What kind of fur/skin does a werewolf have?

This is the place for discussion and voting on various aspects of werewolf life, social ideas, physical appearance, etc. Also a place to vote on how a werewolf should look.

What kind of skin/fur does a werewolf have?

Long Shaggy unkept fur
6
7%
Medium and more even fur
78
88%
2 - Doesn’t really care either way
4
4%
3 - They’re pretty cool I guess, but they aren’t an obsession
1
1%
 
Total votes: 89

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Post by outwarddoodles »

I think they need nice thick pelts and fairly wellkept fur. Just not over kept and very shiny for it looks like those hair comercials when you think how do they get that hair?
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Post by Kzinistzerg »

It woudln't be shiny; that's a peculiarity of human hair; i believe wolf hair is coarser.
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Post by Set »

Shadowblaze wrote:It woudln't be shiny; that's a peculiarity of human hair
Other animals can have shiny hair, I myself raise horses and with a good bath they can be quite "shiny".
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Post by outwarddoodles »

Yes but I don't think werewolves use shampoo while in thier wolven forms.

But then maybe the hair would be like their human hair. If they have nice hair then they may have a nice pelt while someone like me with brown colored straw for hair would probaly have course fur.
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Post by Arania »

Well, if a person is well-groomed I would presume that that would translate to their lupine form - good hygene is good hygene.

And if you don't think animals' fur can be shiny, take a look at a dog show ^_~.

In general, I agree wholeheartedly that a werwolf's pelt should be like that of a normal wolf - varied from individual to individual, but the patterns and length and coverage the same.

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Post by outwarddoodles »

*just found this board and feels like she was sincerely missing out!*
Don't worry, I've only been here a week and you easily fall right in and meet the people here. :D
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Post by Kzinistzerg »

Yeah, same thign here.. but i';ve been here longer. :howl:  :oo
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Post by Jamie »

I think that the secondary problem with believable werewolf fur (after the primary problem of fur color, which has been addressed already in two major threads) is what many people are calling "shaggy" or "matted" fur. However, the real issue in "shaggy" or "matted" fur is something else, it is really fur direction.
You need to think about it a bit before it becomes clear. Wolves do have shaggy, longer fur on some areas of the body. Particularly on the stomach and neck when they have their winter coat. And wolves sometimes do have matted fur in some areas. Not very matted fur, but then again werewolf costumes don't have very matted fur either.
No, the real problem on werewolf costumes that gives this impression is that the only real fur direction on these costumes is "up" (perpendicular to the "skin"). While, on real animals, fur points in a particular direction, a direction that changes on different parts of the body. Fur on the legs points down. Fur in the middle of the back points towards the tail. Fur on the ears points towards the ear tip.
Think for a moment about cats. On a cat's tail, the fur points towards the tail tip. There is a very definate fur direction. Then, if a cat gets scared, the fur direction changes temporarily. The fur on the tail points perpendicular to the skin.
Now, the difference between a werewolf with realistic fur direction and a werewolf with fur that just points "up" is the difference between a normal cat's tail and a scared cat's tail. One looks unnatural, the other looks natural.
By the way, judging from the hand shown on the Freeborn poster, they have already addressed the fur direction problem.
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Post by vrikasatma »

I went with the shorter fur option but that's because that's as close to my vision as the poll would come.

I'm all for a thick, rich mane and tail, definitely. Wolf pelts are so incredibly variegated, they're almost like a snake or bird wing patterns. Even a black wolf isn't really flat black, more like dark bluish grey or charcoal colour, and you can see true inky-black tips and striping in the mane and facial details, like around the eyes and ear edges. And of course their scent gland near the base of the tail and that black tip of the tail.

However, I think a werewolf in the gestalt form would have thinner hair on the "insides," like the hands, inner arms, thighs and underbelly areas. It's complete coverage, but it's finer, silkier, almost like down.

And yes, agree on the well-groomed coat. Animals groom themselves.
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Post by Kelpten »

I think that the werewolf in VanHelsing(forgive my spelling) was ok. I prefer the type of werewolf from Goldenwolf's art (hi goldie!). Truth be told i prefer the four-legged werewolf that looks exactly like the real wolves, but i'm ok with the bipedal ones.

Some big mistakes made by other movies when making werwolves....

In the movie Cursed the werewolf looked horrible. It had no snout, obviously a costume, and the joints were human. Most people overlook the joints. That's an important part as well. But mostly the fur was everywhere, no order whatsoever.

In Harry Potter 3 the werewolf once again had no snout, looked like a hairless roddent, and moved nothing like a wolf. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T MAKE A WERWOLF LIKE THIS!!!!! That werewolf was an insult to the word lycanthropy![/quote]
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Post by Hamster »

Kelpten wrote:In Harry Potter 3 the werewolf once again had no snout, looked like a hairless roddent, and moved nothing like a wolf. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T MAKE A WERWOLF LIKE THIS!!!!! That werewolf was an insult to the word lycanthropy!
[/quote]

Naw, think of him as a wererat. Now then he will be a good creature. :lol:
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Post by PariahPoet »

Just as long as they don't have greazy bald faces like they do in every werewolf movie I have ever seen. Blech. Faces should be as well-furred as a real wolf.
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Post by Figarou »

PariahPoet wrote:Just as long as they don't have greazy bald faces like they do in every werewolf movie I have ever seen. Blech. Faces should be as well-furred as a real wolf.
and with whiskers!! :wiggle:
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Post by Renorei »

Figarou wrote: and with whiskers!! :wiggle:
Yeah they should have whiskers. Though not too pronounced, or they'll detract from the face.
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Post by NarnianWolfen »

>>However, I think a werewolf in the gestalt form would have thinner hair on the "insides," like the hands, inner arms, thighs and underbelly areas. It's complete coverage, but it's finer, silkier, almost like down. <<

I agree with that. But definitely make the coat similar to a normal wolf's coat. Werewolves that're naked or look like overly groomed cats sitting in a window just aren't it. It makes them look unreal. AND GIVE THEM TAILS! PLEASE! Tails = Very yes! Tails are not only an important part of wolfie communication, but also balance. A bipedal with the kind of warped joints a werewolf'd have if it's digitigrade would need something to balance them in motion. I'm fine with werewolves becoming pure wolves now and then. Either way, if it gives werewolves a new light, then bravo! Slobbering drooling rawrface is just..uck.
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Post by Wolveblade »

im leaning to to wolfish pelt but it all depends on health, diet and care the were creature takes to keep themselves groomed/clean
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Re: What kind of fur/skin does a werewolf have?

Post by wolfboy410 »

i think medium fur is appropriate but unkept like it looks unbrushed kinda like the black werewolf in van helsing not totaly outa control but still dosent look like hes pamperd shhowl
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Re: What kind of fur/skin does a werewolf have?

Post by LunarCarnivore »

from what i can see almost everyone on this thread says the fur should look like real wolf's fur. I agree. I also agree that the were's in Van Helsing looked good.

But...
I know there shouldn't be a "but", but there is. The werewolves of Van Helsing were 100% CGI. which is fine, if you have the budget to make it look good. the majority of werewolf films are indie though, and when indie film does cgi, its not pretty. because of that, most ppl are against 100% cgi. so people want practical effects costumes, right? well the thing is, and ask any special effects buff, the best stuff on the market to make werewolves out of? YAK FUR. Yak's are shaggy, unkempt, and brown. also the fur has to be punched in to the latex suit bit by bit. you cant punch it in close enough, or trim it fine enough, to emulate the fur on a wolf's face. hence we have patchy weres, missing fur on the parts were it should by finest.

thats my two cent's. and believe me, i don't like it either.
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Re: What kind of fur/skin does a werewolf have?

Post by wolfboy410 »

Wolf-man-24 wrote:from what i can see almost everyone on this thread says the fur should look like real wolf's fur. I agree. I also agree that the were's in Van Helsing looked good.

But...
I know there shouldn't be a "but", but there is. The werewolves of Van Helsing were 100% CGI. which is fine, if you have the budget to make it look good. the majority of werewolf films are indie though, and when indie film does cgi, its not pretty. because of that, most ppl are against 100% cgi. so people want practical effects costumes, right? well the thing is, and ask any special effects buff, the best stuff on the market to make werewolves out of? YAK FUR. Yak's are shaggy, unkempt, and brown. also the fur has to be punched in to the latex suit bit by bit. you cant punch it in close enough, or trim it fine enough, to emulate the fur on a wolf's face. hence we have patchy weres, missing fur on the parts were it should by finest.

thats my two cent's. and believe me, i don't like it either.
ya but its really hard to make a cool looking werewolf without a lttile bit of special effects i mean look at badmoon that werewolf looked rediculos(srry about spelling) the head was too big and the tail was like 5 inches long
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