This is very interessant from Mr. Paul Smith, an ICE guy:

https://vimeo.com/79690635 [vimeo.com]

I´m thinking how to achieve this in Houdini fur, so anyone already try to do similar effect?

step by step,
he is using the color intensity on the texture to drive the length. thats how it looks he is creating the little valleys between patches.

not sure how is he doing the flow along the paint of the curves of the textures.

i believe this explains the vector flow thing…

take a look.

http://vimeo.com/36709750 [vimeo.com]

http://vimeo.com/36710386 [vimeo.com]

http://vimeo.com/37106788 [vimeo.com]

http://vimeo.com/37304814 [vimeo.com]

http://vimeo.com/49252607 [vimeo.com]