1. I prefer wing arms either with feather fingers or talon like hands
2. hmm I haven't really noticed the mistakes since Im not that familar with bird art yet :|
3. Im not an artist sadly

1) To be honest, I like both.
2) feather fingers
3) Mistakes: the types of feet. I've seen artists draw zygodactyls with the feet of anisodactyls and vice versa. Not sure about successes, though.
4) It depends on the style of the rest of the piece, but I do try to make them look anatomically correct where possible.

1.) I prefer wing arms for my raven, but don't mind back wings in the art at all.
2.) I rather talon fingers more then feather fingers on anthros, but for the more feral style, feather fingers works perfectly.
3.) I'd have to agree with LeathalFeathers on the feet issue, however it is not something that bothers me as I'm not one of those foot fetish fur's ^v^
4.) Though not an artist, I do look at wing feather detailing to see what the artist knows about birds and how to draw them. Though i don't hold it against any who doesn't do it correctly, it does though count on what they know and how much time they have spent with it.

1) Both are great. Though, a lot of people ignore the fact that to have a set of wings with arms you'd probably need another set of chest muscles like this explains(human or animal) http://fav.me/d2zfz5r
2) Both can be done very expressively in art. In my sona, for example, I give her big wing "hands". Though not logically correct- they are very expressive. But talons are equally expressive, maybe in a more menacing way than feather arms, but none the less, awesome. :P
3) Oh gosh. Its mainly the placement/anatomy of the beak area and the anatomy of the wings. Some people just don't know how to make it work, realistically or stylistically. Successes vary- I seem to notice mistakes easier. haha
4) I usually stylize feather detail as a cartoonist.

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?

Wings as arms for sure. It just seems like the most biologically acceptable way to do it really. I think it looks way more natural and just plain better than some wings randomly plastered onto their backs... over their shoulder blades... which then limits muscular and skeletal movement and all sorts of other problems...

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?

Gotta go with the feather-like fingers which can move and bend like every other finger out there. They look like feathers, but are stronger and pretty dexterous... heard them called "blood feathers" before. I think that's once again the most natural way to go. Sharp scalie claws on the end of wings just don't seem to fit with the rest of the feathery-soft appendages to me.

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?

Well, wings tend to be the big factor for me. I wouldn't call them "mistakes", but having either back wings or no wings at all on a bird is just kinda... meh. But, the thing I find sort of annoying is that tail feathers are usually represented as short stubby little fans when in reality, scaled to anthro proportions, they'd be quite long. Fox's and other creatures have long, floofy tails, why can't birds too?

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?

I don't draw, so.... but I think that level of detail is left to a small handfull of artists. MOST furry artists I'm happy with just drawing fairly decent looking wings with one layer of feathers, haha.

I myself have wing-arms, but I'm not opposed to back-wings (The feathersuit I'm designing has back-wings, in fact). To me, it just seems more reasonable, plus, considering the muscles involved in flight, I don't really know how back-wings would function.

I prefer the talon fingers, myself, as well. In other people's art, I'll accept either, but more my own personal use, I prefer the claws. Then again, half the time I'm a feral crow, so I'll pick the secret third option of just using my beak to grab things.

I've seen pictures of anthro birds without wings. Um... why do they exist? Wings are kinda-sorta our defining feature. Also, I'm kind of weirded out when I see perching birds without prehensile feet (like if they have humanoid feet). Not being able to perch is kind of an issue for perching birds...

Heh, I'll be honest about that last question: I'm a fairly new bird, so I'm still learning the anatomy in detail. Thanks for linking that picture, though: it'll help me make a much better feathersuit, which I hope to share with this group at a later date!

1) I do not mind wings located on the back but prefer wing arms. The reason is that I have wing arms :P and I like the smooth transition that fits closer with the avian anatomy. ^v^

2) I personally prefer talon fingers (but with short talons to allow for the manipulation of small objects like the human hand). However, I also do not mind feather fingers so long as they look somewhat natural and less cartoonish.

3) I do not like avian art that lacks wings all together for human arms. Wings are a defining characteristic for birds in general and the grace of wing appendages makes them critical to an anthro avian, IMO.

4) I cannot draw so it is impossible for me to answer this question. ( ^)>

Q) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?
A) I prefer wings on the arms because wings on the back would mean that you'd have six appendages. I kinda feel that unless you are a gryphon or a hybrid, you are cheating when you put the wings on the back and still have arms.

Q) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?
A) Probably talon fingers just because they make a bit more sense but feather fingers can be quite interesting as well. I also just like the designs of having talon fingers, it can allow for some interesting designs.

Q) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?
A)Most common mistake I see? Probably anatomy... yeah, defiantly anatomy. I get that they are humanized when you make them anthropomorphic, but still. Greatest success though? I dunno, whenever I see good bird art, I'm amazed at generally everything they do.

Q) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?
A) Alas, I cannot draw...

1: I personally prefer wings on the arms. But both have the potential to look great.

2: Both are nice, but I like feathered fingers a little more. They're more desirable to touch. I always felt like the birds with talons for hands are more tough and edgy, while feathery ones are a bit more gentle.

3: I feel like that is somewhat of a personal opinion. All I can really think of is I feel that when people put TOO MUCH emphasis on the texture of the talons, it just makes it look weird. It ends up looking kinda fat and just not that appealing. As for 'successes' I guess I just really appreciate it when artists manage to layer the feathers and detail them so perfectly. I really admire that.

4: Well, I tend to draw more toony birds that don't really have wings; so no. Wouldn't mind giving it a shot though.

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?

I prefer either no wings at all with scaly arms, sometimes with small secondary feathers on the elbows, or wings with hands at the ends.

I'm *okay* with wings on the back, just as long as placement makes sense. Grafting them onto the shoulders looks very cluttered, especially when viewed from the back, and is far from aerodynamic when you think about how the legs and tail would dangle limply like clumsy rudders. I prefer them to be placed on the lower back to balance things out.

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?

It really depends on what my goal is for the character. If I want a cutesy character, I tend to go for the less realistic and I use big, pudgy feather fingers. If I'm going for something more realistic, I use talons.

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?

One of my pet-peeves is the one I mentioned about wings being placed directly on the shoulderblades. Another would be when people place the back claw of a bird high up on the hocks. Lastly, it's very annoying to see when people draw birds that would normally be Zygodactyl as being Anisodactyl.

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?

I am always sure to include every group of feathers (coverts, secondaries, primaries, alula, scapulars) but I don't like to draw in every single barb on the vane. It looks messy and unrealistic.

1. Either no wings with scaly arms, or the wing-arm hybrids. Shoulder wings are terrible.

2. Again, it depends on the type of wing. Feather-hands for the wing arms, and talons for the scaly arm.

3. Beaks. I know I'm no anatomical wizard, but I'm damn tired of seeing an eagle beak on everything from a raven to a duck. I do normally like the expressiveness in most of the art I see, though. :>

4. I try. As I said, I'm no wizard with anatomy, but I like my wings to at least be the right shape.

Back when griffiny, arms when birdish..

All types, depending on the level of cartoony or anthro ...

When cartoony, just about anything goes... when anthro, a bit more strict, but I like creativity so most things are fine (though in that form I prefer not to see human-anatomy stuff usually)

and Yup!

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?

To me, an anthropomorphic bird with wings on the back looks faintly like it has four arms. >v< I prefer wings as the arms because it makes the most sense to me and is the most visually pleasing.

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?

Feather fingers as it's the most cutest thing ever! *tickle tickle*

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?

The most common mistake is the beak. Most artists can't place the correct type of beak that goes with the bird. If the avian isn't a tucan, hawk, or raven most artists are going to draw it with the wrong style of beak which drives me crazyyyy. AHHH!

The most common success are the colors given to avians. They're soooo colorful and thankfully artists know we birds like to flaunt our colors.

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?

I don't, mainly since I enjoy cartoonish style of art in which you wouldn't go to that much detail.

I liked reading through this! So helpful :>

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?

Wings on the back look best to me, as with wings on arms - they need to be just right... Though after thinking about it some, I don't know any more! Both could work.

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?

Talons for added dexterity.

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?

Huh. Beak and talons, I s'pose. Oh, and wings.

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?

I like to try and draw the feather detail, yes. It all depends though, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't! :>

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?
Wings on the arms, I don't really like birds with back mounted wings as extra limbs just seem weird to me.
2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?
Feather fingers, it looks more like a bird instead of a pure fantasy creature.
3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?
Common mistakes - Wrong beak type or wrong talon type (Yes, I'm a bird nerd so I know the talon types too)
Common successes - The pose and layering of feathers
4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?
Not really, no, just because I'm not skilled at detail AT ALL xD

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?
- When drawing, it depends on the kind of anatomy I want to use and the style of drawing I aim for.
But usually, when looking at art, I do not care about the wing placement. If the drawing is good, it's good!

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?
- I prefer talons, simply because feather fingers don't make any sense in everyday use, even if talon hands make anthro avians look a little less birdy...
I must admit that feather fingers have that ability to make any character cute/cartoony instantly, it has its use!

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?
- Mystakes? Wing feathers, mostly. A lot of artists just make a correct wing outline, then fill it with feathers.
AND BEAKS. We must admit that beaks are hard to draw. Extremely hard! But When I see beaks that just look like party hats glued to the face of a human skull, well, my inner bird cries a little.

- As for successes, I've seen a LOT of beautiful designs in bird/gryphon characters. People manage to adapt actual bird species and colors into well made and well thought characters! I love that.

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?

- I always aim for realistic wings, unless it's for a cartoon drawing. Sadly, I never use references because I don't always have access to a computer.
The result is alright, I guess!

1) Wings on the arms: Because it makes sense, if only because thats where they are on feral birds. Basically x-number of fingers, with an extra long 'finger' for the wing itself (like how it is with bats). It's the symetry, essentially. Birds have two legs, two wings (barring accidents or birth defects) so why shouldn't we?
2) Talon-fingers: Because, I figure it'd be kinda hard to manipulate tools with wing-fingers.
3) Air-sacs on the chest!!, I kid, I kid!
Honestly I haven't seen any partcular mistakes (anything which some might classify as mistakes I'd just chalk up to art style).
4) Well, I haven't drawn birds yet. More's the pity. I am gradually learning the bits-n-bobs of avian anatomy, but I like to try and keep in line with the animal because, what is the point of playing an animal-person if you're not going to account for the animal aspects?
But again it depends on the artist who's drawing. Sometimes a more simplified or cartoonish apperance works, sometimes not.

(( by the way, a question to the folks here. When roleplaying how do you differentiate when typing between the talons on the feet and the talons on the hands? Or is it just easier to go 'toes/fingers' 'feet/hands' respectivly? ))

Addendum to 3)
The birds do come in lots of delightful colours and patterns. And unlike say...neon pink wolves or Cherenkov coloured ponies, it doesn't boggle the mind because birds can normally come in all manner of colourations.
Birds are Shimply Fahbulous! like that.

In answer to your last question,
I used to have the issue of calling this this and that that, got rather confusing at times lmao, now I just use claw/fingers(don't really use "hands" :>), and toes/talons (rarely use "feet/foot"). :3

1) Do you prefer wings on the back or wings on the arms? And for what reason?
I personally prefer wings on the arms, as that makes it look more birdlike,

2) Do you prefer feather fingers or talon fingers, & why?
I'm a bit in the middle about this one. While talon-fingers are certainly the most logical they just seem so off, making the birds in question look more like bats. On the other hand while feather-fingers are highly illogical they do maintain that birdy look and when the art is supposed to look cartoony they don't look too much out of place.

3) Out of all the avian artwork you've seen, what are some of the most common mistakes? What are some of the most common successes?
Teeth on beaks is a personal pet-peeve of mine and although I haven't seen it on any original characters so far, I have seen it (and groaned at it) on bird characters in cartoons.

4) When drawing ferals &/or anthros, do you draw the birds' Wing Feather Details, something very similar to it, or not?
I tend to use that very picture as a reference when I detail the wings. :>

1. Wing arms, because I have them on my arms.
2. Feathered fingers, because my arm turns into wings.
3. More or les the beak, but i think birds are unique in many ways.
4. I don't draw, my creator does.