drawing tips and tricks.

eight | comic

this is just something that i found on Tumblr a while ago, and i thought it was a great guide to drawing creatures! all credits go to @/princeturts on tumblr!

"how to make mythical creatures look realistic
by @/princeturts"

"1) look at real life. the best base for any mythical creature is a real animal. i often use horses as my inspiration for dragons because the way they move has a lot of personality and lends itself to flight. and always remember to KNOW YOUR ANATOMY."

"2) everything has motion. very few things in nature are straight lines. as you're finding your style you may bend this rule, but when going for realism keep the shapes organic! (Remember! almost every part of an animal follows an 's' curve."

"3) Where's the weight? weight is essential to making a figure feel grounded. Keep in mind the heaviest and lightest parts of the figure and adjust the stance accordingly." (largest green circle= greatest weight, smallest green circle= least weight)

" 4) Copy from others!
But Turts! isn't copying stealing from others?!
There's a difference between tracing (presenting another artist's work as your own) and copying: mimicking aspects of artists that you admire to evolve your own work. if none of the previous tips are helping you, go check out what other artists are doing. I do it all the time!"

hope y'all are doing ok,
- brie