Completion Date: 07-02-07
Time Taken: +72 hours
Medium(s):
+ 05 mechanical pencil
+ ZIG Millenium pens
+ Colored and watermarked in Photoshop CS2
Music:
+ Maara Daala - Kavita Krishnamurthy
+ Dola re dola - Shreya Ghoshal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, K. K.
+ Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka - Shreya Ghoshal, Kavita Krishnamurthy
+ Inner Collision - audioCrunch feat. Allen
+ Shabba Shabba - Jatin Sharma
+ Fragrance - Gackt
+ Various bellydance music

Comment:
I'd been wanting to redo my personal reference sheet for a while now. The other (which I've taken down just now) was horrid and anatomically incorrect. So now that I've improved in that field, I sought to fix that problem. This was actually done, inkwise, being of this year back in Feb. I believe but life got in the way of my actually sitting and finishing it. However, now with it all scanned in and such, I was able to finish it after working off and on for about a month. Anyway, onto the specs. ((Click for full-size version))

Name: Itarah
Title: Devadasi Durga Seleeda
Goddess: Durga
Origin: India

Body Build
Itarah's body build is made for power and speed. A tank if you will in a sense. Large shoulders and thickly muscled front legs adapt for climbing, hunting, and fighting if needed. Her back arcs and sits high in an elegant curve that comes down to a sloping hindquarter. The hindlegs are thinner, and not as heavily muscled as the front; still, they are capable of launching her into full sprints and heights. The neck is long, arched, and poised for a regal carrying of the head which is also quite heavy. Itarah's facial build can best be described as tiger, specifically Bengal. The face has a distinct slope of the brow and muzzle that leads down to a strong, large lower jaw. Though there is a strong prescene of tiger in her, her build is reminiscent of a much thinner, smaller feline. The chest is deep set and long, the abdomen arcs high with the curve of her back, given a very narrow feel. However, Itarah is no where near thin, she is pure bulky muscle. The tail is quite long, usually carried curled at its end to keep it from dragging on the ground. It serves as a great aid for balance much like a cheetah's. The paws are quite unique being completely different at the front and back. The front paws are very large serving to muffle the sound of her movements, equipped with black pads. Atypical of any feline, the claws are retractable and quite sharp. However, the claws are not white or clear, but black. The "dewclaw" is actually more like a thumb, able to move and be used like the other digits. The hindpaws are interestingly not very feline at all, but resemble very large canine paws. The claws are not retractable thus they are not nearly as sharp as the front.

Sensory (Ears, Nose, Eyes)
The first real striking feature on her are the long, thin ears. Her sense of hearing is highly sensitive, being able to pick up the sound of another life form from a long distance. They are coal black adorned with a single white spot on the back and long caracal-like tufts on their ends. Itarah's eyes are also quite interesting for several reasons, the first being the color. In regular low light they appear to be shades of gray-blue; but, in high light they are white or silver. The reason for such is the highly reflective lense on the actual surface of the eye. The pupil, as seen, is indeed not black but blue. It can either be rounded or slit in shape. Itarah's nose is just as sensitive as her hearing, being able to pick up even the faintest scents on the wind.

Coloration (Coat, Markings)
Again, the tiger in her shows in the markings and coloration. Though most Bengal tigers are a tawny brownish orange, her color is much brighter, much like a Sumatran or Indochinese tiger. Starting beneath the chin and spreading under to the base of the tail the fur is an off-white, cream color. This same color appears around her muzzle, inner ear, and paws. The only white on her is around the eyes, tail tip, and the marking on her forehead. As you can see, the markings are a rich dark brown and cover a great deal of her body. Unlike a true tiger, her markings have bilatteral symmetery. *(Note: The marking at the end of her tail is also at the base.)

Fur (Mane, Body)
Itarah's fur is different to say the least. Beginning about an inch and a half in front of her ears is a ridge/crest of fur that extends into a pseudo mane. The hair, though in appearance to be rigid and hard, is in fact quite soft. It is at the base of the actual hair folicals that the hair is stiff, which makes it stand as it does. This pseudo mane also hangs freely in braids. There are three braids on each side, and a looped braid on just one as you see. The mane stops between her shoulders where it hangs bundled into three braids: one to the left, one to the right, and one in the middle. This central braid is the longest and all three are usually seen drapped to one side. Though often seen braided, the mane can be loose and hang like human hair; one of its interesting qualities. The fur that covers the general area of her body is medium in texture and short to long depending on the area. The longest hairs are concentrated around the face, neck, chest, elbows, wrists, rump, and tail.

Accessories
Itarah has an assortment of accessories. A single three tier gold clasp holds the braid loop section of her mane in place, white linen strips are threaded through and tie her braids, an array of earrings, and two necklaces. The key pieces of jewelry that she is never seen without are: the crescent earring, silver pendant, and magatama necklace. Each has a special meaning and each came from very special people. The magatama from her sister Naryu, the silver pendant from her guardian, and the earring from a place close to her heart. She can be decorated with a plethora of different trinkets as she has been pictured before, but those three key pieces she will never be seen without. *(Note: Magatama necklace was drawn by my Naryu sis.)

Artwork, Itarah (In whole) © 2007 P. Lolla (soulspoison)
DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!! ARTWORK AND CHARACTER COPYRIGHT P. Lolla (soulspoison); ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!!! DO NOT STEAL, ALTER, COPY, AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW!!!