Animation Source Forums

Hey folks! I presume this is the right board to do this in (I've never really posted in the fan art board before).

I've finally decided to venture into the realm of fan character creation, to back up my fan fictions (or pending ones). I wanted to share them with you, along with the fantastic art created for them by fellow member CatWhoHas14Tails (whose art you all certainly know, as she is one of the best-known fan artists among the membership of this site)! I also created two other fan characters (so far) for which I also received very gracious assistance (art and render-wise) from UK - Ban Cat and MightyBalto1925. Having long since seen any personal artistic ability go dormant ( ), I've had to depend upon the assistance and good graces of fan artists to bolster my efforts. And the results have been wonderful! You can see them all on my Balto Source profile (/balto/en/profile/&numg=19311), but let me introduce you to the three hero dogs here, those who were based on real canine heroes of the actual 1925 Nome Alaska serum run - Togo, Fritz and Balto!

Thanks so much, Cat!

A. TOGO
At first glance, my fan character's physical design (color and markings) may appear quite "busy"...that is, until you see images of the real Togo, upon whom he is based. Then you can see that Cat worked exceedingly hard at matching up color and markings, and it was no easy task! The real Togo had a coat style known as "agouti", which is very random and colorful. The link to the character sketch is below...but let me show you the art, and how well it matches up to the real Togo (and other dogs from more recent times, descended from his line, who have the same marking and color patterns he did).

Togo, of course, is one of the most famous canine heroes of the actual serum run. For information on him, please visit the capsule history I made of him on my true story website: http://www.baltostruestory.net/togo.htm.

1. Headshot:


2. Full body:


3. Now, here's the real Togo, from photographs taken just after the actual serum run:



4. And finally, from modern descendants of Togo and his line, dogs which are known today as "Seppala Siberian Sled Dogs" who bear the same "agouti" coat pattern and colors:




---And here is Togo's fan character sheet: /balto/en/chars/Togo_JerseyCaptain/18941.html


B. FRITZ
Fritz, another of the canine heroes of the actual serum run, was a purebred Siberian Husky known, in modern parlance, as a "saddleback". For more information on this wonderful dog, who is considered one of the fathers of the modern Siberian Husky breed, please visit the capsule history I made of him on my true story website: http://www.baltostruestory.net/fritz.htm.

1. Headshot:


2. Full Body:


3. Now, here's the real Fritz, from photographs taken after the actual serum run:



4. And, from his taxidermy mount at the Carrie M. McLain Museum in Nome, Alaska, here are a couple of color shots showing his coat pattern (known as "saddleback" in modern parlance) and his colors:



---And here is Fritz's fan character sheet: /balto/en/chars/Fritz_JerseyCaptain/18944.html


C. BALTO
The real Balto was much different than the fictional wolfdog seen in the Balto cartoon movies. He was a mostly-black purebred Siberian Husky who lived in the kennels of Leonhard Seppala, and not on the outskirts of Nome, in an old abandoned fishing boat, as an outcast. For more information on this wonderful dog, whose name has become synonymous with the real serum run, please visit the capsule history I made of him on my true story website: http://www.baltostruestory.net/balto.htm.

1. Headshot:


2. Full Body:


3. Now, here's the real Balto, from photographs taken after the actual serum run:



---And here is Balto's fan character sheet: /balto/en/chars/Balto_JerseyCaptain/18952.html

I love all of the desins. You and Cat did a wonderful job with all three.

Thanks so much!

I think you and Cat did a good job with staying true to the original characters!

Thank you! Yeah, this was most definitely a collaborative effort. They would not nearly be as life-like without Cat's skilled touch as an artist...for sure. And I should like to think my bios gave the art some depth as well. I hope anyway. lol

I think it's great you made characters of the real dogs :3 Fritz has to be my favourite though < 33 I'm a sucker for cream-coloured huskies cx

May I draw him? c:

You may, Dee. But same ground rules apply as I expect of anyone who would attempt my characters...I would like to see the drawing before it's posted, and would like to know where it will be posted (on or off site). And that credit is given to myself and Cat for the original designs...and the nod to the original dog of course.

If you can do that, I have no issues. Cannot speak for Cat, but I have none.

Fritz has a special place in the history of the Siberian Husky breed. He is widely considered, today, to be the father of the modern breed, and he actually fathered several of the earliest and most famous foundation dogs.

They look good, but one suggestion if I may.

The first drawing has a shadow on the ground, but the other 2 don't. If your software allows a drop shadow or other custom shadow, it would add a lot of perspective and realism.

I'm fine with that ^^ And I don't tend to post art on other sites unless they are my own characters or the person who owns the character is on that particular site.

I find the fact he is considered to be the father of the modern breed very cool, and it's an interesting thing to know.

YES!

THIS is how you Fan Character!
I love them all. :'D

Agreed 8D

I just hope they don't get overlooked because of all the 'sparkle' rubbish.

True...I noticed that myself. I am sure Cat was just glad to be done with them. While I know she's proud of the work, and that doing the coat patterns actually has helped her as an artist, it was no small bit of labor to get it right...especially with my exacting standards. I am sure it was a simple oversight. I will mention it to her though.


Would it surprise you to know that Cat feared that unknowing kids on the site would rush to a presumption that her Togo art WAS a sparkle dog? ROFL I assured her that, with the real-life comparison photos (especially the color ones), any such presumptions would rapidly be put to rest. After all, there are some amazingly colorful and random coats out there, on many breeds! And agouti is mild in comparison to some other types.


Thank you very much, UK! You know, I also posted character sheets for Dingo and Belle, using your Passing of Togo art as full body shots (along with good renders, which Mighty did for me, for head shots of each).

/balto/en/chars/Dingo_JerseyCaptain/18946.html

/balto/en/chars/Belle_JerseyCaptain/18945.html

I hope to continue this trend - Kirada is helping me with a few other characters. And while Cat's help was a commission (which I was quite happy to pay for, and still have to remunerate to her for), Kirada and Mighty are just helping out gratis as friends. And no slight against Cat...I sought her out specifically because I trusted very few other people to bring these old fellows to life. Her art is top-notch!

Ah yes, the shadows, haha. I have no problem going back in and adding shadows. I'm just used to only adding shadows if they're in the screenshots with the characters. Cuz if you've noticed alot of scenes in the first Balto movie didn't have /any/ shading on the characters at all. Which is rather distracting in itself, but now I'm just kinda used to it. I can do that after I do Belle's picture.

T'anks a buncha times over.

Added them to my favourites aswell then! xD

In this sea of fail which is sparkledogs, I'm so happy to see proper characters get some spotlight time.