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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my best friends from Australia: Lachlan!!! lachlancarr1996

After two years, and you're still a great friend. Not only are you from my favorite country ever, but you are creative, kind, supportive, and a true friend. Thanks for appreciating my artwork and me for who I am, for being supportive to me and all our friends. You're a really swell guy, and always go out of your way bringing joy. Although I miss Shield Wing's old design, I really like the new one, and your drawings, especially of him and your waifu, Starlight Glimmer, are still amazing. Thank you again for everything. You're a fair dinkum of a fella and a friend, and you deserve to have a great time.

I have to admit coming up with an idea for your birthday gift was trickier than finally making it. At first, I thought about doing a couple scene, featuring your ponysona and Starlight Glimmer. But I didn't have an idea for a background. Even after you wanted your birthday pic to take place at the beach, I still felt stuck, and then asked if I could include some friends. But when I began to work on the project, everything changed. I recycled the Mount Aris beach scene from my Hippogriff Day project from last year, and I found that it was sort of a double-edged sword. I didn't have to worry about making a new beach background, which would've most certainly kept me from finishing this on time. Unfortunately, I felt like it would be best used for the couple theme I had in mind initially, so I'm afraid I couldn't include any of our friends. Despite the setback, this would do for the situation at hand.

However, what I had in mind next would leave even me in awe. I changed the scenery to take place at sunset. Not only would it be a really great romantic backdrop, but it would help your ponysona and Starlight stand out against the warm color scheme. Using a screencap from the Equestria Girls short, The Other Side, I re-colored the color scheme obviously, and include the setting sun with its rays. The sun beams turned out to be a bit of a puzzle for me. With every sunburst I made, it was all trial and error, and it turned out to be a little fun. Then I gave you two an inner glow to reflect the sun's light coming on you. Then, the next challenge was making the casting shadows. This was my FIRST attempt. As it turned out, the drop shadow selection doesn't work, so I had to scour the internet to find a tutorial. Eventually, I figured it out, and even though it's not 100% perfect, it was a great first attempt.

And finally, when I asked if you wanted Starlight to be a Unicorn or an Alicorn, you chose the latter. I asked because I know that in most of your Shieldlight artwork, she's an Alicorn, so I had some feeling that's what you wanted. I admit I had my worries that this would take forever, good thing though I chose to use a vector of Twilight as a template, and the slapped on Starlight's head, forelock, mane, cutie mark, and tail. In the end, this turned out to be better than even I anticipated. Maybe one of my best works. I might also use that background for other projects too, that is if you're okay with that, Lachlan.

Shield Wing by

  vector by me

Starlight Glimmer vector by me

Beach Background by me

May you have a very awesome birthday Lachlan, and I hope you have a ripper day down in Melbourne, mate.

Description
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my best friends from Australia: Lachlan!!! lachlancarr1996

After two years, and you're still a great friend. Not only are you from my favorite country ever, but you are creative, kind, supportive, and a true friend. Thanks for appreciating my artwork and me for who I am, for being supportive to me and all our friends. You're a really swell guy, and always go out of your way bringing joy. Although I miss Shield Wing's old design, I really like the new one, and your drawings, especially of him and your waifu, Starlight Glimmer, are still amazing. Thank you again for everything. You're a fair dinkum of a fella and a friend, and you deserve to have a great time.

I have to admit coming up with an idea for your birthday gift was trickier than finally making it. At first, I thought about doing a couple scene, featuring your ponysona and Starlight Glimmer. But I didn't have an idea for a background. Even after you wanted your birthday pic to take place at the beach, I still felt stuck, and then asked if I could include some friends. But when I began to work on the project, everything changed. I recycled the Mount Aris beach scene from my Hippogriff Day project from last year, and I found that it was sort of a double-edged sword. I didn't have to worry about making a new beach background, which would've most certainly kept me from finishing this on time. Unfortunately, I felt like it would be best used for the couple theme I had in mind initially, so I'm afraid I couldn't include any of our friends. Despite the setback, this would do for the situation at hand.

However, what I had in mind next would leave even me in awe. I changed the scenery to take place at sunset. Not only would it be a really great romantic backdrop, but it would help your ponysona and Starlight stand out against the warm color scheme. Using a screencap from the Equestria Girls short, The Other Side, I re-colored the color scheme obviously, and include the setting sun with its rays. The sun beams turned out to be a bit of a puzzle for me. With every sunburst I made, it was all trial and error, and it turned out to be a little fun. Then I gave you two an inner glow to reflect the sun's light coming on you. Then, the next challenge was making the casting shadows. This was my FIRST attempt. As it turned out, the drop shadow selection doesn't work, so I had to scour the internet to find a tutorial. Eventually, I figured it out, and even though it's not 100% perfect, it was a great first attempt.

And finally, when I asked if you wanted Starlight to be a Unicorn or an Alicorn, you chose the latter. I asked because I know that in most of your Shieldlight artwork, she's an Alicorn, so I had some feeling that's what you wanted. I admit I had my worries that this would take forever, good thing though I chose to use a vector of Twilight as a template, and the slapped on Starlight's head, forelock, mane, cutie mark, and tail. In the end, this turned out to be better than even I anticipated. Maybe one of my best works. I might also use that background for other projects too, that is if you're okay with that, Lachlan.

Shield Wing by

  vector by me

Starlight Glimmer vector by me

Beach Background by me

May you have a very awesome birthday Lachlan, and I hope you have a ripper day down in Melbourne, mate.