cheers for the c&c guys

vladimirjp - yep it does looks quite cat-like from the front angles. I think its because of the foreshortening of the nose in the pics and the fact that it is the underlying skin layer, not the fur level that is currently showing. If you study bear and cat skulls then there are a lot of similarities, the only real difference (unless you're an expert and look at them all the time) is that the bear skull is more elongated on the snout and rear of the skull and the cheekbones are slightly narrower. Thanks for the input, it'll help

blomkaal - thats what I'm hoping (praying) for, cheers

kiveun - thats my problem, no hairless bear pics actually I have a few pics of polar bears in captivity (very reduced fur mass) and a couple that have just been swimming and they show the underlying shape off far better. Good point with the roundness of the head, it needs plenty more work