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DCLeadboot β At Home with the Wilkinsons
#cedar #cedric #freda #frederick #habitat #holt #home #lounge #todd #wilkinson #willow
Published: 2017-01-12 00:55:25 +0000 UTC; Views: 1005; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 0
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Description
Finally got round to trace-colouring this old sketch of a warm family scene, showing Frederick and his otter foster-family spending some time together in the lounge of their riverside home.We are seeing this from the front of the room (directly behind would be the large bay window looking out onto the river - also out of sight from here is the front door behind to the left and a fireplace to the right)
Meanwhile, Cedar brings tea for everyone from the passage to the right that leads from the kitchen, Cedric lounges in his own hammock, Frederick and Freda talk about current matters, Todd reads his newspaper and Willow keeps her paws and mind active with a bit of knitting.
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Comments: 49
Heya Dan, sorry that it took so long to come up with a decent amount of feedback but I believe I've looked into this picture for long enough to write up a critique.
One thing I liked about this picture off the bat is how it started off as a sketch and then you finally ran some colors and worked it to the point it looks like a homely interior of the Wilkinson's place.
Vision) When I see this image, it looks and feels like a typical weekend mid-afternoon scene. Cedric lounging lazily on his hammock, Willow is knitting up something for someone? (It looks like a long scarf perhaps?) and Todd is catching up on the latest news. Frederick just noticed his older foster sister bringing around of tea while Freda seems to be eyeballing the audience (XD Of course not your intention)
Originality) For a little pic of your secondary characters enjoying life, I'm giving this a 3 and a half stars because, while the premise is basic, you seemed to stress the basics and you did a good job here.
Technique) Bright, colorful, and cheerful and it seems like a very nice home for any otter (or ferret) to live and grow up in. Your attention to perspective is good, although it makes me feel like the floor isn't flat enough to be comfortable, like it's pitching a bit. But then again most otter holts are built in uneven areas so I guess it could be passable.
Overall Impact) I'm giving this a full 4 stars. My only advice is (and yes I do apologize if this seems TOO thorough) is to be more mindful of the perspectives and angles as well as the lighting. Judging by that small lantern on the top, I don't think the flame would give off a ton of light unless it was L.E.D powered. But other then that, I honestly feel you did a good job on this scene!
Does Cedar have a spare cup for me? I wouldn't mind having a cup =3
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Thanks very much, Alex!
Certainly I was going for just a simple family scene... and hopefully it updated all right, considering the original sketch was a few years old now...
Though what I had in mind with Freda and Frederick was that they were looking at each other and having some sort of private little chat as siblings. It was more Todd who was acknowledging Cedar's entrance (or about to say something)
As for Willow... perhaps I might suggest a short scene...
Cedric: Say, what are you knitting, Ma?
Willow: I don't know, dear, I haven't finished it yet.
Still yeah, I hope the perspective worked out okay. I worked hard on that, so if it failed, I'd be majorly disappointed...
Cedar: You want some tea as well? I'm afraid you'll have to get a cup yourself... I only had enough for all of us...
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My apologies if my critique was too in-depth or too thorough but all and all this is supposed to help you do better for future references, right? Not too many people are gonna overlook a mistake and such.
Alex: Sure of course Cedar =3
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All things considered, I did only have that old sketch to refer to... never really tried depicting the interior of Holt Wilkinson before...
Frederick: And Cedric, I should sit up, if I were you. You'll spill your tea otherwise.
Cedric: Ah well, guess Alex could do with a place to sit... *sits up in the hammock, trying to leave a bit of space*
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Thanks very much!
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I can practically feel the warmth of this scene, and I don't just mean the heating. 
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Heh, yeah... heating from an offscreen fireplace in right-foreground...
But thanks very much!
Indeed, I should probably do more with these guys... especially if I ever get my finger out and do something productive with the Dan Clan characters...
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Very nice work on the Wilkinson family and their lounge here.
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Thanks very much, Bru!
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They're certainly happy together...
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You're welcome, it was so good I had to fave it,
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That's okay!
I appreciate faves, though having a comment as well at least gives me some interaction!
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Aw man, that is an incredibly, heartwarming scene of each, family member relaxing in the living room. 
Wonderful work with the image, Leadboot!
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Thanks! Indeed, they're a happy family!
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No problem man, and lovely to hear!
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What a warm loving family. 
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Heh yup, they're a very close-knit family, indeed!
As for the fish, I'm pretty sure it's just a trophy... having preserved the skin after filleting and stuffing, it must have provided a nice little dinner at some point! (I'm not sure, but it could be special for being the first big fellow Todd ever caught...?)
Thanks very much, Kel!
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Ah, okay. I was certain for a while it was one of those fake fishes that sings. 
You're very welcome.
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It's probably preserved with some sort of varnish...
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what a lovely picture of Frederick and his family! the setting and what each character is doing makes it feel so homey and welcoming!
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Heh, yeah... they're a pretty close-knit family! Even Frederick, who was just adopted!
Thanks for the comment!
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I can see that! 
you are most welcome
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Heh, thanks!
At the time, Frederick being adopted by otters was my way of explaining how a ferret could be raised a good guy... that was before I developed my own lore for the United Animal Kingdom instead of Brian Jacques' "vermin are inherently evil" clichΓ© from the Redwall series... 
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I haven't read Redwall in years, but is it just ferrets that are deemed evil? or all members of mustelidae? I got a few of them running around lol.
I do like your thinking there though, when going by Redwall lore, it explains it perfectly! but even better you got your own lore now, it gives you far more freedom
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Well, Brian Jacques kind of went by old folklore characterisations with rats, foxes and mustelids being sly and devious... and on the strength of that, many of them were either bad guys because they knew no other life or just For the Evulz
On the other hand, the later books also had the reverse scenario, with occasional woodlander-type animal gone to the bad!
There were the (sadly too rare) exceptions, of course. Some vermin, usually pitiable characters with supposedly particularly poor family backgrounds, did actually get the chance to find redemption... some even survived as far as their narrative thread ended.
In the case of Ashleg the deformed pine marten one-legged from "Mossflower", he disappeared peacefully out of the main story when he quietly fled Tsarmina's insanity, resolving to find a place for himself somewhere away from dreams of ambitious conquest among friends who knew how to live simply without delusions of grandeur...
Sadly some weren't so lucky, as "Redemption Equals Death " in many cases... such as Veil Sixclaw from "Outcast" who was at best a tragic villain for much of his young life, but finished up taking a fatal javelin to save the one creature in his life who had ever shown him love...
Besides Veil, the only other ferret I can think of in the series who had some sort of redemption was Romsca, a female corsair from "Pearls of Lutra" - though she too was fatally wounded after slaying the monitor lizard she battled against. But still, she had a deathbed conversion of sorts and ended up dying in the arms of hostage Abbot Durral, calling him "father" for the first and last time...
I wanted to get away from Redwall and be a bit more original, so finished up having this alternate universe (as it were) were the setting was the United Kingdom, but with animals... hence United Animal Kingdom. Even town-names are eerily familiar, like Lunndown, Rambridge, Furchester, Ruddersfield, etc... even the landmass is even more rabbit-shaped than the original UK (which already kind of looks like a rabbit)
And in this age of equality, anybody can be good or bad... of course, the usual suspects still applies, I guess, but for the most part, foxes, mustelids and rats can be respectable citizens...
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I only got to read the first book but that was long ago. It wasn't until years later I bought the rest. I currently have got my neighbour hooked to them bwahah!. and judging by what you just told me, I can see why. I really need to re read them again D:.
ooooh! that is so awesome! I love that concept!. Having it be based on United Kingdom, I love the sound of your play on location names too!. So by your world logic, would that make Bristol, Furistol? XDD. that's really cool too!, making the island more rabbit shaped too!.
I am currently working on my own original world, characters and their history is all fine but I am having trouble coming up with a name for the world DX.
The way I have always seen it, (even when I was in the sonic fandom) animal characters are like humans. Anyone can be good, anyone can be bad. There are no set race that are evil. Like, all dogs are good and all cats are bad, which sounds similar to the Redwall logic.
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Heh, yeah... haven't really read a lot for a while, but they were good books...
Well, I think I had Crystal written down for Bristol... I ran out of ideas in some cases, but it could probably use a little work...
Ah yeah, a name is often one of the first things I have to settle on for a character or location. Very important fixture...
Heh, talking of cats and dogs, there's still Cribbs and Fred in my crowd of underused characters... the Cat & Dog Busy Buddies; a pair of jack-of-all-trade types.
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Have you read the Duncton Moles series of books? the neighbour I got hooked to Redwall introduced me to them and I got to say, they are rather enjoyable. Currently working through the first book
haha that's cool! it rhymes
I already had a lot of the world established but the name has evaded me. It will come in due time
awesome!! that sounds like such an enjoyable pair! I'd like to see more of them in the future
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Well, there are a couple of short musical animations that they featured in...
They're in Flash form here, and on YouTube!
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oh yeah! I found them, oh man! that took me back!. I remember I used to watch your animations! a long with the IMP ones.
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Heh, cool!
Must admit, I don't seem to animate a lot these days... been working somewhat obsessively on illustrations for my Boaz books and doing artwork of Danbuster and friends... and along those lines, the Dan Clan could REALLY do with their own marketable comic...
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Oooh you working on a book series?
I would LOVE to see a marketable comic of the group!, they are an excellent and fun group to follow and the humor is absolutely harelarious. XD.
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Well, so far all I have is the one book of Boaz... with a second in the pipeline, and I really need to work faster!
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oh awesome!!! and you have self published it!. That's is truly inspirational! as I am working on a childrens book that I want to self publish.
I have already researched into having a company publish it but all I could find was explanations that companies have their 'preferred' artists to illustrate it. So for me that's no good, as it's a story based in my own world, so I want to illustrate it, being an artist and all XD.
When I am not so stripped for cash (multiple vet bills). I will buy this one most certainly
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Yeah, self-publish seemed to be my only choice, seeing as how I didn't know of anyone who would publish and market it for me... and I reckon it had to be very much on my own terms...
Though I wonder if the Bible Society could help...
Indeed, with my own ideas and stories, I'd rather it were my own vision, rather than trying to conform with the publishing company rules...
Heh, cool!
I know how that is... with my road tax and Faramir's vet bill for his annual booster, my savings are at an all-time low... especially since when that "back to work" scheme ended last year, my severance pay (paid at the end of May for work that month) was wrongfully taken into account when I started back on benefits, resulting in my getting welshed out of a month's worth of benefit in June! And I'd just bought this new Windows 10 laptop to upgrade...
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and that way, you know all money will go to you and not some second party
exactly!, you have a story to tell, if you went to a publisher, they might want you to change certain parts. :/. I wouldn't want that with my own stories. I have a story about a demon otter girl, a publisher might decide "Hmm, it's okay but change the otter girl to a human or remove her demonic part". It's part of her character and part of her story, if I wanted to tell a story about a human, I would. SO at least self publishing means we don't have to worry about things like that
Oh man you are on benefits? I hear that keeps getting worse and worse D:. Some accounts where they don't pay out either.
Fingers crossed all the more you get plenty of attention for your book then!.
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Yeah, even then, selling through Amazon/CreateSpace means I'm only getting a couple of quid out of each sale...
I certainly prefer to have that freedom...
And I certainly have to watch the DWP closely for ensuring I get paid...
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I suppose it is a good starting point thought
oh god they are awful to deal with when they aren't paying you!
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I has to get more successful books out in order to get the munz...
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Thanks!
They're certainly a happy family!
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