Visualizing Redwall animals on two or four legs

[Krantor the Brutal]

Like snakes?

[The Skarzs]

It's interesting how our imaginations differ when it comes to just what level of human-ness the animals have.

Indeed.
I think of it as more of physically practical. Most animals would not be able to function if they were stood on two legs with the bone structures they have. Human bodies are the most adapted for vertical standing, mostly with the spine, so if an animal were to walk on two legs with much effectiveness they would have to have some human characteristics.

[MeadowR]

Yeah.

When it comes to the hares I tend to think of their long feet being flat on the ground rather than kind of tip-paw like some people tend to draw them. I just can't see how they could balance comfortably stood like that. The thought of those long feet on the floor seems clumsy, but they would just have to adapt by picking their paws off the ground more when they walk or so.

[Krantor the Brutal]

THE BADGER!

[The Skarzs]

You also see how fat, or wide-hipped they look like that.

[MeadowR]

How I tend to view a lot of the animals, trying to keep a bend in the legs more akin to the animal than to a human's, then it does mean they go wide at this hips (which is fine, okay D:, boohoo). But it is getting that tricky balance. Give a mouse that and then you're tempted to make them tip-paw, but they tend to be described as wearing sandals - at least those in Redwall - keeping their feet flat which might make it more awkward with the more animal-like bend. Or maybe it does work okay. And I just said flat-pawed would work for hares, so... I'm overthinking it. I'm not sure anymore...

I just looked at the UK cover of The Rogue Crew and an otter drawn wearing shorts looks pretty awkward, like the illustrator couldn't quite work out whether drawing the legs like that to enable shorts really worked or not.

[Ashleg]

Ah mean...



Because sandals.
You just need to throw their anatomy out the window and alter it to be more cartoony. Once done, it's not awkward for them to be flat-footed an' as you see, John here's not wide at the hips or anything.

Also, you can (gag) look at Zootopia or the Secret of NIMH (especially--because mice) and see how they drew the feet.

[Krantor the Brutal]

Weren't footwear dropped?

[Captain Wortshire]

Weren't footwear dropped?

Nope, some vermin wear boots.

Heck even Gurgan Spearback the hedgehog from Long Patrol wore boots

[Ashleg]

Even in the last book there is Log-a-Log Dandy Cloggs, named after his shoes.

[The Skarzs]

It's all in the way we visuallize it, I guess.

[MeadowR]

Yeah, but the Robin Hood characters are more humanised (and of course cartoony) in their bodies than I tend to picture the Redwall characters. I know flat-pawed can work in certain ways!

[Ashleg]

Better example for the mice.

[The Skarzs]

Ah.

[Krantor the Brutal]

Can't see it, Ash.