Hey, everyone! I’ve had one class and a meeting with my advisor, and I’m getting the sense that this semester will be fairly doable as long as I keep my head and keep plugging away. It’s only about eighteen weeks. That alternates between being reassuring and terrifying. Only eighteen weeks to get three thesis chapters, intro and conclusion done (plus revision)! Only eighteen weeks to get in my remaining two classes, write that extra essay, and learn to play the piano! Only eighteen weeks between me and all those post-graduation to-dos! Only eighteen weeks until this extended pursuit of a degree is complete!

So. Yes. That is the state of me, largely. Don’t expect much brilliance or discussion-provoking posts for… another eighteen weeks.

I do, however, have art queued up for the next eighteen weeks! Including some silly cat drawings I did as a reward for finishing the request event.

The inevitable Theo!Cat, who has the most unrealistic colors and pattern in the world but by now it’s a matter of this being the pattern he has whenever I turn him into an animal, nature or no nature. I did try to tabby it up a little. Ish.

Saul!Cat’s appearance is also pretty well established (as a British Shorthair mix, appropriately enough), because cat symbolism goes especially well with Saul (ironic, since he hates cats!). I tried a more classic tabby pattern on him, because I’ve been studying tabby patterns lately. They are fascinatin’.

What kind of cat is a Ritchie!Cat? I always have this problem with Ritchie and animal symbolism–he just doesn’t lend himself to it–but when Wiki told me that the Savannah Cat was the tallest domestic cat breed on record, that was not a hard choice. He, too, has semi-unrealistic coloration. I started with the intention of leucism but couldn’t resist adding spots, which spoils the effect (actual leucistic servals–savannah cats being part serval–don’t appear to have spots). So he’s just vaguely pale.

Does this… does this really require explanation? Oriental Shorthairs have weird faces and bat ears. The connection was fairly obvious. I had a hard time giving Cass!Cat suitably weird white-blue eyes, though, because a lot of my crucial markers are dying (resupplying my markers is on my long, long list of post-graduation goals, though it’s also dependent on acquiring the money).

EVEN THOUGH Simon does not have a smushed face, a Simon!Cat is very clearly a Persian to my mind. I may be doing Persians a disservice here; I’ve never actually met one and don’t know much about their temperaments. They just look Simon-y.

Linus is almost as hard to get a bead on, animal-wise, as Ritch. I settled for a probably-part-Oriental mix. The spots are because I felt like adding spots, and if I drew Linus!Cat again (not likely, he’s just not a cat person) I would probably omit them. I think.

Gosh, spots sure are fun.

And finally, of course, my own cats.