Fur Color

[Ochiba]

Well it would be standing wierd maybe like a regular 2 legged were, and less fur. I fail to see where fur color comes into this?

[mielikkishunt]

well being werewolf should mean they age much slower then real humans. When in wolf form they may just have different fur color and maybe not able to physically do all the jumps,run, fight, kill etc like they use to. Older real wolves don't get wrinkles. They should still be able to shift as long as they have enough energy to.

Also with humans we can look at someone and can usually guess their age range. When we look at a werewolf in wolf form we should have a quality or feature that can help us guess their age range.

Since wolves age a lot faster than humans, I've always wondered why weres 'age slower'.

Anyway, having 2 10 yr old dogs here, their skin is looser, not baggy like humans, but not as tight as it was when they were younger. They've also greyed out through the muzzles(Hey, you hairy men, does your chest hair gray out when your head does?)

To show dogs age:
teeth
topline(Older they are, saggier their topline is)
face
eyes(get rhuemy(sp) as they get older)

[Figarou]

(Hey, you hairy men, does your chest hair gray out when your head does?)

*looks at own chest and finds one grey hair*

*pluck* OW!!

I'm getting old.

[Set]

I know fur color has been dicussed already, but there's something I just thought of that I wanted your opinions on. Most of us agreed that a werewolf would have fur the same color as the human's natural hair. What I want to know is do you think the gestalt and wolf form's fur color would change if the human's natural hair color changed. I used to have jet black hair with white tips when I was born. Then it changed to black, and now it's a dark red brown that has blue highlights like raven feathers, is black when wet, and looks purple in certain artificial lights. So you can see why I'm curious. Would I be a purple werewolf?

[Lupin]

I could see the fur color changing as the human hair color changes, since they're based on the same things.

Would I be a purple werewolf?

[Kzinistzerg]

not the way i'm a purple weretiger...

ii understand what you mean; my hair used to b a lighter brown bt now it's daker and has red higlights- and if you wet it and hold i under a light it turns blood red. i think it would have the same qualities but have the same fur color as your current hair color is.

[Anubis]

i think its the other way around that the werewolf's hair (human) would be based on wolf forms, brown fur= brown hair grey, fur=grey hair and if some one becomes a werewolf thier hair changes to suit the wolf forms. fur color depends from the werewolf that has "bitten" them.

[Fenrir]

i think its the other way around that the werewolf's hair (human) would be based on wolf forms, brown fur= brown hair grey, fur=grey hair and if some one becomes a werewolf thier hair changes to suit the wolf forms. fur color depends from the werewolf that has "bitten" them.

So blue hair= Blue fur?

[Anubis]

i think its the other way around that the werewolf's hair (human) would be based on wolf forms, brown fur= brown hair grey, fur=grey hair and if some one becomes a werewolf thier hair changes to suit the wolf forms. fur color depends from the werewolf that has "bitten" them.

So blue hair= Blue fur?

if its natural, yes but its not likely

[Figarou]

I know fur color has been dicussed already, but there's something I just thought of that I wanted your opinions on. Most of us agreed that a werewolf would have fur the same color as the human's natural hair. What I want to know is do you think the gestalt and wolf form's fur color would change if the human's natural hair color changed. I used to have jet black hair with white tips when I was born. Then it changed to black, and now it's a dark red brown that has blue highlights like raven feathers, is black when wet, and looks purple in certain artificial lights. So you can see why I'm curious. Would I be a purple werewolf?

sure, I don't see why not. When humans get older, the hair starts to turn gray.

I remember talking about that in another thread.

[Jamie]

The way I imagine werewolves, I would tend to think that a human hair color change, especially if it were artificial instead of natural, would not carry over to the wolf form.

However, I am not a fan of the idea that the human's hair color would determine the wolf's fur color. There are several reasons why I'm not a fan of this:

(1) For plot purposes, it can give away the identity of a werewolf too easily (hunting a red-furred werewolf? Just look around you for the character with red hair).

(2) If we have werewolves of any race other than white, all of them would have black fur as wolves (at least until they became old, when they might become gray wolves or white wolves, depending on how things worked).

(3) The most common fur color in wolves is some variety of gray, but there would be practically no gray werewolves, except for old ones. Also, I think white wolves are really pretty, and once again, we couldn't have white wolves, at least not young ones. They gray/white problem might be reduced by having at least some young werewolves have gray or white hair in human form, but I don't like that either, because for plot purposes, it makes it too obvious who the werewolves are, and gray or white hair often (but not always) looks bad on young people.

(4) If you look closely, most wolves have every possible hair color present in their fur, including stripes of more than one color on single hairs, even though they look overall gray, brown, or whatever from a distance. This means that the wolf form would have to carry the potential for many hair colors, and thus it makes the human hair color seem less important to me.

[Terastas]

Would I be a purple werewolf?

Under certain artificial lights, yes.

We've already seen pictures of blonde wolves and red-furred wolves on this forum, so I think it'd be safe to say that, so long as the change was not artificial, the wolf's fur would be similar if not identical to that of the human.

EDIT: Just remembered a case example of how wolves often have mid-life color changes too, so you're right: a werewolf's fur color would change in sync with their human form.

Case in point: Orca from Wolf Park.

Orca in 1998
1999
2000
2001

[Shadow Wulf]

yeah i have to agree with that idea, incase no one notice, when van helsing turned into the black werewolf, he originaly had dark brown hair.

[Alpha]

So blue hair= Blue fur?

Not necessarily so. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Talbain have white hair in his human form?

[Figarou]

So blue hair= Blue fur?

Not necessarily so. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Talbain have white hair in his human form?

I'm not sure why they picked blueish fur for Talbain. It makes me wonder.

[Lupin]

I'm not sure why they picked blueish fur for Talbain. It makes me wonder.

The same reason anime characters have green and purple hair.

[Figarou]

I'm not sure why they picked blueish fur for Talbain. It makes me wonder.

The same reason anime characters have green and purple hair.

ok, they like different colors.

[Trinity]

Where -is- the original fur-color topic? by the way?

Jamie has a good point and i'd like to add my own two cents.., but I know there is another fourm topic somewhere on this.

[Lupin]

Where -is- the original fur-color topic? by the way?

Jamie has a good point and i'd like to add my own two cents.., but I know there is another fourm topic somewhere on this.

It's currently on page two:
http://calypso-blue.com/werewolf/viewtopic.php?t=628

[Silverclaw]

I'd think that fur color would usualy be based on the persons hair color. But then again, I'd like to see multi-colored fur, not just one soild color shade. And it would be cool to see a white WW, or one with the different shades of silver and gray.

[Shadow Wulf]

it should also be based on the season sense wolves change thier fur in diffrerent season.

[Figarou]

(1) For plot purposes, it can give away the identity of a werewolf too easily (hunting a red-furred werewolf? Just look around you for the character with red hair).

Thats if the hunter knows a lot about werewolves to even think about looking for a person with red hair.

(2) If we have werewolves of any race other than white, all of them would have black fur as wolves (at least until they became old, when they might become gray wolves or white wolves, depending on how things worked).

Yes, black is a normal hair color for humans.

(3) The most common fur color in wolves is some variety of gray, but there would be practically no gray werewolves, except for old ones. Also, I think white wolves are really pretty, and once again, we couldn't have white wolves, at least not young ones. They gray/white problem might be reduced by having at least some young werewolves have gray or white hair in human form, but I don't like that either, because for plot purposes, it makes it too obvious who the werewolves are, and gray or white hair often (but not always) looks bad on young people.

You're right there. Gray means Old on a human.

(4) If you look closely, most wolves have every possible hair color present in their fur, including stripes of more than one color on single hairs, even though they look overall gray, brown, or whatever from a distance. This means that the wolf form would have to carry the potential for many hair colors, and thus it makes the human hair color seem less important to me.

Well, I don't mind seeing the different colors. I hope its not one solid color when they shift from human to wolf or gestalt

[Terastas]

I'd think that fur color would usualy be based on the persons hair color. But then again, I'd like to see multi-colored fur, not just one soild color shade. And it would be cool to see a white WW, or one with the different shades of silver and gray.

What might allow for this to happen is the fact that humans only have thick hair/fur in specific parts, whereas the rest of our bodies have sparse hairs or no hair at all. Any place where the human's hair is not prominent, like the back, haunches or most of the stomach, could therefore more closely reflect the more common wolf coloration.

Also, grey is most closely attributed to age in terms of humans, but it can also be attributed as a result of stress. Some Nam veterans, for example, had grey hair by the time they were thirty. Granted, a werewolf lifestyle might not be that stressful, but if there was a strong enough demand for a snow-white werewolf, it could easily be any of the more seasoned werewolves like Jack or Ray.

Also, being that blondes tend to have a finer quality to their hair, white could be the wolven equivalent of being blonde. If that's believable, you could therefore avoid having two yellowish werewolves and make either Max or Donna the white one.

Ultimately though, the only criteria, I think, would be that the human actor's hair at least reflect on the top of the werewolf's head. It wouldn't need to be identical; someone with black hair could be black or grey, someone with blonde hair could be blonde or white, and someone with grey hair could be black, grey or white (just no extreme transitions like black to white). As long as the top of their heads match, I don't think the audience will mind a little snow white around the face.

Last thing I would add: Pitch-black werewolves are cool sometimes, but for the sake of avoiding stereotypes, if there's only one pitch-black werewolf, don't make him/her the evil one.

[Jamie]

What might allow for this to happen is the fact that humans only have thick hair/fur in specific parts, whereas the rest of our bodies have sparse hairs or no hair at all. Any place where the human's hair is not prominent, like the back, haunches or most of the stomach, could therefore more closely reflect the more common wolf coloration.

I agree. This would be a good way to get around the problem. Also, humans often have different hair colors on different parts of their bodies. I've known a number of men who had beards that were either much darker or much redder in color (sometimes extremely so) than the hair on top of their heads. Also, pubic hair is often very dark brown or black regardless of the normal head hair color (except in redheads and the lightest blondes). Similarly, leg and arm hair color sometimes differs from the natural head hair color, generally by being darker. For example, my head hair is very light brown, light enough to be considered "dishwater blonde" by some people. On my legs, I have hairs of two different colors. From about the knee down, my leg hairs are very dark brown, nearly black. From the knee up, my leg hairs are shorter, finer and very light blonde, nearly white in color. On my face, I have many tiny, light-colored hairs that are invisible except from a few inches away. These appear to be a reddish blonde that is so light it is nearly white. My mom calls that stuff "peach fuzz." With all these colors on the same human, it would be easy to argue that werewolves already have the potential for a number of possible fur colors.

Also, being that blondes tend to have a finer quality to their hair, white could be the wolven equivalent of being blonde. If that's believable, you could therefore avoid having two yellowish werewolves and make either Max or Donna the white one.

I like this idea. Blonde humans would tend to be light-colored wolves, either white or yellowish. Cool.

Last thing I would add: Pitch-black werewolves are cool sometimes, but for the sake of avoiding stereotypes, if there's only one pitch-black werewolf, don't make him/her the evil one.

I agree. Too stereotypical, and thus boring.

[Celestialwolf]

This werewolf by Goldenwolf has a good fur color I think:

This is also the picture I would use to show the perfect werewolf. Great body structure all the way! Good work, Goldie!