Lion of the Sun

The final artist I am going to review is Lion of the Sun. 

                At very first glace I was semi-impressed with his artistic work. There had been one or two initial problems I had noticed when I browsed his gallery but nothing major in the quality of the work. He seemed to either be a hit or a miss with the masks he produced. A lot of the heads seemed “off” to me-with several anatomical problems-Nothing that was too bad though; but with further investigation of this artist had uncovered that this particular artist was not someone that I personally would commission from.

 A good Tiger mask

 One of the "off" looking ones.

The ears and the eyes are in incorrect positions for a canine creating another "off" mask.

                I had only spotted his work once or twice before, knowing the name and only the art I was not aware of his business and professional attitude towards his customers. Before I even think about commissioning I am sure to always poke around and read on said artist. The very first thing I had found on Lion of the Sun was an article posted on a website called “Artist Beware”-a website exposing unprofessionalism and scammers. I was surprised at first because he had seemed to taken commissions before- and he even had a business page.
                The poster of the article goes on to explain the situation they had faced when attempting to make a transaction with Lion of the Sun. They explain that he had avoided their emails for roughly 2 years after the first initial payment had been sent (despite attempting to contact the artist in many different methods-even in person.). They did not hear or see of any status of the commission they had paid half up-front for.  The poster states that they eventually had to file a case in a small claims court to receive their money back for the work they did not receive. If you would like to view the post and proof on artists beware click here.
                With even that one problem from the artist I would not consider purchasing from them- because it seems purchase from this artist is a  gamble-in quality and whether or not you actually receive your item. Prices for these works of art are very high and I would seek out a more reputable artist to commission from.

Clockwork Creature

Clockwork Creatures is the next artist I will be looking at.

For a long time I have been following this artist’s works.  They are another maker of realistic mascot costumes. The name of Clockwork Creatures is a very well known one to the community- known for their quality of work.
                I’ve always planned on commissioning this artist because I very much admire their work. In fact I favor the work of this artist above anyone else. In this following post I will explain to you the reasons why I think this artist is one of the top producers for their medium.
                The first example I have is that they are able to produce and create costumes with a vast variety of species. I have seen much of their work and each species (many more unique than the generic cookie-cutter wolf) has been done to almost perfection. It is difficult to make a mask look completely realistic and yet Clockwork Creatures manages to create them so well they could be mistaken for the real thing!

 Goat-like creature

 Wolf

 Spider (very unique)

Snowy Owl
A link to their website with many other examples of their amazing work can be found here!

                     On their FAQ they also give instructions on how to store your costume so that there is no accidental breakage or damage, as well as thorough cleaning instructions to keep the artworks in the best condition possible after any wear and tear. I think it’s especially great that they do offer a 90 day warranty to customers for nothing. On their website it states that it covers damage and repairs for the first 90 days (I assume after that, if any repairs are needed you must pay service fees, but that’s perfectly fair for their hard work to repair.)

Don't Hug Cacti

              For my next review I have chosen a very popular maker "Don't hug Cacti". They also offer the same artistic services as Beetlecat- mainly the crafting of fandom-oriented mascot suits.

                I must respect them as artists, but there are several things which Don’t Hug Cacti do that causes a potential customer such as myself to think twice before investing a great sum of money into one of their creations.
                The first issue that I, myself particularly find to be a bit of a downside to their creations is that it seems no matter what species you choose to have your costume crafted as, they all possess a very similar facial structure.
              The eyes and muzzle particularly jump out to me- they all have the same general expression and shape. I personally find this to be a factor as to why I don’t particularly enjoy their work.  The coyotes, huskies, fox and wolves all look like they have been made from the same base as the other. Even though foam and sewing the costumes to fit a human body won’t guarantee realism- to take on a cartoony style it is still possible to stay true to the original species whilst still being toony. Foxes for example have shorter and narrower muzzles than a wolf- but these heads all have the same muzzle length and look. The only way to differentiate these canine species is based solely on the markings.
                From their gallery I can only see a slight variation of character suits. I’m not sure whether the whole “same-face” situation is in fact the artist’s issue or just the customers not specifying for anything else. Most of the gallery is filled with examples that look extremely similar in markings as well- some looking almost identical other than several primary coat colors switched to a variation.

Fox

Husky

 Wolf

Coyote

                Although their suits are fairly cute and probably of high quality- I personally would not purchase nor invest money for a costume from this maker for the reasons I have listed above. But art is certainly subjective. You can decide for yourself how you feel about the quality of their work at their website here.

Squeedgemonster

For my new review I have chosen a long-time inspiration for myself- an artist who goes by the screen name Squeedgemonster.

                Long ago I discovered her art via her partner- a man who goes by the screen name Renard Queenston- who produces a variety of electronic music. She had contributed to his project by supplying him with (as far as I’m aware) the vast majority, if not all, of the album artwork that appears on his album covers and artist websites.
                Her style is generally very cartoony and unique; the use of bright popping colors coupled with her sharp styled lineart appeal very much to me. As a fellow artist I look up and gain much inspiration from her works and aspire to someday produce works of the same quality as her own.

Aside her wonderful usage and understanding of color she also has a great grasp on anatomy. She can skillfully toonify realistic proportions- making them still correct as well as staying true to her cartoony style. Another delightfully pleasant aspect of her artwork is that alongside being able to create attractive looking anthropomorphic creatures, she also has a great grasp of non-humanized animals and can range from semi-realistic proportions to very heavily cartoony creations.

               

                The final aspect of her work that I find very pleasant and notable is the common theme in many of her public works. She tends to have an affinity towards the “bright dark side”-or more Halloween-esque themes. Not morbidly dark as some artists, her art is almost always contains some element of light-heartedness and childish fun.

All in all, I find her work to be very pleasant and something I draw inspiration from very frequently.You can view some of her works at her gallery here!

Beetlecat

For my first submission to my blog, I have decided to make a review of an artist who goes by the screen name Beetlecat. I find her work to be of extreme high quality and top-notch craftsmanship. She has developed such a unique and new style that I have not seen by any other artist of her medium-and it sets her work aside other makers for being delightfully unique. She has developed an artistic style of mascot suits that is a delightful mixture of realism and "toony" styles.
                Her airbrush techniques are no doubt extremely advanced and can transform a flat-colored head or body piece to a very complex and layered work of artistic mastery.  

An example of this is below:

                                           Before Airbrushing

                                           After Airbrushing

                She often provides many examples of her work to any curious customer to make their decision on whether or not they would like to make such a purchase from her. The costs of these suits are no stranger to any self-proclaimed “furry” or avid follower of personalized mascot suits. Her prices I believe, are extremely fair for such quality you will receive for an end product.
                Another delightful thing that Beetlecat-aside from keeping her real name hidden- is that she is submitting many things for her own artist blog. This gives her business more of a personalized feeling. Commissioners who are looking to buy her work are greeted with good communication, and are able to see work in progress that she posts to her own personal blog. It feels much more like working with a real person who possesses a sweet personality- aside from other makers who give off the feel of working with a faceless corporation.  You can find her official artist website here and her blog here.