Well, I'm finally getting to where I'm moderately pleased with this- it's taken several attempts, and at least three paper changes, but now I can honestly say I'm making progress.

This is the image at probably little more than halfway complete- I still have some things I want to do with it, part of which is enhancing some of the under-drawing. In this, I really want the viewer to be able to see the process involved, the multiple levels of media, rather than a polished final image. I think that a certain level of roughness gives more of an insight into the artist, and how they work. I find pieces like that very compelling.

Anyway, here's the shot:

Very cool!

I like where you're going with that a lot.

Looks good, Fury!

I would make the cat in the front have a more defined head, mostly with the ears. A little hard to see them I think.

Got anything else?

Yeah, getting Musashi a little more defined is definitely on the plate.

As far as anything else- Sadly, no. My creative muse took off a while back, and I've been having a devil of a time trying to recapture it.

Do something mechanical. You know I'd love that....

Right now I'm trying to reconstruct human bodies with robotic parts. Making androids, I guess. But trying to keep the humanish look to it.

WOW

Boy, Fury, I am impressed. Thst looks some much more "alive" than the static pose you first sketched. I love it.

I do hope that when you get around to detailing Musashi that we will get to see at least one of his big blue eyes.

I await with baited breath your next missive!

Very nice, Fury.

...and this would be exactly why I never let anyone see a project I'm working on until it's finished.

Liar. I remember the pain you went through with Gwyd's sig.







Oh..... and I don't do blue.

Ok, here's the final, completed version (FYI, it has my signature chop on it, and that's the last thing I put on a painting. If you want changes, you're pretty much SOL ).

Final verdict is that I'm really pleased with how soft this came out. I picked a paper that had a surface that just felt like velvet it was so soft- as well as being a really warm creamy color (this is the reason the photos have sort of a pinkish cast to them). The paper was a trick to work with, but I definitely think the final result is worth it.

5 thumbs u---er....wait....

I need a pretty sig like that.

as always . Love the pose on the cats, very natural.

wow...

Fury, that is absolutely wonderful!

I am so looking forward to getting my hands on it. I have reserved a place of prominence in my living room for it.

The "soft" aspect of the painting really makes it work. It also comunicates that your dealing with a couple of real fuzzy kitties!

You managed to capture Roxy's somewhat imperious nature, and Musashi's playfulness just wonderfully.

BTW, could you e-mail me a high resolution photo of the work, so I can use if for my desktop as well?

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!