Hello all, Art Vulpine here.

Time now for part 2 of my series on how I draw my characters. Today I'm focusing on how I sketch.

Now, I'll start by saying that even though I've been drawing since 2012, I still struggle sketching directly on my computer using my drawing pad. I'm not sure why as I can draw backgrounds, add color, and shade. Hopefully one day I can do everything online with practice.

But for now I sketch using good old paper. I buy sketch pads by the bulk so I don't run out. The sketch pads need to be the easy tear variety, not the books with the spiral bindings as these tend to tear my art upon removal.

For drawing, I use 0.7 lead mechanical pencils, and a Pentel Click eraser. i also use Hi-Polymer erasers for big mistakes.

I start sketching from the top down, starting with the character's head. Typically I sketch all the features of the head and face, including hair. Then I draw the center line for the body as well as the neck and shoulders. Next is the body lines, showing off the torso section. Then I draw the legs and arms and any torso features.

After the character has been sketched, I draw the clothes.

Sometimes my art doesn't have a background, or I create the background after finishing inking the character. If I do create the background in sketch form, I use a metal ruler to give a general look to the objects. Since my art focuses on characters, background is secondary and used to highlight the figure.

After the sketch is done and cleaned up, I scan the image on my computer. I use an Epson Perfection V33 which I've had since 2012, and the scan software that Microsoft provided. This puts all my sketches into my Scan folder where I then can access them.

That's it for sketching and scanning. Next is inking the sketches using an art program. Stay tuned for Part Three of that!

Hello all!

Art Vulpine here. I'm starting a new series focusing on how I draw the art that you see here! Hopefully it will bring some insight into how I create and maybe encourage others to draw.

So let's start with inspiration. Inspiration is everywhere, especially in an era of mass media and increasingly sophisticated technology. We can create faster and better than we ever could in the past, building worlds and creating characters that seem to jump from the page or screen.

For me I sometimes struggle for inspiration. Sometimes I get sparks of creativity which I immediately try to capture through sketching or at least writing down the idea. That way if I do hit the dreaded Artists' Block, I'll have some ideas in reserve.

One of the outlets that I use frequently in my art is other people's art as inspiration and reference. Say I like a certain pose or background scene or even a certain color pallet. Well, I use that art as a reference to then create my own original art. These art pieces also help me improve my style.

One word of caution: Don't ever trace art or make your art like the image you used as a reference! First, it is an insult to the artist, it is essentially a stealing of an idea, and it degrades your creativity. It may be easy, but it is wrong! I make sure that my art is different from any source material that I gain inspiration from.

Anyway, that's all about inspiration. Next up will be about how I sketch my work!

Until next time, ~Art Vulpine~

Hello All,

Couple of things. First, yes my art has stalled a little, but I'm currently working on a few pieces. Also, I'm trying to go with fewer pictures but really focus on the quality.

I'm not able to go to Furpocalypse this year due to a personal issue, so hopefullly next year.

In some good news, my fursuit by Pawsome Furrries is completed with the head and hand paws. Now I'm just waiting for the sleeves and foootpaws.

So, there's my update for now. Look for new art soon.

Hello!

Just a reminder, I not only accept constructive criticism, I welcome it! Constructive criticism will help me to improve my art.

Hello all!

I was flipping through the channels last night when I noticed that after what seemed like an eternity, Zootopia is on the Disney Channel. Yay! To me this film is as close to flawless a movie that Disney could produce. The story is simple yet layered that we get motifs of chasing one's dream and racism (or is it speciesism?) I equally love Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde and how they interact with each other. Definitely fun to rewatch this one!

Wishing all a safe and happy holiday season and a Happy New Year!

So I recently cleaned up my Favorites after a long while of neglect. Strangely there were a lot of deleted art, which makes me think that one of you I watch has cleaned up their Galley. I'm curious who it was, because I don't think I read anywhere that someone I follow is leaving FA/ cleaning up their Gallery. Hmm...

Hello,

I recently joined a Facebook group called Greymuzzles. What struck me though was that states that (in the site's opinion) a Greymuzzle is any furry over the age of 30! Now, I'm 32. I consider myself young and healthy. When I think Greymuzzle, I think those who have been in the fandom since 2000 or earlier (IE those who were in the first 25 or so years that the fandom existed.) I never thought of the furry fandom as a young fandom, meaning it appeals to those who are college age or younger. Maybe it's the rate at which furries drop out of the fandom and how many are remaining after the 18-30 range that most join the fandom that constitutes being a Greymuzzle.

Maybe being a Greymuzzle isn't about being old (Like a "Darn you young furries! Get off my lawn!" type). It's a badge of honor for sticking it out long enough to outlast those who joined in high school or college and dropped out of the fandom. I'm not blaming these people as interests do change, but being part of the fandom for over 13 years in an achievement!

So maybe I won't consider myself a Greymuzzle as much as being a Veteran Furry!

Hello all!

I felt it was time to dust off this journal and post here with some exciting news! Yesterday I watched My Little Pony: the Movie! Before I go into this, however, I need to put this disclaimer. *Ahem

Warning! Spoilers Imminent! Turn back now if you don't want to be spoiled! Last Warning!

Phew! Now that I got the Royal Canterlot Voice out of my system, let me start with the good.

1) The animation. Oh wow, the animation with this movie was phenomenal! Toon Boom Studio really made all the colors come to life. There were tons of things to see with the details it sometimes became mind boggling! Everything from the scenes of Canterlot to under the sea to aboard the zeppelins was amazingly done.

2) The songs. While the lyrics I'm going to need to retrace, the music was great. I especially liked Tempest Shadow's song "Open Your Eyes" was a powerful song.

3) The new characters. Let's start with Capper, the anthropomorphic cat the Mane Six first meet on their tour of Equestria. I love his cunning and suave personality. Then you have the bird pirate group with Captain Caleno who are a fun swashbuckling group. Lastly you have Princess Skystar and Queen Novo, former hippogriffs and now seaponies. I love their backstory and how excitable Princess Skystar is seeing the Mane Six. Then you have Grubber, the Storm King's version of Spike. He adds some comedy relief but not too much. But the best one is Tempest Storm. You can feel her presence everytime her skyship arrives. She appears as simply a villain, but we get to see why she's so cold and what's up with her broken horn, and why she joined the Storm King in the first place. She certainly resonated with me as I watched the movie.

4) The emotions. Oh my, do we see the emotions! This is especially from Twilight who feels responsible for not being able to stop the Storm King, and frustrated for not being able to find a key to defeating him. She goes as far as to steal the sea ponies' orb in an effort to save her land which leads to her snapping at her friends and breaking down. Yeah, this was a very emotionally heavy.

5) The story. The story was pretty cohesive, basically a tour of beyond Equestria. You have Twilight trying to save her land from the Storm King and encountering friends and enemies in the process.

6) Derpy. We see her in the show many times, but the most interesting time was where she sacrificed herself to be petrified instead of Twilight. Powerful stuff there.

Now you have some bad moments.

1) The Storm King. I wasn't really impressed by him. He was kind of a cross between Sombra and Discord, sometimes somber yet sometimes nuts! I wished that we got a peek at him early before the end of the movie. Yes, i knew he had this power to create this army, but without his staff, he seemed pretty weak and unstable.

2) The pacing. I get that this is a movie geared to kids, but it seemed like you had lots of hurry up and wait moments.

3) Sia's pony character. I don't mind her, but I see her kind of as a filler compared to the other characters. She was merely another name to the cast list and another song to the roster. still, her design was interesting.

Overall, this was a wonderful movie, and I really recommend seeing it on the big screen!

Hello All!

So I'm going to do a few "My Thoughts On..." relating to certain series. Now I don't plan on doing one for every series in the known universe, just furry related series for now.

So, let's start with Pokemon. I'm going to start by saying I'm not a big fan of Pokemon. I was a fan way back in the 1990s when Pokemon began. I didn't play the games other than Pokemon Stadium, and I only watched episodes from Seasons 1 and 2. After that I moved on to other things. Personally I think that Pokemon is getting redundant with the same thing happening every game: you collect Pokemon, train them and battle them against opponents and gym owners. Now Pokemon Go seems interesting as it brings Pokemon to the real world, but still not enough to convince me to play. Personally I'm surprised that Pokemon has survived so long given the changing nature of games.

So there you have it.

(deep breath) Alright, you don't need to alter your display. Today this "My Thoughts On..." post is about a prevalent and sometimes sensitive topic: Rule 34 and the Furry Fandom.

For those who have just turned their computers on for the first time ever, Rule 34 states "If there's something on the Internet, there's porn of it." Now there's no denying that the furry fandom has its share of porn. You just have to go on the front page here to see that. Now I know that the furry isn't all about sex, but there is a good chunk of the fandom that is about it! Yes, other fandoms have their share of Rule 34, but ours seems to have more of it, or at least ours is more apparent.

So my thoughts on this is as follows...

1) I'm not really into hardcore Mature stuff. I'm not a prude either (otherwise, why would I be in this fandom?) More of the Adult (blue bordered at) is my speed.
2) While I don't think I will ever understand certain kinks in this fandom, I'm not going to judge as long as no one shoves it in my face. Same goes with porn in general. To all the stuff I don't like I simply ignore.
3) Having said this, I do think we as artists have to look at what we are doing and our place in the fandom. The more Mature versus clean or Adult art drawn will push the thoughts of those outside the fandom towards the horrible stereotype: "Furries are all About Sex." Drawing Mature art is fine, but do you want to be known as the "Furry Porn Artist."
4) Also, let's get rid of the other cringe worthy stereotype I keep seeing in the fandom: "Drawing Porn Makes you Successful." Yeah, no! Good art makes you successful. Getting your name out there makes you successful.

That's all I have to say about this. Any, stay tuned to more "My Thoughts On..."

Art Vulpine

So confession time: I like Sonic the Hedgehog. As a kid, the first game system I got was the Sega Genesis, and the first game was Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I loved the levels, the simply but fun story, and the main character. This was coupled with one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons: Sonic SatAM. This is where the games were put into context with Sonic trying to defeat Dr. Robotnik (now Dr. Eggman). Along with this there was the comic by Archie which picked up where the show left off.

Now there are many stumbling blocks for the franchise post-Genesis. Sonic Adventures and Adventures 2: Battle were fun games brining Sonic to the true 3D world. But then there were bad games like Heroes and the 2006 Playstation game.

Recently, the comics ceased production after an attempted reboot of the series called the Genesis Wave. At first I wondered if there would be just the games, but then it was announced that IDW (creators of comic series like Transformers, Jurassic Park and My Little Pony) would launch a series of Sonic in 2018.

So, what would I like to see for the new comics?

Well, for starters, keep the character list to a core group. You don't need to make up a new character every issue of the comics. If they chose to keep the Freedom Fighters team, that's fine. If they chose only to stick with the characters in the games, that's fine, too.

Next, don't try to rehash all 300+ issues worth of plot from the Archie series. Instead, keep it simple with Sonic's adventures facing Dr. Eggman.

Third, keep the villain with Dr. Eggman and maybe a few other enemies from the games like Chaos.

Finally, keep the worldbuilding going by painting the world of Mobius.

Hello all!

I'm going to take a step back and give an honest critique of my art. We as artists are our own best friend and worst enemy, but we are also our most honest judge.

Here it goes...

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being horrible and 10 being great, I'd put my art at a 5. Why? Because while I do see myself as improving, I also see other artists I favorite or watch whose art is light years ahead of mine. I also realize that art isn't easy for me. I have trouble coming up with ideas, struggle with anatomy, and usually end up with an art piece that while nice I'm not 100% pleased with. Add to this the fact that I kind of goofed up learning to draw by trying to draw an entire image instead of starting with the basics.

Right now I'm trying to correct that misstep and hopefully one day be pleased with my art. Until then, I just keep improving.

Hello all!

It's me, Art, again with another installment of "My Thoughts On..."

Today I'm going to talk about the other meaning of the word "furry," this time the fandom in general.

So what makes a person a member of this fandom? Is it drawing? Maybe going to cons? How about fursuiting?

The answer is simple: Do you like Furry characters? If so, then you're a member of the furry fandom!

As for what you do in the fandom, that's up to you, but I'd recommend trying as much as possible to see what you like.

Hello all!

I'm going to be starting a little segment of journals called "My Thoughts On..." where I share my musings on aspects of the furry fandom and maybe other things.

So let's start with something that is at the core of the fandom: "What is a furry character anyway?"

Loosely based, a furry is anything that has both human ans animal qualities. This an be anything from a talking dog to a human character with animals ears and a tail like a Neko (cat girl) from Japanese Anime. Most members of the fandom, however, accept furries as characters who have at of close to half human and half animal and share both human and animal mannerisms.

For me, I'm in line with the fandom's acceptance. As much as I like Anime, I consider Neko or other humans with animal ears and tails to be too human to be considered furry. Same goes with talking animals. Yes there is some Anthropomorphism there, but not enough for me to say they're furry.

But you're probably asking, "Art, you sly fox you, what about ponies from My Little Pony?"


Ah yes, well I believe ponies are furries. Why? While they are not at or near half human and half animal, they do have lots of human traits such as talking, using their hooves to grasp objects, living in homes, and having a very complex social structure while still maintaining an equine form and some mannerisms.

So there you have it, my idea of furries. Look for more of these entries as I create them.

~Art

Hello all! Art Vulpine here!

You've seen the art here (thanks to those who have favorited, commented, or Watched!) So, how did I get into drawing? Honestly, I'm self-taught. I've read books on drawing furries and ponies, but largely it's trial and error. Drawing isn't second nature to me like writing is. Sometimes a concept works, other times it doesn't. There are plenty of times I sketched something, put it aside, and later on realized it was bad and trashed it. There are even some drawings that I completed and later on look at it and say, "Art, why did you draw this?" As I've said, we artists are our own worst and best critics.

So what I do to draw something new is this:

1) If I need to conceptualize a pose or expression, I look how others pose their character. Let me be clear: I don't copy or trace! Looking at the art is merely to get my brain working.
2) Next I sketch it on paper. It's rough and may not be 100% complete but it's a good reference.
3) Then I scan the sketch and bring it up on the art program I use. Currently I use Fire Alpaca, a free Japanese-based program that is easy to use. I also use a Wacom Bamboo tablet.
4) Once the art is uploaded, I create a layer and trace over the sketch lines. Then I delete the sketch layer and after cleaning up the lines create a layer below the line one for coloring and shading.
5) After finishing up on the coloring and shading, I'm done!

Typically a drawing takes about 30 minutes to sketch, 30 minutes to scan and trace, and 30 to color depending on how complex the art is. With backgrounds, this takes about 2 hours or more.

If I were to go back, I would have done things differently by drawing humans first then working on furry art next, but hopefully in a roundabout way I can learn what I needed to do earlier with forms and anatomy to improve my art!

Interesting revelation I found. It seems that when I draw a character from MLP in an Anthro form it might be too niche. Some MLP fans don't like Anthro art and some Anthro fans don't like MLP. I think that art style is trying to do too much. Perhaps I'll just keep Anthro and MLP separate from now on.

So I was thinking about my fursonas Art Vulpine and Spellbound and wondered what their theme songs would be to best fit their personalities.

So, for Spellbound we have a haunting song by Lacuna Coil called Spellbound. It fits well with his magical abilities especially the chorus:

"Tell me who you are
I am Spellbound
You cannot have this control of me
Everywhere I go
I am Spellbound
I will break the spell you have on me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lSbtEvGzBs



This fits well with Spellbound's stoic logical nature and his dark past.

Hello all!

I want to take this moment to wish all of you a Happy New Year!

Now, you're probably wondering what my Resolutions are going to be. Well, I often don't make any out of worry that I'll set myself up for disaster should my resolutions not follow through, but I do have some things that I want to do coming up.

1) Give my characters more depth. I've been thinking a while about what makes a good memorable furry character, and the fact is that the answer has been there in front of me the whole time! As a writer I know a good character has an interesting personality, back story, and quirks. So, why not give each of my characters their own story? So get ready to see Art, Lysa, Spellbound, and Gina shine with their own personalities!

2) At first I wasn't planning on doing a new furry character any time soon, but inspiration strikes again! So, get ready to see a new character who I'm going to add a little pop flair to.


3) Fan Art! Yes, I'll be doing some more art fun like from Steven Universe, Sing, etc. Maybe even some crossovers with my characters...

So adios 2016 and hello 2017!

Art Vulpine!

Last night I needed some fun, so I went to see the movie Sing in the theaters. It's a fun little story about a theater owner trying to hold onto his dream by hosting a singing contest. Each contestant in turn has their own struggles they have to overcome in their lives. In particular, I was focused on two of the contestants, Ash, a porcupine who has been put down by her boyfriend, and Meena, an elephant who is shy. Overall, I'd say it one of the best animated movies this year, and a nice way to cheer me up.

Sad day for me. My grandmother passed away today at the age of 90.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Hello all!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day! I'm happy to report I did my fellow carnivores proud and devoured that turkey without mercy! Guess I'll have to wait until Christmas for another...

Back to the point of this Journal, my recent obsessions (other than the furry and brony fandoms)

Steven Universe - With an interesting cohesive plot, characters that are relate-able and lots of interesting interaction, this show is one of the better ones Cartoon Network has done recently!

RWBY - Pronounced Ruby, this Anime inspired show has girls, transforming weapons, and tons of action! I already binge watched the first season on You Tube and have great hopes for the next seasons!

Gotham- It's Batman before... Batman? More importantly, it gives an interesting look into the origins of Jim Gordon and the favorite villains of the Batman universe!

Mr. Robot - Hacking, delusions, and corporate greed and corruption collide in this series!

Halt and Catch Fire - This semi-historical series set in the 1980s chronicles individuals struggling to create the next best hardware and software for computers.


Got something you think is interesting for me to watch? Let me know!

Why not?

[X ] you meow/bark to get attention
[X ] you find pets toys amusing
[ ] you get hyper by the smell of catnip
[X] you growl/hiss when someone gets too close to your food
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone you dislike is too close to you
[ ] you purr/shake your leg when someone shows you affection
[ ] if someone tosses a ball, you chase it and bring it back
Total: 3

[ ] you love to be scratched behind the ear
[X] you love fish/meat
[ ] you like to stick your head out trough the window of a moving car.
[x] you like when people pet your head
[ ] people can make you stop doing stuff by hitting you on the nose with a newspaper
[ ] you think feathers are fun to play with
Total: 1

[ ] you sleep a lot during daytime
[ ] you enjoy scaring birds
[ ] you lick peoples faces to show you like them
[ ] you bite people if they annoy you
[ ] you tend to steal food from your friends/family's plate when you have eaten all of yours
[ ] milk or water is your favorite drink
Total: 0

[ ] you own a collar and you enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own a leash and enjoy wearing it
[x] you own animal ears/tail/paws or a fursuit
[x] you enjoy long walks in the park
[ ] you meow/bark when you see something you want
Total: 2

[ ] you call your hands and feet "paws"
[x] you tilt your head when you do not understand what someone is talking about
[ ] you run to the door when someone mentions a walk
[x] you really enjoy cuddling
[x] you stretch your body and whimper a bit every morning when you wake up
[X] you can wake up and go back to sleep right away after looking around
Total: 4

[ ] you have your favorite spot besides your bed where you like to sleep
[ ] you meow or bark very often
[ ] you hide when you get scared
[ ] you run to the door to see who it is every time someone comes in to the house
[ ] you like to chase flying insects and try to catch them with your bare hand
[ ] you tend to chew on stuff a lot
[ ] you like to do tricks to get a treat
Total: 0

[X] you own a wearable item/tag with your name on it
[ ] you refer to your self as an animal
[X] your username has something to do with animals
[ ] your e-mail has something to do with animals
[x] if you get a bleeding wound, you lick it to make it feel better
[X] you look for edible stuff often
Total: 4

[x] you often find yourself looking through the window for a long time
[X] you like to say hi to strangers
[ ] you like to be petted when you have done something good
[ ] people think you act like a pet
[ ] you growl/hiss at stuff you do not like
[ ] you like to eat grass
[ ]if you get wet, you shake to get rid of the water
Total: 2

Final total:

Take your score and multiply it by 2
Put your title as "I'm _% Furry"

I watched Zootopia last night and I was impressed. The characters, especially the two main ones of Nick and Judy were great, the story was fast paced and fun, the animation was phenomenal, and while this wasn't a musical like the other Disney movies, the songs that were present were nice. But the biggest thing were the morals and themes of this movie like whether it's in a person's (or anthropomorphic critter) nature to be good or bad, racism (or speciesism?) and most importantly following one's dreams no matter who is trying to dissuade them. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen!