[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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Tomaeto wrote:

I hate to post yet again, but I was never able to submit my piece. I tried absolutely everything I could possibly think of and am POSITIVE I'm submitting it correctly, but it was never accepted. I'm so disappointed, as I spent a lot of time on my piece and am not looking forward to waiting another month, and I want to make sure that I can submit it next time around. Judging by everything I've tried and earlier replies with the same issue, it really does appear to be something on Howrse's end that's going wrong, though. But, I'm truly not sure what else I could possibly do. Since there weren't any solutions here, I used the "contact us" page to inquire about this issue, but haven't heard back yet. Was this correct channel to do this through, and how long does it usually take to hear back?


While I unfortunately can't help with your ray issue, the past couple of months there has been a lot of posts in gameplay about being unable to submit rays, so Howrse has definitely messed up somewhere. Contact us was definitely the right way to go, and they usually respond the following day.
Royale
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hi, does anyone know what a red x on the creation space menu for creators means?
hnysckl
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hnysckl wrote:

hi, does anyone know what a red x on the creation space menu for creators means?


It means you're creation didn't get through this time. You can try again next time though.
Royale
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How do I give my coat better chances? I thought it really had a shot :/
hnysckl
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hnysckl wrote:

How do I give my coat better chances? I thought it really had a shot :/


Unfortunately there isn't much you can do. You can post your coat on your page, but you are not allowed to ask people to vote for it. I have seen other artists that have accounts on several servers say that getting coats through on int. server is harder than other servers for some reason. It also may not have been because it didn't get enough votes, but instead the Howrse employees didn't pick it this time.
Just remember it isn't because your creation isn't good enough! Even for some of the big-time artists on this site with a large fan base (Visery, or Hennessy for example) it can take several tries! Don't give up! default smiley ^)
Royale
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@Tomaeto
I copied the picture you posted, put some layers of the ray canvas above it and had no error message or anything, just the preview. (Of course I didn't upload it ^^ )
I once had the problem with some lighter colored rays, that my magical eraser also erased one pixel of the ray canvas, and the background was too bright, so the canvas was too. Duplicating the canvas layer from the black pearl solved it for me and seems to work for your creation as well.
it's 2106x940 pixels
c(=Mieez
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Could any kne
Lease tell me
bella.t
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Does anyone know how to get ‘validated’ to start voting in Creation Space? New player! Anything helps!!!
cass_happycat
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cass_happycat wrote:

Does anyone know how to get ‘validated’ to start voting in Creation Space? New player! Anything helps!!!

This might be something about your seniority. You need to have 60 days of seniority (and 5 karma) points to submit creations using the black pearl. It might be something like that for the voting as well. I just couldn't find it in the breeders manual. Maybe it's on the page of the creation space?
"validated" could also be connected to validating your email.
c(=Mieez
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cass_happycat wrote:

Does anyone know how to get ‘validated’ to start voting in Creation Space? New player! Anything helps!!!
also voting isn't open. so that may be an issue
Hiram Farmer
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blobbbfish wrote:

i plan on submitting my own designs once my seniority reaches 60 but i was curious if we can only use gimp or photoshop? i use clip studio


Don't forget to record the process of drawing. Because when I submitted my first work in September, I was accused of using AI. And thanks to the fact that I had speedpaint, I was able to clear myself of these accusations and send my drawing to the vote again in October.
Maybe you will not have the same situation as me, but it is better to protect yourself.
Clancy
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What are the websites/apps you guys use for your creations? I want to start doodling for next month's creations when I get a tablet. I plan to get it around the first week of December and would like suggestions! I've always been more of a paper artist but have always wanted to do art electronically, I've looked at things like diviant art recently and like it, But @Clancy said stuff about speedpaint, should I use something like this as well? I'm not THAT good at realism, but I've drawn horses and other animals my whole life, and they are okay, I should say; please give me some start-up tips!

I also saw something that said we can use a paintbrush on landscapes. Are we not allowed to use particular tools when creating our art?

Please and thank you! default smiley *-)default smiley ^)
Lexi2252
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Hello all!

When creating a submission for a golden apple coat, do you guys find it easier/better results when you create in larger document size and then size down your creation to fit in the template? Or do you start creating directly in the provided template? I’ve started drawing in the template, and because it’s only 400x400px, everything is terribly pixelated. I’d hate to have to restart my entire drawing if use a new document and then size it down to fit in the template, and then it looks bad.

Im wanting to start designing some coats that way I can have them ready when I hit my senority requirement. I’m using ProCreate on iPad to make these digital pieces. Other tips you guys have would also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance default smiley default smiley (l)
cecepaint
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Lexi2252 wrote:

What are the websites/apps you guys use for your creations? I want to start doodling for next month's creations when I get a tablet. I plan to get it around the first week of December and would like suggestions! I've always been more of a paper artist but have always wanted to do art electronically, I've looked at things like diviant art recently and like it, But @Clancy said stuff about speedpaint, should I use something like this as well? I'm not THAT good at realism, but I've drawn horses and other animals my whole life, and they are okay, I should say; please give me some start-up tips!

I also saw something that said we can use a paintbrush on landscapes. Are we not allowed to use particular tools when creating our art?

Please and thank you! default smiley *-)default smiley ^)


Hi! By "speedpaint" I meant a speeded-up video recording of me drawing my picture. Speed painting. In some drawing apps you can turn it on and then download the video. I hope I was able to explain it to you.

What tablet did you buy? You can draw on your computer in different programs. For example, Photoshop. There is also a program called SAI Paint Tool 2. Some people also draw in Krita. You can download these programs to your computer and try drawing in them. Personally, I like Photoshop the most.

But I would recommend trying SAI Paint Tool 2 first. It is not difficult and is a great start.
Clancy
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cecepaint wrote:

Hello all!

When creating a submission for a golden apple coat, do you guys find it easier/better results when you create in larger document size and then size down your creation to fit in the template? Or do you start creating directly in the provided template? I’ve started drawing in the template, and because it’s only 400x400px, everything is terribly pixelated. I’d hate to have to restart my entire drawing if use a new document and then size it down to fit in the template, and then it looks bad.

Im wanting to start designing some coats that way I can have them ready when I hit my senority requirement. I’m using ProCreate on iPad to make these digital pieces. Other tips you guys have would also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance default smiley default smiley (l)


Hi!

I advise you to draw in a document of a size convenient for you, and only then reduce your drawing to the size of the template. For example, I drew my drawing on a canvas of 4000 pixels on the long side. Because it is more convenient for me. And you will always have time to reduce the image.

Also, you are unlikely to be able to draw small details well on a 400x400 canvas. It is not convenient.
Clancy
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I'm considering trying out a design or two of my own, but I have a few questions... First, I'm worried about falsely getting tagged as AI for something I do myself - How can you even tell if something is AI or not?? What if you get an image falsely tagged as AI and don't have a recording of your work?? ( I don't know how to do the recording thing).

Also, is there any specific type of drawing that it's potentially better to focus on? (i.e. fewer people turn in drawings for XYZ, so there might be less competition there) And I do see a lot of styles when I vote, but are there any that seem to fair better?? I just want a drawing to stand the best chances if I decide to go that route.
Proud2Texan
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Proud2Texan wrote:

How can you even tell if something is AI or not??

People might look for typical mistakes an AI would make (missing a muscle, some bones, or even having some weird positions/lighting, ...) Another option is to use websites to get a second opinion.
Proud2Texan wrote:

What if you get an image falsely tagged as AI and don't have a recording of your work?? ( I don't know how to do the recording thing).

I don't have a recording either. It's something that some programs create on their own ("procreate"?). I'd suggest keeping the file with different layers so you could send this to support in case you're tagged.

Proud2Texan wrote:

Also, is there any specific type of drawing that it's potentially better to focus on? (i.e. fewer people turn in drawings for XYZ, so there might be less competition there) And I do see a lot of styles when I vote, but are there any that seem to fair better?? I just want a drawing to stand the best chances if I decide to go that route.

I'd suggest to find your own style and use this. I haven't seen that any style works better than another. Just two other things:
* I remember having read that they try to accept some thing of any type, so if there are several submissions with eggs, but only one with a bunny for easter, the bunny might pass more easily.
* Sometimes they send some PMs like "there have been fewer donkeys lately, please submit more donkeys", so, going for these categories might help your creation to pass. (even though I personally think it's a little sad, if people just stretch the ears and say "it's a donkey now" while everything else feels wrong now) This might be what you meant when you said "type of drawing" though ^^ riding horse appears to be the largest category most of the time. So you might try to go for any other ^^
c(=Mieez
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default smiley (d)come and play HowrseBP
RavenWolf9212
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Been working on this for the last week, first time I'm actually kinda proud of a piece I've done lol (I am not an artist default smiley xd )... Hopefully I've gotten the formatting correct so I can submit next week, I hate how small we have to make them default smiley :(

Excited for January 21st!!!! IYKYK default smiley ;)

I'm going to call it "Silver One" ("The Wingleader" coming next month ...maybe....)

Click to display
segeorge
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Im trying to submit a helios ray but I keep getting "Your coat does not use the compulsory format"

I used procreate to draw the picture
any help or guidance?
nameisspirit
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got it figured out^^ default smiley :d
nameisspirit
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Retired breeder wrote:

I've tried creating a few coats, but can never get them to turn out right. what Art programs does everyone use? default smiley (o)

If you want to have a free art program, I recommend GIMP and Kleki. GIMP is an app, and is a bit better than Kleki but I've still been able to make some nice things on Kleki. Good luck default smiley (l)default smiley ^)
Birdcloud22
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Slightly off topic (more on the voting side than the creating side)

I absolutely love seeing and voting for all these creations but I wonder why we have to select 1/3 each time? I've seen some sets of three where I haven't been a fan of any of the creations - eg really generic, cartoonish or dark/smudgy/blurry - and I'm forced to vote for one of the three to go through. Alternatively sometimes I've had sets where 2/3 are amazing creations but I'm forced to pick only one.

I really like going into the "see all drawings eligible for voting" section since I can have a full view of everything that's been submitted for the month. I wonder why we don't have a voting system with a similar format, where we can select 50 from the list of everything submitted?

If there are requirements to have x number of coats per species, it could be broken down into "vote for 5 from this page, 10 from the other page" etc.

Curious to get peoples'/mods' thoughts? Unsure if this has been suggested before.
pony:)
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pony wrote:

Slightly off topic (more on the voting side than the creating side)

I absolutely love seeing and voting for all these creations but I wonder why we have to select 1/3 each time? I've seen some sets of three where I haven't been a fan of any of the creations - eg really generic, cartoonish or dark/smudgy/blurry - and I'm forced to vote for one of the three to go through. Alternatively sometimes I've had sets where 2/3 are amazing creations but I'm forced to pick only one.


This happens to me a lot, especially after I've already gone through the allotted number of skips per day. I personally prefer the more realistic looking drawings and wish there were way more of them. I'm also that person who likes to select a creation with a coat that matches the coat color of the horse I'm selecting it for. It's more rare when I see two that are both really awesome and I can't vote for both.

pony wrote:

I really like going into the "see all drawings eligible for voting" section since I can have a full view of everything that's been submitted for the month. I wonder why we don't have a voting system with a similar format, where we can select 50 from the list of everything submitted?

If there are requirements to have x number of coats per species, it could be broken down into "vote for 5 from this page, 10 from the other page" etc.

Curious to get peoples'/mods' thoughts? Unsure if this has been suggested before.


This would be a good update to the voting system. Or, maybe if you get to rank each submission on a scale of 1 to 5, or 1 to 10. And the highest ranking ones are the winners.
nowherekid85
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I saw at least 5 of the same or very similar horse while voting! Is that legal?
Hayila
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