The second week of October! You know what that means? Okay, it does mean more cool furry art, but it also means we’re halfway to Halloween – the spookiest time of the year. But, is it also the most magical? I mean sure there’s that one holiday in December, but…

There were some pretty nice picks this week, and I think this first one will really give you an eyeful! So let’s get going with the #7 spot:

7. The Many Eyes

It just happens by some coincidence that there’s another pic that’s sporting a lot of eyes for this week – as last week Natalie de Corsair’s multi-eyed fellow took the #1 spot. Unlike Natalie’s piece, this one’s a little less creepy than the hypnotic fellow from last week. I think they’re actually kinda cute!

What gets my attention, other than the multi-eye mayhem, are the colors. A nice use of varying shades of purple, and some nice glowing effects as well. The red collar with the golden trim really accents everything too, and I really like those multicolored ribbons underneath the bust.

6. She Hunts at Midnight

Well would you look at that – we’ve got more purples and blues to play with for our next pick! Except this one is a little more on the cool and dark side – color-wise, I mean. Elvofiridia presents us with a commission that really captures the feel of a cool summer’s night in the forest, but there’s something about it that gives off a sort of supernatural or ethereal tone. Perhaps it’s the character’s outfit, or the markings on her fur, or those small little glowing orbs?

Don’t get too lulled in by the cool of the night, though. You might be her next prey!

5. Varying Stages

Coming in at #5 is this alluring creature by Lushminda that’s honestly giving me a bit of trouble as far as figuring out what they are is concerned. I mean, obviously she’s some sort of cervine, but what exactly? A goat? Maybe it’s a hybrid, but in the world of fantasy, anything goes y’know!

I really like the design of this, though. It’s got a very JRPG mood I feel. You’ve got that black and red background, two sets of horns, angel wings, and that metallic crown and halo. It’s got a bit of style to it, nice use of lighting, and the dark background against the white character makes for a striking contrast.

4. What Are These For?

Kyander comes in at #4 to give us a bit of comic-relief with this raptor-looking fellow checking out a curious device that might seem familiar to us human mortals. Which brings up a good question – how do anthros wear shoes and things of that manner? I struggle with this a lot as a furry writer, so I often just leave it to the audience’s imagination! Hey, don’t give me that cop out look!

Anyways, Kyander gives us their usual flourish of lovely bright colors and neat designs. Even the shoes have their own colors. And the dumbfounded expression on the raptor really sells the whole thing and puts the icing on the cake.

But don’t get too confused – we’ve got the honorable mentions for the week coming right up!

Some pretty neat runner-ups this week! And now we have the top three, starting with:

3. Searching for Clues

Kicking off the top three is this piece by drawing_sofa that shows the one part of being an investigator that’s not the most dramatic: searching for clues and links to solve the crime. Okay, some media does show it, but I’d imagine they’d do a more dramatic and stylized version of that. Reminds me of what I heard about cop shows: they show everything except the dreaded paper work aspects.

I love all the little details of the piece too! You’ve got lots of papers, binders, and notes scattered everywhere, paper with writing here and there, and of course the good old board in the back with posted papers and lines trying to draw connections. Add a bit of a science fiction twist, and you’ve got a nice clue-finding scene.

2. New World

Coming in at number 2 is quite the contrast to number 3; at least as far as colors go.

Salanchu gives us this really cute red panda that bursts with adorable personality and color. And a good sense of fluff as well – which is always a plus in my book! The imagery and the artist’s caption also invokes the imagination – and what better way to do that than with a red panda rising up out of what looks like a portal that exudes multicolored mystical energies?

And now, for this week’s #1 pick:

1. Harp in the Spirit Forest

Newcomer Helavis Krew secures this week’s #1 spot with this nine-tailed fox playing a mystical harp out in a just-as-mystical forest. Which honestly could work for spooky month – sure it’s not horror, bloody, scary, and doesn’t have any monsters, but it’s mystical and alluring. After all, aren’t things like spirits and the mystical part of Halloween tradition?

I love how magical this forest looks. And the kitsune dressed more modern-like sitting in the middle of the forest playing the hard gives the piece a sort of otherworldly feel, as if you’ve stepped out of modern times and into a more magical time. A full moon, crawling vines, glowing flowers, and a nine-tailed fox all come together to really make this piece a mystical one. Congratulations and well done Helavis, your piece is the #1 pick for this week!

And that about brings it to a close yet again. Nice to see some magical art during the Halloween month that’s not all terror and scary. We gotta remember the magical side of things – hey Christmas can’t have all the magic!

But we’re only half done with Halloween’s month – let’s see what the rest of the month has in store for us!