drawing furries
For our Reading With Pictures project, Russell is writing a script about a group of school kids on a Field Trip to the Chicago Art Museum. Bored with the paintings, they get excited about the hall of Armor and imagine themselves as knights in sword fights and such. He also suggested that we make the kids anthropomorphic animals. Those of you who know my work may recognize that their are like NO furries in my portfolio. So i have to figure out a style.
That shouldn't be too hard, right? And as I get into it, all sorts of questions emerge. Pants or no pants? People with animal heads, or Hanna Barbera style cartoons? Shall I deal with light and shadow, or keep them flat? A controlled smooth line,or my usually slop? Shall I draw the fur and if so, how much?
Plus, I'm trying to develop a colored style that I can use in lieu of digital coloring, which I don't enjoy much. I haven't been satisfied with the Pitt markers for this purpose. I like the brush tip, and I like many of the colors, but there's not enough range and they don't blend, and they are very intense.
So I've scanned in six attempts for your amusement, pretty much in the sequence that I drew them, so you can see the evolution, and here they are:
As you can see, they are getting more animal like, and sketchier as I progress... EXCEPT, for a human mouth.
That shouldn't be too hard, right? And as I get into it, all sorts of questions emerge. Pants or no pants? People with animal heads, or Hanna Barbera style cartoons? Shall I deal with light and shadow, or keep them flat? A controlled smooth line,or my usually slop? Shall I draw the fur and if so, how much?
Plus, I'm trying to develop a colored style that I can use in lieu of digital coloring, which I don't enjoy much. I haven't been satisfied with the Pitt markers for this purpose. I like the brush tip, and I like many of the colors, but there's not enough range and they don't blend, and they are very intense.
So I've scanned in six attempts for your amusement, pretty much in the sequence that I drew them, so you can see the evolution, and here they are:
As you can see, they are getting more animal like, and sketchier as I progress... EXCEPT, for a human mouth.
Comments
Our story is going in the science/technology section, but there's no reason not to provide food for thought about the power of art, literature and imagination.
I wasn't sure if you'd dig the furries, but I had a feeling you would. And these are great.
But the Sharks? Really?
Don't forget we need a teen visitor standing in front of SUNDAY ON LA GRAND JATTE in a jersey, for a Ferris Bueller homage....
Oops, social studies?!? Fakey science?!? What a revoltin' development this is! Oh well, any kind of teachable moment is a good one.
Teenager, check. Actually the rabbit is kinda teenager-like. He moved to Chicago from Los Gatos and stayed true to his team.
We need a grownup teacher too I suspect at some point? Or a guard?
Y'know, drawing 5 inch tall characters on a sheet is different from drawing them two inches tall on a comics page.
Sharks it is, then. Works for me.
And don't forget, it isn't exactly Chicago or the Art Institute of Chicago. It'll be Windy City or some such.
These are all absolutely lovely. You missed your calling doing funny animal comics, Marv.
(Remember kids: it's not furry art unless it's badly drawn erotica on Deviant Art. And it's not anthro unless it's a 1980s indie comic. The More You Know.)
Mario, the people with animal heads approach is perfectly valid, but I don't think its going to be my way.
Jason, currently the opossum and the hare are boys and the others including the dog, are girls. You never knew a tall, pointy nosed girl in school?
However, I'm not wed to any of these absolutely appearing in the story at this point. And I'm not completely satisfied with the clothing designs, yet.