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the-last-jennicorn — The Hunt

#adagio #aquatic #aria #blaze #dazzle #dusk #hippocamp #hunt #mlp #pony #siren #sirens #sonata #mermare #seamare #mlpfim #dazzlings #little #hippocampus #mylittleponyfriendshipismagic #adagiodazzle #ariablaze #sonatadusk
Published: 2015-04-20 06:47:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 15348; Favourites: 434; Downloads: 0
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Description **Update** Finished the boat, retouched the background, the water reflecting off of their bodies and toyed around a bit with Photoscape. Thanks JackyBunnyBun for the program recommendation

**Featured on 4/20/15 ** Thank you so much, you guys

Please do not repost, redistribute, reupload, trace, copy, steal, claim as yours, none of that I worked pretty hard on this so the last thing I want to see or discover is someone else claiming this as their own.

Man, this one sure was a doozy. I feel like I have this big weight lifted off of my shoulders right now Though there are some areas I know I could've done better on, I am pleased with the overall piece as it stands now.

So yes, here we have 2/3 of the creatures known in the MLP world as the Sirens and like the creatures of mythology by the same name, they have the magical ability to charm and manipulate thoughts and feelings with their singing. Seriously, what's not to love about these gals? I knew I wanted to draw a Sirens-related pic as soon as I saw the Dazzlings summon spectres of their true forms in Rainbow Rocks. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but whatever it was, I knew I wanted it to be something special. One night whilst watching my nightly routine splurge of Youtube videos, I decided to look up the mermaid scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Though I had never seen the film (ashamedly), I knew it had mermaids and I was curious to see how they were depicted.

Needless to say, I was not disappointed, for I had found my inspiration for a Sirens picture at last .

I absolutely love this track ♫ It's so haunting, beautiful, deceptive, deadly and powerful; totally befitting the image of the Sirens I have in my mind.

To be perfectly honest with you, as cute as their pony forms can be, I'm not entirely a fan of them being depicted as such. Not knocking the artists who draw them that way or said artwork; most of it is very cute and well-done. But...it saddens me a bit that the Dazzlings aren't illustrated in their true forms more often. They're not adorable, wittle ponies - they're monstrous behemoths with fangs and an insatiable appetite for power...and more.

My goal in creating artwork of the Sirens is to portray them as the beasts they naturally were in Equestria. After finding JackyBunnyBun's gallery months back, I fell in love with her personal take on the Sirens and the serpentine design she gave them. In my own designs, I wanted to draw from that inspiration combined with their forms in the film, but with a special twist.

Instead of looking exactly alike minus different coloring, I designed Aria and Sonata according to their personalities. For example, Aria (at least to me) seems like the tough, tomboyish, temperamental hothead of the tantalizing trio - evidenced by her impatience, hardened expressions and teasing. She's edgy, aggressive, and I wanted her design to reflect this. As a Siren, I imagine she rushed into things a lot, probably picked fights with creatures big and small, earning her a few scars and skirmishes as a result of her reckless and foolhardy actions. No doubt she received some from Adagio as well, perhaps during bouts for leadership. I was also inspired by Aria's outfit and the torn sleeves of her vest, so I tried incorporating that into her fins.

As for Sonata, I wanted to go for a "softer" design to reflect her more carefree, whimsical personality while still retaining her predatory nature. When it comes to dinner and hunting, Aria would rather just dive headfirst into battle and cause a stir to incite fear into her prey, while Sonata, like a child, would rather "play" with her food I also looked to her hairstyle for inspiration, esp when it came to her fins

A Siren is missing you say? Don't worry. As the leader of this pack, Adagio is never far from her sisters, especially when dinner is involved  I have a few Adagio pieces coming up next, so stay tuned!

Eventually, this will become part of a collage-story depicting the way I imagine the Sirens to have hunted their prey in Equestria

The bubbles were created from scratch and as such, were an absolute pain, but I love the way they look :3 Sonata's pose gave me the most trouble. As a traditionalist, I draw everything by hand. But when I sketched her out, it got to the point I got fed up with trying to perfect it, so I transferred it all to my computer where I touched up the pose and anatomy there.

Special thanks to JackyBunnyBun, as well as InfinityDash , ThrashYourArt , Khuzang ,  KsKaBeLLCHICAGO-PD-STARS , DarklingKileakGammer14 , Nonpervetgirl , MisagoMonday, Noizu-mi for their wonderful love, friendship, guidance and support. Couldn't have done this without them rooting me on

My Little Pony and its characters, including the Sirens [Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze & Sonata Dusk © Hasbro
Re-Design/Artwork/Original Sketches © me
Related content
Comments: 82

JackalyenMystique [2015-07-19 07:05:27 +0000 UTC]

Overall

Vision

Originality

Technique

Impact


Its a very, if you'll pardon the pun, dazzling picture. Truly you've captured the image of the Hippocampus very well, and to capture it in the My Little Pony style is even more impressive. Aria is my personal favorite as I end to be grouchy like her. Also the ambiance of the picture and title make these lyrics from Pirates of the Caribbean come to mind; "Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be. Who love a jolly sailor, that plows the raging sea". All together I really do love this picture. So way to go my friend!

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to JackalyenMystique [2015-07-19 15:11:06 +0000 UTC]

Wow, thank you so much for that, Jackalyen, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to type up a critique. It means a lot to me   

I had a lot of fun drawing these 2 up, especially Aria, so I'm glad you like her design. My goal was to design them based on their personalities and wardrobe (as humans). Sonata, because of her body's angle, was a bit of a challenge at first, but I'm satisfied with how she turned out as well.

Yes!! Oh my gosh, you don't know how many times I listened to this while working on this picture It's such an amazing piece of music and whenever I hear it, I just imagine the Sirens subtly seducing their prey with music as they approach from the depths. Great insight, my friend

Once again, thank you for your kind words and I look forward to sharing more of the Sirens with you ^^

P.S. I puns

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JackalyenMystique In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-07-20 03:13:34 +0000 UTC]

You're very welcome, Jen. I was happy to give your work a proper critique.

I think that Sonata turned out well also. But the real charm is with Aria Blaze. She's not given a lot of credit in The Dazzlings, to me. So its nice to see her take center stage.

It truly is a beautiful piece of music. Its starts off as sweet and soothing like a mother's lullaby. Then it becomes dangerous and ominous as the sirens shed their glamor and reveal their true intent to feed upon the sailors. There's also another siren song you may be interested in hearing, if you'd like the link.

You're very welcome. And I would be honored to enjoy your shared Siren artwork.

Also I'm glad you like my puns.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to JackalyenMystique [2015-07-26 17:13:33 +0000 UTC]

Aww, thank you for that

I know, poor Aria And she's so cool, too! I love her bad attitude and bullying nature - lots of potential for fun there

Yes, exactly! I love that song. I also like the Siren music from the animated Sinbad movie. Have you heard of it? And sure! I'd love the link I'm always looking for new tracks to add to my Livestream playlist while I work on these gals.

Thanks again

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JackalyenMystique In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-07-28 02:40:47 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome.

Yes. And there's also potential for her to scrape off some that crust and be a likeable person.

I love it too, as it was so pretty. Heard it? I saw the whole Sinbad movie twice! It was the first siren song I ever heard. Here's the link to that other siren song. I hope it gives you the inspiration you want. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rDv7q…

You're welcome again.

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Crotchlickmeoff [2016-11-13 23:59:34 +0000 UTC]

Personally, I don't think Aria is a hothead like Rainbow Dash. I think she is the goth-like apathetic and disinterested tomboy type girl. And that's what the fandom consensus seems to think as well. But I do agree that she seems to be the "fighter" of the group. The other day, I watched Wubcake's video about how Aria had enough of Rainbow's bull and went and kicked her ass. 

Come to think of it, Aria and Sonata are strongly reminiscent of Raven and Starfire. Gotta love the dymanic. 

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animeshipper123 [2016-03-18 21:40:57 +0000 UTC]

Love this! Sing my queens XD

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to animeshipper123 [2016-03-19 00:49:55 +0000 UTC]

♫ Yeesss ♫ ;D Thanks!

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animeshipper123 In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2016-03-19 01:15:17 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome! Oh! Love the siren and the sea mare thing too! Looking forward to more on it  

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to animeshipper123 [2016-07-02 12:51:16 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much I look forward to sharing more with you very, very soon

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animeshipper123 In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2016-07-02 16:06:26 +0000 UTC]

Awesome!

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TigerGirl4353 [2016-01-01 03:32:12 +0000 UTC]

Sirens remind me so much of my zodiac sign Capricorn.....

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to TigerGirl4353 [2016-01-18 21:10:39 +0000 UTC]

Cool ^^"

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BrutalityInc [2015-10-12 03:29:56 +0000 UTC]

The sirens realized, too late, that the ponies on the boat were there to drop depth charges. 

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NicolasDominique [2015-09-09 20:00:06 +0000 UTC]

Really well-made thing

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to NicolasDominique [2015-09-10 15:20:52 +0000 UTC]

Thank you

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Yuegi [2015-08-15 06:26:26 +0000 UTC]

they look like the queen of the black puddle of courage the coward dog when courage is trying to get out of the submarine world but the puddles of water get closed too fast.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Yuegi [2015-09-21 20:40:40 +0000 UTC]

Haha, well, I don't quite see the resemblance, but I hope they don't look that ugly

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Yuegi In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-09-23 06:38:55 +0000 UTC]

PS: that draw is F-ing awesome!

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Yuegi [2015-09-23 13:12:19 +0000 UTC]

Thanks so much 

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Yuegi In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-09-25 01:58:12 +0000 UTC]

you´re welcome

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Duckyworth [2015-06-24 19:38:06 +0000 UTC]

This is an awesomely detailed picture - and I love the ideas you have for how they would hunt differently. I also love the little touch that the bubbles are shaped like musical notes.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Duckyworth [2015-06-25 06:18:59 +0000 UTC]

Hey, thank you so much, and I really appreciate you taking the time to read the description and taking in the details It means a lot, thank you and also, thanks for the ^^

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SonataBlaze [2015-06-05 16:41:39 +0000 UTC]

 

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to SonataBlaze [2015-06-05 18:31:25 +0000 UTC]

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SonataBlaze In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-06-05 18:43:05 +0000 UTC]

 *world less*   

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to SonataBlaze [2015-06-05 19:10:43 +0000 UTC]

Hey, thanks

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SonataBlaze In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-06-05 19:14:38 +0000 UTC]

NP!!! you deserve it!!

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Noizu-mi [2015-05-25 13:45:02 +0000 UTC]

Woah Jenn, I'm so sorry I didn't comment on this awesome artwork earlier Q-Q
Every single detail here looks great, one can easily see how much love and work you put into all of them! Also, I love your idea with the note-shaped bubbles! *^* And the water looks so realistic! Aria and Sonata look very majestic, much better than in the original series I must say!
I think you did a great job with designing the two after their personalities!
Awesome job, dear!
Can't wait to see Ada in your style, I'm sure she will look fabulous! >u<

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Noizu-mi [2015-05-25 14:26:57 +0000 UTC]

Aww, noi >//< It's okay! No worries, especially since you all watched it on livestream already and you said a lot of nice things about it there

You're so sweet, thank you! I know sometimes I go a little overboard with the details, but I like things like that so much. It's like a little treasure hunt and it allows the viewer to see more than what's already there at first

Oh gosh, really? ^//^ But I thought their designs in the film were so cool I still wish they would've done a bit more with their designs, instead of changing their coloring and eyes. It was so much fun revamping them!

Thank you so much again, my friend Yes, Adagio is next (as you saw yesterday) and yes, I intend to definitely make her faaaaaaabuuloooouuuusss :38

Well, maybe not that kind of fabulous, but you know what I mean

Love ya!

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ThrashYourArt [2015-05-23 22:49:24 +0000 UTC]

suuuuch awesomeness...again ;D

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to ThrashYourArt [2015-05-24 03:51:37 +0000 UTC]

Heehee And thanks for your warm comment, once again

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TheAteBitHero [2015-04-26 05:13:40 +0000 UTC]

Oh wow! It really did turn out awesome! Can't wait to see your next project, let me know when you start so I can watch the stream ^_^

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to TheAteBitHero [2015-04-26 13:46:25 +0000 UTC]

Gracias, mi amigo Ho fo sho! It may be this afternoon so I'll let you know

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DoughnutJoe [2015-04-23 06:44:47 +0000 UTC]

Really fantastic piece. The perspective is interesting, there is a good sense of motion and the siren's design has a neat blend of pretty/creepy.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to DoughnutJoe [2015-04-23 23:17:56 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I really appreciate that ^//^ I had hoped that I would portray them as the femme fatales of the sea, just as the dark creatures of myth they were named after. Can't wait to get started on Adagio ♫

Thanks again!

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SeriousJupiter [2015-04-21 16:15:43 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous work. I immediately realized this was a PotC reference. Say what you will about that movie, but those mermaids were epic. People forget too often that mermaids are supposed to be evil demons who lure sailors to their deaths and not ditzy lovestruck teenagers who wish to become human.

I agree with you on your views about art of the Sirens as ponies. I don't like it either. The Sirens are not cute or cuddly equines, they're monsters. I've never really understood why some fans seem to love Chrysalis so much either. Just because a villain might look good (although IMO Chrysalis isn't beautiful at all), it doesn't mean they should be revered like that. That's a very bad way of thinking. You can't forgive someone for everything they've done just because you like their looks, they need to feel remorse and make up for their actions first. I get that villains are entertaining characters and have catchy songs and cool powers - heck, I have favorite villains too - but I don't act like they're innocent.

I love all the details you put in. Granted, I noticed most of them only after reading the description and other comments, but that doesn't make them less cool. I'm definitely looking forward to your upcoming Adagio art.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to SeriousJupiter [2015-04-22 00:34:32 +0000 UTC]

Hehe! True that, my friend. I really need to see the movie (I still haven't), but I saw the scenes that occurred during that track and was amazed by how they were portrayed. True to the legends that be, and to be honest, I was a little surprised Disney allowed that, seeing as one of their most beloved titles had a mermaid and was the polar opposite of the creatures in PotC4.

Yeah, it's not like I don't like their pony depictions. As I mentioned, I think some of the artwork is cute. But at the end of the day, the Sirens are monstrous beasts and I think with the overwhelming amount of pony-Siren artwork, people forget what they truly look like. I agree with you about the Chrysalis thing as well. Don't get me wrong - her design is brilliant and I loved that 2-parter. But it's hard for me to truly empathize with her outside of that, like you said. That's why Sunset Shimmer, the Sirens and Luna are my favorites; their intentions, characters and stories go beyond the normal "I want to take over the world, and have lots of power, blah blah" Tirek-archetypes. 

I'm glad that you've enjoyed the little details and the piece overall As for Adagio, I'm just as stoked to draw her for the first time! I plan on streaming that in a couple of weeks when I get back from my vacation so I'll post a journal about that when the time comes, if you're interested :]

Once again, your words are much appreciated. Thank you!

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templar127 [2015-04-21 09:19:53 +0000 UTC]

WOAH! NICE!!

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to templar127 [2015-04-23 23:39:02 +0000 UTC]

Thank you

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templar127 In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-04-26 20:02:14 +0000 UTC]

ur welcome! XD

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Griggs305 [2015-04-21 02:58:01 +0000 UTC]

HOLY snap! Awesome!!

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Griggs305 [2015-04-23 04:29:44 +0000 UTC]

Griiiiggss! Haha I remember you Thanks!

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Griggs305 In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-04-23 18:33:32 +0000 UTC]

Yes, haha!
And you are very welcome!

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Akerlis [2015-04-20 22:31:23 +0000 UTC]

Impressive work. It looks great. I like how Aria looks in particular. 
Isn't Sonata's gem placed a little far towards her head? It seems to be placed midway up her throat, rather than on her chest like Aria's.

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Akerlis [2015-04-20 22:39:19 +0000 UTC]

Hey, thanks a lot. Aria's pose was extremely enjoyable to draw.

As for Sonata's gem, I guess my mindset at the time was to try and place it somewhere convincing enough. I thought since she's twisting her neck, I could try and get away with showing it just a tad at the angle I was working with. I see what you're saying though. When I go back to editing some things, I'll consider moving it down a bit.

Again, thanks for the comment and critique

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Akerlis In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-04-20 22:59:23 +0000 UTC]

Glad to hear, happy to help 

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Gammer14 [2015-04-20 20:05:38 +0000 UTC]

This looked really good in the livestream,  but it looks even better uploaded here. You can see so much more details on here, and it's really an amazing piece of art. I love the sirens, they look amazing, and the water surface, and bubble musical notes are really awesome. Great job, the piece is amazing, I really like it. 

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the-last-jennicorn In reply to Gammer14 [2015-04-21 01:05:16 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much, Gam It was a pleasure sharing the experience with you. At first, I never really thought about livestreaming, but thanks to 's encouragement, I had a chance to do so, and it was very fun, so I owe a LOT to her! Having others watching adds that little extra healthy pressure I'm glad you also noticed the musical note bubbles It's my favorite little detail of this picture.

I appreciate you staying up with me, too! Late night streams and nerdy convos for the win

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Gammer14 In reply to the-last-jennicorn [2015-04-21 01:58:48 +0000 UTC]

When I first saw the musical note bubbles I had a big music geek moment haha "Oh my gosh look at all the musical notes in the bubbles, there's a treble clef, some sixteenth notes, some half notes." 

Yes, the late nights and nerdy conversations were so great, so many great, terrible, and cheesy jokes haha, I'm excited for more to come hopefully. Plus I love the music so much, I could listen to Carbon Maestro all night!

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