What Is A Furry?
A furry, in its simplest form, is someone who is interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. There are thousands of different sub-categories and sub-fandoms within the furry fandom but the one thing that they all have in common is their shared interest in anthropomorphic (typically cartoon) animal characters.
We understand that there are a lot of negative connotations surrounding the furry fandom and a lot of the time it comes down to complete misconceptions about what it means to be a furry. Whether or not this is a case of weaponized ignorance or just an innocent misunderstanding is beside the point, the point is that people have the completely wrong idea about the furry fandom and will likely be even more confused when discovering what furry transformation is.
Being a furry does not mean you want to have a sexual relationship with an animal. It does not mean you want to be an animal despite what fake news reports about litter boxes being implemented in schools may lead you to believe. It does not mean your pronouns are fur/furself. These are all just gross misrepresentations of what the furry fandom is.
So in this article, we’ll not only help you understand what a furry transformation is but also clear up the air on any rumors about the furry fandom.
What Is Furry Art?
Furry art describes art that depicts any sort of anthropomorphic animal. This would technically make movies like Zootopia full-length, Pixar-made furry movies which to an extent they are as they tick all the boxes but there is more of a culture to it. When something is referred to as furry art, it was likely made with the intention of being labeled furry art. By this I mean, the majority of the stuff that will come up when you search “furry art” are pictures of people’s fursonas.
Example of Furry Transformation Art
Image via DeviantArt
What’s A Fursona?
A fursona is a furry characterization of a person. A person’s fursona doesn’t necessarily have to resemble them (but if it does this is known as a truesona), it can be a complete binary opposite of who they are. Fursonas are just fictional animal characters, some people like to liken themselves to their fursona whether that be in the way they dress, their behavior, or their hobbies, however, this is not for everyone.
The point stands however that there is a difference between actual furry art made by furries for furries and art that happens to tick all the boxes of being classified as furry art and that difference is the target audience. This is not to imply that the furry fandom rejects all mainstream furry content, quite the opposite is true, there is actually always love for it as it gives the fandom some exposure, but there is just a difference between mainstream furry content and furry content made by furries.
Then, What’s A Furry Transformation?
You might be wondering what any of this has to do with what a furry transformation is but not to worry there is a tie-in. Furry transformation is a type of furry art. It refers to furry art that depicts a human person progressively turning into an animal. This is usually shown through stages. At the first stage, they will be a perfectly normal human person then in the next stage they might have a tail and cat-like ears and by the final stage, they will have completely transformed into the animal sometimes keeping their human clothes. This isn’t an exact science so of course it changes from artist to artist but that is the general idea. Sometimes people will illustrate themselves transforming into their fursona other times it is just a random person turning into a fursona.
Is It Similar To Shapeshifting?
A lot of people would compare this to shapeshifting which is a trait that a lot of people give their fursonas meaning they can switch forms from animal to person to other animals. Characters like these are known as polymorphs within fantasy fandoms and can be seen a lot throughout furry fan fiction and furry culture in general. So, in short, shapeshifting is actually just a form of furry transformation. However, when the word “shapeshifting” or “transformation” is used in the context of the furry fandom it usually refers to a person turning into an animal or an animal turning into a person, as opposed to an animal turning into another animal like Druids from fantasy fandoms.
More Furry Transformation Art
Image via Furry Amino
Where Can I Find Furry Transformation Art?
We’ll admit furry transformation art is pretty niche so you might have a fairly difficult time finding some but there are definitely a few places you should look whether you are just browsing for fun or you need some inspiration.
Furaffinity
If you are looking for any sort of furry art regardless of how niche it may be Furaffinity should pretty much be your go-to every time. It is and has been the hub of all furry art for several years now and it doesn’t look like this is set to change. So, if you’re interested in finding furry transformation art, or any furry art for that matter you should definitely check out Furaffinity.
SoFurry
This is another super popular site for furries looking to publish their artwork. Albeit it is nowhere near as popular as Furaffinity but it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re struggling to find the art you’re looking for.
How Do I Commission Furry Transformation Art?
If you’ve checked out some furry transformation art and are interested in getting your very own piece commissioned then it’s worth mentioning a few things. For one, you’re going to struggle to find artists advertising “furry transformation commissioning” as it’s such a specific type of art that it’s not even worth advertising. So, when looking to commission art like this, it’s more than likely you’d have to double-check with the artist first if they are even able to pull something like that off. Lucky for you, the furry community, for the most part, is really friendly and with the right artist, they’d be more than happy to help you bring your artistic vision to life. In fact, if you put in a request for a reference sheet with us and specify that you’d like furry transformation art, our artists would be more than happy to help.
