canemlupum

[canemlupum]

Why are you so drawn to canines specifically? Is it an aesthetic preference or something to do with their symbolism?

I’m fascinated by other people’s fascinations!!

It's hard to pick specific reasons, I guess I just think they're neat.

I obviously like how they look, to me they're proportionate and anatomically flexible animals with pleasing shapes. They're fun to draw. Dogs in particular have an immense level of visual variation, so many head shapes, coat colors, fur textures and body types, and you can mix and match them to your liking. Designing dog characters is wonderful because there's so many options. They're naturally expressive and people tend to have easier time reading their faces and body language than, say, that of a rabbit or a crocodile or a duck. When it comes to drawing anthro stuff, it's reasonably easy to adapt human facial expressions to fit the features of a dog in a way that seems believable and natural. Dogs can look cute, they can be friendly and goofy, but they're also armed with sharp teeth and strong jaws, and I find that contrast compelling.

And of course there's the rich dog symbolism. Humans and dogs have been together for so long, we've become practically inseparable. They're the blueprint for domestication, they predate agriculture, they were with us when we started to figure out concepts like architecture, written language, religion and various forms of art and creative expression. Humans wouldn't have developed the way they did without the help and presence of dogs, and dogs themselves wouldn't exist at all without humans. Dogs are claimed to be man's best friend, while wolves, technically the same species, are still vilified and treated as our sworn enemy in many cases. The domestic dog is an aberration of the natural canine form, a manmade creation, carefully and intently molded to fit the human way of living like a little puzzle piece. Dogs famously show unconditional love and devotion for their human packmates and most people respond with same kind of care and adoration, but it's not uncommon at all for people to treat dogs badly and view them as dirty, dumb, dangerous and disgusting, which just seems terribly thankless and cruel. I dunno, I just feel like there's a lot to think about when it comes to dogs and what their place is in the world.

[canemlupum]

Olive you will always be the other reindeer in my heart

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a drawing of my dog I did early last year

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i miss my dog

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a maned wolf and her puppy gathering fruit :)

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yeen loaf .

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a squirrelflight I did in 2018