Part two of the Ivypool's Heart cats: All of the wildcats! Spoilers under the cut.
OKAY SO I thought I would have a harder time trying to make SIXTEEN tabby wildcat designs, having never drawn a design for this type of wildcat ever before, but I actually had fun with it. Had to do a couple practice sketches in my notebook to get the overall shape and feel down, but I think they came out alright. I found that image at the very end on a TikTok of someone talking about the European Wildcat (assumed to be the ones in the books), and I thought I'd put it here since it was a big help to me for designing these guys. If you look you'll notice that some of the wildcats look less like the 'pure' European wildcat; Strike Slash with his white underside, Purr Roll's bouncy fur, and some look more; Bound Hunt and Leap Growl. The thought process here was that over time with Galestar's line and other hybridizations the wildcats would become more hybridized, slowly drifting away from the 'pure' European wildcat. Bound Hunt is, in this respect, an example of what a completely non-hybridized wildcat would look like, and follows much of the image from that TikTok.
ANYWAYS, to start we have Tumble Leap and Stalk Purr, the first two wildcats the traveling cats meet, and their three kits Pounce Whisper, Stretch Blink, and Hunt Leap. Then is Bound Hunt, Galestar's second mate. And after is Strike Slash and Wish Stalk, who are also mates, and Claw Stretch and her daughter Hop Scratch. Then the elders Prowl Sleek, Hunt Growl, and Spring Claw. And finally the spirit guides of Whisper Claw for Pounce Whisper, Leap Growl for Tumble Leap, and Purr Roll for Stalk Purr.
