[Updated] Black Pearl Clarification

The Black Pearl

You need at least 60 days of seniority and 5 karma points to use the Black Pearl.

We'd like to clarify a few things concerning the proposals for the Creative Space. We've had the time to see how things went and made some changes along with some additional advice.

For the Horses, Pegasus, Unicorns, Donkeys, and Ponies.


Using shadows in your creations:


We are probably going to add them ourselves in the future to have something that has the right perspective on the backgrounds, and that has a uniform texture across the coats.

You can use shadowing, but we ask that you keep them very light so that the images will fit with most Helios Ray backgrounds.

Cut out your edges more.


When we place the coats on a dark background in a lot of cases, there are stray light colored pixels all around the drawing. This makes it impossible to use on a dark background.
Tip Please take the time to take a look at your coat on a white and on a black background, in order to get rid of any leftover smudges or pixels. Also, look a little further away on just the outline. Often the coats have a smudge around the corners or along the border of the image.

Use the smudge or blur tool sparingly.


It's a pity to see a coat that has been worked on then filtered with a blur filter, and it comes out all smudgy. It's also a pity to see a coat with smudge marks on one side and not the other.

Be careful when playing around with reformatting an image.


Sometimes we get perfectly nice drawings of Sausage horses because the file has been altered, and the horse has been squashed or pulled in another direction.
This might be a great way of transforming an Irish setter into a Teckel, but it isn't very pretty on horses. Also, avoid making your resolution too low and giving the picture a pixel art look

Backgrounds


Using brushes is allowed.


They can be used as well, but we'd like to also remind you of the Black Pearl page information as seen in the quote below.

“Excess airbrushing is not allowed”. It is allowed but not too much!"

We have received tons of entries like this and have been very cool about it up until now. However, seeing the same tree used 4 times in different backgrounds is starting to get a little old.

From here on out, we'll start to be a bit more strict about this type of thing. This is due to the fact that it's unfair and the aim of the Creative Space is to work things with your own hands, not make photo manipulations. The same thing goes for photos or bits of photos.

Painting, blurring or smudging landscape pictures.


Moving forward, we'll simply remove the right to propose any creations to the Creation space forever for those who do try to do this.

Check the perspectives.


When you make a background, please consider that there has to be something for the horse to put his feet on. It's quite strange the have a picture with a nice pond in the background and the horse is floating in the middle of it in thin air.

The same goes for outer space and clouds etc. Just try and make the backgrounds usable for everyone, not just the Pegasus. Also, make sure that the horses won't look like giants in the middle of a forest when you decide to draw trees or other items.

Rules


Plagiarism is forbidden!
Respect the author's rights: we do not steal images off of the Internet; we do not trace photos; we do not use the basis of someone else if they have not given their authorization, preferably publicly.

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is taking someone else's work and passing them off as your own.

We can take inspiration from a style, a movement, a mane or a coat without copy-pasting it. It’s the same idea for literature, graphic arts, video games or cinema - there is often inspiration taken from another creation. Inspiration is imbued with another creation in order to interpret it and create something new! Copying is recreating identically. Copying is not having a style or a vision of your own. Try to have the imagination and bring your unique personality to your creations.

Please also note that any cheating can get you excluded from proposing any artwork to the Creative Space forever and/or be followed by sanctions.
Players who submit an artwork not created by themselves, AI-generated or plagiarized will be permanently banned from using the Black Pearl.

Otherwise, all the usual rules still apply.

Before posting:


It is forbidden to mock or ridicule creations/creators
Don't post too many steps regarding your work to avoid flooding of the topic.
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ASK FOR VOTES!

You are welcome to promote your creations or creations you voted for using #HowrseBP on social media or promote your creations on your profile page.

This topic can be used to help each other understand the Black Pearl rules with respect to your creative content.

Players who do not follow the rules are exposed to sanctions.

Regards
The Howrse team

 
Ow
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MoonStruck wrote:

I know it must be in PNG format, just not sure about the sizing. Any advice appreciated


The template must remain the same size as when you downloaded it 400px by 400px. You'll have to scale down your horse to fit inside the transparent square. Make sure no stray pixels end up in the grey areas. Then save as a .PNG and submit.
EmmaKate66
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By Retired breeder, 1st September 2020 14:31:05
Is there a way to unsubmit a creation? I’m a bit scared about getting my account closed I’m case I did anything wrong...
Retired breeder wrote:

Is there a way to unsubmit a creation? I’m a bit scared about getting my account closed I’m case I did anything wrong...


If you go to Community > Creation Space > My Illustrations, you'll see a list of all the creations you have ever submitted. There should be an option to cancel a current submission. However, as long as the creation doesn't show anything graphic/violent/lewd (basically anything inappropriate for children) and as long as it isn't plagiarized, you should be okay. If it's just too blurry or pixelated or something, you can just take it down, fix what needs to be fixed, & submit again.
Pidgewidge
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By Retired breeder, 2nd September 2020 02:11:13
Okay thank you!
By Retired breeder, 2nd September 2020 12:01:56
MoonStruck wrote:

Hi Everyone! Trying to upload a GA coat submission this month and it is my first one! I'm using the app procreate on an Ipad Pro and having trouble figuring out how to fit it into the template howrse provides. Any advice on how to successfully upload this to requirements? I know it must be in PNG format, just not sure about the sizing. Any advice appreciated default smiley (l)


I’m having this same problem with procreate. I size my drawing down to 400 pixels and it is co blurry you can nearly make out any details
I use procreate to draw my creation but then use gimp to size it and fit it in the box. On procreate there is a sharpen tool that can fix some bluryness but other than that there is not much you can do.
krm907
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By Retired breeder, 2nd September 2020 17:51:51
I plan on submitting my artwork when I have enough seniority days and can get the black pearl. My question is: I will be scanning my artwork from an original hard copy. Besides contrast and size is there anything else I need to change to submit it when I can?
Retired breeder wrote:

I plan on submitting my artwork when I have enough seniority days and can get the black pearl. My question is: I will be scanning my artwork from an original hard copy. Besides contrast and size is there anything else I need to change to submit it when I can?

You need to make the background transparent default smiley :)
Shishi no Seirei
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By Retired breeder, 2nd September 2020 21:39:39
2
My first creation that I’m submitting! Not that good at digital drawing so I’m super happy how it came outdefault smiley <:o)
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/5836gKd/674369-C0-DD5-E-41-B9-98-EF-26-C1-E24-C90-DD.png" alt="674369-C0-DD5-E-41-B9-98-EF-26-C1-E24-C90-DD" border="0"></a><br /><a target='_blank' href='https://imgbb.com/'>image upload</a><br />
Here is your image TopazFox default smiley :)
FoxyDancer
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Although, I believe we are not supposed to be posting our finished coats in here anymore... so actually I am sorry haha, I didn't think before posting your coat.
FoxyDancer
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By Retired breeder, 2nd September 2020 22:46:13
Oh gosh I forgot! My apologies everyonedefault smiley :s
Retired breeder wrote:

I plan on submitting my artwork when I have enough seniority days and can get the black pearl. My question is: I will be scanning my artwork from an original hard copy. Besides contrast and size is there anything else I need to change to submit it when I can?


transparent background and make sure you add it to the template. For traditional coats, I'd also mess around with saturation/contrast/etc to make sure your colors come through how you want them to.


(And I'm not 100% on if this is okay to share, but I added a BP discussion in my forum if you all want somewhere to post your coats/WIPs. ^.default smiley ^)
Wolf of the North
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This is a heavy work in progress, but wanted to know what you guys thought. I need to play around with the mane/tail, color it, and that stuff, but I'm not sure about the sleigh tack or what I should do with the back hooves. The way the hooves are from his posture makes his hooves look too small and his back right(?) I think is picked up and he has no hoof. So not sure if I should fix ot or leave it
https://www.deviantart.com/superocelot02/art/Fjord-lineart-854080820?ga_submit_new=10%3A1599164607
superocelot02
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Hey, Superocelot02! Would you be okay with a redline? I have some tips I think will help, but a redline would really show you what I mean ^^
Redpineapple1
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I am not quite sure what a redline is, but go for it! I'm eager for any help
superocelot02
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Do I submit the coat WITH the template? Or should I take the template off? Sorry, first timer heredefault smiley (lol)
evelyn xing
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evelyn xing wrote:

Do I submit the coat WITH the template? Or should I take the template off? Sorry, first timer heredefault smiley (lol)


You submit it with the template, yes. default smiley :)
Pidgewidge
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How much longer is the BP going to be available@ there used to be a countdown, but it's gone now.
AdmYrrek
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By Retired breeder, 5th September 2020 03:19:46
Are you sure? It says 20 hours left for medefault smiley (8)
Retired breeder wrote:

Are you sure? It says 20 hours left for medefault smiley (8)


Interesting. Thank you. For me there is no counter anymore.
AdmYrrek
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Just submitted my newest, Cardinal Pony, a pegasus pony coat. The pegasus ponies don't seem to get nearly enough love. There are so few of them.

See the WIP animation (.gif image) of it at the bottom of the page here in my EC forum.
AdmYrrek
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Is the rendering supposed to have a black background when you submit it? It shows the transparent one on the left and then a black background one on the right.
evelyn xing
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evelyn xing wrote:

Is the rendering supposed to have a black background when you submit it? It shows the transparent one on the left and then a black background one on the right.


Yes; there's another button under that to actually submit your creation and verify you read the rules. The transparent/black bgs are to double check before finalizing that there's no weird stray marks around your art.
Wolf of the North
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By Retired breeder, 6th September 2020 14:40:39
1
there is a *big* image in the spoiler, just so you’re aware! i did scale it down before posting it on here, and the quality has reduced by a lot, so it does look better in the original version. she isn’t actually that pixelly XD

Here’s my first potential coat entry — when I eventually finish it of course :b
She will be a flaxen chestnut with some long socks and a big blaze, but obviously has a looong way to go.

I appreciate there isn’t much you can see, and I took my lineart off because it was a mess! But I’m looking for any tips, criticisms, pointers (anything) you can give me! She will be cleaned up and neatened around the edges before being entered if I do decide on it. Do you think it’s worth adding a few light dapples on her rump/hindquarters area?

If anyone knows any good mane/tail tutorials or can advise me that would be great also :b
And I’m thinking of adding cross-country style tack on her (I believe this is allowed?), so any colour ideas that would look cute on her would be great!

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