Very interesting.

skinny arms.

really, really really weird XD
I drew almost this exact same thing last night...cept mine has a mowhawk.
Creeeeppyyy XD

There was one time I was getting really tired of attempts to "define" furry. So I went into a minor tirade here: http://mussawyr.livejournal.com/204628.html

What's Furry?

Furry is the elegant violence between human and animal that makes us question how sacred our bodies are. Furry is the beautiful irony of having animal and human parts coagulate together into a mess that somehow ends up beautiful (depending on the skill of the combiner, of course). Furry is a rebellion against both the human and animal forms... (Cont.)

That was a pretty good read. Thanks. :]

My deffinition seems to be a bit narrower. I don't like when the term "furry" becomes broad enought to be synonymous with anthropomorphic. The two seem to be quite distinct to me, but also substantially overlapping: most often furry as subset of anthropomorphic (making comming up with clear distinctions between the two hard).
Some of the associations I get when comparing:
Furry - illustration, realism, impressionism, design, performance; anthro - abstract, metaphor, expressionism, surreal, conceptual.
Furry - character or self-image, personality; anthro - symbol, mind-state via symbol.
Furry - stories, acting, character developement, ego; anthro - abstract ideas, associations, tales, mythologies (external).
Furry - here and now; anthro - undefined time and space.
Furry - totemism, animals as familiars, linked to the person; Anthro - one-off disposable animal for that particular composition/object/meaning/emotion, linked to the symbol.
Furry - the body & flesh; Anthro - spiritism, mythology, cultural associations, athmosphere.
Furry - human-animal; Anthro - animal-human.
Furry - the person; Anthro - the abstract quality.
Furry - comparative psychology; Anthro - ethology, psychology & evolutionary psychology.

You're very welcome. =) Your qualitative ideas on the distinction between furry and anthropomorphics are interesting. It's a model I may look into further (especially on the boundaries where they overlap).

I suppose one of my objectives is to "legitimize" the furry fandom by rooting it into a tradition of animal anthropomorphics (but not necessarily being the only extrapolation of it). It's too soon for me to see whether this is able to expand the general idea of what fandom-based furry is beyond being a gaggle of of suit-wearing perverts. I might just be wasting my breath.

In my belief, fandom-based furry is an interesting space for exploring the more visceral/base/egotistical aspects of animal-human fusion, stuff that more academic circles would likely brush off. That's one reason why that essay has a rather "violent" tone compared to my usual way of writing.

Sounds like being a furry to me. :P After all, there are many different paths that can lead to the same, if not similar results. Unless, of course, you can just stop imagining all of that for awhile. If the thoughts cling to you then they're a part of you, more internal than 'simple' reasoning. Not that these kinds of thoughts and experiments are bad things, by any means. Everybody must explore their lives to understand it. But in the end the way that we go about exploring it is often closer to our inner emotions than our logical, scientific mind dares to accept.

I love this series, by the way. I look forward to it everyday. Only about 300 more to go!

I'm very into that concept too. It's definitely one that drives a lot of my artwork. I absolutely LOVE the play of color in this. You define form so well with such chunky strokes. Excellent work!

Yeah, that's very similar to my own views.

Eh, don't worry about defining yourself based on a group. It really doesn't matter. The image is an interesting mix of at least a couple animals I can see with a little human thrown in. And there's some nice volume especially in the body.

Ah yes, you're right.
Many thanks!

Furry or not, there is a lot of artistic talent throughout this series.

I don't know - this doesn't necessarily seem furry to me. I'm not entirely sure that I get where you're coming from in particular - it seems to me more along the lines of a belief that life is life, animal, human, or otherwise. I can't really say I was a furry to begin with - but the whole thing sort of influenced me, for certain. But my 'character', though played now, started out simply as more a personal symbol of me, my beliefs, hopes, and traits. To a large extent, she still is.

In any case, I think that's part of why I find this series of yours so interesting. Apart from the varieties of image and symbolism and styles, there is a deeper meaning here, a more personal one, yours. I would find it captivating even if the images involved just a human depiction rather than having an anthropomorphic bent. But, there I go, rambling, so I'ma shut up now, and just enjoy the art.

<i>why the disrespect towards animals</i>

Yay western religions.

i agree with your sentiment. it feels like so many people are detached from nature or there surroundings in general, because of this i feel the questions you are raising are all the more relevant and important. keep up the good work mr.

Furry is defined by whatever te one defining it wants it to be. Some sy you are even if you wish not to be, they should respect your wishes IMO.

Yes. It depends on deffinition.
I've no problem being labeled furry if the person's deffinition of furry does in fact include what I'm trying to do. Basicly, I just don't fit my own deffinition of furry. I'm more concerned with whether intentions of my work are (mis)understood rather than whether I fit or any particular group or not.
Probably I shouldn't have mentioned the f-word at all here... oh well.

I love how the lighting here has such a geometric quality to it.

Also, why are you so concerned with not being a furry?

Thank you.

I'm only concerned with defining what I'm trying to do. Incidentaly it just doesn't fit my deffinition of furry.

Cool!!! Love the eyes and goatee!!

Define furry.

There seem to be a lot of people who say "I'm not furry because what MTV says is law" or whatever. :|
Or "I'm not a furry because I'm not a sicko"

Furry has always meant (a) anthropomorphic artwork. (b) fans of anthropomorphic artwork.
And typically, by virtua of (b), people who like to draw (a) for fun, not just for profit.

Any additional derogatory sense is the side effect of labeling ANYTHING. Just like being a hippie or a politician or a lawyer or a conservative or a liberal will get you dirty looks from some people. So just lay off with the "I'm not a furry" crap. If you really don't want a label, just BE someone more than people who label expect. (which you already are)

That said, this is a really cool hybrid picture.

Ok. here goes:

Anthropomorphic is a broad term. Furry is a subset of anthropomorphic - a particular approach. Or: anthropomorphic - genre; furry - style/approach. (like landscape painting and impressionism)
The way I see furry - it has more to do with character design/developement, story, acting, illustration, comics and cartooning. It's Illustrative, rather than metaphoric. Quite alot of stuff I see on FA I wouldn't call furry.
For example, most works of Pseudo-Manitou or f27 I'd call anthropomorphic, not furry, while most works by kaji or nimrais I'd call furry.
I use it as a description/characterization of approach, not a label.

Alot of people seem to have negative thoughts about the term "furry". To me it's just a type of / approach to anthropomorphic art. Whether it's good or bad, silly or not has nothing to do with it.

It's just not how I want to apprach anthropomorphic/zoomorphic (even though I often fail to apraoch it differently). I'm making the distinction so that people would have a better idea of what i'm trying to do. (kind of related: lots of people labeled Brancusi's sculptures abstract (because they looked like other abstract art), while in essence he was going quite the opposite way)

I think allot of people, including a vast majority of furries forget that we are, in fact, animals. Being human does not magically exclude you from nature or it's whims. You're still a eat-poop-fuck machine, just like any other meat sack (which I mean in the most positive enlightened way possible). While I do consider myself a furry (read as your own illustrative definition) I also like to blur the animal/human line on deeper levels. I think allot about their state of being. Animals live mostly in the now, only touching the past and future very lightly. "I won't eat these leaves, they made me sick before." "I need to get this food up a tree, a predator might come" It seems to me allot of todays issues (mental illness, pollution, overpopulation, war, famine) stem from this fallacy that we are somehow above animals or not animals . If people stopped to look around, they would read/see things that would make them think, such as the advanced abilities of Bonobos: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/76

I think there is a more natural way to live, by accepting that blur between human and animal, and trying to pin down what is healthy human nature, minus the cues given to us by modern culture. Anyway, I've ranted too long. I love your art, and I sincerely enjoy that you make me think. Keep up the good work.