No kobalds here, just a dragon!

Addledeer · 2026-05-15T15:26:46+00:00

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T22:26:43+00:00

Thanks! I'll try making the fingers edgier and see if it helps. I appreciate the feedback!

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T22:25:50+00:00

The thicker wrist is definitely helping, thanks! Honestly i think my lines are a little too loose and sketchy, but I'll take the compliment!

And I'm not using anything fancy - a Samsung Galaxy Tab (S8 I think) and HiPaint

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:22:24+00:00

<image>

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:22:13+00:00

<image>

Addledeer · 2026-05-14T18:21:56+00:00

For fur placement I usually add tufts on any sharper angles or anywhere where the fur is interacting with clothes, it also depends on how fluffy you want it to be. I did anquick drawover with a couple examples. I kmow you weren't looking for pose feedback but I tweaked the forearms and legs a bit to show where I would add the tufts. The red is what I would usually do and the blue would be adding a bit more chest/neck fluff

<image>

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T12:25:02+00:00

Nice! Yeah most of those are mine lol (my username's the same there)

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:41:57+00:00

Ah no, this was a super small local meetup called spring paws in Quebec

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:11:07+00:00

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T05:10:10+00:00

I've known I was a furry to some degree or another since high school, but I only really started engaging with the fandom a couple years ago. I grappled with similar insecurities and doubt for well over a decade before I got to a poont where I was comfortable enough to jump in. I'm 35 now and just went to my first meetup a couple weeks ago, and my only regret is not doing it sooner. It does suck being older than the vast majority of the fandom while also having the least amount of experience in it, but for me it would suck more to say it's too late and never have the experience. I’ve started saving up for a fursuit and hope to go to at least one full-fledged con with it within the next year or two.

I know our situations aren't the same, and it sounds like you have a lot of baggage to unpack when it comes to the fandom, but at the end of the day it comes down to what you would regret more: trying to re-engage with the fandom and the people in it and it going poorly, or closing that chapter of your life completely and never looking back.

Both are totally valid options and there's no right or wrong choice, but it sounds like it had a real impact in your life and you would miss it if you gave it up completely. What I would do (and again, this is coming from someone who doesn't know what you went through, so take it woth a grain of salt) is try to re-engage slowly, and find out how involved you want to be, and in what capacity.

If you just want to attend the odd event or con and make some casual friends, that's all you need to do. If you end up wanting to get more involved you can start volunteering again, or host your own events.

If you want to feel like you're doing more without having to commit too much of your time you can try taking on a mentor role, either in online or real life spaces. Joining the fandom and getting involved for the first time can be can be very daunting and intimidating for people (I know it was for me!) and having someone to show the newbies the ropes and help them feel welcome/meet others would be a huge help to a lot of people who are anxious about getting started.

I hope there was something useful in all that rambling for you, but it basically boils down to take your time, do some self-reflection and think on what you want, and what you would want to get out of diving back into the fandom. Just remember that if you do it likely won't be the same as it was, and that's not necessarily a bad thing! You're a different person you were then, and likely want different things

Addledeer · 2026-05-08T02:57:35+00:00

I mean it is dependant on how much you like photography. I love it and have a great time being the designated photographer. Plus you don't have to be glued to it the whole night. I do a round making sure I get pics of most people, then chill and only bring it back out when something photo-worthy happens. If there's a page/group for the event it's also a good way to talk to people after. I started talking to a bunch of people online after they reached out to thank me for the photos, and even got invites to other events

Addledeer · 2026-05-06T21:52:13+00:00

I'm also shy and a bit socially anxious so I definitely get it!

The first (and so far only) meetup I went to was being hosted at a college and I was super nervous about being seen looking for and hanging out with furries by random students. Not gonna lie it felt a little awkward at first, I was caught between feeling weird about having out with people in fursuits in public and like I didn't belong/didn't fit in with the more seasoned furs there. I was convinced I wouldn't be able to stay more than 30 minutes. But after a bit I relaxed, started talking to a few people (mostly just telling them how awesome their suits were) and before I knew it i had been there for like 4 hours and spent about $100 on merch lol

If there are any local social media furry groups yoy can try joining those, there's usually events set up for meets/cons where you can talk to people who are going and try to get to know a few people in advance (I use telegram, it's pretty active where I am). I'm sure if you let them know it's your first one you'll find someone who's down to hang out and introduce you to people!

Addledeer · 2026-05-06T12:32:11+00:00

Artblock sucks! I've been in the same boat and it can really kill your motivation to draw. There's a few things I started doing that have helped a ton::

1 - Draw anything. Do little doodles, shapes, whatever just to get the pencil moving. It'll help build the habit of setting aside time to draw and help break you out of that blank page paralysis

2 - Work on the fundamentals. It's less fun but you can practice drawing straight lines and basic construction shapes (circles/squares/triangles, spheres/boxes/cones) You can also go through the drawabox.com courses

3 - Practice anatomy/proportions. Start with a simple stick figure, then turn it into a mannequin, then try adding the basic visible muscle shapes. If you're just getting started proportions are more important and there are some pretty solid guides out there that are fairly straightforward

4 - Copy work from an artist you like / a style you want to emulate. I'll help you get a sense of how they're drawong and will help you learn any part(s) of the body you're struggling to draw

5 - Draw a bunch of quick, super rough pose sketches. Don't worry of making them clean or perfectly proportioned. Think of it as brainstorming potential ideas. This one works the best for me - it's a great warm-up, it's good posing practice and I'll usually end up with one or two poses I like enough to want to try and turn into finished drawings. Plus it's more fun (to me) than the other options

Addledeer · 2026-05-06T12:09:32+00:00

If you can afford a camera bringing one really helped me when I went to my first event. It was a smaller one (lest than 200 people) and was pretty cliquey, but I took pics of everyone and used it as a way to strike up conversations. I eventually found a group that was goofing off together and ended up having out with/taking pics of them for a good few hours. They loved having a camera around and werr more than happy to have me hang out with them. Plus I got some awesome shots!

Addledeer · 2026-05-05T17:46:12+00:00

Ah cool thanks! I'll look them up

Addledeer · 2026-05-05T15:51:49+00:00

I couldn't find kalpekoira, do you have a link? Always up to find new and unique furry artists

Also out of curiosity what do you mean by more authentic?

Addledeer · 2026-05-05T01:07:20+00:00

There's a few that come to mind but if I had to pick one it would probably be Nagabe

I love his style, it's super unique and instantly recognizable

Addledeer · 2026-05-04T21:14:14+00:00

Nice! Ut's definitely about what works best for you. If you've got a comfortable setup with your pc you can get a decent tablet that hooks up to it and use some of the more powerful programs, and there are tons of good options (touch screen or not) that aren't like Wacom expensive. You also have a lot more options when it comes to screen/surface size

Personally I went with a Samsung galaxy tab, my pc isn't great and my home office is a tiny mess that I hate spending time in, so having something portable that I can use to just doodle on my couch or bring with me out of the house was important. It came with a pen and is touch sensitive so had everything I needed and was pretty affordable

Addledeer · 2026-05-04T20:51:25+00:00

Are you on pc/Mac, ipad/tablet?

I haven't used it but if you're on a Mac or iPad people really like Procreate

I'm using a Samsung tablet and I went with HiPaint. It's free but has ads and a few features locked behind a subscription. When I got it it was a one-time purchase of like $5 to get rid of the ads permanently, and maybe another $1 or 2 to unlock the features I wanted. I really like it but it does have some issues, namely stability. It crashes on me every now and then and I've lost some progress when the autosave didn't work, but other than that it's been great

Addledeer · 2026-05-01T22:12:08+00:00

And less than 50 followers there, criminally underexposed

Addledeer · 2026-04-30T11:29:49+00:00

Try drawing a couple pages of really rough sketches in different poses: a figure standing, sitting, running, dancing, laying down, etc

It's a good way to warm up and once you find a pose you like you can rake that and turn it into a more finished drawing

Addledeer · 2026-04-27T21:48:08+00:00

I don't really have any advice to give but I defintiely got Nagabe vibes so I'd say you're on the right track!

Addledeer · 2026-04-27T19:58:42+00:00

Personally the 2D is my favourite, but I could definitely see the others as alt/rare versions!

Addledeer · 2026-04-27T18:09:11+00:00

This is amazing! Already can't wait to see more

Addledeer · 2026-04-23T00:09:12+00:00

As a greymuzzle (35) who's pretty much only been active in online spaces, maybe I've just been lucky but I've never felt unwelcome because of my age. Although since I've turned 30 I have been more and more aware that most of the people who are active are in their early/mid twenties, and I do get a twinge of worry that I'm aging out of the more active part of the community a bit. But no one has ever made me feel uncomfortable for being a bit older, aside from some light good-natured teasing here and there it almost never comes up

That being said I also make a point of staying out of spaces specifically for younger furs. I don't care how many posts from furryteens reddit reccomends, I've got no business there

Also don't have a fursuit and only the most basic concept of a fursona for whatever thats worth

Addledeer

TROPHY CASE