The Little Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters: More than 50 tips and techniques for drawing fantastical fairies, dragons, mythological beasts, and more
128
The Little Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters: More than 50 tips and techniques for drawing fantastical fairies, dragons, mythological beasts, and more
128Paperback
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Overview
- Western Dragon
- Eastern Dragon
- Water Dragon
- Hydra
- Centaur
- Fairy
- Minotaur
- Griffin
- Unicorn
- And more!
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633228061 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Walter Foster Publishing |
| Publication date: | 09/03/2019 |
| Series: | Little Book of ... Series , #6 |
| Pages: | 128 |
| Sales rank: | 239,607 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Kythera of Anevern is a self-taught artist who revels in the strange and unusual. She has designed a handful of logos for small businesses and contributed illustrations for various role-playing game books. She also displays her work at fantasy and animation conventions, including the annual Gathering of the Gargoyles, where she has won many awards. She received her BFA in intermedia from ArizonaStateUniversity and currentlylives in Los Angeles.
Bob Berry has been an artist, illustrator, and character and graphic designer for more than 15 years. While the mainstay of Bob Berry’s work is for children’s publishing and textbooks, Bob has also provided art and illustration for CDs, children’s games, toy packaging, and more. Visit bobberryillustration.com.
Cynthia Knox is an award-winning artist who specializes in works of traditional realism. She has authored 15 art-instructional books and teaches workshops in the United States, internationally, and on cruises. She also teaches classes online with Bluprint. Cynthia is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, a juried member of The International Guild of Realism, and a commissioned portrait artist. Her artwork is in shows and private collections and on her website at www.cynthiaknox.com. Cynthia lives in Upstate New York.
Meredith Dillman is an artist and illustrator living in Minnesota. Since childhood, she has enjoyed painting fairies, woodland creatures, and other fantasy and medieval themes in watercolor. Meredith graduated from Minnesota State University with a BFA in illustration and has been published in role-playing games, the books Watercolor Fairies, Fairy Motifs, How to Draw and Paint Fairies, and metaphysical magazines and journals.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
PART I: THE BASICS
Drawing & Shading Techniques
Here are some basic drawing and shading techniques. It's a good idea to practice these techniques before you apply them to a drawing.
Gradating This technique creates smooth, graduated values (from dark to light). Start with a soft pencil to lay down darker layers; then use harder pencils and less pressure for progressively lighter tones. Going back over the edges of your dark areas with a slightly harder pencil can help blend the shadows.
Scribbling This is a fast, effective way to shade when sketching. When applied with patience and diligence, it can also work effectively in finished drawings. Loose, light scribble lines create lighter areas, whereas thicker, darker lines define darker areas.
Hatching This shading technique involves placing several parallel lines next to one another. Lighter, widely spaced lines create lighter areas; darker, more dense lines create dark areas. You can achieve a smoother look by changing up where each line starts and stops.
Crosshatching The addition of another layer of hatching, placed at an angle, is called "crosshatching." As with hatching, lighter, widely spaced lines create light areas, whereas denser areas create darks. The direction of your lines can be used to define the shape of an object.
Blending with a Stump The bottom half of this gradated example has been blended using a blending stump. By rubbing the blending stump over the shaded areas, you can smooth the shading to create various looks.
Blending with a Chamois The bottom half of this example has been blended using a small piece of chamois leather, which is very soft and can be purchased in different sizes. Chamois squares can come in handy for blending large areas.
Erasing Erasers can be used for more than just correcting mistakes. Use a stick eraser to draw hatchmarks and a kneaded eraser to lift out graphite. Try using erasers to bring out details in shaded areas or to draw lighter shapes into dark areas.
Stippling This technique involves using small dots to define shapes and shadows. It is best done with softer, rounded pencils and without using a great deal of pressure.
Constructing Creatures
Approaching a drawing becomes a much simpler process when you begin by breaking down the subject into basic forms, or three-dimensional shapes. These simple shapes, with a little refinement, can easily become body parts for your creature. That's all there is to the first step of every drawing: sketching the shapes and developing the forms. After that, it's just a matter of connecting and refining the lines and adding details.
Beginning with Basic Shapes
When you draw the outline of your subject, you are drawing its shape. But your subject also has depth and dimension, or form. The corresponding forms of the four basic shapes — circles, rectangles, squares, and tri angles — are spheres, cylinders, cubes, and cones. Once you've learned to develop the forms of simple shapes, you'll be able to draw any subject.
Transforming Shapes into Forms Here are the four basic shapes and their respective forms. Think of the shapes as flat frontal views of the forms; when tipped, they appear as three-dimensional forms. Use ellipses to show the backs of the circle, cylinder, and cone; draw a cube by connecting two squares with parallel lines.
Starting with Shapes This is what a dragon ankle would look like rendered entirely with geometric forms. Use cylinders for the leg, a circle for the ball of the foot, and triangle shapes for the claws.
Shading for Depth Add variations of value (shading) to the basic shapes to give them form.
Final Drawing Now use these basic shapes as a guide to develop the final drawing, adding details and more shading. Although the foundational shapes have changed, you still can imagine them underneath the shading.
Transforming Basic Shapes
Here is an example of using simple shapes and forms to develop a mythological beast. In the first step, use a circle for the head, an oval for the chest, a cube for the hips, and cylinders for the arms and legs. In the next step, add more cylinders to complete the arms, legs, and neck, as well as additional squares for the hands. In the third step, build up the shapes and forms to begin refining the upper half of the body, erasing the construction lines.
Creating Textures
Practicing the techniques shown below will help you create the appearance of textures, such as scales, feathers, fur, and hair — features you'll see on the dragons, mythological beasts, and fantasy creatures throughout this book. When drawing these textures, it's helpful to use a photo for reference. For example, look at patterns on turtle shells and fish for scale inspiration!
Smooth Scales For smooth scales, first draw irregularly shaped ovals; then shade between them. Smooth scales like these are ideal for the slick skin of sea-dwelling dragons.
Fishlike Scales To depict these rounded scales, draw arcs of various sizes. Partially cover each scale with the next layer, and add a cast shadow below each to show overlap.
Rough Scales To create rough scales, draw irregular shapes that follow a slightly curved alignment. Shade darkly between the shapes; then shade over them with light, parallel strokes.
Fine Feathers For light, downy feathers, apply thin, parallel lines along the feather stems, forming a series of V shapes. Avoid crisp outlines, which would take away from the softness.
Spiny Scales For sharp, pointed scales, sketch the form with a 2H pencil, adding details with a black colored pencil. Lightly grip the pencil to create softly curving arcs for the shaped spines.
Heavy Feathers To create thicker, more defined feathers, use heavier parallel strokes and blend with a tortillon. Apply the most graphite to the shadowed areas between the feathers.
Short Hair To create short hair, make quick, overlapping hatch marks with the broad side of the pencil. For subtle wrinkles and folds in the skin, vary the values by changing the pressure on the pencil.
Smooth Hair For smooth, silky hair, use sweeping parallel pencil strokes, leaving the highlighted areas free of graphite. Alternate between the pencil tip and the broad side for variation.
Long Hair To render longer hair, use long, sweeping strokes that curve slightly, and taper the hairs to points at the ends.
Curly Hair Curly hair or fur can be drawn with overlapping circular strokes of varying values. For realism, draw curls of differing shapes and sizes, and blend your strokes to soften the look.
Rough Hair For a subtle striped pattern, apply short strokes in the direction that the hair grows. Overlap some strokes to create darker values, and keep your strokes farther apart for light areas.
Wavy Hair For layers of soft, wavy curls, stroke in S-shaped lines that end in tighter curves. Leave the highlights free of graphite and stroke with more pressure as you move to the shadows.
Creature Features
Horns, wings, feathers, fur, claws: There are a lot of features and details to consider when designing your creatures! If you're almost finished with a drawing and still feel that something is missing, consider some of these extra options.
Scales Study existing scaly creatures, such as snakes, crocodiles, and fish to get inspiration for scales. The scales above left are smooth and slick, like the belly of a snake. By keeping the shading light and blending away the edges near the lightest highlights, the scales appear to be thin and flexible, like a fish. The scales above right, however, have deep shading and are riddled with ridges, nicks, and cracks. These scales look thick and hard — the sort that would make up the armor-like plates on an old, weathered dragon.
Claws Claws come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as tigers, eagles, lizards, and dogs. Think about the type of creature you are drawing and how it might use its claws. The example above left shows how long, thick talons might look on a gargoyle's hand — useful for attacking, defending, and climbing. The middle example could be found on the toes of a dragon or harpy. Based on an eagle's talon, this claw is good for hooking and grasping. The example above right is a good all-purpose claw with ridges.
Fur and Hair When drawing short hair (above left), use medium-length strokes and avoid creating parallel rows, instead interspersing your lines and drawing them in the same general direction. Darker, denser lines can show stripes or other patterns and areas of shadow. Wiry, bristly hair (center) is drawn with short, quick pencil strokes. The long hair shown above right is good for manes and tails. Use long, smooth lines that follow the direction of hair growth. To make the hair look shiny, let some of the white paper show through in areas. Not all hair is the same length, so let some lines trail off into wisps or curls for a more natural look.
Horns You can find ideas for horns by modifying what you see in nature. Many animals have horns that are fantastically exotic, but something standard, like the curled ram horns above left, also works nicely for a range of fantasy creatures. Adding twists to smooth horns, as in the middle example, creates a refined look. In the above-right example, growth ridges can blend into smooth horn tips, creating a look that is both rough and dignified.
Leathery Wings Wings are, essentially, a second pair of arms and hands. The bones are thin and elongated, but the basic structure matches that of human hands and arms. Bats are the primary living example of this in that their forelimbs are their wings. In the example above, compare the "fingers" of the wing to the splayed fingers in the hand. Note that both limbs have a wrist, an elbow, a shoulder, and even a thumb.
Feathered Wings Bird wings are also similar to human arms and hands. Unlike leathery wings, the "fingers" of a feathered wing are fused together. The feathers make up the bulk of the wing and give it shape. Though feathers can be intimidating, you don't need to draw every individual feather. Emphasize the long feathers along the outer edge of the wing and use less definition for the smallest feathers on the top layer.
Expressive Wings Wings are a means of expressing a creature's thoughts and feelings through body language. In this example, the dragon on the right is agitated, spreading his wings to make himself look bigger and more intimidating. The dragon on the left is cowed by the other dragon's display of aggression and is tucking his wings in close in a non-threatening pose.
Folded Wings When not in flight, creatures usually fold their wings to keep them out of the way. Folded wings can be held close to the body, or simply held low and relaxed. The membrane of wings — as with bats — is usually stretchy, even when relaxed.
Open Wings When wings are open, the membrane between the wing fingers stretches and is pulled tight. Some folds are present. Note that the edge of the membrane has a smoother arc where it stretches between the wing fingers, instead of the steep arc that occurs with folded wings.
CHAPTER 2PART II: DRAGONS
Western Dragon
Dragons originating in Western mythology have four legs, long necks, a thick body, and batlike wings, which don't grow until adulthood. The traditional meal for a Western dragon is a sheep, an ox, or a human — consumed monthly. The Western dragon usually is a malevolent, fire-breathing creature that lives underground and hoards treasure.
Step One
Use a 2H pencil to construct simple shapes, such as cylinders, cubes, and cones, and a general outline of the dragon.
Step Two
Develop the contour lines around the basic shapes with a 2H pencil. Add the eye, teeth, beard, and horns. When happy with the basic drawing, erase the construction lines.
Step Three
Use a 2B pencil to begin the tonal rendering, establishing two textures right away — the hard, rough texture of the dragon's skin and the leathery, thin surface of its wings.
Step Four
Darken the far wing to give it a lower contrast and push it back into the picture, providing a sense of distance. Then shade down the top of the head, detailing the pupil, brow, and nostril. Go over some of the teeth to darken them.
Step Five
Continue to shade the body adding "cracked" scales that follow the form. Shade inside the mouth, making the back of the mouth the darkest area.
Step Six
Shade the rest of the dragon's body, except the belly. Draw short horizontal lines from the top of the neck down toward the belly to indicate ridges. Then continue the scales down the front legs and refine the lionlike paws.
Step Seven
Finish shading the front of the dragon, adding more horizontal ridges to the belly. Then shade inside the wings, creating the veins with a blunt, rounded 2B pencil. Then detail the veins with a sharp 2B. Draw sharp claws on three of the paws and shade the beard, adding curved lines to show its form. Clean up any errant pencil marks with a vinyl eraser; use the same eraser to lift out highlights on the teeth and horns.
Eastern Dragon
Eastern dragons are described as having a mane of feathers, tiger paws, antlers, eagle claws, carp scales, bull ears, rabbit eyes, and a snake body. Traditionally, most Eastern dragons are water dragons. Many of them lack wings and do not breathe fire. A benevolent creature, the Eastern dragon's power comes from the pearl it holds.
Step One
Use an HB pencil to sketch the body, including the S-shaped neck, the curled torso, and the thin, curved tail.
Step Two
Add the front legs, feet, mouth, and eye. Draw a circle for the pearl. Notice how the beast's head looks like a duck at this stage.
Step Three
Draw the antlers at the back of the head, the ear, and the wispy mane on the side of the face. Next draw the giant nose. Add sharp teeth and a large tongue inside the mouth. Extend the choppy mane around the mouth and draw the rest of the details around the nose, eye, and mouth.
Step Four
Refine the rest of the body. Make the limbs short and pudgy, adding spikes of skin at the joints. Then add sharp claws to the feet, and draw the back foot that grasps the pearl. Add ridges to the dragon's torso and the underside of the tail. Erase any unnecessary lines.
Step Five
Draw a scale pattern starting at the back of the head and extending to the dragon's right foreleg. To make the scales look fishlike, use medium-sized U shapes. Begin shading the nose, around the eye, and the area near the mane. Shade the iris and add the dark pupil, leaving a large highlight.
Step Six
Continue the scale pattern along the rest of the tail, including the tip. Then shade inside the mouth. Darken the outlines of the teeth, making them more prominent. Next shade the mane and the scales on the torso and the underside of the tail.
Step Seven
To give the dragon an entirely different scale pattern on the limbs, use a simple crosshatching technique. Continue the pattern onto the front limbs. Then begin to add definition to the pearl. Build up tones there very softly, so it looks smooth in comparison with the rough, scaly dragon. Using a vinyl eraser, remove any stray marks and clean the area around the image. Darken the final tones along the torso and fill in the claws, leaving a highlight on each one.
Wyvern
The wyvern is a carnivorous, energetic beast that usually possesses two legs, batlike wings, and a barbed tail. It does not have arms. This creature was popular as a heraldic icon in the medieval period.
Step One
With a 3H pencil, sketch the basic shapes that make up the wyvern. Using a horizontal facial guideline, place the eye. Then draw a pointed beak and a whiplike tail.
Step Two
Continuing with the basic shapes, add two large, angular wings, a pair of curled legs, and spikes along the head and at the end of the tail. Add a finlike ear that is reminiscent of the wings. Then draw the lower jaw, adding a long, curled tongue. Refine the eye a bit and add a large nostril.
Step Three
Focusing on the head, extend the eye and add small, sharp teeth. Change the shape of the tongue a bit and give it a forked tip. Refine the spikes on top of the head, adding ridges where they protrude from the head. Then refine the ear.
Step Four
Add definition, and connect the base of the wing to the body. Refine the legs, using the basic shapes to create their forms. Add a claw to the foot; then draw a line to delineate the front of the tail. Erase any unwanted lines.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Little Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction Tools & MaterialsPart I: The Basics Drawing & Shading Techniques Constructing Creatures Creating Textures Creature FeaturesPart II: Dragons Western Dragon Eastern Dragon Wyvern Wyrm Water Dragon Hydra Sui RiuPart III: Fantasy Creatures Centaur Fairy Minotaur Satyr Griffin UnicornPart IV: Color Applications Tools & Materials Dragon in Marker Pegasus in Colored Pencil & Marker Snow Fairy in Colored Pencil Wisteria Fairy in WatercolorAbout the AuthorsRelated Subjects
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