One day I asked myself, "Could you make a visual novel?" This is what came out of it…

This is a visual novel reinterpretation of chapter three of my book Work “Fur” Hire: Use a Professional Email Address.
The story is taken directly from the book, the pictures were made in MS Paint, and the VN was written using Ren’py. This project showed me that making a VN was possible and encouraged me to take on a bigger project.

I hope you enjoy this silly little project. There is some solid job coaching advice for first-time job seekers, great humor, and a very wiggly fish.

https://edwin-at-work.itch.io/proto.....-email-address

Story by Rixor Amsel:
https://linktr.ee/Riksor

Although image uploading is disabled, journal posts are still alive and well!!!

Here are some key updates for Edwin@Work:

- This server downtime has been another reminder to find someway to be less dependent on social media. So I created an emailing list: https://buttondown.com/edwin_at_work. My plan is to do an email every week or two with the tips and sketch-a-week postings as well as behind-the-scenes of what is going on with Edwin projects. Consider joining!

- The VN novel is in early development. I am considering posting some of the prototype builds on Itch.io. That way you can see the create process unfold. Thoughts?

- Work Fur Hire is almost available as a physical book. More details coming soon!

- I am going to advertise for open job coaching slots in the near future. Feel free to hit me up if you want to talk about job search.

That's it for now. I hope you are making the most of this FA server downtime.

Cheers,
Edwin

Work "Fur" Hire has been nominated for best general literary work in the Ursa Majors!

Sign up and vote for the book here: https://ursamajorawards.org/voting2024/

Let's show how self-help can be a meaningful genre in the furry community!

Learn more about the book: workfurhirebook.carrd.co

Thanks to everyone who has supported the book thus far! Here are updates as we head into March:

==DRM-Free Book: Work Fur Hire has been uploaded to Itch.io as a DRM-free purchase option. I created a form for how to receive a complementary .epub file for those who have purchased the book on other platforms. This is a limited-time offer. Please fill out the below form ASAP.

...

==New storefront and items: All of my for sale items have been moved over to Itch.io, including two new goodies. First, 105 Job Searching Tips [$8] offers just over two years' worth of my tip-a-week series. All the tips have been reworded and reordered to help with your navigation. Your purchase of the booklet comes with additional resume-building resources/templates. Second, a free booklet containing my top 10 tips. Every purchase goes towards supporting my work and future projects!

==Physical Book: The publisher and I are still working with the distributor to get a review copy of the book. I'm optimistic for a Q2 book release, but stay tuned.

==Next Project: The team is coming together to work on a job coaching-themed visual novel. More details to come later.

Drop a comment if you have questions. Thank you for coming along the journey with me.

Cheers,
Edwin

workfurhirebook.carrd.co

The ebook is out!!!

We are still working physical copies. Hopefully that will come together before the end of the year. Thank all of you who have supported me throughout this project!!! 🙇‍♀️🐇

Heads up: some important book related news is going to drop on Wednesday. Stay tuned!

Check out these Furry-facing professional services!

CPA, Tax preparation and accounting:
Thomas Nazworth, CPA
https://www.thomasnazworth.com/furries/

Life Coach
Prince Borgon
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/princeborgon/

Video Editing
Melody Young
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/melodyyoung/

Job Coaching
Edwin@Work
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/edwinatwork

This is a list of other furries who offer furry-facing professional services. DM me if you fit that description so I can add you to the list!

-Edwin

https://edwin-sketch-a-week.carrd.co/#project

I created a website to help track the Edwin Sketch-a-Week project.

On the website you will find:
- Listing of each week's sketch.
- Notable information about each sketch.
- Project Tracker*!!!

*Remember how I spent months developing a method for categorizing furry art style? One of the key reasons for doing that was to create a means for tracking the outcomes of this project! You will see two graphs: one which depicts each sketch using the system that was developed and the other which keeps a total count of the anthro-types that have been featured in the project thus far. I will update the website weekly. This is a great place to start if you are just getting started!

Cheers,
Edwin

Let us welcome in 2023 as well as this week’s artist…
The midwest emo border collie himself, Rosco!
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie

Featured piece (OC on the right):
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....65627504787468

Detail scale = Some: They stray lines give this flat colored piece a sketchy feel. There are little personalized touches in the clothing (e.g., arm patch, collar) and fur (e.g., green highlights), but it is kept to a minimum. It gives the piece a clean and straight-forward feel.

Shape & Borders scale = a little less than sharp/hard lines: The furson is primarily made up of straight lines or fur with sharp points. It is also worth noting the layered approach taken with the fur. For example, the tail is made up of three colors which have clear borders between each layer. This establishes delineated body parts making the furson clearly defined and easier for the viewer to pick out personalized details.

Anthro type = Anthro: The got a muzzle, off-white eyes, peet, plenty of fur, and a typical human frame. Enough said.

Rosco’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50461607/
There is no finer example of the indie/grunge band/nirvana esthetic than in Rosco’s work. The fursons consistently follow that minimalist style, which could be argued as a foundation of the esthetic. The straight line, clear borders, and simplified detail make for a crisp image that allows for small details to add great personality to the piece. For example, the minimal style of #4 allows the spotted shirt and retro boots of the right-most OC to stand out from other features. The piece is an example of how the placement of light and dark can establish an esthetic and mood while not forcing the scene upon your retinas.

A special thanks to Rosco for agreeing to be part of the project! Check the links below for more radical examples of their work.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Schedule announcement!

Tomorrow will be the kickoff of the Edwin sketch-a-week project! I am going to shift my focus and time into supporting this new project, so weekly field testing will go on hiatus for the time being. Do not worry about the fate of the scales, I will be using them during the sketch-a-week project to track the project’s art throughout the year. My next step in the scale project is to write up its description, upload the Excel workbook, and develop some training slides. I will get around to it…
Anyway, consider watching my profile for the upcoming sketch-a-week project. It’s going to be interesting to see 52 different artists’ approach to the same OC.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

1
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....49551252213760

2
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....50623008296961

3
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....06505199362048

4 <- right-most OC, noted piece
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....21344873185282

5 <- right-most OC, feature piece
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....65627504787468

6
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....06257378676736

7
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....72663776169984

8
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....21018636357632

9
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....50589739352065

10
https://twitter.com/KaleidoCollie/s.....04725309677568

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! Here comes the artist of the week…
Bedupolker, chief propagandist of invertebrates!
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/bedupolker

Featured piece:
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....ongs-to-jacler

Shape & Borders scale = slightly soft/rounded lines: This was difficult to rate because it is a mixture of both features. The lines are generally curvy, helped along by the wings and the feathered antenna. The suit is primarily made up of sharper angles to convey the slender cut of the outfit. The boarders are thicker lines throughout the piece. Lastly, the color shading uses smudging and some gradation, though the outfit follows the clothing folds. Taken together, the wings, head, and other features push the needle into the soft/rounded lines side of the scale.

Detail scale = Just shy of a lot: Those short straight lines are doing work! We see them add fluff in the head, texture in the wings, and an esthetic design throughout the outfit. The head and feathered antenna are convincing, and the wings, although abstract, possess many eye-catching features. The shadowing of the pleated pants and suit jacket are notable, particularly with multiple depths of shadow.

Anthro type = Anthro: There are several moth-like physical features with the subject, such as the wings, head, and back fluff. While it is arguable that an anthropomorphized moth would have a thicker chest, the subject would need additional features to be considered a beast person (e.g., another set of appendages, an alternative to shoed feet).

Bedupolker’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50379293/

There is a range of approaches which are used across their work. Each one is employed deliberately to meet the need of the piece, whether it is a doodled bird answer questions about bugs (#1) or a snail person busking for a few bucks. Consistent throughout their work is the use of thick, inky lines which do the heavy lifting. Number 8, middle panel, the dark lines of the amphipod are used to convey physiological details (hairs), the hardness of the exoskeleton, and shadowing. Lastly, many of there pieces feature authentic renderings of bugs (e.g., bee in #1) or feral interpretations (#8).

Some of you may be thinking if bugs/invertebrates are within the Furry art world. My three responses to that question:
1) There is an absolute artistic overlap between the communities due to an interest with anthropomorphization.
2) Each community, at their heart, has their foundation in joy and acceptance. Perhaps focused on different things, but one can revel alongside the other.
3) Honestly, who cares!

I approached Bedupolker for field testing to see how the scales would fare when used on invertebrates. What I suspected going into this was true, exoskeletons generally lend themselves towards straight lines and clear borders. This is not always true, as seen with the moths (#2 and #6), but we will probably see the scales biasing the lower two categorize for bug-based OCs.

A special thanks to Bedupolker for agreeing to be part of the project! Check the links below for the art that made up their art profile.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Schedule announcement!
Next Tuesday I will be kicking off my Edwin sketch-a-week project! I have one more artist lined up for field testing, so I will be double booked that day posting for both projects. After next week field testing will go on hiatus while I get the sketch-a-week project up and running. Do not worry about the fate of the scales, I will be using them during the sketch-a-week project to track the project’s art throughout the year. May next step in the scale project is to write up its description, upload the Excel workbook, and develop some training slides. I will get around to it…
Anyway, consider watching my profile for the upcoming sketch-a-week project. It’s going to be interesting to see 52 different artists’ approach to the same OC.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

1 <- Doodled bird, middle panel
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....ort-your-local

2 <- Featured piece
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....ongs-to-jacler

3 <- Bottom panel
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....than-they-have

4 <- Weevil, top panel
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....favorite-music

5
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....ate-each-other

6
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....1552/moth-girl

7
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....104/slater-boy

8
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....ng-to-fire-you

9 <- Amphipod, middle panel 🥺
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....t-amphipod-guy

10 <- Rat, bottom panel
https://bedupolker.tumblr.com/post/.....62240/rat-pets

Here comes more field testing. Say hello to our featured artist of the week!
🎨:  KaisarReitz
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49462323/

No changes to the scale for this time. Let’s drive directly into the scale outcomes:

Anthro type = Anthro: The furson possess key animal-like features (e.g., muzzle, wolf ears, tail) but the overall form is human. Plus, they have an incredibly fluffy neck!

Shape & Borders scale = slightly soft/rounded lines: This was difficult to rate. The cut of the outfit, wrinkles in the fabric, robotic parts, and silhouette are mainly straight lines with a few sharp angles. By contrast, the furson part of the piece is soft, the fur coloring is gradually shaded, and is rounded (look at that tail). What tipped the scale was how the back lighting was captured on the fur and clothing, as a smooth transition from the neon color to the dark fabric. Great work with making it shine!

Detail scale = Just shy of Great: Much care was put into the outfit. Not only are there crisp folds in the fabric but the lighting adds a degree of texture that one would expect from leather. The glint in the metal conforms to the lighting as well conveying color distortion that is common for brass (look closely at the shoulder spikes). The tufts of fur receive the same amount of attention, especially with the back lighting.

KaisarReitz’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50285764/

There is an incredible amount of detail in these pieces. My second favorite from this batch (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45965834/) is bursting with color. The color, how the fur is layered, and the hair style make the furson so exotic! Lastly, artists looking for inspiration for black clothing should take note. Some of the pieces listed below offer a shine or shading that adds volume to what would typically be flat.

That is all for now. See you next week and have a happy holiday season!

~@~@~@~@~@~
1
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49966234/

2 <- Featured piece
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49462323/

3 <- Black fabric
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49142664/

4
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48454112/

5
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47873505/

6
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47234468/

7 <- Colorful!
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45965834/

8
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45100331/

9
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45056693/

10
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43812956/

O’ boy, here comes a description of how the graph is made. Most important things first, here is this week’s featured artists!
🎨:  UobZzik
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50039499/

No adjustments were made to the Detail or Shape & Boarders scale this week, yet again. You will see that I added the style labels to the graph. Please leave comments regarding your thoughts, I would love to hear from others!

Here goes… I am pulling back the curtain… everything is made in Excel. My goal is to upload a pre-made Excel workbook so anyone could use the scales to create an artist profile. I am not going to bore you with a nuanced description of how the worksheet is organized because you will be able to see for yourself once you have the file. It is pertinent to discuss how the scale points are scored. For both the Detail and Shape & Boarders scale there are six options which have anchors. Using Details as an example, the anchors are Little, Some, Fair, Plenty, A lot, and Great. This would suggest six possible scoring points… but that would not offer enough options to make the dots on the graph distinct from one another (i.e., there would be dots placed on top of each other). The solution was to expand the number points. Each anchor has two additional points available on either side. So, if you were looking at a piece that had a little [italicizes] more than just a “Fair” amount of detail, you could give it a Fair +1. The opposite is possible, you could list another piece as a Fair -1. Here is the scoring space between Fair and Plenty: Fair, Fair +1, Fair +2, Plenty -2, Plenty -1, Plenty. This means that each anchor represents up to five score points, which spans a point range of 30 (6 anchors * 5 points per anchor = 30). “Little” is set at 2 points, so Little -2 would equal 0 points and “Great” is set to 27, so Great+2 would be 29.

That is as far as I am going to go regarding the numbers. Just know that there is some leeway when using the scales and there is an Excel workbook to track the math and produce the graph.

Smash cut to  UobZzik. Thank you for agreeing to be part of the project!
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50039499/

Here comes the scales.
Anthro type = Beast person: Many features of the mustelid form are shown here. Honestly, it was the length of the neck that tipped the scales away from Anthro.

Shape & Borders scale = close to soft/rounded lines: The silhouette is very curvy and there are few truly straight lines throughout the piece. There are a few hard transition lines involving the clothing, but those are somewhat softened by the shadowing. It can all be summed up by the eyebrows: Bold, curvy, and very playful.

Detail scale = close to Plenty: The clothing includes numerous folds and their associated shadows. There is some layering in the shading of the fur (appropriate for the approach) and there is two to three-tone shadowing included for all parts of the furson. Wonderful, personalized details in the hands, bow, and those eyebrows!

UobZzik’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50201781/

As a lover of thick eyebrows, I approve! Their approach to outlining facial features gives the furson a crisp appearance. Some of their piece’s drift towards spooky with how shadows are drawn and how the eyes are depicted (e.g., thick lids, partially closed, bloodshot). https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50090547/ is an honorable mention as it rated highly in the Toony category and is rather spooky (left-most OC).

From this point forward I am planning on just running weekly pilot tests. I have revealed the key aspects of the scales. I feel anything more would be getting too technical (a.k.a. boring), so it will wait until the project is done and I have posted a complete description and sample Excel workbook for public use.

Drop a comment if you would like a description on anything. See you next week!
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
 UobZzik
1 <- OC on the right
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50099329/

2
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50099206/

3 <- OC on left; honorable mention
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50090547/

4
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50073189/

5
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50071463/

6 <- featured piece
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50039499/

7
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49114681/

8
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49005991/

9
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48982190/

10 <- OC on the right
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48982005/

The cliff hanger is almost over… here comes the third scale! But wait, here is this week’s feature artist!
🎨:  Furufoo
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49504248/

No adjustments were made to the Detail or Shape & Boarders scale this week. Still thinking about Animalia as a label for the upper-right quadrant… I would love to hear other opinions. Leave a comment if you please!

As a Furry style methodology, the ambition of these scales is to describe Furry art. To be blunt, the interest is in character art. The background may be used to inform details shown with the character (e.g., direction of light sources for shading) but it is all about the being filling the space. The scales assume the subject is a character, as the scales would fail miserably at assessing plant-life, inanimate objects, or abstract shapes. Furry art is about the depiction of an individual’s anthropomorphic avatar, which is why the scales focus on character features only. But there is one somewhat unique factor of Furry art which has not yet been addressed: the degree of anthropomorphism exhibited by the furson. The third scale attempts to measure just that:

Anthro Type
How anthropomorphic is the character?
Animal
Feral
Taur
Beast Person
Anthro
Near-human
Human

The scale is ordered loosely from authentic animal to typical human. Here is a greater description per each scale point:

Animal: The form strives to capture the natural form and characteristics of the animal of interest. There is 0% human traits or features depicted. The animal features are free to range in detail and shape & boarders (e.g., it can be a wild toony creature), but it must be void of human features.

Feral: Heavily related to the previous category but there are some human aspects incorporated. An example of this would be the lions in Disney’s The Lion King (1994). Their base form is heavily influenced by that of a lion, but their faces were altered to allow for more human-like eyes and the muzzle/lips for a greater range of emotive expression. Also, the paws are drawn to be somewhat finger-like with the thumb being more prominent. In short, there is some amount of human features that are added to an animal.

Taur: The intent of this category is to capture fursons which are half upright, bipedal posture, and the other half animalistic, quadrupedal. This category is the most chaotic as it includes chimeras, a mix of animals, and demi-humans, such as centaurs and sphinxes. This is a WIP and may see revision in the future.

Beast Person: The most notable attribute of this category is the furson’s posture is bipedal, but the rest of the form possess strong animalistic features. An archetype for this category is a werewolf, which is a wolf that stands like a person (though some other features may be altered, such as the paws becoming hand-like claws).

Anthro: The bread-and-butter of Furry art. These fursons have become more human than animal but retain the most iconic features of the base animal. For example, your common wolf furson’s skull has been reworked so the muzzle is shortened, the eyes sockets have been brought more forward facing and are no longer separated by the muzzle, the ears are fixed forward and moved towards the top of the head… and they could have human hair.

Near-human: An alternative label is “cat girl.” These are persons [notice the shift] who are mostly human but have been given some animal features, like animal ears and/or a cat tail. While this category is fluid, including a muzzle would move the furson to the Anthro group.

Human: *Yawn* ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

This is a great time to turn to  Furufoo. You will find a variety of Anthro Types within their work, by far the most diverse we have seen yet!
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49504248/

Alright, let’s hit the scales!

Anthro Type = Feral: Dragon characters are almost always feral due to their hallmark shape and physiology. This scalie has an emotive mouth, eyes, and has light articulated fingers.

Shape & Borders Scale = Someplace between slightly sharp/hard lines and slightly soft/rounded lines: It is a mixed bag. There are examples of sharp angles in the horn, fingers, and toes, as well as hard borders between body segments (e.g., underbelly and top skin, horns and head). But the form itself is very rounded from the curve of the tail to the stone-like slope to the skull. The few clothing pieces share these traits, rounded form but strong borders. These attributes cancel each other out, which leaves the scale at about the mid-point.

Detail Scale = Some: The focus of the dragon’s skin is not texture, save for a few patches of scales, but in the color shading. The slight shading gives the scalie its dimensionality while not distract from the pose and mood of the piece (by my eye, at least). The details that were included help give the scalie personality and make them visually interesting (i.e., no blank space).

Furufoo’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50121136/

They have a charming approach to their pieces. One characteristic I have noticed is that brush used to establish character’s outline is not a firm but a lightly smeared line (like to mimic a not-so-sharp pencil). This gives their pieces a softer feel, which compliments their general approach very well. Honorable mention to https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49176527/ which has been the toony’ist piece I have field-tested thus far!

Next week I will summarize how the graph is made (sorry to leave you in a cliff hanger yet again!).

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

1
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49635384/

2 <- Featured piece
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49504248/

3
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49272610/

4 <- Toony
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49176527/

5
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49166044/

6
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46805239/

7
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46236199/

8 <- fun creature!
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46106078/

9
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45756962/

10
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45756987/

Here comes more detail regarding the scales and the rough draft categories. But first, say hello to this week’s featured artist:
🎨:  Robinik
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45837891/

As a WIP, I will mention any adjustments being made to the scale as we go through pilot testing. One notable change is to relabel the “Shape” scale to “Shape & Borders”. We felt like that did a better job describing what was being considered in the scale.

And now the moment you have been waiting for: the labels for the four major categories. These categories were developed by applying the scales to 60 random SFW furry art pieces which appeared on FurAffinity’s front page, grouping those pieces by category, and then reviewing those whose outcomes were nearest to each corner of the grid (a.k.a. the most extreme examples). Please note that these labels are meant to describe each quadrant broadly. Pieces that score near the boarder may exhibit qualities of their neighboring category.

Toony, upper-left area: These pieces scored low in detail but high in rounded lines and soft transitions. To put it simply, these were images that you would likely see during Saturday morning cartoons. They commonly exhibited simple forms AND/OR they were female OCs with voluptuous curves.

Minimalistic, lower-left area: These pieces scored low on detail but high on straight lines and hard transitions. These images tended to be snappy, using minimal detail to convey the purpose of the piece. Some other labels that were discussed were stylish or simplified. In short, these pieces did the most with the least amount of detail while having a modern feel to them.

Technical, lower-right area: These pieces scored high in detail as well as having straight lines and hard transitions. Extreme examples in this category were breath taking in the amount of detail that was included, ranging from shading the musculature structure of a horse to the most interact suit of armor you could imagine. Anatomy was carefully studied and represented, all details were well thought out (even clothing), and the art medium was being pushed with the detail that were being provided.

Animalia, upper-right area: These pieces scored high in detail as well as having curvy lines and soft transitions. The most striking attribute of extreme examples in this category is the impact of fur or other furson characteristics on the resulting piece. Fur softened the transition between parts and made the furson, well, fluffy (rounded shapes). You may consider this this bread-and-butter category for furry artists. Note: the “animalia” label is a WIP. It may be switched out in a future update.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49932879/
Let us glance at  GenericUsernameCopy furry art style profile from last week, as an example. We can see that his style profile is primarily in the minimalistic area, with https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49145866/ being the strongest example, yet his work boarders, or is shifting towards, the technical area. Consider, these scales could be used to show his incremental progression into a more “technical” style of art. That is exciting to think about…

Now let us turn our attention to  Robinik.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45837891/

Shape & Borders scale = Soft/Rounded Lines: Many of the transitions are addressed via shading. The hardest transition is between the shirt and the body, but the separating lines are loosely drawn and the colors bleed over in a few spots (which is a fun effect). The feathering details throughout the body are lightly curved lines. The form is exceptionally curvy, which is an attribute of the top half of a flamingo, except for realistic details given to the base of the bill and the eyes. Lastly, the shading throughout the piece uses multiple shades to transition between colors or to depict shadow.

Detail scale = A lot: Keep in mind that this piece is a lightly shaded sketch, so the rough outlines should not be a strong factor in the scale outcome. The feathering lines do a great job of depicting texture and there are parts of the piece that receive plenty of attention (e.g., eyes, bill, hair). Also, the form of the body is faithfully represented with the fit of the shirt. Some parts of the piece are places holders, notably the buttons on the shirt.

Robinik’s Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50030492/

The pieces reviewed were located throughout the style graph. Two observations to include with this week’s field test. First, Robinik’s pieces pursue an esthetic that is not common in the Furry space. This makes it difficult to categorize within these scales, as the focus is less about the representation of the furson subjects and more about an exploration of the medium (or, that was my experience as a viewer). Second, several of these works were general sketches but with one or two greatly detailed parts. This attribute is difficult for the scales as both are interested in the piece overall. This is something to keep in mind during future rounds of pilot testing.

Next week we will discuss the mysterious third scale I hinted at a few weeks ago (sorry to leave you in a cliff hanger!).

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Thank you again to Robinik for volunteering to be part of the process! I am on the look out for more artists to participate in field testing the scales. Feel free to reach out to me if you are interested. This is not first-come-first-serve. I will be reviewing all those who are interested and will make a pick by Friday evening (when I post my job searching tip of the week). Drop me a note or comment!

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1
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49662042/

2
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48163812/

3
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48163733/

4
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48163689/

5
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48002691/

6
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47143906/

7
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46734364/

8
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44691117/

9 <- The piece that was reviewed
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45837891/

10
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43095390/

Let’s go into more detail about the scales, how they work, and how to use them. But first, to recognize the featured artist for this post:
🎨:  GenericUsernameCopy
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48121271/

Many thanks go to Yote for volunteering their artwork for this process!

Here is the current state of the scales [WIP]:
Detail
How much detail is there in the piece?
Little
Some
Fair
Plenty
A lot
Great

Shape
What are the lines and angles like in the piece?
Very sharp/hard lines
Sharp/hard lines
Slightly sharp/hard lines
Slightly soft/rounded lines
Soft/rounded lines
Very soft/rounded lines

Some features to point out when using the scales:
- The scales are intended to be used on one character. The scales would be applied to each character separately if multiple are featured in a piece.
- The scales are used on characters only. Background, general props, or other non-worn accessories should not be considered. Outfits, piercings, and personalized props (e.g., walking cane, worn potion bottle) should be included in the rating. Lastly, the direction, intensity, and color of light sources should be considered for colored and/or shaded pieces.
- The scales are applied based on the type of artwork. For example, you may ask: Who much detail is there in the piece, given that it is a linework bust? If the art is linework, you do not lower the detail rating because it does not include color. This does make using the scales tricky for some types because, for example, linework is known for its hard lines (shape scale). This means you must consider how hard/rounded the lines are for a piece of linework.

Let’s pause there for details on the scales. We will address the difference in the rating points and other features during the next blog post. Let us move forward with applying these scales to a furry art piece, see how the scales work in action, and find out what we can learn about the piece(s) in question.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48121271/

Summary: A male, clothed, anthropomorphic cheetah leaning against a railing. We see the character from just below the waist on up. The piece is colored with some element of shading, 2D, and is digital art.

I will point out that we are not considering the setting of the piece, other than the light sources. The mood, which is strong and well done in this piece, is not considered when using the scales. The rain is a potential point of consideration, but it does not appear that the character is getting wet. We do not have to consider the amount of rain or its directionality since the character or their clothing is not getting damp (dampness could have impacted the detail scale).

OK… Here we go!

Shape scale = Sharp/hard lines: The vast majority of transitions are separated via lines, excluding around the base of the ears, neck, and hands. Form and features are primarily made up slightly sloping lines (ex: forearms), but some key areas are straight lines (ex: jaw line, tip of the snout, and many of the spots). A notable exception is the hunched over back.

Detail scale = Fair: The greatest amount of detail is seen with the environmental lighting. This ranges from the shine of the hotel sign off the back to the faint glow of the cig on the knuckles. The shirt shows some wrinkles and creases and the forearm has slight detail as per the musculature of the furson. Little emphasis is put on the fluffiness of the fur and some anatomical features are simplified, such as the hands/fingers, tip of the snout, and teeth.

Yote's Furry Art Style Profile:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49932879/

This scale combination places this piece (#6) within the lower left-hand quadrant (see above). The URLs listed at the end link to the other nine pieces I reviewed during this pilot. All are placed within the lower left-hand quadrant except for one piece. #1 features a damaged robot and the gashes provide an avenue to express detail (ex: internal structure, gears/electronics, pipes/wires). Taken together, Yote’s art style is consistently that of the lower left-handed quadrant.

Next week I will go into the difference between rating points, what each quadrant represents, and a label for each quadrant. Stay tuned!

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Thank you again to Yote for volunteering to be part of this process! I already have an artist lined up for next week, but I will let everyone know when I am on the lookout for volunteers.

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1 <--- This one stands out due to its detail
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49520687/

2
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49240279/

3
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49145866/

4
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48579424/

5
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48326278/

6 <--- The piece discussed in this post
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48121271/

7
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47978278/

8
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/47513681/

9
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45221337/

10
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44333748/

The hunt began to identifying two attributes which could be used to classify all furry art.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49225630/
🎨:  crazyfoxlady

Edwin’s, my fursona, reference sheet includes the standard full body shot, front and back, as well as a chibi (see link above for reference). Both the full body and chibi are of the same furson, but how do the two styles he is drawn in differ?

The first attribute, Shape, came about by comparing the differences in the head and face. The chibi head is much rounder than the full body depiction. This roundness can be seen in many features: the curve of the snout, the eyebrows, the jawline, and the plumpness of the ears. By comparison, the full body is drawn with a combination of sharper angles (e.g., taper of the ears) and bolder lines (e.g., eyebrows). The attribute of shape exists in a range, with one extreme being images with sharp angles and bold lines separating parts and the other extreme being rounded shapes or angles with softer transitions between parts.

The second attribute, Detail, is apparent when comparing the two styles side-by-side. Just look at the anatomical differences: chibi Edwin has fewer spots, shorter snout, barely four toes, and only three fingers (down from five)! The attribute of detail ranges from minimal to intricate and considers not only personalized features (e.g., fur pattern, piercings) but also technical details (e.g., proportionally, anatomy).

I want to be clear: the use of detail in this method is entirely separate from a measure of quality. A low detail doodle can just as easily be labeled as high quality as much as any complex work (and at no point will we be assessing quality).
So there you have it, the two attributes are shape and detail. Now it is time to build some scales to measure these attributes…

Spoiler alert: we are deciding on the titles for the main categories right now, or what to call the four colored areas in the original post (see below).
https://twitter.com/hyemur/status/1.....93838172119041

…
I need your help!!!
Next week’s blog will be a demonstration of the two scales and how to graph outcomes. I need an artist who can help with the following:
- 10 SFW pictures
- Allow me to view, evaluate, write up, and post links to said pictures
- Have your work be featured/associated with this project
In return you will receive:
- Publicity
- An evaluation of your artistic style by a PhD-level IO psychological practitioner
- A place in Furry community history by being part of this project
Feel free to comment to this post or DM me with your interest. This is not first come, first serve. I will be choosing the artist to partner with by mid-day Saturday, November 19th. Thank you all in advance for your interest!

This tweet has been on my mind for the last four months:
https://twitter.com/hyemur/status/1.....93838172119041

It suggests a way of identifying furry art based on two attributes (x and y axis). Heck, there is even a grid in the background. But the comments to the tweet became folks trying to classify their art into one of the four categories. The idea proposed in the tweet and people's interest in it got me thinking, what would happen if there was methodology? What if there was a means to not only to identify a piece of furry art with a meaningful category but also to measure "how far" it is within that category?

This got my research brain* thinking... If I could identify the critical attributes then I could create scales (i.e., Likert) to quantify those attributes. Those measurements could then be mapped onto a graph, scatter plot, to create a visual summation of multiple furry art pieces.

This could be helpful. For example, an artist could utilize the scales to map out their recent works to see if there was a consistent style. Or, maybe, it could give commissioners language for describing their style preferences, something more then just "nothing too cartoony." The list goes on.

Critical note: the purpose of this methodology is to help categorize furry art style. This is not concerned with the quality of the art or "how good" it is. I leave that to the viewer to decide.

...

Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting a development blog regarding the creation of this system. I will try to do so on Tuesdays, but apologies if I run late. Please tune in to the next episode!

*FYI: I have a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology and my day-job is as a Psychometrician for something employment related. I eat these sorts of scales for breakfast.

Spoiler Alert: I am pilot testing the three scales (!!!) right now.

Announcement: My job hunting tip of the week is becoming an actual tip of the week (it was bi-weekly up until now), to resume next Friday (11.04).

I am working on something in the background... There will be multiple layers to this upcoming project.

One teaser: I am building a method for categorizing furry art. Yup, that is just one part of the project. More details to come!