A reference sheet from the talented  Zambuka

This is actually the first reference sheet i've ever commissioned, after 14 years in furry, 10 years as a dolphin and 4 years as an inflatable. I've been meaning to clearly set out details for Cyrin, such as markings, colours, anatomical features, etc - I worked closely with Zambuka to get this reference sheet right, and I will be using it as my definitive character reference from now on. I think having a clear-cut reference sheet will make the artwork I commission in future more consistent and accurate, as well as simply making it easier to say to an artist, "this is me!" :)

Some decisions I made about my character's design during this process:
- Adopting the facial markings as drawn by Rarakie. It was Kaijima who originally added blue to my colours, but Rarakie really emphasised it in the first picture I commissioned from her, and I think it makes an excellent addition to my character.
- Elbow fins: I haven't been too strict about asking for these in the past, but they were part of my original toy character design and feature prominently on my non-inflatable self, too. They're realised as flaps of vinyl rather than being inflatable.
- I decided to opt for slightly less fused digits on my hands after a pic by BlowupAtlas demonstrated how they could still look simple and toy-like. In this reference sheet, they look a little more functional still.
- My yellow markings have always been a little inconsistent, but i've finally settled on the ones you see here, very much as drawn in the pic I recently commissioned from Trunchbull. It strikes a good balance between the natural markings of a common dolphin and the flexibility offered by artistic license.
- It's great to be able to show my foot-flippers, in particular. The large, webbed and two-toed design you see here is absolutely perfect.
- Although I didn't specifically request these, the more prominent white markings on the backs of my legs and the underside of my arms really add a pleasant contrast to my patterns.
- Most of all, i'm happy to be able to provide a reference that shows the translucency of my main body colour. This is rarely (if ever) depicted, and i'm often drawn opaque in a much lighter shade of grey. Here you can see that my base colour is a dark graphite, which appears lighter due to the translucency. So, so happy with how it looks here!

So there you have it - I love this ref sheet and I hope you all fave it on Zambuka's gallery once she uploads it there. *happysqueaks*

I'm breaking with my usual policy of not reposting commissioned works in my own gallery because this is a particularly important piece.