Say Yes- Gator Game Done!

I am just flying through these paintings. They are coming out faster, and better, by far, than I was expecting. Here's the latest painting, the Gator Game:

I think I am finally overcoming my fear of painting animals. Part of it was a bias, I didn't want to "get stuck drawing cute puppies all day" so I avoided them completely. The other part is that, never having had a pet, I am pretty unfamiliar with the physical makeup of most animals, and have to find a lot of reference photos even to draw a cat. And I don't see what the big fuss is about, wouldn't humans rather look at other humans? I know I would. And then the final part of it was that fur baffled me; for quite a while, I would only draw reptiles.
Finally I am starting to come around to the idea that animals can make a really cute story, and just because you draw one doesn't mean you are stuck drawing them forever. You also don't have to make them cute and cartoony, they could be realistic, they could be scary, they could be distorted- you can do anything with them that you can do with a human.
And I think I'm finally getting the hang of drawing fur.