(Hey guys! Long time no see! Or rather no comment! I know I’ve been gone for quite the LONG time (since December, I think?) , but I have a relatively good reason, and like always, I’m going to blame school.
I know it isn’t exactly the best start of 2020, but with all this quarantine stuff, I finally have enough time to....
DO ANOTHER DRAWING CHALLENGE!!!!!!
And this one is going to be REALLY FUN AND POSSIBLY TRICKY!)
Autumngold: welcome back everyone to another episode of THE GUARDIAN HERD DRAWING CHALLENGE! It’s been quite a long time from the last challenge so I hope all of your creative juices are ready because this might be Cats’ hardest challenge yet!
Autumngold: for this drawing challenge, you will be assigned a herd (Snow, Desert, Jungle, Mountain, or Sun) and then you have to design a character to fit into that herd! Sounds easy, but it might actually be quite hard!
Autumngold: here is Cats to show the example and explain what she did!
Cats: the herd that I got was Mountain Herd and here he is:

This is FinchThistle of Mountain Herd! I’ve always imagined this herd as short, thick and hairy steeds with dull, often mixed with gray wings, hence his ochre feathers tipped in dull grey. I noticed that a lot of MH characters are often grays or bays with some kind of speckling, so that is why he is an Appaloosa. I tried to give him round small wings (which I think I failed on) and a short, bushy mane and tail.
Autumngold: so basically your goal is to draw a character that would live in your assigned herd!
Here are the rules:
1. No tracing or copying. You can use as many references or pictures for inspiration but you can not copy another’s design.
2. No exchanging of herds! You get what you get!
3. Your design MUST fit into the Guardian Herd Universe, so that means no unusual coat or mane/tail colors such as purple or green and no strange pattern or additions such as an extra pair of wings or horns!
4. Only discuss the challenge or other like things in the comments! Please take your conversations about other things elsewhere!
5. Please post your entries under the comment ‘ENTRIES’, and do not post anything other than your entry underneath it!
6. You MUST get your entry in by May 1st (anytime on that day). Winners will be posted as soon as possible (hopefully on May 2nd or 3rd)
7. Giving your character a name is not required, but I would love to see what you would name your character!
8. No gore or inappropriate things like that in your design! 9. And lastly, have fun!!!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Autumngold: and now we near the prizes section!
There will be three winners:
1. Best design
2. Best drawing
3. Fits into assigned herd the best
Each winner will get the prize of:
1. Traditional, watercolor headshot of one character (can be human, pegasus, OC, pet, anything as long as it is appropriate) with a semi-complex position and simple circle background! (Sorry but no ship drawings)
All participants will get a:
1. Simple marker headshot of a pegasus (either TGH, ROTR character or OC) with a simple expression/position
To join: please, in the comments, say what herd you got for the ‘which herd is yours?’ quiz (I’m Jungle Herd, through and through!!!), and I’ll get to you as soon as possible with your assigned herd!
Thank you, stay safe, and see you next time on...
THE GUARDIAN HERD DRAWING CHALLENGE!
ENTRIES
This is Talonsun of Jungle Herd.
Talonsun is a fiercely loyal Jungle Herd under-stallion. He is a buckskin blanket appaloosa with dark green wings that fade brown and are tipped in golden yellow -- the perfect color combination for blending in with his herd's hazardous territory.
P.S. The sun on his background is there because a) I was having a really hard time coming up with what to do for a background for this guy, b) I really liked the way Cats' demo drawing looked but I didn't want to copy the moon, and c) the suffix of his name is 'sun'. It has nothing to do with what herd he is from.
Here is Ripplesun!
This is Cherrydawn of Desert Herd.
Cherrydawn is a palomino mare with light yellow feathers faded into a light, almost bubble-gum pink. She has blue eyes (not exactly normal, but I'm trying to hint in parts of the fact that Desert Herd steeds are amazing fliers xD), a little star on her forehead, one front right pastern, and one front left sock.
Now, to get into the drawing process.
From the start, I knew I wanted her to be an Arabian. So, the dished face, the tail, the very curved and defined neck, etc. Arabian horses are known for originating in Arabia (obviously) which is accompanied by large deserts. Arabians are built with stamina, so I think they would best represent Desert Herd steeds. The other breed, which is only a thing because of the Arabian, is the Thoroughbred. This would be my second choice to represent Desert Herd.
I chose the palomino because it looks like sand, the yellow feathers faded into pink because it is pale and reminds me of a possible desert sunset, and the background because Desert Herd steeds are known for being able to fly high enough to where the blue sky turns black. I have her flying because of this very reason.
If I were to change anything, I would probably make the background into a shape, maybe a circle, just because it looks very strange around the edges (sorry about that).
So, here’s Cherrydawn! :D
( I promise you it looks better in real life xd )
I get 50% Jungle Herd and 50% Sun Herd on the quiz, but I consider myself in Sun Herd.
Autumngol: your herd is..... MOUNTAIN HERD!
I got Sun Herd :D
Ahhhh i missed these drawing challenges XD
Autumngold: you get SUN HERD!
I got Desert Herd. Goodness, this is going to be hard. :)
Autumngold: your assigned herd is JUNGLE HERD!! (by the way, thank you three for joining!!!)
This will be fun!
HULLO. I AM ALIVE!!! I would like to join!!!
HELLO, ALIVE. NICE TO MEET YOU. NAME’S MEGAN.
your herd is...SNOW HERD!!
I'm in! The herd that I currently get from the Herd Quiz is Snow Herd (which is perfect since the territory is modeled after my home state), but in the past I've also gotten Jungle Herd
(YAY MORE PEOPLE)
You get...... Jungle Herd!!)
@Love Those Cats Awesome!
OoOoOo I have NEVER been good at design, so this will be a great challenge! :D
You get DESERT HERD!
@Love Those Cats OMG YES. I love Desert Herd! XD )
Can I please try? My herd is Jungle Herd.
You get SUN HERD!
ALSO, AQUA RIPTIDE!!! WHERE YA BEEN??? :D
Probably saving the universe as always XD
Cats? If you wouldn’t mind me asking, but, what software do you use to draw, and what brushes you use to color? I’ve been struggling with the latter....
I'm guessing pastels?
Hello! i don’t mind you asking at all! I use IbisPaint for all my digital stuff (though I have been begging my parents to buy me Procreate for MONTHS) and the texture brush (i think that’s what it was called :/). It was my first time using that particular brush and I quite liked it!
@Love Those Cats Oh I’ve heard of IbisPaint! I have IbisPaint X, but I don’t use it as my main preference... Are they the same thing?
I would love to join, and after taking the herd test I am a desert herd steed!! XD that is funny my Mane OC is half Desert herd and half Jungle herd, look at the chances!! XD
you get MOUNTAIN HERD
I am Jungle herd
You get SNOW HERD
@Love Those Cats oooooooooooooo noiceeeeeeeee
Thank you everyone for joining!!
I realized I did not address this in the post, but you do have to draw a full body for this challenge! But if you want, you can recreate a pre-existing OC to fit your respective herd!!
(amazing drawing, Dragon!)
, Is it alright if I draw one of my Ocs, from the herd I was assigned one that i've never drawn before??
@Cinderfrost (Sunblaze) yes! Just make sure he/she looks Snow Herdy!
@Love Those Cats alrighty thanks!
Can I join?
Of course! Your herd is SUN HERD
Nice!
Alright I know I finished her fast but, here is Ripplesun!
Looks great, but PLEASE post your entry under the comment ‘ENTRIES’. I dont want any entries to get lost in the comments.
@Love Those Cats Forgot to do that, sorry!
Am I allowed to have another herd?
Sorry, but what do you mean? Do you want to draw another entry?
@Love Those Cats Yeah, draw another entry
@Brightriver yes, I can give you another herd, but you only get one entry and one prize.
This is going to become an ouchy, I suck at drawing legs!! and I don't even know where to start with the tail!! XD but I need to stop complaining, you only get better if you practice!!
XD, tails are kinda easy actually I do downward strocks, somtimes wavy strokes ,
@Cinderfrost (Sunblaze) yeah, but knowing me I will most likely try to be perfect with it!! XD
@Echolake XDDD, I gotta say, at least it's not digital, cause, well, it's hard
do the OCs as humans count here?
sorry, no. Only pegasus drawings count!
I'm not sure if you want to enter, but if you do.... your herd is.... MOUNTAIN HERD