Refs?

So everytime I look at a tag, it says need a ref.

What is a ref?

Ref- Short for reference
Basically they're asking for a character reference sheet to copy off of.
Something like this

You can make your own or you can buy a design off of someone, if you have your own horse you can also ask if the artist will work off of photos (some people will specifically say no to this though as lighting and odd angles can make working from pictures difficult).

In any case, in order to use a reference you have to own that design, which is why you need to either make it or buy a design from someone. If you have an idea in mind but don't wish to make one yourself, you can ask if anyone will make you a custom design as well.

Thank you.

So basically if you dont have any references you are pretty much not going to get a tag etc

If you don't have any references, the artist has nothing to recolour the tag with. refs do not always have to be a complete ref sheet, but you should have something that shows at least one side of the horse clearly.

Ok, thank you tolarie, Harri, very kindly made me a character :D

So if the artist allowed it, I could use a photo of one of my own horses?

Thank you everyone for answering me too.

Yes if the artist allows it you can use photos of real horses.

Many people make their real life horses a digital reference sheet so they can use it for more tags and signatures. You could also add color palettes to your photos and make it easier for the artists who allow photos as references.

Ok I have no idea how to do any of that :S

Here are some examples of ref sheets:
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There are lots on DeviantArt that are free to use. Some are more detailed than others but they all follow the same basics. The most important thing is that they show the horse's markings (face, legs, left and right sides, etc.), although some will also have a colour palette. As Aglet mentioned, a colour palette can make an artist's job easier when you're ordering art, since they won't then have to try and match the colours of your character themselves. They can just use what's been included. To fill these in you will need a program like Photoshop or GIMP. GIMP functions like Photoshop, though it isn't as nice - but it's free. You could also commission a reference sheet for you, either paying someone to fill in lines for you, or having them draw custom lines and then recolour it with your character(s). The first option will likely be cheaper, but if you can do it yourself then it won't cost you anything at all.

Last edited on 2016-10-14 at 13:10:17 by tolarie

sort of related but not question,

are we allowed to use the equiverse horses for layouts and/or custom pics?

for eg Can I use my horse BlackRaven in a background image to make a layout?

Obviously with correct credits and only for here.

Last edited on 2016-10-17 at 07:19:44 by BlackRaven

You cannot take a "Equiverse horse" and make custom images with it, however you can do something like your layout now since it's not edited. I think at least- someone can correct me if I'm wrong.