On a two legged werewolf. Plantigrade? or Digigrade stance.

downix · Post by **downix** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:30 pm

I still have my digitgrade leg extention design around here somewhere, if you guys would like to use it.

LoupGarou · Post by **LoupGarou** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:34 pm

upload it and let us see it.

downix · Post by **downix** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:53 pm

no problem, let me scan it in when I go to work tomorrow.

ChaosWolf · Post by **ChaosWolf** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 3:53 pm

I pick partial-digigrade, with the 'heel' about halfway between the flat-on-the-ground of human feet and 'jack-leg' (as my dad calls it) of canine feet. This retains the animalistic traits of the creature, yet still helps convey the sense that the hybrid form is a 'halfway' point of the transformation between human and wolf.

kita · Post by **kita** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:49 pm

id say full digigrade cause if its partial its not very noticeable and if there whole foot is on the ground it looks weird and it reminds me of paw slippers

ShadowFang · Post by **ShadowFang** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:44 am

It will be partial in the sense that the foot retains the same proportions of a wolf's foot while keeping the same thickness of a humans foot as well. However, the heel has to be in the air completely.

Figarou · Post by **Figarou** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:47 am

ShadowFang wrote:It will be partial in the sense that the foot retains the same proportions of a wolf's foot while keeping the same thickness of a humans foot as well. However, the heel has to be in the air completely.

Thats Mr digitigrade talkin'

Keaalu · Post by **Keaalu** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:29 pm

It will be partial in the sense that the foot retains the same proportions of a wolf's foot while keeping the same thickness of a humans foot as well. However, the heel has to be in the air completely.

...I read this more as "reminiscient of human foot walking on tiptoe" than "full wolfish foot+leg", since effectively that's what a digitigrade stance is, right?

I cannot really reconcile ditigrade feet with an upright posture.

- I find it's easier to envision a biped toe-walker if you simply imagine walking around on tiptoe - humans can carry that off fairly easily, after all. Agreed that it's harder to balance, but only because we've not evolved that way - we have to learn to walk, after all. So, I would have thought, would a werewolf.

The only problem I have with toe-walking is that I imagine you'd get cripplingly achey feet if the feet were TOO small and wolfish, particularly with the "younger" werewolves, and if the human form has less of the accelerated healing. *is thinking like you get with high-heels, here* Hobbling in to work the next day because you've been wandering around on your toes all night might make people suspicious.

Agreed that the feet must be digitigrade in at least SOME regard - it'd look odd with a fully plant-foot stance if the rest of the body was halfway between the human and the wolf, after all. (I personally prefer a straighter leg design, for a better balance and posture, but my thinking is the leg would evolve that way in a biped digitigrade species, to avoid excess strain on the muscles.)

....*will avoid lurking from now, maybe... ;)*

Drake Arrokh · Post by **Drake Arrokh** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 3:54 pm

I said full digitigrade because it's seems more practicle, and wolf-like.
Plus like Silverfang said:

Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D

I do this all the time and it feels great as long as your muscles hold out. Now that said, it's true that it can be hard on both the actors and the budget but if done well it'll add so much more to the movie

Well that's my 2-cents

Figarou · Post by **Figarou** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 7:27 pm

Drake Arrokh wrote:I said full digitigrade because it's seems more practicle, and wolf-like.
Plus like Silverfang said:
Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D
I do this all the time and it feels great as long as your muscles hold out. Now that said, it's true that it can be hard on both the actors and the budget but if done well it'll add so much more to the movie Well that's my 2-cents

Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I guess during evolution, animals found it quicker to run away from enemies by running on the toes. The predator caught on and did the same.

Vuldari · Post by **Vuldari** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 7:52 pm

Figarou wrote:
Drake Arrokh wrote:I said full digitigrade because it's seems more practicle, and wolf-like.
Plus like Silverfang said:
Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D
I do this all the time and it feels great as long as your muscles hold out. Now that said, it's true that it can be hard on both the actors and the budget but if done well it'll add so much more to the movie Well that's my 2-cents
Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I guess during evolution, animals found it quicker to run away from enemies by running on the toes. The predator caught on and did the same.

I try that when I'm jogging sometimes. I certainly adds some nice "spring" to my step, and I think it actually does help me run faster when I sprint. However, the muscles in my feet and legs are not strong enough to let me keep that up for long. The arch of my foot burns after only a short while.
Can't say I ever fell over though. I can keep my balance quite well like that , actually.

ShadowFang · Post by **ShadowFang** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:57 pm

Vuldari wrote:Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I try that when I'm jogging sometimes. I certainly adds some nice "spring" to my step, and I think it actually does help me run faster when I sprint. However, the muscles in my feet and legs are not strong enough to let me keep that up for long. The arch of my foot burns after only a short while.
Can't say I ever fell over though. I can keep my balance quite well like that , actually.

Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.

Figarou · Post by **Figarou** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:50 pm

ShadowFang wrote: Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.

heh, if everyone started doing this, we would evolve our own digitigrade legs. May take a few hundred years. But if we start now, the sooner we'll get them!!!

ShadowFang · Post by **ShadowFang** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 3:47 am

Figarou wrote:
ShadowFang wrote: Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.
heh, if everyone started doing this, we would evolve our own digitigrade legs. May take a few hundred years. But if we start now, the sooner we'll get them!!!

Nah, I think most of us will be dead in the next few hundread years. That and the fact that it takes thousands for evolution to occur. That should be enough time to adjust chairs, cars, bikes and horseback saddles to the new future digitigrade stance.

However, if you can't wait thousands of years, you can just get surgery done. I hear they can do that now. While you're at it, add a tail too!

Keaalu · Post by **Keaalu** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:56 pm

Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D

...watch any human runner NOT trying to do this, and you'll see that they naturally push off from their toes. ;) It's only the heel that makes the first strike on the ground, to absorb the impact, so a toe-walker werewolf shouldn't see too much difficulty adjusting...

Set · Post by **Set** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:50 pm

Partial, if done well, can be very cool looking. Problem is not may people could get it to look right. I can't for the life of me draw a partially digitigrade werewolf and have it look like I pictured. I tend to make the foot too long, or too short, or the heel is not far enough off the ground... It's not an easy thing to pull off.

I honestly would have to say then I'd prefer a fully digitigrade wolf. They just look strange with human feet. Werewolves should look like wolves.

I can't help but wonder though, could you actually train yourself to walk on four limbs as a human? I dream about that sometimes, it feels like the most natural thing. I know human legs are too long, and human arms to short, to do that without taking a good long while to adjust. I'll keep trying though. I have a feeling I'll get it right eventually. And yes I have too much time on my paws.

Scott Gardener · Post by **Scott Gardener** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:29 pm

I voted for full digitgrade. Though I generally picture werewolves being able to shift from plantigrade to digitigrade at will, I generally pictured a digitigrade stance when in mid-form. It's a personal preference, but appearantly I'm with the majority on it.

And yes, I'm guilty of wandering around in digitigrade stance; you do move more quickly. In fact, in college, I had a Tae Kwon Do instructor who insisted on that stance when sparring. No problem from my end. It makes one move about a lot faster. But, the human body isn't designed to bear weight for long lengths of time that way, so I still make it a point to walk like a normal person most of the time.

Bete · Post by **Bete** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:08 pm

I voted "Half digigrade" just to be halfway and to show "uniqueness."

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:21 pm

i say digigrade because its just looks cooler more, beast like and that makes it easier for a werewolf run on all fours if it needs to

Shadow Wulf · Post by **Shadow Wulf** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:56 pm

damn, tigerwolf is right i think i should have voted for half digigrade

Terastas · Post by **Terastas** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:45 pm

The thing about this particular topic is that it's possible for humans to be half digitgrade the way described. Just try walking around the house barefoot and wearing baggy pants and I'll bet you'll walk half digitgrade without even thinking about it.

So if humans can walk like that while standing upright and without a tail for balance, I imagine a werewolf could only benefit from a full digitgrade stance. Even if the werewolf foot was a blend of human and canine, the human portion of the brain would easier adapt to the canine than vice versa.

TrotFox · Post by **TrotFox** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 6:02 am

Have to go with full digi. I can and do walk around with my heels in the air if I'm going without shoes. It's more gentle on the joints and allows a smoother stride. Unforunately it looks a little odd though so I don't do it if there's people around as I'm somewhat self-concious.

Thing is, with full digigrade in a bipedal stance there would be less strain on the calf muscle due to the greater angle of the 'foot' bones (metatarsals). The closer to verticle they are the less energy is spent maintaining their angle. This is the main reason humans are plantigrade, they only need to use the leg muscles for ballance while allowing the bones to do all the supporting. A canine hind leg doesn't have much of the body to support and can make better use of the joints for speed and flexibility. Remember that in a quadrapedal stance some of the rear body weight is used to offset the weight of the head which effectively reduces the weight over the rear legs.

Or at least it does in my mind...

Trot, the theorising, fox...

Celestialwolf · Post by **Celestialwolf** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:39 pm

Definately digitigrade. That is the way real wolves walk; this will make werewolves more "realistic."

Kotig · Post by **Kotig** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:59 pm

Heh, I satnd, walk and run on my toes sometimes. I did it all the time when I was little, but I grew out of thinking I was an animal. But i do run faster and it really doesn't bother my feet at all.

Kzinistzerg · Post by **Kzinistzerg** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:29 pm

I definetly run faster that way, i've been doing it for a while., trying to talke lionger slower bounds helps too. it's while i hate running the mile in gym class- it's very good eexercise, but i'm wearing socks and shoes! my feet are too hot, they're uncomfortable, i can't run the way i usually do, andn it's harder to go for longer bounds while trying to run with feet impacting. also remember than anytime your heel impacts first, the chock goes stright up your leg and jarrs everything ,which gets owwie.

i have proof of this: 1: i raced my firend who is about a foot talle rthan me and in track running ''normally'' and we tied. i ran digitigrade one time and i htink i came out ahead, but we didn't have much room to accelerate. another time i tried ti while runnign the mile, 9longer bounds0 and came out about 15 or so seconds ahead of my previous time. it really really works.

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On a two legged werewolf. Plantigrade? or Digigrade stance.

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