is that I've always loved those type of light storms at that time of evening. Afterwards, everything is so cool, and bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun as it shines through the remaining clouds.
1) You know what a wet horse looks like. Specifically, a healthy well-groomed horse in its summer coat that's being washed down after getting sweaty. I helped out on some friends' horse property one summer, is how I know.
2) The clouds! They're obviously cartoon clouds but their color and shading is realistic. That makes for some nice aesthetic tension, and could even be considered a visual metaphor for...something or other.
To correct that, the ribbon likely should continue out of the other side of her mouth. I guess the artist figured that Applejack would naturally grab the ribbon by its end.
On the other hand...have you ever actually tried to grab the end of something fluttering in the wind? Pretty difficult. Far easier to grab it a ways back from the end, where it isn't moving quite so much.
One reason this appeals to me is that I've always loved those type of light storms at that time of evening. Afterwards, everything is so cool, and bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun as it shines through the remaining clouds.
1) You know what a wet horse looks like. Specifically, a healthy well-groomed horse in its summer coat that's being washed down after getting sweaty. I helped out on some friends' horse property one summer, is how I know.
2) The clouds! They're obviously cartoon clouds but their color and shading is realistic. That makes for some nice aesthetic tension, and could even be considered a visual metaphor for...something or other.