Sunburst Gave Effort Despite Unskilled

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Or apple juice in this case. But all puns aside, there is so much I’d like to say about this piece.

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love the theme that surrounds this drawing. Based on the description you left, this piece is clearly trying to send the message how you should never give up even when life throws you a huge curveball. Even when Sunburst couldn’t handle the pressure of studying and failed magic school as a result, he didn’t stop working. He put his all into perfecting his magic skills. He didn’t let failure or adversities get the best of him. Instead, he rose above it and got back in the saddle, riding stronger than ever. You can clearly tell just by looking at this picture. Everything from the marks on his hooves to the beads of sweat on his head to the materials that he’s holding with his magic indicate how much effort he is pouring into strengthening his skills. You executed this idea of dedication beautifully.

By this point, the site is full of Sunburst portraits. But yours stands out from every single one of them. Every other deviation of Sunburst is either a headshot with him doing nothing or an illustration that has him getting romantic with Starlight Glimmer. However, this picture actual reflects the idea that Sunburst represents, which is perseverance. The most important responsibility an illustration of a character has is to tell the viewer what type of character they are. If I never heard of Sunburst or saw “The Crystalling”, I could tell right from this picture that he’s an anxious, timid unicorn who tries his best and doesn’t give up. None of the other Sunburst works have managed to do that. You pulled it off wonderfully.

The technique for this picture is also brilliant. I enjoy everything from the lighting to the line work on Sunburst to the texture of the tree trunks to the dotted designs of the leaves, but there are a few features I wanted to focus on in particular. First off, one of the aspects that I like best is the sunset or sunrise in the background. Here’s something to chew on: if it were a sunrise, you could assume that Sunburst was intent on getting up early to practice his magic while he has the energy. If it were a sunset, you could make the assumption that he spent all day trying to pick that fruit, but not once did he throw in the towel. Oh, the ambiguity! Either way, it does a great job at describing the scene. I also love what you did with the aura surrounding the objects. There’s almost a timeless feel to it. Somehow, it’s like I’m reading a storybook. I like how you didn’t make the glow effects stretch out too far, except when it comes to the fruit. But even more than that, I love that expression on Sunburst’s face. You can pinpoint every single emotion that he’s feeling: nervousness, exhaustion, frustration, and determination. What a great mix of emotions to show with one single picture.

Speaking of emotions, there are tons of feelings I have myself when I examine this illustration. Firstly, I guiltily find myself chuckling at how much Sunburst is straining himself. I mean, for Celestia’s sake! He’s holding onto a tree limb and using all these spells and books just to pick an apple. What person in their right mind wouldn’t find that even a little bit laughable? But at the same time, I feel sympathy for the stallion, because as funny as it may seem to us, it could be seen as a real struggle for him. Based on how much he must have missed in magic school, he probably is having real trouble with this task. His conflict is totally comprehensible. Therefore, I think he does deserve the viewer’s pity. Lastly, I feel like cheering him on. The way he’s having difficulty picking that fruit makes want to travel to that meadow and encourage him saying, “Come on, Sunburst. You got this!” As someone who has gone through something quite similar to Sunburst situation, I think it’s my obligation to give him the support. This picture truly does inspire me, and I’m not even joking when I say that it can inspire others as well.

Well, that was my full review of the drawing. Not only is this the best Sunburst drawing I’ve seen, but also I’m almost certain that it’s the best Sunburst drawing I ever will see. You did a splendid job, BuizelCream. Just absolutely splendid. As always, keep up the marvelous work!