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I confess. While I wasn’t the girliest of little girls, I did love to collect horses. And My Little Pony fell close enough into the “Horse” category that I was all over them. I loved Gusty the most. She was sarcastic, boyish, a prankster, and not afraid to tell you like it was. I haven’t watched My Little Pony since the early 90s, but you’d have to be living under a rock to not know that these cute little Hasbro ponies are making a large comeback. They were first created in 1982, but they have lost none of their charm. A few friends of mine have started creating some of their own original MLP designs (you can see whole slew of custom MLPs on deviantart) and I’ve recently found myself doodling little Applejacks in the corners of my notebook. Oh how I love nostalgia.

The real reason for this post is to share with you a recent project called the Pony Creator, created by DeviantArtist GeneralZoi. I have her to thank for spending way too many hours on this thing, creating my own custom pony. GeneralZoi has given the user a multitude of options to customize every pony – including a bajillion hairstyles, colors, eye shapes, accessories, and even developed a way to allow the happy little My-Little-Pony-lover to post their pony in whatever position.

I’m serious. This thing is badass. And will take ALL of your productivity away within minutes. I’m warning you now. While she probably spent a lot of time making this awesome customzier, I have probably spent even more time making ponies. But I’m willing to sacrifice my Pony time in order to share with you this find. Because I’m nice like that. Now it’s your turn.

What does your My Litlte Pony look like?

Enjoy! Thank you GeneralZoi for making my life a little more My-Little-Pony-ish.

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As the results of last month’s poll clearly show, the majority of you either use or would like to learn more about using a tablet device for illustration and sketching. In reaction to that we will be tweaking some of the content over the next few weeks to explore the tech side of our industry a bit more with news and tutorials showcasing some of the latest illustration-related technology. In a bit of perfect timing, Wacom announced its newest device last week called the Inkling which essentially bypasses the need for scanning your sketches.

Here’s the official product description:

The Inkling digital sketch pen captures a digital likeness of your work while you sketch with its ballpoint tip on any sketchbook or standard piece of paper. Designed for rough concepting and creative brainstorming, Inkling is ideal for the front end of the creative process. Later, refine your work on your computer using an Intuos4 tablet or Cintiq interactive pen display.

In addition to capturing your sketch, stroke by stroke, Inkling allows you to create layers in digital files while you sketch on paper. Digital files are transferred to your computer using the Inkling Sketch Manager software, and later, exported to applications such as Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator®. Files can also be opened with the included Inkling Sketch Manager software to edit, delete, add layers or change file formats.

The two things that I find most remarkable about this new device are the abilities to create new layers while sketching and the fact that it digitizes your exact sketch as a vector graphic– that’s pretty cool! At an initial price point of $199 when it goes on sale later this month, the Inkling seems like more of a luxury item than a necessity, but it’ll be interesting to see if the new device warrants the expense once it’s released.

What do you think: necessity or luxury?

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Some of you may have noticed a subtle new feature on the sidebar this week, it’s a poll asking whether or not you currently use or are interested in using an iPad or tablet device as a sketchpad or even for finished illustrations. Though it’s mostly there for our curiosity, you’re responses will also help us better tailor the content of the site if enough of you are interested in this technology. As an illustrator myself, I have yet to explore the capabilities that are available to artists on mobile devices, but there are others who have.

Case in point, illustrator Kyle Lambert received a fair bit of buzz this time last year for his series of celebrity portraiture… all done using a iPad app called Brushes. He’s also done similar works of art on the iPhone, see Jennifer Aniston Speed Painting. It’s pretty impressive, not to mention fun to watch (see above) and really got me thinking of mobile devices as a viable tool for illustrators and artists who are always on the go.

My artwork combines traditional painting techniques with cutting edge technology to produce rich, realistic portraits and character based concepts and designs. The iPad expands the possibilities for artists like myself to take digital artwork creation away from the computer and out into the world.”

How about you– do you currently use an iPad or tablet device to sketch or draw? Cast your vote and let your voice be heard!

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Budapest based illustrator Lehel Kovács’ concept of sketching from Google Maps is so clear and simple that is it easy to overlook the brilliance of the idea. He has started a series of alphabet drawings of cities using Google Maps’ Street View as his guide and reference. Beginning in Italy, he has ‘traveled’ to the United States and the United Kingdom, selecting locations by name, then using the Street View interface to compose his scenes. The drawings themselves are detailed, while maining a lightness, confidence, and energy that imbue them with life, capped off with hand lettering and patches of color befitting each location. FYillo can’t wait to see where Lehel visits next.

• Lehel Kovács: illustration / google street view sketches (flickr)
• Google Maps: about street view

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When it comes to professional illustration software (and by this, we are talking about drawing software), the computer world seems pretty set. Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator lead the way, with some people still swearing by Corel Draw and Painter. So, for the most part, software companies don’t seem to be trying to wow the drawing world…

And then along came Rhonda!

Rhonda is a stripped down 3D drawing tool!? Grab your mouse or Wacom tablet, draw, rotate, draw, zoom, draw, swivel 360º, draw. the interface is simple (truly barebones, you can undo, but not erase). to get a feel for what can be done with this software, check out Rhonda’s website and the video of James Paterson drawing away. We assume there are current 3D offerings that can do what Rhonda does, but the intuitive nature and simplicity of this software is what truly impresses. You don’t need to know anything about 3D software (this editor, for one) to use this app, just sit down and start drawing.

You can sign up on their website to join the beta testing program, which includes free software download, more tutorials, and forum access.

• Rhonda / @rhondaforever
• Presstube (James Paterson)

If you’ve tried out Rhonda, we’d love to see your drawings, post them to the Fuel Your Illustration flickr group.