#werecreatures

My (very) late Halloween art.

God, I spent so long working on this for several days, and I didn't have time to draw anything on Halloween for some reason, because I was busy with other creative and social things.

Also, here's a batched pic with sketches of Cliff's werewolf form, which were based on various werewolf/lycan designs from universes/media I've enjoyed trying out. But some of these sketched were suggested by some people who’s mentioned and myself which helped me to work further to get rid of my lacks of ideas and art blocks (if I thank them for helping give me ideas for drawing), such as:

- Nickelodeon’s CatDog/Peter Hannan (1998; by me)

- The Wolf Man (each two designs of the 1941 classic and the 2010 remake film versions are merged into one for sake of my inspiration; by me)

- An American Werewolf In London (1981) (by me)

- Van Helsing (2004) (by me)

- Hotel Transylvania (2012; suggested by @tumblornis )

- Resident Evil Village (2021) (by me)

- Bloodborne (2015; suggested by h3nAnD on DeviantArt)

- The Long-Nosed Out (my adult “The Long-Noses Show” reboot project; by me)

Beyond these were simple and silly sketches of Were-Cliffy himself (even his encounter with his canon counterpart), and even a literal sketches of CatDog as a werecreatures, which I think they fit (but generally, not canon in my Were-Cliff AU).

Anyway, I had fun drawing featuring that tough buff yet chubby lil badass dog guy as an example to base various werewolf designs on from universes/media.

Art, the CatDog Werewolf/Were-Cliff AU and the “Long-Nosed Out” project are belongs to me (C)

Cliff Feltbottom, Cat and Dog from the CatDog are belongs to Peter Hannan and his eponymous production/Nickelodeon Animation Studio/Serom Animation/Rough Daft Korea (C)

How would you (or Batman) react upon seeing Jervis Tetch (the Mad Hatter) turn into a wererabbit and Jonathan Crane (the Scarecrow) turn into a werecrow?

It could be BTAS/TNBA version, Arkham series version, it could be any version of these guys. Hell it could be your own version of these two.

Why am I asking this? Because I love different interpretations... And engagement, lol.

╚══| ⹂ WERESHIFTER / WERECREATURE PARKS : WORLD BUILDING IDEAS / MONSTER IMAGINE

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In certain settings, wereshifters and werecreatures needs may not always be met.

There may not be an appropriate or comfortable setting to roam freely in their choosen form for the safety of themselves or others.

Many wereshifters and werecreatures feel a need to isolate themselves due to this; but many at the same time benefit best in groups with their kind.

But it can also difficult for them to find a group they click with– Let alone a species the same or similar to them in the first place.

So in order to better help, support and accommodate for the needs of these wereshifters and werecreatures, parks were built with their needs in mind.

They're large, outdoor national parks with a vast amount of space and terrain to provide enrichment for all the different species;

- Large stretches of a flat terrain and fields to run to their hearts content, or to just relax by!

- Winding hills and paths to hike, traverse and explore!

- Bodies of waters such as creeks, ponds and lakes to larp, fish, cool off or swim in on hotter days! Or drink from for wereshifters and werecreatures who enjoy drinking from these.

- Trees, large rocks and other structures to climb and relax on!

- Caves and other structures for those who enjoy a quieter, darker space during the daytime hours at the park.

The environment isn't the only thing kept in mind for wereshifters and werecreatures in mind however, community is also at the forefront.

- For newly turned wereshifters and werecreatures, or for those looking to be educated or support a loved one, educational seminars, support groups and other resources are hosted at the parks often to help spread awareness, resources, education and give community!

- ^^ Other mutal aid events are given as well through volunteer work typically; professionals such as healthcare workers and dentists stop by to help give medical check ups for free! Donations are given to wereshifters and werecreatures for clothing (as a lot of it can be ruined with shifting or just generally hard to afford)! And there's a food bank that takes donations for those who also struggle with food whether it's from the absurd amount they might require with certain cycles, not being able to afford food generally or having a specific/and or restrictive diet as a result to their species.

- Recreational activities are also held regularly at the parks, organized by organizations and the local community! They're not all directly related to associated with wereshifter and werecreature activities as one might imagine though. There's artsy ones, sports ones, board game ones– etc! On the account of the different anatomy and mindset of wereshifters, werecreatures and also disability, they're typically made to be as accessible as possible too so everyone can have fun, and specific events are also held for specific circumstances quite often so everyone can have at the very least fun opportunities that fit their needs and wants!

- As mentioned, organizations are involved with the parks, but local groups and clubs are also held at the park! Join a daily or nightly run club/group, join a volunteer club/group to keep the park clean and well maintained, MAKE YOUR OWN SPECIALIZED GROUP/CLUB!!!!!

- The parks are open typically for longer hours, if not 24/7 to the public to account for nocturnal wereshifters and werecreatures specifically; but also for those who just want to have some fun at night!

- Anyone can technically visit the park, it isn't a wereshifter/werecreature exclusive thing, but it's made for them first and foremost in mind! So if you wanna take your werecreature partner to the park? have fun! Your friends invited you to join an activity? Have fun! You wanna get more involved in the local community? Have fun! Just respect who the park is actually for first and foremost, don't demand it should be meant to YOUR needs as a non-wereshifter/werecreature or that it isn't diverse enough since it's catered for a marginalized group. (This isn't for just this hypothetical wereshifter werecreature park by the way. <3)

- There's A LOT of opportunities to meet people and make friends, basically.

Feel totally free to add anything else <3!!

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× woahh! first long-winded worldbuilding idea on this post! this is a little idea that's been in my mind for a while. I'm trying to creature a story where these are actually a thing in it! It's super fun, I might mention the world from time to time when werewolves are relevant :)

𓏲ּ𝄢 Credits to sisterlucifergraphics for the beautiful dividers used <3!!

shapeshifter is a broad category, covering any fictional creature or peoples that can alter the shape of their body. some can shift into pretty much any animal, like animorphs or DnD druids. some are shapeshifters against their will, like werewolves. I'll be covering the anatomical possibilities for shapeshifters with a limited ability to change their shape, more like werewolves.

the anatomy required to change one's form mostly involves keeping a lot of body parts "hidden" until they're brought out to use. there are a lot of animals that can do this! cats have retractable claws, eels have a secondary jaw in their throats, many snakes have large fangs that fold back in the mouth. etc.

hair and feathers are also capable of changing the shape of a creature by the way they move, like the quills of a porcupine or the display feathers of many birds of paradise. this is a much less flexible sort of shapeshifting, but it's a good option for intimidation and courting displays or temporary disguise.

to keep this post simple, I'm just going to focus on a humanoid with a singular monstrous form, but these concepts could be used for a lot of different creatures! though I haven't fully determined how to make someone go from mostly hairless to suddenly very furry. Maybe becoming a werewolf just gives you a lot more body hair growth and it puffs up during the transformation.

(image description: compiled sketches of different animal anatomy. in the top left corner, there are colored diagrams showing the different parts of a human skull and a wolf skull. in the top left, a diagram showing how cat claws retract and bend forward. on the bottom, sketches of moray eel and viper skulls, showing the eel's secondary jaw and the viper's folding fangs. end description.)

It took a while but i managed to find an ask i answered a while back about giving humanoids retractable claws like cats have. so that's at least one part of possible shapeshifter anatomy covered! the tldr is this: retractable claws actually require the first joint of the finger or toe to be folded backwards, and then the claw comes out when that joint flexes forward. it does make the fingers and toes shorter and more bulky at the front, but that's fine.

here's a look at just the skull and upper torso of a potential were-creature or monstrous humanoid.

(image description: colored sketches of a humanoid skeleton with a retractable fang on both the upper and lower jaws, as well as an extra joint on the lower jaw, and neck vertebrae that sit more curved in the first sketch and straighten out to a longer neck in the second sketch. end description.)

this could use more polish before it's really ready to add the fleshy parts on top, and they wouldn't quite look fully human on the outside. If you want to take something like this even further, you can alter the entire skull to be full of small moving joints, like how so many fish are able to fold up their jaws and then shoot them forward like a tube. or the sarcastic fringehead, a fish that can unfold its jaw as a method of intimidation.

(video description: a 3d model of a carp's jaw, showing how it's made of multiple parts that can all move and extend the mouth. end description.)

(image description: two photos of a sarcastic fringehead. the top photo shows this fish at rest, with its jaw frame folded backward along its face. the bottom image shows this fish with its jaw fully extended, revealing a very wide panel of brightly colored flesh on either side of the mouth. end description.)

facial changes like this are probably the most difficult part of making the anatomy for a shapeshifter. but the more moving parts their face has, the more variety of face shape you get! moving to the rest of the body though, let's consider how an upright human figure could shift into a quadrupedal form with digitigrade legs, since werewolves are probably among the more common creatures all this advice is useful for.

(image description: a simplified human skeleton and wolf skeleton next to each other, with an arrow pointing from the human to the wolf. end description)

pretty much all vertebrates have things in common when it comes to the form of their skeletons. the general location of each limb and the ribs and pelvis are always similar. but their exact size and shape varies from animal to animal. so you can't really make a normal human skeleton turn into a normal wolf skeleton. but you can make a weird human skeleton that doubles as a weird wolf skeleton.

(image description: same as above, but now the human shaped skeleton and the wolf shaped skeleton match each other, and the human shaped one is hiding its longer neck, spine, and tail by holding them with a far more curved shape while the wolf shaped skeleton holds them more straight. end description.)

okay they're not an exact match, but I tried. any humanoid being with a skeleton like this is not going to be able to fool anyone into thinking they're a normal human when they're naked. but with the right styling of clothes, a lot of the weird curves, hunched shoulders, and awkward feet problems can be hidden from view.

anything that gets more complicated than this will require extra bones and joints and muscles depending on what exactly you need your shapeshifter to do! a change in posture is a lot different than, say, being able to extend the length of their limbs or alter the shape of their ribcage by making it more narrow and protruding vs more flat and open.

I can't personally cover every single possibility! so you all will have to just use this post as a springboard and go explore more ideas yourself! I started with the idea of taking a human skeleton and altering it, but imagine what this would look like if the base form was entirely non-human! or if they were more of an invertebrate! extra arms can be folded to resemble the shape of a torso, for example. there are so many more options I'm sure I didn't even think of.

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dame Aylin | Nightsong/Isobel Thorm Characters: Dame Aylin | Nightsong, Isobel Thorm, Ketheric Thorm, Selûne (Dungeons & Dragons), Halsin (Baldur's Gate), Melodia Thorm (mentioned) Additional Tags: Owls, Slow Burn, (as slow of a burn as aylin x isobel can be lol), Insomnia, Fluff, Humor, Were-Creatures, Were-Creature Dame Aylin, Daddy Issues, Dysfunctional Family, Flirting, Fake Names, Location: Moonrise Towers (Baldur's Gate) Summary:

"Dearest Isobel,” the newly transformed woman addressed her, head tilted in an owlish manner. “Selûne guides you, does she not?”

Isobel nodded, gesturing toward her embroidered Selûnite robes. “I am a cleric of the Moonmaiden, yes. With forms such as yours, I assume you have a connection to Her as well?”

Aylin beamed down at Isobel, her pale blue eyes sweltering with joyous intensity. “I am Dame Aylin, the undying Sword of the Moonmaiden, Her daughter and Her vengeance incarnate.”

Isobel’s eyes widened. She dropped down on one knee and swallowed heavily as all of the saliva in her mouth dried up. She could feel her heartbeat throughout her entire body, adrenaline coursing through her at the knowledge that the …owl knight? she’d been conversing with was Selûne’s very own daughter.

or,

Beast AU Designs for Vec and Vanilla!

I wanted to get their looks done after writing about them.

a werecat caught out. hasn't anyone ever heard of KNOCKING?