i love the character's intense expression, still retaining his dangerous predatory nature. beautiful work :)

Yeah, I felt it was really important to nail the expression, make it really compelling. I'm glad it seems to have worked! Thank you very much :)

no problem ^^

Very nice. Good details.

Thank you very much :)

too cool

Thanks!

Thank you so much <3

The uniqueness of the situation here really caught my eye, the mood through the lighting and posing is seriously captivating. Your work always impresses!

Thank you very much! Those were both really important in conveying the mood, so it's reassuring to hear you feel like it worked out. Thanks again!

"So, sir, why do you think you would be a good janitor for our company?"
"Grrrrrrrrr"

Amazing artwork as always!

"So, why do you feel you're ideal for our company?"
"I'll eat your face if you reject me."
"I see. You're hired!"

Hehe, thanks :3

WOWser! The lighting is really engaging and striking! The expression is amazing as well. This is fantastic!

Thanks a lot! While it wasn't my initial big concern, lighting quickly became a worry of mine because I really wanted to get that distinct, moody "creepy interrogation room" feel from the light, but wasn't sure how to do it! It didn't turn out quite how I wanted, but close enough, I guess ;)

Thanks again!

such an intense image...

Thanks so much <3

So intense. Amazing work.

Thanks! It's appreciated :)

Crikey, Ms. Jo - your work goes from strength to strength, it really does. This is some fantastic detailing, thought for a minute it was a photo-manipulation from the thumbnail.

Wow, hehe, thank you so much! <3 It's appreciated. And yeah, I was actually really pleased with the amount of depth I was able to get out of Argent (less so with the human, but no one cares about him anyway ;) ), although perhaps having a reference for the superb expression helped: http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4044/.....988f4a8b6f.jpg

All good artists use references - they're a tool of the trade - and that certainly doesn't diminish your abilities in adapting that for your own work for a fairly unique critter.

Heh, I paid attention to the human... I quite enjoy art that mixes the human with the not-so-much

Heh, not going to name names, but I've actually known of a few quite prominent artists who, at one point or another (admittedly it was probably a few years ago, they might feel differently now) came out as being quite anti-reference, that "real, natural-born artists" don't use references, don't need references, and see them as a weakness. I can definitely get that in one sense, but in another, if you don't know what something looks like, don't have a good feel for it, it's going to show in the art and bring your work down - some people just have a better visual memory for things than others, so I know some people might just not need references as often, maybe because they tend to draw the same things over and over, and are familiar and comfortable enough with their form it's not an issue anymore.

But even simple challenges, like... Draw a bicycle from memory, as realistically as possible. Can be surprisingly hard to not turn out wonky-looking or childish, over simplified or just outright wrong! We all know what bikes look like, but that doesn't mean we can draw them from memory.

Phew, that ended up being longer than I thought! Sorry 'bout that.

Heh, I know you do ;) I can find it quite interesting myself - often like humanxnonhuman pairings, for some reason. Hits home a little closer for me, I guess, makes me think more about what a relationship would be like (you know, like seeing a picture of a vanguard and a human), in a way that a picture of, say, a wolf and a fox would never make me think.

Yeah, been a while since I've seen that ol' argument crop up about 'references being cheating'. Dunno, from a commissioner POV I'd be happy for an artist to use them if it meant I would be receiving a superior product at the end of it. From the artist POV (were I one!) I'd want to provide the customer the best product I could. And if it were personal art then hell, I'd still want it to look as good as I could make it. Just seems an obvious distinction between using references to get a pose or make something look right, and just out-and-out copying a pose verbatim without putting any thought into it yourself.

Anyway, yeah - this really does look fantastic, I saw the comment your customer left you on DA and it appears they appreciate the way it came out also. You should be justifiably proud of this piece

As for the human thing - as much I love a lot of furry/anthro art, I wouldn't really consider myself one. To a large extent I just like the somewhat bestial but idealized take on a human (male, in my case) body. Not to mention some of the art on sites like this is just simply wonderful. And if there is a human in the pic, just makes me feel I can relate to it a little better.

I think it's fair to say that an artist who can draw JUST as good with no references as an artist who NEEDS references to draw on the same level, yeah, it's more impressive with the artist who doesn't need references. And as an artists who uses references, I do see them somewhat as a weakness, in that I wish I didn't need them or rely on them as much as I feel I do. So I get it, but still think it's sort of dick-ish. Like making fun of people who wear glasses because their eyes aren't as good and that, because you wear glasses, you're a poorer eye witness than someone who doesn't wear glasses. Or whatever. Y'know?

Thanks again :) It was a good challenge and I enjoy working for him.

*nods* I'm the same way. I do genuinely find anthropomorphic and animal/creature forms aesthetically pleasing in a way that humans aren't, but I wouldn't consider myself a furry beyond "likes furry art". Still furry enough for most nonfurries to joke that I'm a furry, though :b Heh.

You can't prove nothing!

Your work just keeps getting better :)

Oh, thanks so much ^^; <3

"Go ahead kitty, keep growling. Soon you'll know why I'm not scared of you. ...Cause trust me after you meet my wife you won't be scared of anything else either."

Hahahaha... <333

This be scary and cool!

Thanks a lot :D

How'd you make him so fluffy looking?!

He was painted almost entirely with an airbrush, some texture brushes, and some smudging, and I went back and did some detailing with a very small brush - I felt it looked too sharp and harsh, so I went back over the details with the blur tool set on low.

So that's how you make a fucoat smooth. I thought you used different kinds of overlays to make that effect :3

I have a number of tutorials on how I've painted fur, if you're interested :) They're linked here, but better (bigger, readable) versions are on my dA page :) I can give you links if you need them.

I shall learn how to draw a cat before I do fur

Trick with learning to draw anything - just lots of references and lots of practice :)

absolutely wonderful...

V.

Thanks so much :) <3

Thats so cool! haha i really like this character, I get to paint him soon too. Cant wait!

Thanks!

Really? I'm sure it'll be amazing! I'll be sure to check it out :)

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd interrogate that cat any day! Course, I've dealt with my fair share of lions, so I think I could handle it...

Haha, yeah, I bet you would :) Heh, even if he was a really surly fellow (I don't think he is most of the time, just not particularly pleased right now :b) I still think you might, if even because maybe you miss your lions more now that you've been away from them.

All things considered the think the human is the more frightening of the pair in this instance.
Very intense work. Really enjoy all the detail.

Heh, yeah. Kinda makes you wonder what power he must have, or what must be wrong (or right?) with him for him to be entirely unshaken like that :b

Thanks a lot :)

Oh dang, a saber tooth tiger and human interaction in a modern setting and high intelligence, awesome.That is quite the interrogation, and for sure a foreboding atmosphere, I am not sure what made such a cat have to be called into question, but looks great.

Heh, yeah, I thought it was a really interesting concept when it was brought to me, a lot of inherent mystery to it which is kind of part of the appeal, especially given the charged atmosphere.

Thanks a lot!

Atmosphere is only seconded by the characters and their expression themselves, even if the man has no face, body language says a lot.

Thanks, that's reassuring :)

Man: have you heard of a group called "Furries"?

Sabertooth: Grnrawr? =w^?

Man: thats good... then i would like to put you into custody, you are, as i feared, gravely and sexually in danger from this group.

Sabertooth: nraaaah? =w=?

Man: this group are plotting to create an abomination using your DNA, we would like to prevent that.

Sabertooth: grawr nra ra roo =3=?

Man: *whisper whisper whisper*

Sabertooth: mew owo...

Man: *nod nod*

Haha, it's probably true...

Is that a 3D render? :o Looks astonishing

Heh, no, it's not, it was all painted from scratch, although I did use some texture overlays :) Thank you very much!