One of our many Artist Relations team activities is to swap galleries and learn about each others communities. I got partnered with ^cooley so I'm going to share with you the knowledge of Anthro. I'll also take this opportunity to talk about some of the Anthro comics and artwork and how they effect the Comics gallery.

What is anthropomorphic art?

an · thro · po · mor · phic Pronunciation Key - [an-thruh-puh-mawr-fik]
–adjective
1. ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, esp. to a deity.
2. resembling or made to resemble a human form: an anthropomorphic carving.
Also, an · thro · po · mor · phous.

[Origin: 1820–30; anthropo- + -morphic]
—Related forms
an · thro · po · mor · phi · cal · ly, an · thro · po · mor · phous · ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

What does this mean? It means that when your toilet paper sprouts legs and a face; runs around begging for mercy from your butt... then that toilet paper is now Anthro.
What does it not mean? It doesn't mean that when you put cat ears and a tail on an Anime character that it's Anthro. That is, and always will be, a typical Anime drawing. Your "fursona" characters that do not contain the above mentioned characteristics... they're just a cartoon/fantasy/whatever.


The Anthro community has a variety of sub communities within it, this is ^cooley's breakdown of that:

Anthro Artist
Anthro artists are anyone who draws anthropomorphic art. “Anthro” is defined as an animal, mineral or vegetation that has been given human characteristics, such as having an almost-human bone structure.

Furry/Avian/Scaly
“Furries” are people who have an affinity toward the anthro style of art. Furries identify themselves with a “fursona” – an anthro version of themselves. They are a fandom (like anime fans are “otaku”. There are many levels of the furry fandom: It extends from simply being an artist, to wearing “fur-suits,” and attending “fur-cons.” However, this is not limited to furries, it extends to scalies and avians - people who identify themselves with a winged or scaly anthro characters.

Therian
A “therian” is someone with an integral part of their being as that of an animal - be it their soul or some other aspect of who they are. One does not become a therian, they are born one.

Otherkin
“Otherkins” are similar to therians - but instead of an earthly animal - their soul is that of a fantastical animal. Otherkins include as elves, “fae” folk, and other mythological beings.

What about Anthro cartoon characters?

Cartoons use anthro characters quite often (Donald Duck, ect), it doesn't lessen the fact that they are cartoons. It however makes sense (audience wise) to put comic pages and strips into the comics and cartoons category, however if you just draw anthro cartoons, for the sake of it, using the anthro category would be your best audience grabbing choice.
It really depends on your target audience and what you are drawing.
Please be aware of and properly use the fan-art categories! I don't understand why people wont use them, it's petty sillyness or ignorance, I cant figure out which, but it needs to stop.

The Fantasy Problem

Yes, anthro character are sometimes fantasical, however that does not mean that Fantasy characters are anthro.
Unicorns, Gryphons, saitres, centaurs, fairies, elves, dragons, ents, and other fantasy characters are Fantasy and should be in the fantasy category. This is because they are mythical pre-existing creatures from myth and legend, rather than an animal taking on human qualities.
It is understood that there was a problem with the submission process redirecting into fantasy before, but that has been corrected, so please be sure to check where you are posting your work.
This is not only to keep the gallery clean but it's so that you are reaching your target viewing audience. It does you no good personally to post your work in a category where people aren't looking for your type of work. Your unicorn "fursona" is going to get the attention it deserves in Fantasy, not anthro.

Who are my Anthro Gallery Directors?

You actually have 2 Gallery Directors for Anthro and they are ^cooley and ^skifi.
If you have anything you need or have questions, drop them a line.

Other articles of Interest

What is Anthro - Skifi
What is Anthro (V2) - Cooley

Activities

#IamAnthro Chartoom
RP Day (saturdays)
Weekly Anthro Challenge (latest edition) *anthrochallenge

Devwatch ^cooley and ^skifi for more activities and updated weekly challenges.