This.. This is just incredible.

You've created a veritable masterpiece with this one. Your style is somehow able to have little detail and yet so many intricate effects and so much detailed lighting. You've managed to create such a beautiful, thought-stirring image from such a simple setting.

Anywho, I'll quit raving and do a real critique now.

So as far as vision is concerned, it's probably one of this image's flaws. While I've always thought that vision and impact were almost interchangeable, there's something about vision that is just really tough to nail down. Since vision is defined by deviantart as how well an image reflects an idea or theme, it's hard to create a simple image showing any one given theme. I can tell that this picture represents love in one form or another, which is a universal theme, and that's great. The thing that separates the men from the boys [or, in this case, the colts from the stallions ] in pieces about love is how well the emotion of love is conveyed. I LOVE the look you've given Rarity; something of a bashful smile, slightly upcurving eyebrows to show possible nervousness or excitement, and even a tinge of mischief [eyebrows are one of the best ways to show off emotion, whether in ponies, humans or anything else you can stick eyebrows on; utilize them in facial art]. Twilight's look is nice, too, but I think you could improve it a little. Her brows give off a subtle feeling of morose weariness, even boredom or sadness, and you didn't add in any smile [no visible one, anyway], and our eyes instinctively use the closest thing to a mouth that they can find: her hoof, which is, in fact, positioned just correctly to make something that looks like a frown. Besides that, your vision is gold, my friend.

Originality is 4.5 material. Like I mentioned earlier, you've done a remarkable thing: you've been able to take a famously simple image and make it into something so much more. Twilight and Rarity's shared magic beams are made to look like the Northern Lights, famous for their natural beauty. I think you're the first person I've seen who has used any idea of sharing love using twin magic beams. Even the background could suggest questions; where are they? Maybe they're in a special world created by the pair's love-beams, maybe the background was just made for shits and gigs, i don't know! The point is, it begs questions; and that, combined with your new and noteworthy ideas, makes for one hell of an original artwork.

I love grading on technique. It's probably my favorite part of the entire critique. I'm a sucker and a stickler for attention to detail and lighting, not to mention high resolution images. Generally, the way I grade is based off of a simple criterion: the absence of any of the three fundamental technique parts can be made up with advanced usage of the other two [i.e. less resolution must have good attention to detail & lighting]. Here in this image, the detail in their manes, tails, etc., is low, making the entire image seem cartoony and unrealistic. However, it's beautifully amended with attention to lighting and high resolution; oh, boy, was I excited when I saw that 8000 pixel width. Anyway, your technique is outstanding. You've created realistic poses for the two lovers to cuddle in [aside from the positioning on Twilight's tail, which could be altered], and your lighting source is obvious to be the pair's glowing magic beams, and you've hit the nail on the head with lighting; it's accurate down to the last detail and it even alters the colors on each pony according to the color of the emanated light. Believe me, the time you spent on lighting in this image was certainly not wasted. Overall, your technique in general is outstanding, and aside from a few inconsistencies, is something to be proud of.

Impact is always tough for me to grade, for a couple of reasons. A bit of it lies in the fact that I can't tell how much any given artwork will impact me in the future, but most of it lies in the category's similarity to vision; how well an artwork reflects a theme or idea is the biggest part of the amount of impact it has on you. I gave you a 5 because while this image is simple in its idea, and at first glance appears to be a simple pose that could be accomplished by an intermediate artist, there is so much more to it than meets the eye; and that's really what makes art art, is it not? Art is supposed to be any manifestation of an idea that plants its subjects or its theme in our head and leaves it there to simmer. And that's exactly what you've done here.

Seriously, be proud of yourself on this one. Sure, it could be improved, but you know what? That's art.

Never stop improving,
~gifsthebrony

This certainly is an interesting work of art.

The soft look in both of their eyes speaks words of compassion and trust between the two as they warmly embrace.

Meanwhile, they let their magic linger together in what I can only imagine is an act of complete and utter trust in addition to an undying love.

It's obvious that more than mere friendship is being expressed by the two, but their lingering magic is what gets me the most, really.

The simple background sprinkled with stars seems fitting and beautiful, but I couldn't ever say anything on it.

No words come to my to express the...

Bliss...

I guess there is a word.