Modern Ambrose

Ambrose Maurlias, Modern Version

Full Name: Ambrose Vespasien Maurlias

Race: Human (werewolf/anthro wolf)
((see below))

Eye Color: Clear Blue

Hair: Styled and blonde.
On the long-side of acceptable

Height: 6'

Occupation: Student

Birthday: January 25, 1985

Setting: "Real" world

Significant Other: Angelina

(see image left, but for art purposes, unless she's dressed up like for a professional photograph, she usually dresses much punkier)

REFERENCE SHEET:

BACKGROUND:

This version of Ambrose, the "modern" Ambrose is in truth two different storylines, both of which are retellings/AU's of the original, swashbuckling Ambrose

Both versions deal with Ambrose as if he grew up in a well-to-do family in the modern day, went to high school and lived a relatively normal life, the basic unhappiness in not being able to express his true feelings because of strict adherence to the facade that he thought would make his parents happy aside. ... until something happens to invoke a transformation of the lupine variety in him. The backstory is pretty much a direct translation and closest approximation from the swashbuckling version into the modern day, and deals with elements vital to Ambrose's character to shape his same, basic personality. The other three vital elements (other than his basic personality) are (some initially-unwilling wolf transformation, fencing, and Angelina - are the characteristics for Ambrose to be Ambrose. If someone wants to write a new interpretation/storyline/etc - as long as it contains those elements - then all is good ^_~.

The two versions start with the same basic backstory up to High School, and from there branch off into two different modern storylines:

*Version One: High School Ambrose

Has Ambrose dealing with actual lycanthropy as a case of a family curse that skips generations, and lands on his shoulders during those vital personality-shaping years in High School, and various and sundry complications. The story, as written out in brevity, is here:

>>> Modern Ambrose Storyline #1: High School Ambrose - Click for the storyline. <<<

High School Angelina
Angelina is often drawn with this version of Ambrose. There is a webpage for Modern Angelina HERE. However, there are no images.

Reference Images
Auriana's "Photo" - is a great reference for Angelina's face and appearance, but not her normal clothing. This is her as if she were dressed up.
Paintpixel's Angelina - is also a fabulous ref- both of her general appearance (slight build) as well as her clothing
IoDM stage 2 - While the IoDM version Angelina (and thus normally wouldn't have animal-features) this is a great build/clothing ref

*Version Two: Island of Dr. Moreau

This version was spawned for an online Role-playing game in the Gaia forums for a shop/RP by the aforementioned name: Island of Dr. Moreau. Here, Ambrose continued with his 'normal' life up until after his freshman year of college, where, after having finally stood up to his parents and did what he wanted to do for college (and was cut off financially) realized that money didn't grow on trees. Responding to an add in the paper for $5000 for a two week medical study, Ambrose unwittingly became part of an experiment where himself and many other other unfortunate subjects had become part of a genetic experiment that slowly changed them permanently into anthropomorphic animals, and faced a lifetime imprisonment on the mad scientist's island.

Basic Backstory (Pre-Island)

Ambrose's Online Journal - very comprehensive!
*This is a still on-going RP, and Ambrose is currently 75% of the way through his transformation, facing the facts, and facing an Angelina recently brought to the Island, now trapped as well, and had to messily break things off with Emelyn.
            ~0% Official Picture
            ~25% Official Picture
           ~50% Official Picture
          ~ 75% Official Picture
          ~100% Official Picture

IoDM-Angelina
For couple art and forms they'd be in at a given time, Angelina arrives on the island (as a human) when Ambrose is 50% of the way through his transformation. She changes to 25% while he is at his 75% stage and remains that way until he is 100%.
SO:
Angelina as a human can be drawn with Ambrose as a human, 50%, or 75%.
Angelina at 25% can be drawn with 75% or 100%,
Angelina at any of the rest of her stages (50, 75, 100) would be with Ambrose at 100%.
Official Angelina 0% art - see also the above section (High-school Ambrose) for other human Angelina refs. The base char is the same.
Official Angelina 25% art - GREAT clothing reference for any version of Modern Angelina.
Official Angelina 50% art

APPEARANCE
This is the same for both versions :)

General Human Appearance/Attitude:

As a human, Ambrose is tall, thin, lithe, and attractive. He is very concerned with his outward appearance and style - and is hygienic to a fault, and tends to wear preppy clothing - along the likes of Abercrombie. His hair is styled and blonde - and about the maximum length that is still considered 'appropriate'. He values control, and by maintaining his outward appearance helps him maintain the facade of being in control of himself.
((His appearance is VERY similar to the swashbuckling-version Ambrose, shaving off a few years and with shorter hair.))

Lupine Appearance:

In wolf or hybrid form (or, when he is 100% transformed in the Moreau storyline), Ambrose has gray fur with a lighter underbelly, and streaks of darker gray and black through his fur, especially in areas on his face and along his back. Most of the grayish areas of his coat, most noticeably in the longer bristly fur of his hackles, have a lighter blondish undertone/undercoat (like the color of his hair) - especially noticeable in hybrid form, where he retains his human hair. Further physical aspects of note in hybrid include yellow wolf eyes, pads on his feet and hands, and digitigrade legs.

Regardless of version (either modern OR swashbuckler's) when Ambrose is in a full werewolfy look (or 100% IoDM) he has long, blonde hair.

Werewolf-version Ambrose:
can take on further mixed-forms other than just human, hybrid, and wolf (integrating lupine features into human form - like ears or a tail, or visa versa (a human voicebox in wolf form), etc. He also manifests a few tell-tale signs in his human form, such as eyebrows that grow together (that he has to pluck each morning), longer, sharper canines, and slight points to his ears. Also, his hair grows out long when he shifts to hybrid-form.

Transformation Description - I was really bored/inspired one day and decided to write up how I visualized the transformation process to occur - step by step. ((yes, I'm a bit of a TF nut, and overly verbose in the fact that I even wrote this.)) - if you are drawing a transformation, do not feel obligated in the least to follow this description verbatim- this is just one way I envisioned it :3

Moreau-Version Ambrose -
is slowly changing from human to hybrid-form wolf described above. There is no transforming back. The changes will happen in four spurts (after supplementary injections), resulting in a 25% change, 50%, 75%, and finally a last 100%. (SEE above links under the Moreau-Version description) However, during the process, Ambrose's hair grows out - eventually to long hair like the swashbuckling version when his transformation completes.

Wolf Photo References

These are examples I've collected from the web of wolf pelt colors that are similar to how I visualize his coat. These images tend to be THE best examples I have of coat color. I have yet to get a piece of artwork of Modern Ambrose that nails his coat color - as it unfortunately is a hard pattern to reproduce.

Sample 1 - howling Wonderful Real Wolf color reference!
**Sample 2 - Also a FANTASTIC color reference. This is probably the closest I've seen to the right colors PERIOD.**

ARTWORK

BEST REFERENCE ART
for IoDM Ambrose, see the "official" stage-by-stage art above

FEATURED ART

Full Modern Ambrose Artwork Collection Links

* MODERN AMBROSE Non-Contest Art Collection - NOW I have enough art to warrent a separate page :)

* And click HERE for the smaller contest I ran, but that entirely focuses on Ambrose and transformations ^_^
- it has a mix of Swashbuckling and Modern Ambrose art :) - Modern Ambrose entries posted on this page ^

* And click HERE for the contest entries for the ENORMOUS joint contest I just finished running with Kamiki
- it has a mix of Swashbuckling and Modern Ambrose art :) - Modern Ambrose entries posted on this page ^

* And click HERE for the entries from a MASSIVE contest focusing on the different versions of Ambrose & Sabin
- it has a mix of Swashbuckling and Modern Ambrose art :)

* And click HERE for all the entries to the Island of Dr. Moreau Art Contest
- It includes artwork of IoDM version Ambrose and Angelina, as well as all the other characters

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Need other good references for wolves for artwork? Check out these great reference sites:

http://www.lioncrusher.lunarpages.com/imagearchive/index.html