Ho w to crea te an th re Cpomo oe ica nd. as al tos) ai? on™ oe‘Draw Furties: How to Create Anthropomorphic and Fantasy ‘Animals, Copyright © 2009 by Jared Hodges and Lindsay Cibos. ‘Manufactured in China. llrightsreserved, No part this book may ’be rexeduced in any frm or by any electonic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without pemission in vtng from the publisher except by a eviewer who may quote bref passages in a review, Published by IMPACT Books. an imprint of FsW ‘Mesa, nc. 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Oo. 45236. (800) 289-0963. ist Edition. = (Other ine IMPACT Books ae available from your local book: store, at supply store or online supplies. Visit our website at media wew.fwmedia.com. S21 10: 9a a 1 ee DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY FRASER DIRECT 100 Aimstiong Avenue Georgetown, ON, Canada L7G 354 Tek (905) 877-4411 = DISTRIBUTED IN THE U.K, AND EUROPE BY DAVID & CHARLES Brunel House, Newton Abbot; Devon, TOI? 4PU, England Tek: (+44) 1626 323200, ax: (+44) 1626 323319 malt: postmasterEdavidandchatles co.uk DISTRIBUTED IN AUSTRALIA BY CAPRICORN LINK PO. Box 704, 5. Windsor NSW, 2756 Austala Tek: (02) 4577-3555 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hodges, ard ‘Dra fures how to create anthropomorphic and fantasy animals / by Jared Hodges and Lindsay Ces, ~ Ist e. pcm Includes index ISBN 978-1-60061-417-0 (pbk = alk. paper) |. Fantasy inart 2. Anthwepemorphism in at 3. Drawing-Technique |. Cibes Lindsay. IT. Il Title: Howto create anthropomorphic and fantasy animals. NCB25.F25H64 2009 143.6-de22 7009019609 Ecited by Mary Burl Bostic Designed by Wendy Dunning and Doug Mayfield Production coordinated by Mathew Wagner ABOUT THE AUTHORS ~ Jated Hodges and Lindsay Cibos are an atistic duo spe- Be ciginfusttions al sequntl They ail creators of Peach Fuzz, a graphic novel series about named Peach and her young owner, Jaed and Lindsay! also written and ilustrated @ number of art howto guides including the book Digital Manga Workshop. They cutrentiy reside in sunny central Florida, Vist them on the Web at warm jaredanclindsay.com! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘We would lke to express our gratitude to: (Our family ane friends for their love and patience wile our ‘were (once again!) consumed with book deadlines, The fine people at FAW Media, including Pamela Wissman, for ~ entrusting the creation of this book to us; ur editor, Mary for her insight and help along the way: and Wendy Dunning ‘taking our words and art and nicely arranging them into the ‘you now holdin your hands (Miu, Kelly Hamilton, Rose Besch and Marie Blankenship for graciously allowing us to include a sampling oftheir work in gallery section, “The furry community for being an endless source of inspiration Charly the shih tau and the neighborhood stray cats for their modeling assistance withthe feline and canine character. ‘And, of course, you. the reader. Thank yout HOW WE WORK ‘Most ofthe images in the book were done with cither Jared or Lindsay as the sole artist ofthe image, handling everything from the initial sketch to finishing touches. However, sometimes we'll col laborate on a picture, brainstorming ideas for poses _| and scenes, or dividing the art duties. For example, Jared drew the cat pair on the ttle page, and Lindsey colored them.Introduction Furry Hybridization Artistic Style Human Anatomy Guests’ Gallery Authors’ Gallery Index 1: FELINES 12 2: CANINES 26 3: EQUINES 40 4: RODENTS 54 5: BIRDS 68 6: FURRY EXTRAS 82 T: COLOR, STEP BY STEP 90 8: PERSPECTIVE AND SETTINGS «0:A bipedal, humanoid figure with spit nto the room. A his fet rots a winged pig. cheerfully Noticing you, they gin and invite you to join them. Encountering such whimsical characters in reality is fur and a hedgehog snout somewhat unlikely (maybe when pigs ly!), but anthropomorphic ple everywhere. other ter for ath: animals abound in the imaginations of pe “The concept of furry characte pomorphic animals) is relatively nev it was popularized in the 1980s, But art and stories juntaposing humans and animals can be traced back thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians, for example, had animalistic deities such as Anubis, who had the head ofa jackal, Anthropomorphic kimano-clad foxes. dogs. cats and other animals werea recurring subjectin classic Japanese ukiyo-e artwork, Further historical examples of ant ppomorphic animals can be found in Native American mythology and works of literature like Aesop's fables, wherein talking ani took the roles of humar Anthropomorphic animals also permeate pop culture. isnt familiar with animal animation superstars ike Mickey b or Bugs Bunny? Walk down the breakfast aisle at your locals market, and youll encounter talking animal mascots adorn) cereal boxes. Animal characters also commonly serve as masc for spo Clearly, there's a public fascination with anthropomorphic, characters. Pethaps ths is because an animal component can personify strength, speed or ather characteristics, or imbue a char acter with a fantastical visual element. Or pethaps it's the concept of giving animal abilities to humanoid characters (and vice versa] that we find intiguing. Of course, there's also the appeal of inand of themselves, Whatever the case, fury art exists all around us, and, chances are, you have an interest in drawing it. Wee hereto help! Throughout this book, well take you through the steps of creat ing a wide varety of animal character, from stalking cats and sto galloping horses and soaring birds. After you've mastered the drawing aspect, we'll go over tips for coloring sms and in company logos. creations and, finally, show you how to create backgrounds for four char with. So, grab your art supplies andFurry Hybridization Anthropomorphic animals are the resulting hybrid from mixing human and animal qualities. (inthropomorphism ‘means attributing human characteristics to non-human things.) The level of anthropomorphism depends on the atist’s vision for her character. To putt in other terms, think of a scale with humans on. cone side and animals on the other. As you slide across the «ale, the character becomes either more human or more animal-ike. For example, when combining a human with a fox, you might choose to represent some ofthe fox's features, such as its pointy muzzle and bushy tail, on a human frame, resulting in 2 foxike human character. Or, instead, you might add human expressiveness (human facial features, body language and the ability to talk) to a fox’s body, resulting in a matkedly different humanlike fox character. Although both examples start with the same two basic ele: ments (a human and 2 fox), the characters are distinct. AAs you create your own anthropomorphic animals, consider the features you wish to emphasize. Ask yourself if you want more animal or human elements showing through in your characters, The possibilities are endless. MOVING ALONG Different animals have different gaits, and they all have special terms, Here's a brief overview of the ones you'll encounter throughout the book. Bipeds: Something that moves on two feet. Examples: humans and birds. Quadrupeds: Something that moves on four feet. Examples: cats, dogs and horses. Plantigrade: Walkingoon the sole ofthe foot. Examples: humans and bears, Digitigrade: Walking on toes. Examples: cats, dogs and birds. Unguligrade: Walking on hooves. Examples: horses and goats. Human This mar sly orange-red har migitremindus ofa fb fury coat bathe ist your erage hurnan male,APHASIZE UNIQUE TRAITS number of ways ta'tackle anthropomor- Itheips to think about what physical traits the creature carries that make it stand out. Anthropomorphic Fox nearhg clothes waking ander this anthro arguably human than fox His res ince his ears and digtigrade. Fantasy Fox His bodys undeniably oie, buts gat of eyebrows anda feble mouth ene tis oxo express emotions ina uniquely human way The eres yes grehima magical ura Fox Ths wears neutral eqression Theres nothiyghuman about hi but we werit hla that against im.Artistic Style Style is your individual approach to at, including the draw- ing and coloring techniques you use, and the elements you choose to express or emphasize in your work If you're just starting out, you may not have your own defined style yet. That's okay! Your style will develop naturally. Ais you practice drawing anthro characters, you'll discover the features you want to emphasize. Itcan be help- ful to look at other artists’ works for style ideas, but don't let that be your only source of inspiration, Work from real-life observation or photo references to learn the characteristics of your subject matter; this is essential to developing a unique style. Let's take a look at some common stylistic approaches to drawing anthro characters. These examples use an impala as the base subject matter, but the results differ based on the approach. Get to Know Your Subject Matter Stuy the characteristics ofthe animal you wil anthropomorphize. This impala reminiscent theft sepregardessofehle, How te roundcd andthe det ropa you dontinow wht an irglaloks capa of exressng a wise a red coatantowiteon—seenlage ard ischand whtemartogs bes aslenderbuldwth ingle Sdn the markings aRealistic Style Ths eal focuses on caput ruances ofthe antral tenes The fice ionneck, sy gs end fr ering ae proportionally faith the impals, While report torso andar is lower body cle fons gala anatomy Semi-Realstic Gye Inthis example, the features are somewhat reas bi cused mote on bg nheran axotes han accel portray an ipa Thcheads ger an heneck shorter tea furrart The cea thaugii ees eebrons and exe math alin fran ves sheness. The ears and oyes are enlarged. The halon thet ofisheadslonger and hed ke furan at Thelegs are inpal-noped atthe lower igisshorened ging tatel of ahumen ‘foot, albelt with a hoof,Because the human figure often provides the foundation in anthropomorphic at, it helps to have an understanding of human anatomy before jumping into drawing anthropomor- phic characters. Human bodies come in many shapes and sizes, but the following proportional details apply to al + The elbows align at about the waist + The wrists align with the groin area, + The hips mark the halfway point on the figure. Ready Set, Action! Artis use a tne ofacton an Imagary ine that draun rer tothe fare to estabish themain direction of acon, fehl or npr strong, namic poses The ne oF fon sometimes flows the characters spe, but not siays Think ofttmore asa force guiding the action of he character rather than part of the figure. ‘Staying in Proportion Inart body proportions are measured using «head to body ratio In ener sits are sbout 7 to Hsheads (S heads ftheyareexpectaly tal) teens are-6 10 6¥s heads chldren are 4-0 5, and babies are 3 heads tll ts worth nating tht the torso onthe ad ire about 3 heads tall Keep inmind that these are ust averages. Practice drawing basicshapes and sweeping nes Sketch Igy and uicky to create wing and organic looking Ines, Once you have cles and ovals down. try connecting shapes to create 3-D fo.Generally tal _— Nesk ethic, 7 Wide shoulders BF ninarow os \ / Sena anger Shoulders and hips are ‘about equal width, sgunge pronounced toro shape, Perglss shape. ems. hand fingers are reste ‘women tnd have ‘Men tent be more nore faton ther hoes, ‘musealar Capture ung them «softer te hard ede of he ‘shape. Recenuate male gure by using the roundness of thie Features singles with sueeping curves. ‘angular lines. Gender Differences in Animals o any animals alo display dferences between genders. Variations occur nse and color and the presence or ack. of hams, Raters anters or tusks For example, nmany brs. ke the cardinals hore the plage of he male (eta more vid colo ariel subjects and incorporate these det roy terefor gresterreaiom.a fPeee R. | From the anthropomorphized cats of cartoons tothe mostly human cat git (and boys) pervasive in anime, feline furries are as prevalent in ar and animation as real cats are in real life. Maybe their popularity i because oftheir generally friendly personalities ‘or their graceful physical traits such as their forward-looking faces and lage bright eyes. Whatever its, from feared and respected feral hunters to domestic purples. cats often enjoy a place on human pedestals, making them subjects of obsession or even ‘worship. With so much to admire about cats (musical meows, triangular ears rasping tongues, springing bodies) isit any wonder that artists enjoy mixing feline traits with our own hurma cuales? In thi chapter, well go over basics of fury “cat natomy, ranging fom the traits of small eats that itn your hands, to large cats that could easly it both your hands in their gaping mouths: Read alongand lean how to make your own cat tasic fury characters,The domestic cat comes in many types and colors, but the key fea tures that will help you transform. human face into an anthropo- ‘morphized feline face are the cat's glowing eyes, small balblike muzzle ‘and pointy ears, Emphasize these striking details as you draw your cat girs face EVETIP Cat eyes are large and built for nocturnal hunting Domestic cats have eyes that form into tight slits in bight light, but open wide ‘and round in dim light. Large cats’ pupils are abvays round Since your character is only part cat, you can use these eyes or standard human eyes. depending on which animal aspects you want to express inyour anthro. a 1 ‘Start With a Cirele Draw a circle, (Dor't go searching for 2 compass just yet—your circle doesr't have to be perfect.) Next, draw a vertical guide- line across the curvature ofthe circle to bisect the head. Then, draw a horizontal guideline across the face, The crosshairs show the direction the fac is aimed. Sketch the Ears, Eyes and Mouth Draw the eyes along the horizontal ‘guideline, Make sure they are centered Under the brow’s arches. Pull down a pair (of U-shaped lines from the base ofthe nose to create the mouth. Then, draw the cat's large triangular ers from the upper middle portion of the head. It helps to draw a guideline from the tip of the eas to align them. Form the Muzzle Draw a small line out from the cross hairs, then draw the cat's triangular nose at the end of this line, Draw a guideline down from the bottom ofthe nose and place the chin, Build the brew line by pulling a pair cof curved lines from the sides ofthe nose back into the face,Add Fur Patterns and Details Erase the guidelines and start drawing the facial detail. Add Hair and Color Give your character even more style by sketching in some Datken the lines around the eyes and mouth to help define those important areas. Next, draw in the fur pattems if desired. ince pattems can be complicated, use a cat photo for efeence, off {OU prefer, just make up our own unique pattern. Magical Kity! hair. Remember to structure the hair around the ears, otherwise itl make the ears look two-dimensional. Finally, color your character, Use photos or live cat models for reference. Stick with standard colors, or be creative, but remember, a green cat with blue hair might require some explanation DRAWING FELINE EYES Create the Basie Eye Shape Start with a circle, Draw a horizontal ine across the circle forthe eyelid. On the side of the eye closest to the nose, drawa line diagonally away from the circle to create the inner comer of the eyelid. Darken the portion af the circle below the eyelid to define the visible eyeball Draw the Iris and Pupil Join the inner comer ofthe eyelid to the eyeball witha line. Draw a circle for the ris. Normally cat's it fill the entire eye socket, but since this an anthro ct, you can incorporate human characteristics by showing some white sclera around the itis Draw the pupil slit or round) inthe center of the irs ‘Add Detail and Color Erase construction lines and add Getalis around the eve, even eyelashes if you lie, Then add color. Cats typically hhave blue, green or gold eyes, Cat eyes are also ver elective, so lt them shine!As you deaw your cat girl, keep in mind the slek looks. compactness ‘and amazing abilities ofa springy house eal, and adjust the basic ‘human anatomy accordingly. Since this cat gir és still an adolescent (nota kitten, but not quite a cat), she’s about 6 heads tal instead of the more adult 7 to 8 heads. ‘Sketch the Basie Body Shape Start with a curvaceous line of action (see page 10) to give the cat gia lot of spring. Next. draw the circle forthe characte’s head with accompanying crosshairs. Roughly following the line of action down from the head, draw inthe characters neck and three torso segments Drew 2 guideline down the middle of the body it’s helpful for symmetry) CLOTHING TIP 7 Unless you want your j character's clothes to be “fur tight.” draw them hanging slightly off the body. Don't forget to add some lines to | indicate wrinkles and folds, ‘especially around joints, ‘where fabric tends to bunch Draw the Limbs and Tail Draw the tall atthe base ofthe spine. Then draw the limbs out of the circular joints on the chest and pelvis. Because the cat gil is slighty turned, the joints Con her eft side are hidden from view. To approximate the position ofthese hidden joints, draw guidelines through the body. IFit helps you to visualize, draw the limb segments thatthe body overaps, and clean it up laterFELINE DEMONSTRATION (Clean Up the Figure and Draw the Face Following the body's contours, refine the lines. Erase construction lines as you go. Fillin the details that won't be covered by clothes, such asthe fingers. Since she will be wear- ing shoes, leave her fet as blocks. Next draw the face. To give hera devious sneer, drop her eyebrows and tighten her triangle mouth. Who knew she was a bad kitty? Draw the Hair and Clothes Finish drawing the hair and remaining facial details. Draw her clothing following the body lines established in step 3. For the shoes, follow the shape ofthe foot blocks, point the toes and add some heels, Color the Kitty Since you're creating a furry character, consider fu patterns and colors as wel as flesh. Ths cat's simple tabby pattem con: sts of three main color: orange-brov fur abit of white around the face and some dark stripes scattered across her peltFeline Features Now that you're on your way to drawing your own feline anthro characters, here are some tips and suggestions for customizing your drawings with different types of tals, paws and patterns. PAWS AND CLAWS Cat" Hand? Cats normally have four stubby fingers ‘estructre ofthese along with a thumb pad high up the a eee front paws and no thumb on their jetscuble dabei pode hind paws. How fr you tak the feline eae characteristics is up to you. ‘Tiger Stripes FUR MARKINGS Cats come in many patterns. Here are just a few of the dit ferent fur markings found on wild cats, For coloring, shade 1 the overall fur coat frst, then work in the markings over the top. Nature is rough around the edges, so unless you ‘want an intentionally simple ot cartoony look, stay away from perfect circles and straight-line stripes. Create-A-Pattern ‘You dont have to base your cha species. Get creative withthe coors. ‘tomate a-new breeds. Green a stripes and swirls? Go fortDRAWING CAT TAILS Drawing the tail i straightforward, though it can also be curved. It's all about the patteming, fluff and body language TAIL EMOTIONS You can show a lot about how your feline is feling through his tail, Here are a few examples to you started. A Lite Bit Shy Atslap ihe at means hes ina ood mood bt a hok atthe endauggectssome elute, Connecting the Tailto the Body Theta conrecs to thebndyrghtcbur here spine ends Atypical ctl cen anextatwenty vertebrae pos where the human spne-ends. 1 Draw a Simple Outine Sort ta has be shop, ng the al ‘he sucepand cana younart Pay ater Tontolength iso ong you can ainays snp of ait Me-cuct 2 Add Fur and Patterns rai ror short has (ependngon the ‘ype of cal) fou theta Cleanup the Ines ana ara the pattern on thal eop- anipatems inthis case) The tlic carved object, so bend the patterns around ‘etal Dont draw them a & \A \ Ready for a Fight Witch out Brite fur along wth a puted al mearsthat hel igrtened or ange Not in the Mood Phe violent thrashing histallbsck an fort, means heb iiteted.Action Poses Cats, with their natural flexibility, lend themselves well to action shots: It's easy to imagine them twisting and turning their limber bodies into dynamic feline-inspired poses. STALKING CAT Cats are a natural fit for acts of covert espionage. They move siealthily trough their surround: ings, and their whiskers help them read air currents and ensure that they never try to wedge their bodies in too tight a place. Create the Basie Pose Block in the basic shapes. Keep her body compressed and stealthy, but ready to-spring at a moment's notice. Curve the cat git’ tal forward so that she can balance. Establish the Body Lines and Clothing Details Draw the details ofthe body and face. Use the body as an undersructue forthe clothing, This kitty is wearing an armor padded catsuit, so the out should tightly Fither body contours (aside from folds around the oints). Keep the design interesting by adding occasional detail such as clothing seams. Add Color Think about colors that match the animals breed and, in this case, profes- sion, This stealthy cat gil doesnt want t ‘and out, 50 color her catsuit in neutral tones such as dark greens. Color sections of the armor with altemating tones of gray-white and blue-black to break up the ‘monachromatic green tones. Since this characteris a Russian blue, short and sess) hair and gray-blu fur fits her FelineCOUGAR ON THE BASKETBALL COURT Its not uncommon to see a cat casually jump six feet into h amazing kil, cats could easily outleap players in ny basketball league Create the Basie Pose This is a male cougar, so beef up his upper body. especially the arms, and slim down the hips. Big arms and a wide chest will make your character exude power. Use perspective and foreshort- ening to make the cougar spring out zt the viewer. To create this effect, drew a vanishing point atthe bottom ofthe image (see page 104). Draw guidelines down to the point to help align your character's body as it diminishes into the distance. air. Large cats, ike cougars, ean jump even higher, With FELINE DEMONSTRATION Add Details and Color Give your cougar a jesey to make him the basketball superstar he wants to be. Look for natural guidelines in ‘your picture as you draw his clothes. The line running down the sides ofthe jersey should also conform to the Perspective point established at the bottom ofthe image. ‘Then, add some color As you ‘work your way up the charac ter, use a heavy gradation from dark to light to give him more visual pop22 Only superficial structural differences separate cat breeds. You can transform an average house cat into a wild lynx or any other cat with small adjustments to proportion, pattern- ing and fur length. Big cats, such as lions, tigers and leopards. have many of the same features as their small cat cousins. They are stocky 1 Drawa Persian House Cat's Face ‘The Persian trademark features are faces and fuffy coats. Keep the nose feily close tothe crossing draw the eyes sly below the-erosshairs and spread the, mouth wide a 1 Make.a Snow Leopards Face Extend aguideine from the crosshairs topiace a heart-shaped nove, Then bul the big-cat muz around the nose. Draw the eyeine a quarter ofthe distance from the crosshsis. The space between the, eyes slgly witer than the muzzle. Draw the ears provortionaiely smaler than those of a house cat and thick muscled, their noses and muzzles are larger and their eyes are positioned higher up on their heads. Despite their larger size, big cats have eyes and ears that ate propor tionately smaller than domestic cats. Whichever type of cat you draw, consider which feline traits you want to express. 2 Substtute Long Hair for Long Fur ‘Snce Persians area inghar bre ong tnureustoct fhe rake agooisubse frteinefie 2 Use Thick Fur as Facial Hair ‘epithe thick muzzle furas an unkempt patch of ‘facial hair Simply soe out the fur surrounding the cats os. Considering the snov leopard cold habitat so wonder he lets hinse et bit shaggyCheetah—Bui or Speed 23Morphology There's more than one approach to drawing anthropomorphic cats. A popular variation is to draw a human character with large triangular cat ears. You dontt have to stop there. A tal a cat nose and slight facial markings are points of interest that make the character unique. Or you can go in the ‘opposite direction and draw a feline character that’s 90 percent eat and 0 percent hurean, That i. start with a cat body and add some human qualities, such as hair, clothing and facial expression. STRAY CAT BOY Draw a Quick Preliminary Sketch ‘Quick sketches help you visualize the image without struggling ‘over the details. Draw fast and keep your sketches small, Don't make the drawing much more developed than a stick figure. ‘When you find the sketch you like, use it as the basis for your character art Draw the Body Framework Or *, wth some definition to his frame Ww and angular. Don't overmuscle him ike @ cat man rather than a cat boy. Keep his nt evenly divided between his legs Finish the Drawing ee doesn't have to be a hard line distinguishing 2 from furon the eas. The cat ears can form on his head. A solemn expression and sparse g complete the stray cat look.FELINE DEMONSTRATION TOUGH AND TUMBLE FANTASY CAT ly " de / ¢ ee ow ‘Start With the Basie Shape Sketch a circle for the head with crosshairs to position the face and eyes, ‘Add two more circles to create the general shape ofthe body. Then, draw a guideline down the middle ofeach circle to align the upper and lower torso with the head. At Build the Body ‘Add legs, slighty ovelapping the feet foran extra sense of dimension. Then, draw long tube for the tail. Increase the sizeof the tail toward the tip so it looks like it's coming out at the viewer. ill out the face with the general shape ofthe eas, Develop the Details Pace the eves along the horizontal line on the face. To give your fantasy cat a devious look, siantthe eyes inward and drop the eyelids slighty. Even though the eyes a partially closed, it helps to draw the whole pupil to get the right shape. Use this point your fantasy cat looks a bit ke a snowman—that's okay! muzzle, brow and cheeks. sharp, angular pencil strokes for his fur and hair to give him a rough-around-the edges look. Draw the bandage with a sight are to match the curvature of his tail Refine and Add Color Erase the construction lines, and refine ary remaining rough lines fora clean look, Use the underlying body structure as a guide for drawing the shape ofthe cool leather jacket with fluffy furatound the neck. Add color to complete the picture,SRAPTER 2 Canines are one ofthe most popular animals depicted in furry art. They come in many forms, from the familiar domestic dog to feral foxes, wohes and more. Prominent the word over, members of the canine family fla variety of roles, including companion and protector, sly pest and respected adversary. These camivorous creatures of power and beauty range in shape and stature but re typically characterized by theirlong muzles, slim bodies, ferce fangs and bushy tails While thousands of years of selective breeding have given rise four hundred recognized dog breeds, it hasn't succeeded in producing a single bipedal, taking dog. Meanwhile, fury fanat- ies and anthro atists create these creatures all the time—on paper anyway. With over thirty canine species, it wouldn't be possible to ‘cover them all in a single chapter. Fortunately, no matter haw varied canines come, they ll share similar traits. By learning a handful of key features. you can recreate any type of canine as a furry. or even make your own inique hybrid, So, unleash the beast and let loose the hounds—i's doggy time.One thing that’s common among ‘most canines (ineluding wolves and foxes) fs along muzzle, Mas- tering the muzzle is fundamental for drawing eanine characters and provides a foundation for draw- ing other fury feathery and scaly characters as well Inthis demo, youl try your hand at a beagle puppy. Puppies have stubbier snouts than adult dogs. Keep the round and cute qualities of ‘a puppy in mind as you draw. edged hexagon or as but it’ help Draw a Circle and Start the Muzzle Sketch a cicle and place crosshairs forthe face. Daw a curved, downward sloping guideline out ofthe crosshairs and place a wide triangle nose atthe end oft from the ends ofthe nose pul two lines back to the circle to form the bridge ofthe nose. Adda line across the snout, sightly behind the nose tiangle. fora 3-D look, Indicate the front ofthe snout by drawing 2 guideline down from the center ofthe nose Draw the Eyes, Mouth and Ears Draw the eves centered beneath the brow, along the horizontal crosshai. Create the beagle’s upper lip with a W- shaped line. Give the upper lip abit of Detail the Drawing Draw the pupils, highlights and other un details to finish the eyes. Add eyelid folds above the eyes, then some eyebrows at the top ofthe brow line. Define the nose, drawing in a pair of nostis. Add mouth details, including fangs and a tongue. Finally, erase any guidelines and sketch the beagles fur patterns Add Hair and Color Give the character a spiky hairdo that ‘matches his playful “fursonality.” Remem: ber to draw hairon top ofthe head and behind the ears, As you color, emphasize the highlights on wet objects like the eyes, ‘nose and tongue to make them glisten, CANINE DEMONSTRATION DRAWING CANINE EYES ‘~ Create the Basie Eye Shape tart with a circle for the eyeball, Draw a urved line horizontally across the eye to reate the eyelid. Give the eyelid a broad upward sweep towards the nose, then let it gradually droop as it pus toward the outside ofthe face. Draw the iris and Pupil Draw @line to join the inside corner of the eyeball tothe eyelid, Drawa series of age circles, one inside the other, for the iris and pupil Dogs have lage pupil. so don't be afraid to let the pupil fila big chunk ofthe eyeball P e these circles Add Finishing Touches and Color Thicken the eyelid rim with a second. darker outline. Then, craw alin indicat- ing fold above the upper eyelid. After you finish adding small details like lashes, clean up your drawing, and erase any construction lines. Beagles typically have brown eves wit black eyelid rims. 6 |Canines communicate thei feelings through body language and facial expressions. The beagle ia friendly ‘and sociable breed: so give hima strong pose that expresses these personality traits. ‘Sketch inthe Basie Body Shape Start with a ine of action (seepage 10) toestablish the general positioning, nd ‘Eve your charactera confident, upright pose. Then, draw circle with crosshairs forthe head, Next, develop the trs0 shape. Try to kep the centerline ofthe figure aligned as you work down the body Develop the basic details of his head. including the muzzle, brow and ears. Draw the limbs. Overlapping arms are a bit tricky. Take it one step a atime: first draw his right arm hugging his torso, then his left arm (grabbing his other arm above the elbow) over the top. Then, draw his thin, upright, beagle talCANINE DEMONSTRATION i Define the Body Contours Clean up and define the characters body structure. Ifyou. intend to coverup your character with clothes, a in the next step. you don't need to detail the anatomy (as we did here with fur and claws). Beagle coats have several distinctly colored section. Lightly sketch the major fur pattem divisions before complicating the design with clothes and props Sketch the Clothes Sketch the character's clothes, stating with the most prominent articles. Draw the jacket, then the visible potions of his undershirt; then move on to the pants and shoes. As with the body, develop the clothes with a basic structure to make sure everything works before adding details. Erase the hidden body lines as you go. Add Details and Color Add a belt and a dog colar. Define the winklesin te clothes and draw structural details ike pants pockets and seam stitching Then, color. Use bright highlights onthe belt and collar buckle to bring out their metallic qualities. Use muted colors on his jacket pants and shir to draw attention to his colorful shoes and match ing collar. Or try your wn color combinationsCanine Features Tail, paw and teeth styles are the nitty-gritty details that, define anthro canines. Understanding how they work will take you a long way in creating believable dog, wolf and fox characters, Canine Longand Slender grounds. te grey rounds nd wget, have long senders thatrn out lng ofthe leg Notte mtr cane ort ot sith ed ofthe tl Short and Curly ‘Pugshave short tals hat look tke cnamon line pointing upvc (tal dont droop), (Cur the ine nto asia Flesh ct the mass ofthe tal incate er texdure wthhigagit CANINE TAILS come in a wide variety. including short and stumpy, curled and bushy, and long and whiplike. Wolves have a torpedo-shaped tail, bristling with fur buns. Sart atthe base ofthe spine and sketch ‘Bigand Busty ‘Rough colleshave extremelylonghair and bushy tat: But up ike a wo tal but wth more fur mass. Emphasize long-haired de tects qualities on your anthro character by sing cerafuronthe body. DRAWING A WOLF TAIL 1 Start With a Basic Line. 2 Sketch the Basic Shape. 3 Add Fur and Patterns Sicha ine out from the lower hack Sketchthe shape oF Drawthe fur andpater ‘oidefne the arc and dtecon ofthe Keep the tlt conical shape tall A wo tll messures about haf 77) tenessyntennesine ( make it puffiest towards the middle. thelengmnt sper boy ({ and gradual oper the tall atthe. in rind as you fuk lengthen the tl and change patiering you cantar the roa fot,PAWS AND CLAWS Like many animals, dogs walk digitigrade, bearing all ofthe ‘weight on their toes. Depict this feature in your upright- standing furries by drawing canine rear paws for the lower segment of the character's leg / LAA ee \Draw the Basic Shape and Toes 2Add Pads and Develop Shape — 3Add Claws and Color Steicha basic pentagonshepesforthe paw Thepadeprovdetraction and shock aemorp- Drawa claw'for each oe, Wththe exertion Pulatubeshepecutofthetop ofthe pawto ton Draw one padfor each to, acentralpad of Ovex cane. caws ae nowreraciatle, forthe canine bot Lite tandngon ppy- and one mort the end ofthe heel Each claw son thinner pat ofthe te thes thelengh ofthe actual otis sxeperded note the closeness ofthe two central clans. ; inthe i Tis section ends inthe hel and Fal color accontingto the dog breed ane bere continuing othe loner le yore draning, or ase yourmegation Add Dive the paw iro four even ices. To some testure tthe pads ove them a worn achion evenly spaced oes, start withthe wsalled-ypon oo ccenierine and werk out from there, SHOW OFF THOSE CANINES The term canines defines a principal feature among these animals, namely their large fangs. Inthe wild, animals use these fangs for grasping, puncturing and latching onto a meal. In your artwork, fangs can enhance every- thing from a character's cute smile toa ferocious snarl. ‘Scissor Bite Dogehave an average of forty-tno teeth, but no one expects you to drawallof them. This husky dog demonstrates how you can get ‘axay with drowingut a handful ofteeth and sill get the pont across. Note howthesteeth nteriack whenthe mouth is closed.Action Poses Think about the types of activities that dogs enjoy doing and find ways of humanizing them. WHIPPET PHOTOJOURNALIST CAPTURES THE SHOT Like a canine equivalent of the chee- ‘Sketch the Body Frame tah, sighthounds are streamlined a Block inthe basic shape ofthe Figure hunters specializing x sprinting Tyyto capture the whiopet’s physical and agility. Relying on visual acuity Jor high-speed tracking, these long- muzzled dogs have specialized eyes that give them a wide field of excel lent vision. This photojournalist uses her breed specific gifts to chase down the perfeet photo with ease. KA\ qualities in your drawing, such asa strong . chest cavity that tapers into a nartow waist and strong legs Use guidelines to help you block in the geometric shape of the camera Add Details and Color ork up the details of the Figure s). Complete the suitable fora alist. Add small strap, eating and Finally. clean up and your “on point” \Whippets come id patterns. Use a con her fet to suggestPUPPIES AT PLAY Puppies love to play. Hold out a toy or rope to a puppy, and iti teh on and tug. This activity lends ise well to the similar child's game of tug of war Block the Basie Shapes Build up the figures, taking care to depict them throwing their ‘weight into the game. Strengthen the poses with secondary actions, suchas fet digging into the ground, a head bowed in concentration and an open-mouthed yell. Use twe-point perspec tive (see pages 114-115) to align the puppies with each other and the rope Clean Up the Drawing and Add Color Erase the guidelines as you finalize the details. Then, add some color to the characters. In lieu of a fully realized background, render hint of environment around the characters feet. Give the ground volume by working in shadows and highlights. Use darker shadows where the characters are standing, CANINE DEMONSTRATION Fill in the Details Start drawing the hair, hands, feet and clothing on each of the characters. Tshirts and pants hang loosely on the body, so give the clothes volume and folds as they conform tothe figures. Then, illn the facial features. Use expressions that harmonize with the characters’ poses. Daw a par of uptumed eyebrows and an open mouth onthe middle pup to give him a ward look Drawa stick on the ground to indicate which side is winning.Canine Variations 4 4 Canines come in a lot of shapes and sizes. Muzzles can _species and breeds. Even two dogs of the same breed can be short or long, Body types range from tall and muscular look very iferent. Study and pull inspiration fram real-life to tiny and cute, Patterns and colors greatly differ between canines to add variation to your anthro characte. GRAY WOLF I Sketch the Basic Shape. ‘Sart with a crcle snd crosehair then pullout the muzzle. The wal? sharp features get an air of danger and majesty Keep this in mind a you draw the basic shape ofthe ears and eyes. Add some angular fur rufft onits cheeks—viewed from the front the wot's head {rninus the cars bots pyramid shaped 2 Add Details, Patterns and Mane. Fl he eyes wth age dart puso percng gaze ketch nthe furptern Use gles ee the designon bats ofthe Smetical Bald wher tickmetaered coat wth coarse mane Che colar gre nc 3 Add Hair and Color Hurarize.your antara wai with ahead of hair Shan lockse 2 standoffis look. Gray wolves be gray but their fur alco comes in white, red and black var ave almost no isle sclera suggest thisby ne area dartly coloredDALMATIAN tgs ira the crosshairs high le. As you bull up the muzale, ur draning with deta ke py alr ve eyes Clesn upthe construc en add some hatched lines to toad ming the spot into faralar e.ke-stars or hearts, fr a fi three times the diame 30-S1-Creatng bully cha rtsby enlarging and deforming the basic anatomy blocks, = A word ofcaution Drawng a mus deat require siishly dering each muscle. Dot *therechs temors or the exter abdorinal obliques go wvderrepresented in our ar. The goals crete aston looking character no an anatomy Yorkshire Terr Sze Comparison 37Morphology Anthropomorphic artis all about what animatspecific features you want to include, and the degree to which those Jeatures are expressed. HUMAN WITH CANINE FEATURES Humans with dog features but no muzzle lose a ot of what rakes them stand ou as ostensively canine. You can make a character look bestia! by placing nondescript canine Features. like fangs or @ bushy tail. on a human frame, but to give the character an even more canine look. sprinkle the Features ofa distinctive species or breed into the design. In the ease ofthis dog gir, blend in traits from the papillon dog breed, including large butterfly-like ears, a fluffy tail and patches of silky fur on the limbs. Sketch the Human Form Add the Canine Features Add Details and Color Sketch the head and line of action to Finalize the human facial features and Finish the drawing with tal fur and define the dog gis face and posture sketch large butterfly-wing eas. Blend the a simple swimsuit, Use colors to define Rough in her leaning body with basic ana- overall shape of the fringe regions such as the lower arms and le jomic shapes. Give the image depth and into hat, Add small fur covered. Fleck bright highlights ove dynamism by enlarging the legs and feet as the body sparing they come out toward the foreground and and esto. diminishing the arm placed father back without overwhelming behind the body snaking around to the line of action. D con the fet, but fur tone to make the fur shim: et Paint quick, loose strokes of color 0 plume the fur around the ears and tal pleting the papillon look Color in 2 = ground so your character can recline rails, Woof!FANTASY CANINE Acorgiis an exuberant litle dog with short legs and foxlike features. Try to capture his gleeful, loving personality in your drawing. A Pembroke Welsh corgi typiealy has a very short tail, but because this is a magica! fantasy dog (with wings!), you can make your corgi's tail as long or as short as you want. If floating wings aren’ your thing, you can always attack them to the shoulder blades or leave them out entirely Draw the Fur and Details ‘Start With the Basic Shape Draw a circle with a pair of crosshairs forthe head. Adda second, slightly larger Citce beneath that one forthe chest. Draw a third, smaller circle for the hindquarters The smaller inal circle helps give the ilu- sion that the corg’s body is receding as he walks towards you. Fiuff up your fantasy corgi with some fur. Refer to a Photo of a corgi for ideas. o invent your own fur pat: tems. A heart-shaped paw print on his side makes fora nice touch. Draw the rest ofthe corgi's details, inluding eyes, nose, teth, tongue and pas. Fill the free-loating wings with a fun, spiral-shaped design. | Var \ \\ Build the Body Extend the muzzle. A dog's ‘open mouth isa tricky shape, so use ‘uidelines to line up the upper and lowe jaws. Draw the general shape ofthe brow line, ears tal and wings. AAlited paw adds to the corg'splay- ful body language. To firmly plant the remaining three legs, sketch a rectangle the width and length ofthe dog, and draw each foot touching a Add Details and Color Erase the guidelines and clean up stray lines. Mate final adjustments, add extra detail tothe furand you'e done! Corgis come in fed, black and tan, and sable varieties, but yours can be any color ofthe rainbow. Go wild!iG tau Rep often associated with beauty (muscled build have literally hamessed thes doesn't change the sense of majesty we fee in thir p traits into a fant PEAGP TEER 23 Equines Lines, a family of grass-grazing herbivores, which include Ses, ponies, donkeys and zebras, athome herding across a ndering hls, vast plans and fertile lds through puted for spirited legwork and flamboyant posturing, horses in ticular are living symbols of speed, power and pride, Equine characteristics bit a docile demeanor and phy ful necks, long legs and immense, lustrous eyes). Throughout history, humans ation and locomotion, ‘Although most of us rarely encounter horses an ver. as Our everyday connections fade, these ordinary take on an air of nostalgic fantasy, like creatur In this chapter, you'l learn to combine human and equine inthropomorphic creature of your ow a pencil in your hand and tum the page. On the road ad lies 2 lesson in equine illustrationHorses. with their very inhuman facial anatomy—long snouts and curving necks—ean be tricky to convert into anthro characters. Its perfecly valid io draw a realistic horse head atop a human body However, the approack we recom- mend is to Soften the slope of the snout and exchange the neck of a horse witha more hurmanlike neck that sits beneath the head rather ‘than emerging from behind it. Try this anthro horse head. — While she's a palomino with spunky feminine features, the steps —__femain relatively the same jor all Draw the Head and Snout Structure Sketch a circle and curved guidelines. At the crosshairs, draw a guideline projet- ing straight out and a second one suaight down, Draw 2 third guideline oughty bisecting the other two to represent the center ofthe down-angled snout. Cap this lin to form an upside-down T shape, and pull the sides ofthe T back into the face, widening the snout unt it reaches the horizontal guideline. Shape the Face Pl the lines at the base ofthe snout up and apart. Continue the right line back into the hosizontal guideline to create the brow shape. Beneath the brow, form a large semicircle forthe jaw, connecting the brow and snout, From the crest of the brows, sketch two lines converging to fox 2 pentagon forthe forehead, Pull nes for the neck from the front and back ofthe circular portion ofthe head. ‘tthe base of the snout, draw a line down slightly past the ball of the face. Build up the font ofthe snout with a series of lines, making it lke @ rounded arrowhead, At the center ofthe buige. draw a curved line to start the lps. Sketch the chin slightly drooping before pulling it taut into the hanging guideline fom the beginning ofthis ste, Place the Facial Features Draw the eyes towards the font of the brow, along the horizontal guideline At the top ofthe head, behind the eyes, draw a pair of leaf shaped eas, and give them some depth, Add a par of nostis curved around the front of the snout. Draw the mouth abit farther down the length of the snout.EQUINE DEMONSTRATION Detail the Face Make a final pass over the face, detailing features and cleaning up unneces- 1 lines. Finish the eyes and add the eyebrows along the brow line. Draw a pat- tern (like this blaze pattern) to give the face additional structure and visual interes. Draw ridgelines on key areas across the face to solidify the facial structure. Draw the Hair and Add Color With a itle imagination, transform a horse's mane into a ‘ul human hairdo, Dont forget to draw the rest ofthe mane, running down the length ofthe neck. Piling inspiration from the palomino’ palette, color the horse with golden browns for the coat and shimmering yellows forthe mane. A pair of pinktinted spectacles and a litle temp-tattoo gives this mare a fun-loving look, And, yes, that is lipstick on a horse DRAWING EQUINE EYES Create the Basie Eye Shape Refine the Eye Start with the almond-shaped eyelids, Draw the wide semi-circular pupil Between the eyelids, draw a large circle in the center ofthe iis. Drawra second Drawn any desired eyelashes or details to for the ris. Horses have the largest eyes of line around the edge ofthe isto createa__finish the drawing. Palominos usually have y land mammal, Theis should fill the thin rim. Beneath the lower eyelid, draw 2 dark eyes. but why not break with conven- jority of the eye socket. broken ine, and then a second line under tion and go witha bight biue? Color the that, Draw afd line above the top eyelid eyelid a shade darker than the surourding and hook litle bulge a the comer where fur highlight onthe edge of the lower the top and bottom eyelids meet. eyelid makes the section look moist and helps the lid to appear over the eyeball Horse eyes ate very reflective. so add bright, Fighlights dancing across the ey.Full Body | ‘Caught in midstride, this plains: Shetch the Basie Body Shape welling mare bounds with the eer vith s double twist. This will help you pul the charac- 1d body indifferent directions. Avoid overwrenching the bend between j x sections. Horses have bulky heads that require strong necks. As you draw the 3s possible while thick enough to reasonably sustain the 7 head's weight. high-stepping energy and enthu- siasm that saddlebred horses are krioum fr. Follow along to discover the sieps to drawing billowing clothing dynamically rendered around a body in motion. by Draw the Limbs and Snout Clean Up the Body and Define the Develop the basic structure ofthe Face snout. Then draw the limbs, The horse git Draw the fae, detailing it tobe almost, is halting her forward momentum, so her finished. Forthe long braids of hair start | ‘weight ison heeft eg, whileher ight by drawing tlt ribbon that shows the sideis pivoting forward. Sketch the egs general sweep ofthe hai Erase the con “1 digitigrade style. Horses have knobby leg structions ins, leaving only slightly more joints; bring out this key feature than a sihoueteEQUINE DEMONSTRATION Sketch the Clothes Every bodily sway or bust of airtums the dress fabric into. wai of ripples and folds. To simplify the process, stat by drawing the section of fabric anchored tothe body. Then draw the twisting shape representing the open, loose end ofthe fabric. Connect the segments wth lines that run the enti length of the dress. Draw the Final Details ‘Work your way down the outfit, adding folds where arms bend, legs kick and the torso twists. Then, draw the details, such as stitching and beading inspired by Native American costumes, ‘Where the overlying fabric covers the body, erase the figure lines. Finally, draw interweaving strands of braided hai into the ribbon. placeholders Add Color Color the character with a wash of warm earth tones. Use complementary cool blues and purples in the shadows to create a strong color contrast between areas af light and shadow. Cola the front ofthe snout a lighter gray to denote thinning fur. Use several layered shades of color to crete stration pattems in the hoof fora lacquered toenail finish.Equine Features king equine features include luxurious manes, and hoofed feet. Before drawing, ask yourself end? What do horse hooves actually look re does the skeletal portion of the horse tail end jn? Understanding the characteristics of ute will help you inject more horsey-ness into your anthro characters, THE MANE ATTRACTION The horse's mane is @line of soft lustrous hair that streaks down from between the ears to the base ofthe neck. Hair from the mane les relatively flat (unless her stylist disagrees), and, depending con the type of horse, is either straight or wavy. Forelocks relockis.a section ofequne hat reser bing human bangs. Te lock fl forward from the op of the head directly henueen the ears insomeequines, the forelocks are short and sity while others have locke ofa that grow extremely long, covering much of the face the mane wi a human hi option involves dividing he two secon ‘one producing human ha and the cdffrenty styled or colored ‘The final option isto grab ar clippers and do anay with ne altogether: EQUINE TAILS Coarser and thicker than the mane hair, the horse's tail is a wonder of hair growth. Typicaly reaching down to the ankle, the hair can be cut or left to grow ‘out to magnificent lengths. Style is important. Con- sider braiding or sculpting the hair with designer cuts. 46a EQUINE LEGS Plantigrades (humans, bears) walk on the whole foot: digitigrades (canines, felines) walk on the tips of their toes. Although the equine leg is configured similarly to a digitigrade leg, equines belong toa third group known as Uunguligrade or “hoof walking & 88 8s All About the Hooves: The equine foot consists of one gant te partly encircled by athick protective toenal we cal ‘the hoot Horse hoowes come in avarety of coloes—white, back yellow or brown—and display _Sradations and exen vertical stripes. ts also common for the same horse'to have different Colored hooves Hooves have. frwar stant and ae longer inthe fron and inthe rear The back and bottom ofthe fects unprotected by the hoot ‘Hoof Hands Hooves doit allow fora character to grasp objects without great awitwardness. Here way to grethe hands a hoof inspired look without losing the functonalty of umn hands. tart with a normal hand, and cap each finger wth thick, hoof esque fngemails STANDING TIPPY-TOE mz When drawing horse anthros, there are a couple of different ways you can merge the anatomy ofthe horse leg with the human leg, The Anklebone’ Connected tothe... Fetlock? Forth chaacterthe upper Section aftheleg voristke a human eg wil the lower secon norts lik a horse le Note the compressed haranlower eg that changes nto horse fect atthe rklebon, ‘Standing Tall and Proud This character stands: pig ite sharon Hs lefswork than lefedounothe tet where they traneform: nibeqinehooes| Action Poses ‘When drawing action poses for ‘your equine characters, think about how to showease their natural horse abilities. Horses are known for their endurance and strong legs 50 consider poses involving legs in motion, such as a track runner or a daneing pony, lke the one shown on page 49, CHARGING WARHORSE The goal of this action pose is tocreate a charging, armored medieval warhorse rushing onto the battlefield, flail swinging wildly in rmid-attack. Armor sits own tricky beast to master. and this particular horse is wearing a ful suit of. There's no flexibility in plate armor. {important that the eigid armor is properly articulated to allow for ‘movernent while cormpletely encapsulating and protect ing the weaver. ‘Sketch the Basic Figure Start witha stiongly curved line of action, contorting the body and neck into alignment, The center of gravity is slightly in front ofthe character, leaving his body slightly tetering off balance, This heightens the sense of motion. Draw one leg pushing off the ground with the other uly wthdraven to give further momentum to his pose. Draw the Armor Because armar is complicated i helpful to first sketch a draft witha igh blue pencil. Draw the armor over the b ving plenty of breathing room. This w bulk out the horse's frame, making even the most meager horse into a tank. O you've worked out the kinks, go back the blue lines with a graphite up any unnecessary body lines encil. Add the Final Details and Color Sketch inthe characte’ ail (or sword or ae if you prefer) and shield Then you'e ready to color your wal ‘The metalic portions ofthe fal and arma ate highly reflective, so be sue to have ther reflec the colors andthe natu the ght and sutounding obEQUINE DEMONSTRATION DANCING SHETLAND PONY se action is all about the fancy legu 4 Draw the Basie Figure | Shetland ponies are short st npress the body proportions into ads tal. Keep balance and stabil nind as you place the let, To ase the body's siz (right hand ) as it moves farther away from the point Add Details and Color Detail the drav phat pants, a dou ccessores, including layer tank top, glow rings and a winding ri rdy Shetland’s heavy furcoat with 2 multi- ts and shadow tones into a smooth at by working additional strokes on topo} the highlights and darker tones in the shado or five continuous strokes in one direction work ake these stokes, the longer the fur tutEquine Variations ‘The equine family is made up of horses, ponies, donkeys Unicoms and Pegasus (a winged horse) also pull their and zebras. From body shape and build to coat coloration inspiration from the horse; simply add horns or wings to and patterns, there's a lot you can do to create variety transform your horses from magnificent to magical UNICORN I Sketch the Basic Shape, » ” Sarthe asc sd dele y Tisuricom sagen princes sored | i te generalhorse face features omake her eis ick day Taper the snouts end and keep \ the neck thin and narrove Dent forget the A uniconis ey atre—itshom Str wth a Ee ‘small circle in the middle of the forehead, and ” fe eee 2 Add Detaisto the Face and Color A the cas nos and lege round ej Die he palo equlcarved sections Ade dang omer homandreck Ghe her srl dress tokep te atten on er wet ce. Ada ‘lowing mane of hair and youre ready for color White traditional, but whos to say she could be blue or tlac? ZEBRA I Sketch the Basic Shape, Zebrashave stocker proportions than horses making them anatomicaly closer to donkeys: Bulk.up the snout and neck Drow the earssighty anger ond rounder than ahorses Skezch the over- allshapecfthezebret tif Mohawk, Starthgfforn the midpots between the cearsand tapering down the neck 2 Add Details to the Face and Color Dive the Mohan ito equa section of age hai Careful pencl nthe zebra stripes (eter to photgraghic reference) keeping the strbes symmetrical on both sides ofthe face. The stripes should abo correspond tothe sections of the haleColor the zebravith a shritng poleteoftiack and whiteShire Workhorse ‘the jab requires strength, draft horses te hisshie ae Draft th their muscu sturdy bodes, are capable cf puling heavier loads than the erage horse. Note the nose hich starts higher onthe head and rou cutiward Starting miay down the arms. and long fir fares out end the ibs na ck: bell shape. Further enhance rses build with stronglegs and thes aracterstic large et ‘ouch canbe: short face and smal ear. NASAL NUANCES There are a couple of differ ent horse snout types. Aside from the standard straight snout, there's also the con- vex Roman nose (left) with a prominent bridge. typical of many draft horses, and the concave “dished” hea (ight) with alot o ture to the snout and ed forehead d =Atheme can help make your character stand out from the rest. Everything from symbols like stars cand hearts to more complex ideas like holidays, seasons or feelings can be a source of inspiration. DRAWING A DELICIOUS, ICE-CREAM-THEMED FANTASY HORSE Here you'l get to draw a more standard four-legged horse, But uit this one has wings. a horn cand... sundae toppings? Why not? Let your creativity run wild and try making a whole stable of friends for ‘your ice cream horse. ‘Start With the Basie Shape Draw a circle with crosshairs for the head. Draw a large citcle for the chest and a smaller circle for the hindquarters. Con- nect them to form a peatlike shape. Then, pull a pair of sweeping, graceful lines from the top and bottom of the head to form the neck. The base of the neck forms @ curved V shape on the chest (this is where the horse’s shoulders begin). Block n the Legs and Face Draw the muzzle and hom using the vertical guideline on the head as the start- ing point. Place the ears, evenly spaced, at the top ofthe head. Draw the eyes along, the horizontal guideline, slighty more forward on the face than the eas. Start building the structure ofthe legs with a forelimb, followed by a small il for the “knee” (actually the horse's wrist or ankle). From there, draw a shorter tube ending in cil (this s the horse's fet- lock), As you add the rest ofthe legs. draw guidelines to help align them, Block In the Hooves, Hair and Wings Starting from the fetiocs, draw small hourglass shapes. and cap each off with a hoof, Note how the hooves slightly jut forward to help balance the horse's weight. Next, sketch the general shape ofthe mane and tall ‘The horse isin motion, so draw the hair flowing off the body asif wind were blowing through it Block in the wing shape starting atthe shoulder blades. Leavea gap between the wings to account fr the \width ofthe horse.EQUINE DEMONSTRATION Refine the Face Finish the Hair and Wings and Refine the Body Draw the large eyes (or eye from this angle) and frame it Section the wing into thre rows of individual, velapping with dark, knurous eyelashes. Then, dav the brows, nastis, feathers. (For more advice on drawing wings and feathers, see cars and mouth, Detail the horn with evenly spaced curved lines pages 72-74). Nest, divide the tail shape into smaller sections of to forma spiral. Erase the face guidelines, but leave the bottom ait. Pull ech section from top to bottom, using wavy, flowing portion ofthe circle that forms the jawne. lines. Repeat this process forthe mane, puling fom the neck Refine lines and erase guidelines. The horse isa powerful ani- imal; add some muscle definition tothe leg and chest areas. Refer to photos of horses to help you bring out the horse's physique TROTTING ALONG Fourlegged animals ike the horse can be tricky to draw because they have two aditonl legs to wor, about. Study photos and videos of horses = in motion to propety position and ‘weight the legs. Add Finishing Touches and Color Decorate your horse as deste. Ifyou ‘want todo an ice cream sundae theme. add sprinkles, candies and fruits in its tail and mane. Mint chocolate chip ice cream and some strawberry ‘sauce complete the look. As you color your horse, think about the underying muscle structure to bring out its majestic shape.CHAPTER 4 Rodents ‘Straddling the line between loving and loathing, the human relationship with rodents is complex and divisive, We often invite rodents in the form of mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils and gui pigs into our homes as pets, while batling to eradicate other rodents that plague our homes as unwelcame pests. Still, ever as we denounce renegade rodents, we respect them as resilient, resourceful and downright cute. To that end, a numer of anthro- pomorphic rodents have fo. id prominence as beloved mascat characters in entertainment and other industries. Capable of climbing, digging and eve standing on their hind legs, rodents area diverse and adaptable bunch, Ther tals ma aif and function, and some bounce on their toes while others plant their whole foot firmly on share a mot selike design and a predominant feature: 2 pair of ant jutting incisors. From the squire!’s seed-cracking chomp to the beavers tre-busting bite, buckteeth area signature similarity acioss the species, Far from the gre loping horses or fierce predatory cats featured les, most rodents are defenseless ite chunky-cheeked fuzzballs, with 2 need to gnaw and afatalistic cuosiy, Because (of their tiny bodies and unique proportions, rodents require special consid rations when anthropomorphizing, So, grind you Pencil’ tip toa fine point because in this section we tunnel into thro rodent den and discover a cache of knowledge on mak ing men of miceFace The chipmunk isa small rodent. ‘about the size of « mouse. with features similar to those of a squi- rel Like most rodents, the chipmunk fhas a sloping convex face with a rounded snout, a small mouth that gently curves into the lower jaw, jutting incisors. large protruding eyes and thireskinned ears low on the head. The chipmunk also has puffy cheeks with built-in pockets Jorstoring food. You can use the cheeks as intended, or have your anthro squirrel carry other impor ‘ant objects in these living pockets {even ifthe idea is kind of disgust- ing). The chipmunk’s most striking Feature is its striped fur pattern. Be sure to capture these qualities in your drawing Sketch the Snout Start with a circle and guidelines. From the crosshairs, pull out a medium-length straight line, and draw a flat triangular nose on the end, Pulla guideline down the center of the ‘nose for later. Pll two lines from the tips cof the nose back into the eyeline, spread: ing them apart as you go. Connect them across the middle ofthe face with an arched suideline Build the Brow Beneath the nose, draw a small \W-shaped mouth, On the chipmunk’ left side, pull a backward-slanting line up from the base of the snout tothe top of the brow. then arch the line in a sweeping curve back to its stating point. Because ofthe angle of the head, compress the brow when you repeat the process forthe right sie. Draw the Cheeks and Ears From behind the brow, pulla line back ina gentle curve to begin the chipmunk’s chunky cheeks. Gradually contour the line around to the front ofthe face, ending at the mouth, to form the lower jaw. The chunky cheeks should have a fll, Boomerang-shaped appearance. Next, form the ears where the lower jaw meets the horizontal guideline by ‘drawing a petal shape on both sides of the cchipmunk’s headRODENT DEMONSTRATION Draw the Eyes and Details Add the inner structure of the eas. om the center ofthe brow. draw the big es. Open the mouth with a smile the incisors under the upper the guidelines, Sketch in the unk’s patterning and final details He eyebrows and nose sts. Add a couple across the bridge ofthe nose w to define the slope of the head the impression of facial fur E Draw the Hair and Add Color Redes ive lie inthe fst lane, so, forthis pu. ies too orto bathe siying his hai Dratin a disheveled hairdo, and een up stay lines. Then youre reat to ad color Chipmunks 2 broun, pay and white coloc alte, eminscent of len coc and forest debi. Coo the face brown sing white and cif the patterning, Use fat back forthe ar, an edb forthe is, DRAWING RODENT EYES nts might be small but their eyes are so comparatively that, for many species, they re hardly contained in the ad Functional. but uniformly beady, rodent eyes lack eration, An anthro rodent with these eyes makes for a naly alien-like appearance. Sojten the look by let: alittle white show. i 4 Sketch the Eye Shape Draw the Pupil and Iris 2 Add Color i ketch a cir. Starting low on Between the eyelids, draw a large Clean up construction ines. Rodent ‘Pe side near the nose, draw a curved Ctcle forthe irs. Fill most ofthe circle with eyes ae generally black and beady, but tly overlapping the eye tocreate another ircle forthe pupil. On the pupil, to help humanize the character, you can ‘upper eyelid, ending on the opposite draw atiny circularhighlight. Drawaa skin enhance the eyes with some color. Dark the eyeball. Draw the lowereyelid fold above the upper eyelid anda thin rim purples and blues make a great substitute ingthe line for the bottom of the beneath the lower lid for black. Rim the pupil with a colorful is se This gives the appearance of a bulging barely contained, wuFull Body he rodents inhabiting world today are minuscule creatures. To reflect the miniature body of arodent, draw the head relatively large and give it body proportions similar io an average person but packed into a childlike frame. \ Sketch the Body Frame { Slech the line of chon { pronounced cure m ine. Drow arg along the upper arco - Draw the body no wide representing the he characters overall size body is small draw using normal proport Sketch the Shape of the Limbs Z and Head Sketch the basic head structure. Next sketch the putly tubes for the upper aims and thighs. Be caeful when bulking out the hips. Keep the body frame relatively straight and angular, if he's too curvy, ‘well question wither this a chipmunk ‘ora chipete, Draw the hands and fet: small wedges for the hands, slightly larger ‘wedges fr the feet. Following the line of action, sketch a twisting pipe of uniform thickness forthe tailEstablish the Body Contours Complete the detaison the face and indicate the hatine Move though the image, easing the construction lines and welding the body segments together. Keep the body details Scant. Just establish the contours. When yout done, youl be looking ata chipmunk minus ary modesty. While the pantiss approach works for Disney. this fury prefers fashion, sols get him dressed. Layer On the Fashion Use a blue line pencil to lightly sketch the shape ofthe cloth- ing over the body. Then, erase the body lines and draw in the lay 1s of clothing over the initial sketch lines. Pay close attention to how the clothing hangs on the body and where it wrinkles, Draw 2 hat fitting snugly around the contour of his head (leave some holes for his ears to poke through). Give him a small music player and 2 pair of rodent-appropriate earbuds with a litle slack in the headphone lin. If you'te creating your own fashion ensemble for, this character, don't be afraid to use reference photos for ideas. Add Color Chipmunk colors range from yellow to brown, with tan or black stripes. This particular ‘munk’s furis brown, gray and white hance his neutral nature color palette with vividly colored clothing. You can te the outfit together by repeating 2 color on multiple elements (for example, the hat, shoes and shirt are all geen). Add some shading and highlights. RODENT DEMONSTRATIONRodent Features Rodents come equipped with tiny incisors for nut bust- ing and wood chopping, articulated grabby litte hands to ‘manipulate and store, and a variety of tals used for balance and heat regulation. BASIC RODENT TAILS be ode Drawa Lineto Length Tetra mos rodents art wth snl Ine Thelenghothe ne depends on he ‘ype fronton OTHER TAILS Makea Mouse Tail Amouse tals the simplest rodent alto draw ‘Storing with your Ene, continue the drawing back around sf Keeps the tp rarrow and sysdualy widening the taltoward the base, Other rodents, such as squirrels, have tails specially suited to their ecological niche, and consequently call fora different approach to drawing them. Define the Shape, ‘Start by drawing a curving ine indicating the center of he ta Then draw a par of tubes stradding the tllne. Gradually widen the. ‘tubes as you proceed toward the ti 2 Bush Out the Tail Erate the construction nes leaving ony the shape, Then, fff cut the alwith color Stat withthe darkest color and layer stro Increasing liter color The outermost rc hairs is diferent color than the. at nthe case ofthis gray oqarel 1 Guard hats are white org Make.a Gerbil Tall ‘Tamthe Ineinto a tube, wth a layer offur that wider atthe th,RODENT HANDS AND FEET Many rodent species have hands and feet that are similar to human hands, with distinct Fingers and toes and not much fur. With only a few adjustments, it's simple to anthropo- morphize them. Most rodents have only four digits on their hands (plus like a human, a vestigial thumb). It's up to you whether your want to give your anthro rodent four digit like real rodents or five digits 8597 | Sketch the Basic Hand Shape. Drawthe bast boxy shape ofthe hand. Think ofitasa3-D object bt dont makeit oo bogpteep the edges rounded Add a vedge- hoped oatcroprngtothe ner side (xhere the thumb ttsches). I Sketch the Basic Foot Shape Drenthe base ape othe ote 3 human’ foot Rodents such as mice and rate b> wall pantgrade tt-octed sothe basic Snicie Samir 2 Draw the Fingers and Thumb Sketch our fngers along the front ofthe and shape. Use two segynents instead ofthree 10 help keep the fingers short and rounded. This ves them the dmiuthe quatty ofa rodent hard. Then, extend cut the wedge shape nth stub thumb 2 Draw the Toes Rodertshave fue digs onthe et Draw ‘he toe ac two segments, sosyng out alongs the end ofthe foot The riddle tree toes sre slighty longer than the toes on ether end, uth the inside to being the shortest End cach nein a rounded port RODENT TEETH 3.Add Details and Color Erase the giles leaving ony the contour thes ofthe hand, stead of tuman fngerais, drawtle rodent claws on the ends fhe fingers and tum Frail ad an appropiate fesh color and deta uth shading aa few fecks fate 3 Add Details and Color Erase the construction Ines. Color the eet the some testy color used forthe hands Then.addsome shading and highighs. Fish the fet wth some ig-coloed feck fo alr together ashy fuzy loo. This hamster gi graciously models the rodent’s most striking feature, a pair of continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaw. Note how the upper incisor overlaps the lower one. Farther back in the mouth are the molars, which aren't visible unless the rodent opens its mouth extremely wide. Rodents use the gap between the incisors and molars as short-term mobile storage. ©Action Poses Unless they'te sleeping, rodents seem to be in constant motton. Foraging for food. jogging on their exercise wheel, grooming or run. ning away jrom predators—there are plenty of opportunities for creat ing action-packed poses for your rodent anthro. PIRATE RAT Rodents, always on the lookout for hoarding opportunities, regularly tisk their Ives to line their burrows with riches. Clever and industst ous, rats strive tofind the quickest path to rewards, even if it means stealing from others. Ships laden with cargo offer ripe targets for rats willing to brave the seas in search of plunder Argh! ‘Sketch the Basic Figure Draw a circle with crosshais fr the hhead. Then, sketch the shape of the torso with a strong arching back. Rats have compact bodies with chunky upper arms and thighs, so oversize these areas on her small frame. Increase the size of her right hand and the sword as it comes toward the viewer and decrease the size of her left aim, Use a ruler to draw rigidly structured ‘objects like the treasure chest and the sword. Add a tail and rat fet. Dress Up the Pirate Rat Use the head cros the hal-closed eye, ea, muz Then, erase the constr clean body silhouette. lightly sketch pirat feathery hat along overco: Shiver me timbers! Add the Finishing Touches amt Color Place folds bends, such as around her mise knees. Add s ve base of herh - Fin tocreate a sense of excitement. T ‘work some cool colors like purple and bl into the shadows to play off the warm colors.FLYING SQUIRREL NINJA Flying squirels zip from tree to tre like a ninja in the night One ofthe greatest diffeultes with anthropomorphizing flying squirrels is finding clothing that fits them. With large skin flaps attached to their ront and back legs for gliding RODENT DEMONSTRATION their bodies are essentially shaped like flat squares when fully outstretched, Loose-fiting clothing works best with this body type: coupled with the flying squirrel's nocturnal nature, ninja garb is a good fit for them. Besides, who doesn love ninjas? ‘Sketch the Basie Pose Draw a bulky figure with outstretched arms and legs. Sketch the crosshairs on the face looking straight ahead (so he can see where he's going!). Pencil in the furry membrane attached to his wrists and ankles: this is what allows him to glide. Draw the tail curving from the base ofthe spine. Keep the tail relatively flat flying squr ‘els tails arent large and bristly lke ther ciumal (active during the day) squirel cousins. Don't forget to equip him with a shuriken (the ninja’s throwing weapon), Add Ninja Clothing and Color Sketch the general shape ofthe ninja ‘uti loosely around the contour of the squirrels body, including his skin Maps. He should look abit like a flying sack. Then detail the outfit with wainkles, folds, a belt around the waist and an overthe-shoulder short sword. Finally, add some color, Fly- ing squirels are nocturnal, and ninjas rely Con stealth attacks, so paint his outfit the darkened shade of night. His enemies will never know what hit them,Rodent Variations From the diminutive mouse to the prickly porcupine, aver 40 there is plenty of variation between different species. Tha percent of mammal species belong to the order of rodents. means plenty of inspiration to pull from when creat While they all have a pair of big. sharp incisors in common, rodent anthro characters, MOUSE 2 Add Details and Color (Clean up the conctructoninse and fish detaing sopattina tay ard add aster I Sketch the Basic Shape. Workg om the base cele with creshars dea sot rounded etre nc ge, crear ear. agentycarvrgsod and lag ro cjes Draw apt ofshapince sors cher aa toot sie Mousefur but this iis an altino and red eyes) PORCUPINE Sketch the Basic Shape Porcupine faces ars boy Guethe cheeks and chin rong craig nes wth ony sight carves, Draw the snout wide witha lange nose, Draw the gj and brow fromthe ends afte soit Keepthe snl ears seated ow onfhehead and close bein the ejen.Fashion Bunny Technically rabbits arent rod: wy belong grout vetheir el nd big feetThere is no set rule to how much you must anthropomor- phize your characters. You ean go all out with fur, ears, tails, claws and more, o pick and choose just a few of the ‘most prominent features. It all depends on your goals for the image. ‘Sketch the Body Structure Start with a citce for the head. Draw the Fill n the Details MORNING MOUSE Mice are meticulous groomers, and this mouse gir is no different. Not even out of bed yet, and she’s already grab bing forthe hairbrush, In this demo, the rodent features are relatively limited: incisors, mouse ears, nose and tail, while the rest of the character remains human. Draw the Background and Add Color crosshairs to indicat thatthe character is angling her head upward. Then, work through the rest ofthe body, positioning the legs, arms and torso ina seated post tion, Add basic mouse features, such asa tail. a curvy snout a lage und eas. ili ll lll ll ll lll ° Draw in the mouse gt’ pajamas following the established body lines, including detaiis such as folds, drawstrings and trimming, Then, work out the shape and features ofthe face (eyes. brow, teeth lips and snout). Draw the long wavy hair around her ears and shoulders. Add toes and fingers. Tighten stray lines and erase any remaining guidelines. Dravrin the bed, plows, sheets and a towel to help give your drawing a sense cf setting, Then, add some color. Fill inthe basic colors, then work up the shadows and highlights. Putthe light source behind the character to suggest the sun shining through bedside window, Add deep shadows under the bed to give the picture more pop.RODENT DEMONSTRATION ADVENTURING MOUSE MAGE Lets try drawing a mouse with human-inspired characteristics. This litle guy has the anatomy of a mouse but stands on his hind legs, wears a thoughtful, human expression and equips himself with a staff and cloak. Let the adventure begin! Build Up the Basie Shape Draw a sweeping line of action to establish the pose. Sketch acre with crosshaits fr the head and another directly underneath it forthe chest. You don't need to daw a neck to connect the two shapes; mice do have neck bones, but With their compact frames, the neck isnt really visible from the exterior. Sketch the lower torso, following the curve ofthe line of action, Develop the Figure Draw the arms and hands. Use a ruler toachieve long straight lines forthe pole ofthe staf. Draw the legs and feet. This uy is standing on his toes to get a better look at his surroundings. but remember that mice are plantigades; they walk on the soles of their feet. Pull tail from the base of his spine and give ita sight curve fora balanced look. Sketch the basic shape of the eyes, eas and snout Add Color Fill In the Details Draw the facial details. Give him ‘human expressiveness through the use of details lke eyebrows, a small frown anda sidelong glance. Add ovals on the forehead and a downward steak on the eyelid to give him an air of mystery. Draw tutts of hair on the head, ears, chest and tail to fluff him up. Fill out the Fingers and toes: four digits on each hand, five digits ‘on each foot, all capped with ite claws. ‘Add clothing details ke a billowing cloak and bandages on tired, adventuring fet Clean up rough lines and erase remaining guidelines and ‘you're ready for color. Start with a base color, and build up the shadow and highlight colors from there. Use small flecks of a lighter color to give the appearance of shot fur. Indicate skin showing through fur by coloring the nse, the inner ear. the tail and the ends ofthe arms and legs a pinkish flesh color, Use sharp. color contrast to bring bright metalic shine to the staff, Work texture into the cloak for aided visual interest.GAP ER Birds There's no denying our love of bids: from their tranquil songs to their feathered beauty, we appreciate them both in our homes chirpy pets and in their natural habitats. Humankind has long been fascinated and envious ofthe bird's ability to fly freely through the skies, But even the ones that cant fy, like penguins and ostriches, charm us with their cute looks and quirky mannerisms Interns of anthropomorphism, birds present new drawing challenges. In some ways, their bipedalism (moving on bo legs), makes them easier to anthropomorphize than quadrupeds lke ‘equines. On the other hand, characteristics lke wings, bbeaks and talons cll for new techniques, Eager to digin with your talons? Then leap out ofthe nest, and get ready tot ‘your anthro avian at soaring to new heights, tant Crossing 25cm 27m)The facial features of our feathered friends difer substantially allowing the character to express emotion. The process from those of mammals, particularly beaks and feathers. Beaks call for close attention to structure. The bony beak lacking the pliancy of skin, needs to remain rigid while for drawing the soft plureage around the face is similar to drawing fur. ‘Sketch the Upper Beak ‘Sketch a basic circle and guidelines. From the crosshairs, pull outa line indicat ing the length ofthe beak. At the end of the line, draw a slanted diamond shape to create the down pointed beak tip. Above the crosshairs, sketch the general shape ‘of the upper beak. Pull the beak down to the horizontal guideline ina soft V shape. ‘Spread the beak wide across the face, then ‘connect the lines onthe face to the points atthe beak tp, Draw pair of guidelines arching «down from the front and back center ‘ofthe upper beak to place the partially ‘opened lower beak. Create floor tothe lower beak by drawing a broad U shape that connects the comers ofthe beak with the arching guideline in the rear. Then connect this shape with the guideline atthe front ofthe beak. Draw the beak’s biting edge by folowing the contour and ‘70oves ofthe upper beek. Add Plumage ‘Sketch the Facial Features Staring where the beak touches the horizontal guideline, draw a curved ine back around the face to form the brow. Pull 2 guideline across the forehead and raw a matching brow on the other side ofthe face, Centered beneath the brows, draw 2 pair of lage, oval slits forthe eyes. From the back ofthe fae, beneath the brow, shetch a sharply curved jawine extending off the cicle and connecting into the bot- tom ofthe lower beak. Next, draw a wide tube from the base ofthe head to make the neck. ddl an open triangle on the beak for nostril ‘Clean up the beak to reduce the numberof guidelines. Then, flu up your bird with ots of feathers. Don't draw individual feathers instead, use strategically placed jagged lines to create the illusion of fathers. Partially cover the raven's upper beak with a sharp line of feathers over the nostils and adda thick ayer ‘of plumage around the neck, bulking it up considerably. Then, sketch the eyes and eyebrows.ails tothe Face /f- ee “AS Can uparyenaning pidelnes / : indeasethe inesonthebaakvhee Yf7/, \A fees ovtep.Deai andreineine Yi ff oy har ont the bie’ hea, Use tua sts to ghee asle edges on the plumage. Draw some at naturally bends in with the feathers.” \/ ‘Add details to the eyes and brow. te Add Color Use colors lke dark purple, red and blue to capture the i descent look of the raven’ oly, black plumage. Use a lighter, more saturated color like purple on her har to make it stand out from the facial feathers. Seatter brushstrokes of white and ligt blue to highlight feathers and imply wear marks on the beak. Raven eyes generally brown, but feel re to use whatever color suits your character best (in this case brownish red), DRAWING BIRD EYES Greatly reliant on their sense of sight, birds have large eyes: The often very colorful irises fll most ofthe visible surface of the eyeball. Because birds substitute feathers for hai, you have the option of drawing feathery or czy lashes around the eyes. Create the Basic Eye Shape Draw the tris and Pupit Complete the Eye and Add Color Sanyletysecingsciceasa D Stachitehstralneciceing _D tasthecntncen reson emplate for the eyeball Then, draw ® _rostof the visible eyeball. Within the itis, _a thick im encircling the pair of arched lines sweeping across the sketch a much smaller cice forthe pupil. rm into small bumpy seeme fi cicle, meeting at points directly across the Create a highlight by sketching an ellipse details, like feathery eyelas «ball from one another. over both the pupil and is. Tyou ind the out the sive gray eye rm bird's inte nsely focused eye too starting, up. encircle the eye wit tone it down by increasing the sizeof the indicating backsweptbristl pil or by lower ‘The common raven'sitis is he pupil thats too plain, substitute whi blood red,This raven demonstrates a bird’s most striking feature: its wings. Wing size and shape varies, but in general wings ‘get big, so be sure to give yourself plenty of room. Sketch the Body and Legs Sketch a curving line of action, then use it asa guide to stack the torso elements. ‘Sketch the raven's chest wide and deep, implying powerful muscles and cavernous lungs. Create a powerful set of avian legs by sketching slender tubes that balloon ‘outat the thighs, then narow again at the knees. Draw an abbreviated lower leg that extends about half the normal length, Like the thighs, give the legs extra gith around the center. Draw a slender shaft fr the ankle, ending in a wide cylinder for the foot. Draw three talon-tipped toes extend- ing out from the front and one from the back of each foot Flight bids, spending much of their lives in the air, require a strong body frame bristling with lightweight feath ers. Draw your bird character with large wings. a puffed up chest and museular thighs. Draw the Face and Wing Arms Draw the ravens fail details. Don't 0 overboard on the plurmage yet. Move on to creating the wines by frst starting with a new line of action to help define their sweep, Drawing wings can be challenging, butt becomes easier once you understand some basies of wing anatomy. Think of the wings 2s a pair of human arms with Teathers extending from them (see other ‘wing configurations on page 74). Using the line of action to guide tei psition draw the arms and ands Feather the Wings Bird wings have thee segments, corresponding withthe hand, forearm and arm, Each wing segment has three layers of ovelapping feathers with the smiles ayer towards the top ofthe wing, Build the wings by ist sketching the long. bundles of flight feathers Fanning out from each ofthe three segments. Second, sketch a layer of feathers running along the top of the wings, ovefapping the Might feathers. Third, add the Final layer of feath- 8 by loosely tracing the length ofthe am from the thumb to the underarm, Draw the raven's tail feathers spaying down fom the lower backBIRD DEMONSTRATION Clean Up and Add Clothing Clean up construction lines on the body. Stat laying down he construction lines for some bird-2ppropriate out id tail feathers pose al sorts of problems for conventional cloth ing. A broad-sleeved, kimono-style top gives the characte plenty ‘of room to move, and a par of capri pants shows off her bird legs, Be sure to leave space forthe tal feathers to emerge through the clothes, Sketch acute beanie cap on her head: itl keep her warm eat, Wings Aight. Finish the Feathers and Add Color Split the segment ofthe wing attached tothe hand into ten individual flight feathers. Draw 2 bump along the inner length of each feather asit proceeds towards the arm. As you move down the wing, draw each new feather Then, draw nine more feathers on the smaller second and third the previous layer. Finish with aspBird Features The physical traits of birds include a beak, a lack of teeth, WINGS. feathers, wings and scaly feet. Follow along to create a In lieu of arms and hands, birds possess wings, which specific bird anthro, or mix and match features to create a work great for flight, but aren't so suitable for gesturing or Unique bie. manipulating objects. Here are some ways you can comb human anatomy and bird anatomy to address the issue o wings as hands in your anthro art. Wogsas Arms “This character enn suctaly cose toh malar dick roth ily Bred wings He-can hen eecpot and cd chjecsusnghisprivary tg ethers 1 : Hand and Wing Hybrid : Wings extend out from tis ducts human 3 aig ngher han hands le rething ‘ the appearance of hg Wngsond Tishanksdyepsthehest ofboth alo beng routing omer ba andthe comenience of aman sn FEATHERS her toy and hold objects at the same tne Several different types of feathers make up a bird's color ful plumage. The following drawings show a couple types youll encounter, ‘Down Feathers These are soft. fy feathersbeneatathe contour festhers that They consist of central suai the bid, Unlce vanes made up of ‘he confour feathers. the small barbs that come together barbeon dowm feathers dori together intoLEGS AND FEET Drumstick, anyone? Birds walk digitigrade, the ankle elevated high above the rest of the foot, So the “bird leg that starts midway down the length of the lower leg is actu: ally the bird's long ankle shaft. Some birds, particularly wading birds, have twiggy lees ‘with no plumage all the way up the thighs, while others have long feathers cloaking their legs nearly down to the talons. But generally, the feathers stop at the ankle, expos ing tough, scaly skin Bird feet come in 2 number of shapes and toe configu- rations that vary between families. each specialized for different tasks (perching, walking, hunting, swimming and so on). ix Perching Bird Foot erching rds hove tn nly teste in the fort one nthe back. el sited cunt else perching Couer the, legith plumage and call the foot done, BEAKS Beaks come in numerous forms adapted to how the bird feeds. In anthro art, there's less concem over the bird's dinner menu and more interest in the area of humanlike expressions. Though their rigidly built beaks can make it tricky to depict emotion, it’ still possible. Using just the beak, here are some examples: ‘Duck Foot ‘Ducks have webbing between their‘oes thet imering abitAction Poses Birds are at their most majestic MENACING FALCON when theyre flying through theair’ It's easy to Nn soaring, gliding and diving, The keep: sift of fight enables birds to be in falcon stalks ta places and achieve things impossi- moment ble for terrestrial animals. But don't | mph (320 krrvi discount the swimming capabil knock ties of waterfowl or the high-speed running and powerful kicking of ground birds lke ostriches. The opportunities for depicting birds in action are vast. lain. He's alone hunter who r birds. The peregrine great heights, waiting for the right ctims. Diving at speeds over 200 on streaks dow. fanding a lethal warning. t kick witho Draw the Figure ‘Sketch the body from a low angle. A sround:-level view brings attention to his tearing talons and adds drama to the pose To sel the action ofa falcon looking down, at potential victims, draw the comer of the building. This piece of setting clues in viewers thet the falcon is up high; without ithe could just as likely be squatting at ‘ound level. Draw the wings half-opened and a hand gripping the side of the stone to show he's ready to launch into the air Add Details and Coise r priate street wear © that rem: lines and erase guides r drawing. Color and coolFLUTTERING HUMMINGBIRD Hummingbirds are small birds that hover in the a, allowing ther to drink nectar from flowers through thei Long, needlelike beaks. They hover by rapidly beating their wings, often so fast that the wings look like a blur (ae) ITS ALLA BLUR! For characters in motion, you might want to work some ‘motion blur into your picture. You can do this with the fine work, the colors, or both, by making the form of the object you wish to blurless sharply defined. n the hummingbird’s case, streaking some additional color past the tips ofthe feathers helps give the illusion of fast moving, flapping wings. Draw the Basie Form ‘Sketch a circle with crosshairs for the head. Draw circles for the eyes and a long, straight tube forthe beak. Capture the small size ofthe bird by keeping the body frame compact. Hummingbirds tuck their legs into their feathers during fight, but the pose doesn't look so elegant on human anatomy. Instead, pull the legs Up behind the character asf she were kneeling. BIRD DEMONSTRATION aS AR. Draw the Wings, Feet and Facial Details Pal flowing peneil strokes from the haiine to sketch long, wavy hair. Draw the wings sprouting from her shoulder joints, and split the wings into segments, Draw the tallas two segments. Place four toes on the end ofeach foot: three inthe front, ‘one in the back. Rough inthe facial details, including gentle downcast eyes brow and cheek definition and feathers covering the base of her beak. Refine Lines and Add Color Flin the wing segments, stating withthe primaries at the end and working inward so they overlap coneety. Nex. refine the lines and add detail o her hair while retaining the low and shape ofthe undertying sketch. For cothing, fll the underlying body structure and build upon it fora perfect it. Draw some small, hal Circles on areas not covered by clothing to give her body a feathery texture, Draw curving talons on each of her toes, and setthe scene with anecta-bearing flower. Final. color her with hues of green and black (although she's a ruby throated hummingbird, the females lack the red coloration oftheir namesake), |Bird Variations up to 9 feet (3m) tall to the minuscule bee hummingbird, literally about the size ofa bee, birds can vary greatly, and not just in terms of size. Bird feathers come ina great variety of colors and pattems. Male birds are typically more vividly colored than females, though it depends on the species. As always, study reference photos for exact details. When: you! rw crosshairsforheread andflinthecjes. _andfower accessory Dae leanecteienteneat Stetchthe hook-tpped bl ide acrossthe, and erase itsespeciallyimportantto | Se.andgoce wocreusr nosis Draw wood ducksae amadest ack fy and eep ¥ ‘the shoule white, with a hint of blue. Concentrate the white. o3 the symmetry, inthe structure, ically hold it upto mit Ranier Wadaling Along Penge ae stat is th aide fame ard sn prt postr ie mos is, pening. Ontreretthetoe sual set ine otter Ronee sles ubby denis WOOD DUCK I Sketch the Basic Structure Start with a circle and forward-faclng 2 Add the Details and Color Fish drawing the hat eyes, outfit nectlsc around the eyee and neck. Werk some black coloration nig her hair nd blue-grays ino her inbrighter nes on vAyelons to briygsome color into the picture. Penguin Dyer ‘though pngunchave gest ‘of ‘beneahtik eaters ht heepcodd vata fremteistn sone ikesto ner 668 and a diving uitTOCO TOUCAN | Sketch the Basic Structure Carwin celesndcrosere tr te head Films ote for porte ce he bic evardar ange at tue tek Then dare bre ond i sitet beak Dre necks ie thea nd core “Any bly ane dealeeaprage ; ptingottte tat stcingardt atedig dom fecha on cass / fi idee feces Y -, 2 Add Details and Color Draw the deta including the toucars bumpy brow and ie eyes Add some hair tothe head and along the face, Next draw ‘he deals of the beak-a serrated edge along the nde black spot ‘the tip and a rim along the face, Dress your foucan witha shirt nd accescories, an lhe ready for color The plumage of the Toco n Species black and white with a hint of red under theta his most colorful festure i hie beak 2 micure of orange, yellow and red Onrealtoucans, the eyes are brownish vith blue surrounding kin but there no harmnin tang some creative berties, Princely Peat Tis dan pet fauna stung day of ridescent bhie-green tal feathers, afea- sue for whieh the peau species fru thetrles Geacocs) possess the long, Because heb an antraths dahing dul ako seks to ngres uth his equly esnngaxktocrate garmentsrmorphizing your characters. ‘Sketch the Torso Start with a circle and crosshairs point ing upwards. Draw the cheek and jawline ‘out from the horizontal guideline; take cate to draw the underside ofthe face when you reach the chin. Pull the neck down to the shoulders, then draw the torso, turned the same direction as the head. Draw the centerline down the torso with a gentle curve sit travels the peaks and valleys ofthe body frame. Draw circles con the shoulder and hip regions to indicate anm and leg placement. iii at Do you want to create a character that's mostly human with ust some feathers as an accent, maybe some wings and a beak, or perhaps an all-out bird character with ‘human intelligence? Here are some more ideas for anthropo- Draw the Limbs and Costume Extend the arms from the shoulders, ‘one reaching towards the sky, the other testing at her side. Draw the legs with a playful step her right foot kicking up. her lft fot barely bushing the ground, fora lighthearted and weightless pose that cap- tures the grace ofa bird. From her wrists, sketch the general shape ofa cape draping around her back and over her chest. The goal of the cape i to capture the look of feathery wings, but keep the design simple for now so you can focus on the pulling and movement ofthe fabric. Sketch the skirt with abasic jagged outline DANCER TAKES FLIGHT This joyful dancer is !OO-percent human, but her feather embellished costume, with a cape draping from her arms like a pair of wings, immediately brings to mind the image ofa bird. 2 Add Details and Color Divide the skirt and cape into seg- ments of feathers. Give the feathers @ slight overlap and a hint of Finge along the edges. Turn the generic straps on her ‘wrists into bracelets; add dimensionality by extending the shape past the skin, Tie the costume together wth additional details like feather anklet, earings, lowing of fab ‘icand decorative feathers inthe hair. For her colors, consider taking inspiration from a bird's colorful plumage. The peacock’s, color palette of blue and green brings this dancerto ieFANTASY OWL With their large forward facing eyes and piercing gaze. owls ae often used as a symbol of wisdom. Fthough some folklore depicts owls as an ill omen, other fairytales elevate them as intelligent beings and wise messengers, sometimes cable to speak human languages. BIRD DEMONSTRATION The physical features of this fantasy owl are inspired by imagination. ‘Sketch the Basie Shape Toor coe wth crate bead. Beneath that, draw a much larger Sci forthe ows chest. raw a small ici halfway beneath the larger circle s>make the lower torso. The ow's body Should have a forward lean to it when sou finished drawing the foundation. Finish Drawing the Figure Draw two circles forthe eyes, eventy spaced along the horizontal guideline. From the cosshairs, draw a closed beak with a subtle smile. Sketch a pair of wings. To draw his open right wing, sketch the general shape, then draw a vertical line down the middle where it would fold, and then two horizontal ines to create feather layers. Pulling fom both sides of the ower torso, draw the tail feathers relatively fat. Sketch the legs and feet by breaking the shape into sections where bends occur several different species: the body and face from the sereech cowl and the tawny oul, and a pair of earshaped tufts {rom the great horned owl. His coloration is, of course, pure Add Details tothe Figure Fil inthe individual feathers on the ‘wing and tal take your time to overlap and define the shape ofeach feather. Draw a rulf of zigzag-shaped feathers around the chest. Adda fe layers of loosely hanging feathers around the knees and ankles, Fitting him like a parof pants. Daw sharp talons on the tips of his toes. Accentuate the head and tail with a stylish plume. Finally, define the head and ad facial details including eyes, brows, ear-shaped tufts and patterns. Refine Lines and Add Color Erase the construction lines, clean up any stay lines and refine the devils. While valid choices fora standard ow, colors like brown, vite, and gray lack any magical qualities. Be brave with your color choice. Try pinks and purples or blues and greens, ‘unusual color that grab attention and indicate that this ond is diferent from the flock.you consider the animalspecific chapters leading up to this pointas the main-course meal, then this chapters all about the condiments, the tasty extras that add flavor to your fury art * Learn how to spice up your anthros with clothing and acces- sores that suit ther species and body types. * rif plan is your flavor of choice, learn how not to dress them (forthe furs who prefer to remain unclothed). * Find out when and where to pile on the fur for additional garnish tips on peppering in extra wings and tails fora taste of fantasy, So, grab 2 fork and plate—pencil and paper—and turn the page to dig in at the bulfet! Pawson lee by indy Cbs 74" 9" (dem x23em) ;Furry Customization There's more to an anthro character's appearance than just species and build. You can customize your characters by supplying additional fur, tails or even wings. PILING ON THE FUR Anthropomorphic characters arent called furries for noth- ing! Once you've mastered the basics of depicting soft animal fur, try double and triple layering on the hair fora fluffer look. Some animal species naturally call for extra heaps of fluff (snow leopards, yaks and sheepdogs to name a few), but fur can also be used to accentuate otherwise short-haired anthros. Fur onthe Arms “Ts of farang from the shoulder and ebovt. “By varying sectone wih shor hair and long haityou can create an extrafurry character ‘hut etna see gre. X (ies Extra Fufly ‘ ‘Puffy tufts of adaitional fr SS cover this Maine coon-nepited cat grt around Fir onthe! ‘heneck, shoulders hip: and e neck, shaders ip ard elbow. theca and slongthe a ae body Separate the secionsoffur using jagged nes and strong shade ees ee bees ‘ows to ep bul the tuson ofthickness eee coeExtra Wings For amagicaltouch, ty drawing wings on anthros not normally pewpected ek inspiration, study real yng creatures the gossar uniques apes and designs When drain aracters. use oper andmowe. appendage. Witicor not urprisg that the extratais bestowed wth the gto fight This ir would be an onary cat F itwerert forthe mysterious hat wings sprouting fromer back The et compels viewers totake a secraliock. For ings fisects, the dowry wings fins ad the fibrous wings oFbats each wth tingon wt ck cuts that alow the wings spaceto stretch Where Do They Come From? raw mil tals coming fromthe base ofthe spineor a leet tht general area as poste Just ascther perso the body reget arange asa blanc fashon wt te op ‘ns crerlpg the oer tao ald cefion andrmtskes (nore tale meen rare body gars ‘oleep tack of sketch a rough arf pan howmuch space the extatas wlreqire, ANINE-TAILED LEGEND In easter folkiore, itis said that ktsune (Japa- rrese for fox) can grow as many as nine tails. They gain additional tails and supernatural abilities a5 they age asClothing Considerations Clothes enable a character to express her individuality ata glance: you can learn a lot about someone's interests and personality by looking atthe garments she chooses to wear, ACCESSORIZING WITH ANIMAL APPAREL Hamesses, collars, leads and tags are restraints designed to conform comfortably to a creature's build. Originally created with utility in mind, these iconic animal accessories may seem an odd fit for half-human anthros, but divorced from their original function, they can become another fun element of fashion, Dressing Up That Tall Asari Pan accessory works onthe youcan place it onthe peadgear de contrel wed alow rider movement ‘Because oft promi nthe horsels head the bri players Fighting fos can wesporize the tall ith weights and spies, or protect the tall by encating 1 The tal fin afifthimb, so 0 ang 2 that encumber alsoact asa de acces bylooping the cMake Room for That Tail! Whereas human clothes are designed with four limbs in mind, anthro attire requires some design tweaks to accom- modate the extra appendage. WHAT ABOUT GOWNS AND ROBES? Even without a tailored hole in the rear, it's possible to guide most tails out of loose-itting clothes like skirts, gowns and robes, But cramming a tail down a tight dress results in a lumpy silhouette along the back. Also, ask your anthro to be careful with her tail, as any sway can send clothes yanking up, down and all around—a big problem if modesty is a concer. From the Front Even you cart see its. a good ideato think about how the tlie coming through the clothes, you i To gure out where D\, tretalstars find the center point idieay down the character’ pebis, and folow tothe back end, Putting Al Together Thieme Knows howto dress She wears astapey halter opto gue her lury shoulders room to breathe pants wth a fol rer tnd caterbibon around hertalfora bd touch oft ‘ “\ hro-spectic medications, hie droopy drawers work but the thickest tale sothros, dravbac clude an aicessive amount of nosed Snot aixaye appropriate Tallored Clothes Redesiing rational chess accommodate 8 tals siege, ole cf nthe rear ofers an easy escape, or consider aspit-back design (ite the one-tis cowanfhra model) that festenshn the rear uchAu Nature! In the animal kingdom, where nudity is the not, cloth ing can seem unnatural and, for many animals, redundant. Alter all, who needs clothing for warmth if you're already covered in a thick layer of insulating furor feathers? Clothing also has the regrettable tendency to cover an animal's fur pattems. Here are a couple of ideas for handling fur in a way that allows characters to retain their modesty while showing, off their distinctive markings. Far in Lieu of Clothes “This red panda res unachatned, knowing that her redaish brow fur coversher completely create fur patterns le the whe silty sketch the divisors wtih jagged spropriste colors Use shadow tones to help wth aterating Al ‘colors, such as on the fong bushy tl ni thenflthemn A Sheep in Sheep Clothing ‘orm without aba sshe-on the lookout for ways fo me or evarrle th clove your character designs econtheformofancaly cofed shoes, compleme tiger huranGOAT DEMONSTRATION icine The mountain goat's dense woolly coat insulates hima from harsh winter tem. peratures. for anthro goats, the coat doubles asa baarier from prying eyes. ‘Sketch the Upper Torso Complete the Figure Add Fluff, Details and Color Drawa circle with crosshairs facing From the shoulder joints, raw the Fillout the Figure wit a thick coat upwards fora proud, upturned head. arms planted firmly on is hips. Draw the by layering bundles of fur. Strive for Sketch a strong, muscular torso and digtigrade legs sturdy and sure footed fluy” without completely obscuring his pul the guideline from the head down mountain goats are experts at climbing masculine figure. Keep the fur beneath the center ofthe torso. Attach the head rocky cliffs. raw each hoof and splitit the knees short. Draw the beard, head hair to the body with atubularneck shape. into two even toes (the space between _and elbow tufts with long, curving pencil Then, sketch the shoulder and leg them should resemble missing sce of strokes Detail the homns with growth rings sockets on the tors. Pie). Sketch a cubic block beneath his __ around the base. Break the boring cube propped-up foot Sketch a short. upturned into a textured, bumpy rock Color your tal Fillin the goat's facial features: the ar, proud billy wth some wintry whites long muzzle, wide nose and pointy homs.% ay ddCHAPTER: % Step By Step From the time you fist picked up a crayon, you've been think ing about how to depict the world in color. Color adds an extra dimension to expression. allowing an artist to indicate form. ‘mood and setting in a way blace-and-white line drawings cant. represent your fuzzy and feathery creations’ natural hues and pattems, communicating to the viewer «particular breed or species. You can also use color in creative combinations to invent fabulous and fantastical never-before-seen creatures, Every color picture begins with a series of decision: by the artist: setting up the supplies, choosing the i and determining the light source before fnlly picking up th paintbrush to apply the colo. In this chapter, we cover the technical process step by step, leading you from thase pr decisions onvard to applying ba ¢ colors, shadows, highlights and details. We also give you tips on how to use unnatural colors to create characters with unique magical qualities, By learning the proper approach, its easy to add a colorful touch to furry characters, whether they walk on two legs or fourINKING YOUR LINE ART You can either color directly over clean pencil art (like many of the images in this book), or first apply ink over the pencil to achieve a datk, definitive line. Use technical pens, brushes or nibs to apply the ink. Keep a rag or paper towel handy for messes. After the ink dries, erase the underiying pencil lines and your inked draw. ing is teady for coloring. WATERPROOF FOR WET MEDIUMS ‘Always use waterproof ink, Otherwise ‘you might discover firsthand the horror ‘of watching your inked lines melt into ‘a smudgy mess after applying a water based medium over them. GOING DIGITAL Using the computer is another option for color ing your artwork. To work digitally, you'll need a computer ‘with plenty of speed and storage capacity, plus a graphics tablet for inputting brushstrokes (or infinite patience with a mouse). Of course, a good computer will get you nowhere without the software. Adobe® Photoshop® and Corel® Painter™ are the industry-accepted standards for protes- sional artists. but cheaper alternatives exist fr the budget- conscious. Drawing and Inking Supplies ove! YOUR WORKING SPACE Le o> It's imperative that your workspace be well-lit and comfortable, especially if you plan on spending a lot of time there. We recom- mend that your setup include the following: ‘a desk with enough surface space to spread ‘out. a desk lamp or goad overhead lighting to ‘minimize eyestrain, art supplies within easy reach and an ergonomic chair with good back support. 93Materials for Coloring Color mediums come in two forms: wet (paints such as, watercolors and acrylics) and dry (colored pencils or mark ers). Wet or dry, the medium you choose is up to you. There are no wrong or right tools for expressing creativity. Keep in mind that each medium has its own characteristics, 80 you may find that one is better than another for achiev- ing certain effects. Some are easier to master, but they. all require patience and practice to learn. Experiment to discover which mediums you enjoy, and, most importantly, have fun! Examples of Wet Mediums TRADITIONAL MATERIALS LIST You won't need all of these supplies to color your art. Dry Mediums Think ofthis more as a list of suggested mediums to try __* colored pencils rather than a shopping list. We recommend starting with * Markers the supplies you have readily available around the house, —_* “ill pastels then expanding your repertoire as desired. * crayons ‘Wet Mediums * paper appropriate for the medium ee vaca Inking Supplies + watercolors * technical pens * brushes + large brushes for broad, sweeping strokes + small bushes for detail work * paper or canvas appropriate for the medium + water container * palette for holding and mixing paint * rags or paper towels nibs and holder black. waterproof ink water container eraser rags or paper towelsPART 2: LIGHT AND SHADING AApicture with ony base color tones looks flat. T objects depth and volume, you'll need to bu eolors with shadows and highlights. Shadow shade or two darker then the base tone, whi brighter Dont forget. solid objects block light and cast shadows ‘on areas that would otherwise be in the light. Check your image to see if anything obstructs the light, and if so, depict that area in shadow. For example. in the demo image. the male leopard’s arm casts shadows across his shorts and the female's stomach. ihlights are Shadows and Highlights, Notshow the surice areas exposed the ight vst rig minted we ther tes ‘Shadows and Highlights, 2 hei seca mes the sss tonaccordgy COLOR DEMONSTRATION LET THERE BE LIGHT! The color and intensity ofthe light source in your image influences the colors. Try this experiment. Look at your clothes and describe the colors you see. Now, turn on a harsh yellow lightbulb and take note of the colors. Then, walk outside and compare those colors to those you see under sunlight. Finally, go to a dark place in your house, What colors do you see now? You'll find that colors you perceive for an object (in this case, clothes) aren't fixed. Instead, they depend on the qualities of the surrounding light Here are examples of the same image as depicted under two dif- ferent lighting schemes. Night Colors inamengtsceneste lehtwoulbesocimand Colors oa ht tbe herdtosee anything Honeveryoucan cru he eingoigt costo bead sing coo ylons thesceneColor ean enhance the mood, suggest the time of day and define form and shape in a picture. In this multipart demonstration, we'll walk you through the process of color. ing a clouded leopard couple from selecting effective colors to finish: ing the piece with shadows and highlights PART 1: COLORING PREPARATION Before laying dow your colors, yout need to prepare your draw. ing. in many cases, you can color dlivecly on the sheet of paper containing your original drawing = as long as the lines are clean and a quiet moment, Mult-character pictures tion lines can muddy up a color image the paper isnt falling apart from can be complicated, especially when and crete confusion regarding which is your earlier efforts. Some artists photocopy or trace their line work rio new sheet ofpaperand then ton ies. Then, roughly lockin fost Remember, depending onthe medium, color the copy. Ifyou'e painting, setting around ther, once coloris applied, it might be too late you may need to transfer the lines to forerasing. A clean sketch cleay defines a medium beter suited for holding paint. f youre eoloring digitally you'll need to sean the drawing for use in graphies applications. Rough In the Characters Clean Up Lines for Coloring ‘Sketch a pair of clouded leopards sharing 2 While essential for drawing, construc: characters overlap, so take care to block the final line, For the cleanest image, erase ‘them in using basic shapes and construc any unwanted sketch lines before coloring. an object's edges and acts as 2 guide for color placement. Your clean sketch can be anything from a faint outline toa highly detailed draft you accurately indicate form with lines, colorcan fill out the est of an image. PLANNING YOUR COLORS AND SETTING UP YOUR PALETTE In addition to determining the general color for things lke har and clothing, you'l need to consider factors such as time of day loca- tion and mood. all of which can impact the colors. I's a lt to think about. Experiment with color schemes on a separate sheet of paper, | @ ‘your color palette or on copies of the sketch, A poalett is the limited library of colors you've chosen for your picture. This can be a group of paints, a bundle of colored pencils or ‘computer file wth dabs of digital color. For this demonstration, the characters are under the yellow-wite midday sun, so choose bright base tones. Add to the palette as necessary.Lay Down the Base Tones Using the medium of your choice, carefully fil inthe areas of the picture with base color tones. In this image, the base tones represent the mile values for the picture, but if you're working, vith @ medium that darkens as you build up colors, like watercob ‘ors or markers, start with the lightest tones. When you'e done, the image will look colorful but flat. To create depth, you'll need todd shading, LIGHT FROM BEYOND You don't need to see the light source in the picture to know it's there, Just make a mental note of where the lightis coming from. In most cases, the light source makes its presence known from the play of light and shadow across the image. No miniature sun or floating spotlight is required. Determine the Light Directing the ight source is essential for ce ing convincing sheding throughout your image. In this case, Fx the positon light above the charac ters, This srt of lighting highlights the characters, and paints the underside object in strong shadows. Layer On the Shadows Following the lighting model, brush or dab 2 shadow color vith a hint of violet over the base tones, Keep things smooth subtly blending shadows as you go. Make addtional passes ver pats ofthe image with darker tones where necessary. Occasion ally use choppy stokes onthe furto indicate textureBuild Up the Fur Texture ‘Add patches of short hair to make the body appear covered with soft fur. Working within the shadows, pick a datker color and dash in some hairs following the direction ofthe fu's gran, Follow this simple rule: fr travels from the top ofthe bedy down the torso, limbs and tal, Layer On the Highlights Using a color tinted brighter than the base tone, pply highlights in areas ofthe image most exposed to light. Here, the top and front of objects are the most intl illuminated. Like the shadows, gradually build he highlights while eting some ofthe base tone show ugh. As you work, continue to suggest soft fur by ing short light-colored hairs throughout the coat.Establish the Fur Pattern PART 3: COLORING ‘With animal reference at hand, use a FUR PATTERNS pencil to lightly denote the edge ofthe inthis part, you'l learn how to put furpatterns on your characters. For this, the finishing color touches on your _cat couple, use the clouded leopard’s clouded leopard couple including their combination of smal spots, open cloudy Jur patterns and the surrounding forest, SPOts and stripes, Take care to correctly Read on! imap the shape ofthe patterns to the bodies contours . Fill In the Patterns Fill the pattems witha dark ish black color. While going previously shaded areas of the light/dark intensity cof the spots so they properly conform to the established ligt ing. Emphasize the fur grain with conesponding strokes inside and along the edge of the spots. Asa final detail, brush sporadic light and dark hairs inside and outside of the spots at The CRaradiers: lI To capture the intensity of bright sunlight shining down, use pure white and accentuate the most prominently it edges along the characters’ bodies. Use edge lighting like this sparingly to deliver a beautiful glow and create a satisfying pop between areas in a picture.Complete the Background Cover the character art with a mask to Protect it while finishing the background. Start ‘with the bushes, working from dark to light with dabbing strokes; make the clumps of foliage brightest atthe top. Paint random twigs and branches into the underbrush. Scatter small leaf shapes throughout the foliage and aver the twigs to suggest detail with minimal work, On the round, start dark and build tufts of grass with drooping vertical strokes, or spots and slashes for rocks and debris. Progressively build up the color on the ground objects as you mave towards the front ofthe image. Remove the mask SIGN THE PICTURE Don't forget to lay claim to your finished piece. Fi a spot off tothe side and tag the image with you signature. It's also a good idea to in That way you'l be able to track your progres complete a growing stack of furiled art.Unnatural Colors IFyou'e trying to portray a particular species or breed, it ‘makes sense to take color inspiration from your subject ‘matter, But don't feel obligated to always stick with realistic colors. Color can also indicate that a character is unususl or fantastical, or even hint at his mood or habitat. Just because blue dogs and pink cats don't exist, it doesn't mean you can’t create them in your artwork. Remember that you're the artist when a picture calls for it, take your atistc license and use it. Fst lean pany stray pen strokes or construction Ines on your raing, Then, use. ig bu forthe ase color ofthe dogs coat ‘Bue is. cool color that eves chily imagery such a frozen ponds and snowy evenings setings fora magical character ets ice-elementa dog. Icy BLUE DOG Every color has an innate temperature: warm of cool. Reds, ‘oranges and yellows fall under the warm category. while purples, violets and blues are cool. Knowing this, you can ‘use colors to hint ata character's nature. Use reds and ‘oranges to make a magical firebird sizzle with heat, or blues and purples to indicate an icy character. 2 Build Up the Shadows ‘Choose ada: bue color fo the shadows Then, determine the ligt ‘source and place the shadows accordingly inthis example, maine thatthe suns overhead and sight othe dogs gt urinating his Side. Usa darter bue color for heauly shadowed areas ke the nook, ofthe back leg, 3 Add Special Effects Layer flecks of white cverthe-tp portion ofthe dogs coat Vary the size and hardness f thes white spots. The color and shapes ofthese fleck add tote and suggest the imagery ffeshiy ‘Blen snows fing fr pattem for an ice dog.THE MAGICALLY MAGENTA CAT Ifthe sassy, confident expression doesnt give it away that thisis a talking, fantasy cat (even normal cats act sassy and confident), one look at the pink fur and you know there's something unusual about this fuzzball y) | Apply the Base Colors 2 Add Shadows and Highlights Werk.ina basecoat of pints (r another urusisl col) over your clean Bud up the form ofthe ca with dart pk shadows ver the phi fi the arto indicate that this ne st your averagehouse cat Ukea —_Then.vorkintheremaining shadow tones Be carefilto ne up the ligtter color or the fr nf pansard tl th Fhishthe basecoat with shadowsiwhere colors traction Folowingthe direction ofthe fur add some white o ight blue for the eye wtites and ear hair smal white hgights to ge the cata fzaer texture, Work ina purple cop shadow to ground the character ad the picture complet. Rainbow Horse, houghthere 6 ent of dverstyin coloration horses are led certhy hues of brown Hack. gray tite yelow and varistors thereat Magjcalborsea.onthe other hand, cancomeinary colr—green orange, purple an so on Now thats horse ofa different color This ‘mage play wih color gredations represent thet spectrum ofthe show inthe horse cost mare ard ‘32 Use rainbow color schemes with auton oo many colors can{o0k sady Repeat some.ofthe colors, such os the bein the horseshoes, 26 nd bow tour the mage.J canadd tothe visual impact, tumi | CHAPTER 8 Perspective and Settings fet to try your hand at drawing entie scenes. characters and develop their appearances and pe raw backgrounds will enrich yo be the ic image, the setting a scene that tells aston In this chapter, well show you how to first develop a setting ciples of perspective. No need to grab a hardhat—j eraser, some paper and a ruler. Let's get building! 5 25¢mPerspective Basics Long ago. artists discovered that they could accurately *+ Vanishing points: Points on the horizon at which represent our three-dimensional world on a flat, two-dimen- perspective lines converge. You'll use one, two, three or sional plane like canwas or paper by using a technique called more vanishing points, depending on the alignment of linear perspective objects in your drawing. The three types of linear perspective you'll commonly encounter use one, two or three points. All types consist of MATERIALS LIST the following components: You'll need all the standard tools: your trusty pencil, eraser, ‘+ Horizon line: A horizontal line representing the eye level paperand coloring medium plus a ruler to assist with draw- of the viewer. ing straight lines. Additionally, a T-square isa useful tool for * Perspective lines: Lines that converge ata pointon the drawing horizontal and vertical lines horizon, Linear Perspective in Real Life Youcan obsene tnear perspective at workin realty andphotos Converging Ines re mest apparetin the hard edges of man-made structures Note how the sidewalk and road Cconcerge oa vanishing pot onthe horizon (Glue ne) inchs photo, Characters in Perspective Theis of perspective apo both back- frounds and the characters hinaitng them. Forhelpsiaiangacharactert spt rels- fonniththe background draw aboxinper spective the helt of your character then place the character inside Characters Standing ane share he same conergng Ines they ae the same helt thehorzon In wilt acreeach characterinthe same-lace (nis cane trough he 63)n0 mater how close or assyOne-Point Perspective In one-pot perspcthe, draw corner nes ‘ashe vanishing pont onthe torzon Draw heroines parleto the heron and vert