# Scars on Characters?



## monochromatic-dragon (Dec 3, 2014)

What do you guys think of characters with scars? My fursona used to have a scar, but I kept forgetting to draw it so I removed it. It was a claw mark scar over her left eye. 

Since the scar was originally meant to be symbolic of a personal battle that I won, I am toying with the idea of adding it on again. But are scars too "cliche"? I know since its my character, I probably shouldn't give 2 shits whether it is or not. Maybe there is a better place to put the scar rather than over the eye, such as on the cheek.


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## Fallowfox (Dec 3, 2014)

I regard them as special snow flake symbols. I don't care whether character x is oh-so special because it is disfigured, has heterochromic eyes, or has an umbrella for a tail.


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## Bonobosoph (Dec 3, 2014)

As long as you don't it Scar. 
Everytime I watch a wildlife documentary, any animal with a scar is always called Scar or Scarface.


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## monochromatic-dragon (Dec 3, 2014)

Scars on the face are a very dominating trait. Maybe I should re-think this a little. 
And lol, an umbrella for a tail sounds very amusing


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## Fallowfox (Dec 3, 2014)

monochromatic-dragon said:


> Scars on the face are a very dominating trait. Maybe I should re-think this a little.
> And lol, an umbrella for a tail sounds very amusing



The umbrella opens when the character has an orgasm.


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## GarthTheWereWolf (Dec 3, 2014)

Scars are never done right. Real life scars are almost always quite ugly looking, but on characters its always just some fashionable slash mark. Its really lame in my opinion. I'm with Fallow on this one. Special snowflake for sure.


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## SkyboundTerror (Dec 3, 2014)

So according what peole are saying here, if the scar is done right, it's a good thing. With that in mind, I say go for it, but avoid face scars. They are cliched as hell unless you have a solid explanation for the disfigurement. You mentioned a personal battle, but why place the scar on the face? Are you reminded of your battle every day when you look in the mirror, or is the scar in plain sight because it looks "cool"?

Consider the symbolism behind the scar and place it where it matters. 

My character has a scar, but only because I have a scar myself. I'm boring like that.


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## Roose Hurro (Dec 3, 2014)

monochromatic-dragon said:


> I know since its my character, I probably shouldn't give 2 shits whether it is or not.



This.


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## Ayattar (Dec 3, 2014)

SkyboundTerror said:


> They are cliched as hell unless you have a solid explanation for the disfigurement.



I felt down from the stars when I was 5 and covered five steps in my blood. Then I waited two hours for a doctor to come and sew it up because there was a car crash and all doctors were busy like hell. Now I have a scar on the middle of my forehead that's deforming my forehead wrinkles. Also my forehead is thicker in that exact spot, so it doesn't hurt when I'm wreaking havoc by ramming everything in my eyesight (I guess I should make a ram fursona hue hue hue).
Oh, there is also that cool scar over my left eye that I got from my cousin. Thank you for hitting me with a motherfucking steel scoop bro. RISPEKT NEVA FORGIB.

Is it a good explanation or am I a cliche special snowflake lemming? :S


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## SkyboundTerror (Dec 3, 2014)

Dunno. Do you feel special? lol


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## Ayattar (Dec 3, 2014)

What kind of question is that!?
Of course yes.
I'm the first (and last) slavic ubermensch on this planet. By the power of Jan PaweÅ‚ II begone, infidel.


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## Sarcastic Coffeecup (Dec 3, 2014)

Idk, mine has a small scar/mark under his right eye and I don't feel like a snowflake.
At least there's a reason my 'sona has that, which isn't "I fought this giant monster trying to rape me and lost half my face and my anal virginity".
It's there because my character tried to regain much needed stability in his life.


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## Shadow Jaeger (Dec 3, 2014)

admitted my fursona has a lot of scars around his chest and all around the socket of his right arm (came flying off in one of his fights, got it repaired). I use scarring as a way of leaving a memory in my fursona's life. I plan to have these little scars because they always tell a story on what's happened to him, I agree scars look ugly and are stupid aesthetically but when they are being used right and not going over board with them, I think the scars are pretty cool.


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## NukeTheCat (Dec 13, 2014)

My fursona has a scar on his chest, only because I had one. Even when my scar healed, it kinda stuck on my character.

I think the placement of the scars are too clichÃ©. It's either on the back, shoulders, or chest. 
I never see a character with a butt scar... I WANT TO SEE A CHARACTER WITH A BUTT SCAR!!


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## Gnarl (Dec 13, 2014)

Since my fursona is a part of me the only marks he has, I also have. the notch in his ear is because of the loss of hearing I suffered and the surgery scar so that I would be able to hear again. 
the cane is the result of my spinal injury. The bifocals, well I wear bifocals! I did not give him half of the scars I have because frankly, they can not be seen, unless you peek while I am in the shower (shame on you!). These are the remains of the memories, the regrets of youth or the badges of experience. We live, we suffer, we smile and laugh. Mostly, we continue and if we are very, very lucky we grow old and have many stories to tell.


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## Chuchi (Dec 13, 2014)

Personally, I think if the scars have meaning, they're not cliche. But if it's supposed to make you look more badass, unless you have similar corresponding in real life, it seems kinda dumb. But that's just my opinion and it shouldn't carry any weight.
I have tons of scars in real life but none that show up on my character. Kind of relevant, my old 'sona didn't have scars but she was missing half her tail, so she had a sort of stubtail. It was part of her story and I kept it on because I like saying stubtail. 
It's really up to you whether or not you want your characters to have scars. As has been alluded to, fuck what anyone else thinks, so long as you're pleased with your own creation.


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## BadRoy (Dec 13, 2014)

I don't think a scar would be a bad idea as long as it looks natural/ realistic and isn't too huge.


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## DrDingo (Dec 13, 2014)

Gnarl said:


> Since my fursona is a part of me the only marks he has, I also have. the notch in his ear is because of the loss of hearing I suffered and the surgery scar so that I would be able to hear again.


Holy hell, I never realised your sona's ear had a chunk out of it!

See, recently I decided I'd look into tweaking my sona just a little. Mainly the ears, because I had never been clear on what colour his left ear is. In some illustrations it's black, but in others it's tan or dark tan. One of the things I was considering was having a rip or a burn mark on it. To compliment the character. Y'know.


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## Croconaw (Dec 13, 2014)

The back stories people make for them are exceptionally lame. Scars, in the furry fandom, falls in line with "runic markings", wings, and devil horns that I see way too much of in this fandom.



This ranks #2 in the things I hate about furry character design, right behind the eyesore that is furry character coloring.


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## Pantheros (Dec 13, 2014)

my sona has no scars whatsoever, even know he's been in more fire fights and knife/machete duels than he can remember. Don't get me wrong, i don't disaprove of scars. My character in partucalar has the luck and skill required to keep his body scar free. i kinda like seeing scars on other characters though, considering they fit that characters personality and profesion. Not like random sword scars on a scientist or bussiness man character. 
I agree people should do their research on what REAL scars look like and which accident creates a certain scar before slapping it on their character. It would be way cooler and more interesting for a solder character to have an actual schrapnel scar or burn mark from an overheated gun rather then a random slash over his eye.


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## Maugryph (Dec 13, 2014)

Characters that have a big scar going from the top of the eyebrow to the cheeks, yet the eye is perfect and is not damaged. I find that so lame. it is such an anime cliche.


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## BadRoy (Dec 13, 2014)

Croconaw said:


> Scars, in the furry fandom, falls in line with "runic markings", wings, and devil horns that I see way too much of in this fandom.


What no love for characters with Japanese names despite the fact that they aren't even from Japan?


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## Hewge (Dec 13, 2014)

Personally I don't really care about back stories. I want a character to have *X* thing? Then they are going to have* X* thing!

Fk what other people think. It's your character, so you make them how you please.


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## ArmorcladCoyote (Dec 14, 2014)

I believe that you are free to design your character however you want. However I also feel others are allowed to form whatever opinion they want about it. (Although if you dislike a design be nice about it.)

I think my fursona may fall in with the scarred group. He has a couple of freeze brands (yay something even more special snowflake :V) which I added as a result of me nearly freeze branding myself by accident at work a few years ago.


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## Volkodav (Dec 14, 2014)

I have a few with scars, but here's the only scarred character that ive got an updated ref sheet for: 
http://www.nabyn.com/_p/2014/7/2/Clayton-95156-35854.png


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## Nataku (Dec 14, 2014)

I used to draw my sona with my scars. Because I have some pretty obvious facial scars (other places too, but hey, I wear clothes so you aren't seeing 'em). 
  Here's one of those old pieces of art that demonstrate it pretty well. Dragon and human, same facial scars. God this art is so old and horrible ugh. 
But over time, I kind of liked drawing them less and less. Afterall, they are scars from an abusive childhood. Do I really like to think about that every time I go to draw my 'sona? The answer is no, no I don't. That was a long time ago, and while I'll never forget, I don't need to sit there mulling over those bad memories every time I look at art of my 'sona because of the scars. Art is supposed to make me happy, not go, "Yeah I remember that feeling of getting my face sliced open when I got that mark." 
So I don't draw the scars anymore.
I use the excuse that dragons shed their scales, so the damage isn't visible anymore because new scales have grown over the damaged areas.


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