How Tani DaReal Inspired My Creation of Relic

I have been asked... I must tell.

Absolutely the "High-point" of my visit to Anthrocon in 2017 was meeting Tani DaReal in person. As a long time follower of her artwork, she was undoubtedly the single most influential force behind my creation of Relic. 

If I had experienced nothing else at Anthrocon that year, I would have still walked away extremely happy that I had finally met her in person. 











How has Tani DaReal inspired my creation of Relic?  

Wow!  There's a subject that is in all practical purposes in the Furry Fandom a bit of ancient history... I can Try.


The gist of the story is... Tani was the first furry artist that i came to back in the day of the early internet... this was back when more than 50% of internet use was still "dial up"... at least in my secluded area of nowhere USA. She was a young up and coming artist back then, I was following her art work with great admiration and tried to learn some of her technique of portraying expression in her art. Needless to say I never was able to capture any amount of her talent, she had more talent in he pinky finger than I had in both of my hands. But I faithfully followed her artwork for many years (and still do) and when she began the process of creating her own fursuit I was even more captivated and watched it take shape eagerly. I was impressed by the process, although at this point in time was not even close to ever considering doing anything like this. It was still many years off, before I was to bitten by the Fursuiting Flea. It was while following her early artwork that I made the connection between what was now considered furry art and what I had been doing so many years before, long before the internet had even been truly thought of when I was only around 12 or 13 and just starting Jr.High (1978 ish... gads that puts a date stamp on me for sure) My friends and I used to doodle comics at their kitchen table using their German Shepherds as models for our "Anthropomorphic" characters in the mornings as we waited for the bus. Without Tani I would likely never made that connection... once I did... there was no turning back, I was hooked... line and sinker all. Once I had decided that I was going to use my Husky as the basis of my fursonas appearance (which happened only about 7 years ago) the rest of the process followed suit (perhaps a pun intended there) mainly because of a dare and having watched the process… I knew it had to happen.

Cape Crusading

After nearly 5 hours of work, Relic 2.0 has a cape that is almost finished.

There will be adjustments that will need to be made to fit it to my shoulders but the worst of the process is nearly behind us now. 

So looking forward to his debut at Anthro New England in February!  The excitement is REAL! 

Vision Quest

First time I have put it on since getting the fur around the eyes finished and the eyes back in place. The vision is better than I had hoped for, far better than that with Relic 1.0 

The details around the mouth are next. This is always the step that I find most intimidating... why I can't say for certain... just is. 

The first side finished for the most part until the other side is at this point as well.

Getting really psyched now as the end is in sight. I will be starting work on the cape next (neck) probably next week.  then it will be a matter of detail work, painting, final trimming, brushing... etc.

Moving Ahead In Small Steps

I am to the point now where any tiny amount of work is very noticeable for the most part. 

Have finished getting the white around the eyes done and placed the eyes back in his noggin... makes him look much better again. Still some fuss-work trimming to be done and I have to fix the eyelids into place but in all, solidly on track for the debut in Boston at Anthro New England in February!




Looks so much better with his eyes back in place. Have a wild Hair up the...muzz... I may just leave that there, an unplanned trimming error that actually looks ok. 

A Steady Pace Forward

As long as I keep putting a small amount of work into the process each day we should be good to go for the Debut of Relic 2.0 at Anthro New England in February. 



Now working on getting the white fur trimmed and fitted into place using pins... soon I will start gluing it into place permanently. 

Let The Fur Fly

Well, not really but the work of getting the fur into place is coming along nicely.

The grey is now solidly in place with the ears finally finished.






I am pleased with the way the ears turned out this time, the adage holds true "practice makes perfect" I guess.

Hard to see them (that is the point after all) but I have now got the exhaust ports for my two cooling blowers cut out from the inside of each ear, and the areas inside the head trimmed out for the blowers to be placed in the finishing stages.