From what I saw of your character, he's pretty much hybridized between human and donkey. It would be fitting to mix the hooves a little.

Then again, my own is equine/canine, and I split the different by doing two fingers and a thumb, and 3-toed hooves instead of regular. (Although I cut most artists some slack and let them draw regular hooves/hands/whatever.)

... "hybridized between human and donkey."

Yes, though hopefully most of the more important characteristics are donkey. If I understand correctly you've picked up on how the pads would be human-like. My writing "like paw pads" might be a bit misleading. Actually I'd thought of this before, it's just that today I considered them again but as being fuller or more rounded. Hence the hoof walls not touching the ground. The original idea of having them, but not protruding so much is much better. I can't believe I didn't think of it today until reading your comment. It's settled and they're in.

It's enlightened to give choices to other artists where something's not critical and where it could make things easier and come out better. I'd think that the three fingered hoof-hands might be easier to draw in some ways. (The suit I'm working on will have three fingered hands I can swap out with the forehooves btw.)

Actually, I made a set of hoof-hands a couple of years ago, and sculpted the 'nails' to match. When I didn't end up following through with making a partial fursuit of it, I auctioned it on Furbuy... That was the quickest sale I've ever made, too! If you need any pointers for the nails, I can sculpt an example and send you a picture, but the basic trick I used was just to mold part of the clay around my fingertips for a comfortable fit, and then add the 'nails' on to that. Putting them on the end of the glove without having them braced by your fingers means they kinda flop around, which doesn't lend a very natural movement.

And yes, they're easier to draw, and to sculpt for that matter. My first carousel horse was done that way, though I tend to do the hands however the character has already been done.

Hm... As for hooves, though, the way I think I'd go with is a pad on the bottom of the hoof, and hoof wall still *slightly* touching the ground. Since the hoof wall grows much like a nail, it would wear down and stay right about ground level, but not enough to lift the pad up really. Plus, it would mean if he ever had good reason to kick, it would still be quite effective. Just a thought ^_^

That's a good point on the nails. Thanks a lot for the offer of providing visual reference, but the nails are done and work. Actually the nails are basically where I started. I made fake fingers to put in the gloves, applied hot glue (the fabric is embedded in the material,) just enough to sculpt a rounded shape with a dremmel. That provided a surface for underpainting. Once they were painted I applied more hot glue and sculpted the nails out of that. They are quite secure, and I used thin plastic sticks between each of the two finger sets to limit the number of joints and to keep each set together. Since I wanted my opposing digit to be fixed opposite of the two, two finger sets, I made something like a mirror image thumb out of wood, making sure the base of the form conformed comfortably to my hand with my thumb brought in.

You're spot on with the comment on the hoof walls too. When I thought of the more protruding pads (right before posting) I had just taken a nap with my dog and was thinking of them being trimmed shorter than where the natural wear would leave them. I forgot that there really isn't anyone to trim them and didn't think about the fact that having them trimmed so short would be bad for the feet anyway.

You've got that last part right... Stone bruises are painful!