Regarding limits on topics, ...

[John Fairbairn]

There is a very prominent warning in this area of the site about posting fan fiction. I fully intend to honor that. However, that still leaves open another issue.

What about something that could be construed as "fan art"? I have a picture of a treecat that I'd like to post here, and yet I'm afraid that it will get me gigged as posting in violation of the rules of the board. I'm not intending that the moderators should allow all-out fan art, but I spent a goodly amount of time on my effort to create a plausible representation of a Sphynxian treecat, and I'd like both to share it and to get the reactions of others as to its believability.

May I please have a ruling on this?

Regards -

[Brad Lee]

I spoke with @Martin Lessem, FLA on this previously and he can offer further insight, but as long as it is not trying to be passed off as official artwork such as implying it is approved by BuNine, etc. when it is not, then that should be fine.

[John Fairbairn]

Thank you for the response, Sir.

Based on it, and because I make no bones about it that this is simply a photo manipulation that I did and not something either requested or approved as official by either Words of Weber or TRMN, I humbly submit this image for consideration of its merits or demerits:

TruNorth.jpg

This 'friend' of mine goes by the Human name of "TruNorth". I have about 40 hours of work into her image, and in that time I had a chance to consider at length what it would be like to be such a being, and to be separated from my Clan. That was relatively easy for me, because I am Scottish by descent. Family is important to me, yes, but Clan is even more so. Being torn from both family and Clan would be agonizing for me, rather like what people of certain very ... self-reliant ... religious groups experience when they are cast out and shunned. It occurs to me that Mr. Weber's concept of the bonding must be extraordinary. And I think ... at least I hope ... that he will continue to write both graphically and compassionately about just how deep such bonds can be and how much one must make ... um ... compromises? accommodations? concessions? ... to successfully adjust to and achieve such an intimate mental connection.

As I said above, I welcome critique on my efforts.

Regards -

[Bill Lochen]

Thank you for the response, Sir.

Based on it, and because I make no bones about it that this is simply a photo manipulation that I did and not something either requested or approved as official by either Words of Weber or TRMN, I humbly submit this image for consideration of its merits or demerits:

TruNorth.jpg

This 'friend' of mine goes by the Human name of "TruNorth". I have about 40 hours of work into her image, and in that time I had a chance to consider at length what it would be like to be such a being, and to be separated from my Clan. That was relatively easy for me, because I am Scottish by descent. Family is important to me, yes, but Clan is even more so. Being torn from both family and Clan would be agonizing for me, rather like what people of certain very ... self-reliant ... religious groups experience when they are cast out and shunned. It occurs to me that Mr. Weber's concept of the bonding must be extraordinary. And I think ... at least I hope ... that he will continue to write both graphically and compassionately about just how deep such bonds can be and how much one must make ... um ... compromises? accommodations? concessions? ... to successfully adjust to and achieve such an intimate mental connection.

As I said above, I welcome critique on my efforts.

Regards -

Nice. Maybe the head could be a bit larger.


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[Philip Culmer]

Lovely work, John.

Not sure how you'd do it in manipulating a photo, but for a canon look, it might be nice to work out what handfeet and truehands look like. That's a thought, though, rather than a criticism.

[John Fairbairn]

Nice. Maybe the head could be a bit larger.

Bill, I thought about that, and of course it would be quite easy to do. However, as far as I can recall the descriptions in the canonic material never say that a treecat's head is larger in proportion to its body than a Solarian cat's. In the cover art for the books, there are variations about this (see the difference between the representations in the cover art of Changer of Worldsand A Short Victorious War), so it seems somewhat ambiguous. There is the often-seen art piece (the cover art of Changer of Worlds) where the treecat seems to me to have a smaller-than-usual head. Of course in that one, the 'cat is portrayed as being rail-thin as well, almost awkwardly gawky, so perhaps it is not such a good example.

Anyway, you have given me something about which to ponder. Thank you for the suggestion.

Lovely work, John.

Not sure how you'd do it in manipulating a photo, but for a canon look, it might be nice to work out what handfeet and truehands look like. That's a thought, though, rather than a criticism.

I will give that some consideration. My thought was that the "true-hands" description in the books was in regard to function, not necessarily form. If a Solarian cat had an opposable thumb instead of one that can not move around as well as flex, might it not have learned much more-developed manual skills? I looked at the true-hands on the cover art for A Short Victorius War, and they look to be four digits and an unseen dewlap-style thumb, more similar in conformation to a cat's than a human's. Anyway, if that were the case, then I think that the 'paws' of a Solarian cat and the true-hands of a Sphinxian tree-cat would look quite similar when resting in the attitude in the image.

Still, you might have a point. Perhaps extending the digits of the true-hands and hands-feet just a bit ...

Regards to you both -

[John Fairbairn]

Again, I defer to the warning about posting FAN fiction (or images).

However, I wonder if I might have a reading from the SLs concerning some things that are not FAN fiction. The first is, I just discovered an image of the dust cover for the upcoming Uncompromising Honor, and it looks really spiff! Honor looks quite pi**ed, though even then she is one of the most beautiful female images I ever have seen (barring, of course, my wife's). I DO hope Runs-for-Celery is pleased with the artist's effort. It features a really detailed image of her face. Now that it is out on the Web, may I please - please - please insert a copy into this thread for the edification of our members?

Also, I have some interesting news about the release ... if the SLs will allow me to break it ...

Yes, I'm trying desperately to pique everyone's interest!

UPDATE: Never mind - I have posted my information (without the artwork) at viewtopic.php?f=558&t=4503.

[Kevin Walsh]

your going to want an extra large domestic to start with... find good pictures of a Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat and work from there... has there ever been a picture of "Dicey" posted? beyond what was in the book?