The Explorerâ€™s Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures

TheEXPLORER’SGUIDEtoDRAWINGFANTASY

CREATURES

byEMILYFIEGENSCHUH

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTERONE

ExploringtheBasicsWorkspaceandToolsConstructingCreatures

DrawingDynamicGesturesOutfittingYourCreatureFeaturesHumanBodiesandProportion

PerspectiveForeshortening

Pencil-RenderingTechniquesUsingColor

CHAPTERTWO

CreatingYourCreatureFindingInspirationUsingReference

SketchingDesigning

SilhouetteValueDevelopingPersonalityFinalizingYourCreature

CHAPTERTHREECreaturesofMyth

ChimeraDemoChimeraHeadsMiniDemo

GlassDragonDemoLeatheryWingsMiniDemo

MinotaurDemoMonsterHandsMiniDemo

HydraDemoSphinxDemo

SphinxFaceMiniDemo

CHAPTERFOURCreaturesoftheWaterPaintedMarshNymphDemo

SeaSerpentDemoFinsMiniDemo

LivingIslandDemoTreesandRocksMiniDemo

CHAPTERFIVECreaturesoftheLand

Venom-SpittingSandDragonDemoForestBehemothDemoCrownedIbakDemo

CostumesandAccessoriesSaddleMiniDemo

MarmokenWarriorDemo

CHAPTERSIXCreaturesoftheSky

PancakeGliderDemoHook-LeggedBodeoDemoFeatheredWingsMiniDemo

FlyingFishDemoLanternBatDemo

LanternBatPaintingDemo

INDEXABOUTTHEAUTHORACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WhatYouNeed

Surface

140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperacid-freeartpaper

Gouachepigments

AlizarinCrimson,Burnt Sienna,BurntUmber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,IvoryBlack,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle,Permanent White, Permanent Yellow Deep, Prussian Blue, Raw Umber,ScarletLake,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

Brushes

nos.000,18/0linersnos.4,8,12,24roundsnos.0,10/0,4,6,10shadersnos..5,1,1.5washes

eraser

penpencilspraybottlestraightedge

BonusMaterials

Getabonusdemoandfreedesktopwallpaperathttp://ExplorersGuide.impact-books.com.Freedownloadswhenyousignupforour

newsletteratimpact-books.com.

Introduction

Fantasysparkstheimagination.Fantasystoriesdrawfromtraditionalmythologyandfairytalesandoften

explore themes important to the real world in an otherworldly setting.While fantasy talesmay transport us to differentworlds, they informourownworldaswell.Theyalsocanbesimplyawonderfulway topass thetime,tofindacreativeoutletthroughthingsthatdon’texistinthismundaneworld.Chancesare,ifyou’vepickedupthisbookyou’reacreativepersonwho

lovesartandfantasysettings–andmostimportantly,fantasycreatures!Whynottagalongonafantasyartadventure?This book will be your study guide as we follow our friend Paki to

discoversomeamazingcreaturesintheirnaturalhabitats.Fromcrittersthatglidethroughtheairtodangerousbehemothsthatlurkbeneaththesea,thelandscapeisteemingwithuniquelife.Togetherwe’lltakearecordofthesefascinatingbeings,makingsketchesandjottingdownnotestofindoutjustwhatmakesthemtick.

Thisvolumecanbeused inmanyways: as step-by-step instruction fordrawingtheindividualfantasycreaturesPakidiscoveredonhisadventures,as aguide to importantbasic concepts and techniquesapplicableacrossawiderangeofartgenres,orasasteppingstonetoyourowncreations.It’salluptoyou!If you’ve ever longed to escape from the ordinary world to explore a

fancifulrealm,seeexcitingnewplaces,anddiscoverstrangespecies, takethis book with you, bring your sketchbook and get ready to let yourimaginationbeyourguideasyoudrawsomeastonishingcreatures.

CHAPTERONE

ExploringtheBasics

Beforeyoudiveheadlongintobrainstormingabevyofbeasts,it’sgoodto familiarize yourself with some artistic tools and tips. Knowledge ofimportantbasicssuchasanatomy,proportionandperspectivewillgoalongwaytowardhelpingyoudesignbelievablecreatures.Thehelpful lessons in thischapterwillguideyou through thecreature-

drawingprocess, fromsimpleandexpressivegesturedrawings todetailedfinished artwork.Checkout the tips on theprocess of design so that youcan let your imagination runwild exploring your own creature creations.Grabyourfavoriteartsuppliesandsomepaper.You’llbedrawingfantasticcreaturesbeforeyouknowit!

WorkspaceandTools

Workspace

Yourworkspacecanbeanywhere–yourfavoritechair,thekitchentable,awellappointeddrawingdeskorevenoutside.Themostimportantthingisthatit’saplaceyoufeelcomfortable.Ifyouuselotsofsuppliesandreferencematerials,youmightneedtoset

up a special place, like a little art studio. Choose a room with as muchnatural light as possible.Try to keepyourworkspace tidy andorganized,though this isn’t always realistic. Studio clutter is often inverselyproportionatetotheamountoftimeleftuntiladeadline!

PencilsandPens

Pencilsandpenscreateavarietyofdifferenteffectsdependingon thetechniqueyouuse–andtheycanbecarriedanywhere.Mechanicalpencilsareusefulwhenyou’reonthego,asyoudon’tneed

tocarryapencilsharpener.Theleadcomesinseveraldiameters.Traditionalwoodenpencilsaregreatforrenderinganddifferenttypesof

marks.Theyrangefromsoft(B)tohard(H)leads.Softleadsaregreatforrough sketches and gestures as they make dark marks with less effort,leavingmoregraphitebehindonthepaper.Hardleadsmakelightermarks,easierforfineandtechnicalworkorforlayingsomethinginverylightly.Inkpenscomeinmanyshapesandstyles.Traditionalpennibsusedwith

Indiainkcanallowforavarietyoflinewidthswithjustonenib.Technicalpensareavailableinseveraldifferenttipdiametersthatcreate

lines of varying weight. These are easy for drawing on the go, but you

mightneedtocarryseveral.

Erasers

Kneaded erasers are the most versatile and so are essential to yourtoolkit.Theycanbestretchedandshapedforerasingindifferentareas.Youcan also “draw” with them, cutting areas of negative space into yourdrawingorpullinghighlightsoutofashadedarea.

White plastic erasers erase very cleanly and are good for obliteratingdarklinesonpaper.Thedrawbackisthattheyleavecrumbsbehind.

Paperiscategorizedbysurfacetextureandweight,whichreferstothethicknessofthepaper.Newsprint isacheapoption for studies.Someartistsprefer thesmooth

surfaceofsimpleprinterpaper.Bristolboardisgreatforpenandink.Ifyoulike todrawonthegoorenjoycurlingupinachairwithyourartwork,asketchbookisagreatoption.There are many types of painting surfaces, from hot-and cold-pressed

watercolorpaper,toillustrationboard,tocanvas.Thepaintingsinthisbookwerecreatedon140-lb.(300gsm)Archescold-pressedwatercolorpaper,a

medium-thickness paperwith a slightly rough texture that is able to holdheavyamountsofwaterandpaint.

Most of the color artwork in this bookwas painted using gouache, aspecial type of opaque watercolor paint. Gouache is water based, so nosolvents or paint thinners are needed. It dries quickly and can be thinneddownwithwatertocreatewashes,orappliedinthicklayerswithverylittlemoistureadded.PopularbrandsincludeWinsor&NewtonandHolbein.

Brushes

Brushesarecategorizedbasedonthetypeofpainttobeused,diameterorwidth,andbrushtipshape.Flatsandshadersareusedtoblockinlargeareasofapainting.Roundandlinerbrushescometoapointandareused

fordetailwork.Iprefertousesyntheticwatercolorbrushes.

Palette

Agoodpaletteisimportantformixingpaint.Whitepalettesallowyoutomostaccuratelygaugethecolorsyou’remixing.Metalbutchertraysareeasytoclean,providealargemixingsurfaceandhavehighedgessopaintwon’t run off the sides. These can be found at well-stocked art supplystores. White plastic palettes with wells are good for watercolor andgouache artists. Disposable paper palettes are great for on-the-go oil andacrylicpainters.

Extras

There are a variety of extras you can use for your art-making. Dabpieces of sponge in paint to create textures for rocks and trees. Splatterpaintonpaperwithatoothbrushforeffectslikewaterspray,astarryskyorsandytextures.Sprinklesaltonwetwatercolorforapebbly,roughtexture.

MyWorkspace

Mystudiospaceconsistsofadrawingtablewithasplitadjustabletop,a flexible daylight combo lamp, and various shelves anddrawers to holdmy books, reference materials and art supplies. There is also a flat filecabinettostorepaintingsanddrawingsandimportantpaperworkforassignments.

ConstructingCreatures

Oneofthemostimportanttechniquesthisbookwillshowyouishowtobuild up your creatures using basic shapes. If you imagine shapes as thebuildingblocksofyourcreations’bodies,youwillbebetter able todrawthemindifferentposesandfrommanyangles.

BuildingBlocksUsebasicshapes tocreateyourcreatures.Steps like thesewillguideyouthroughthebook.

DrawingDynamicGestures

Thegesturedrawingisaquicksketchmeanttoputthefeelingofaposedownonpaper.Itisthefoundationofyourcreature.Gesturedrawingsareaboutmovementandaction.Themoreyouexaggerate thepose, themorelifeyourdrawingwill retainasyoubegin to tighten itupandadddetails.It’sOKtoscribbleand“find”yourlinesasiffreeingyourcreaturefromthepaper.

StrikeaPoseIf you think you’ve got an energetic pose, push it even more. It’s OK ifwhateveryouaredrawingwouldn’trealisticallybendorstretchthatway.The beauty of art is that you can alter reality to capture a viewer’simagination.

Thedrawingontheleftcouldbeexaggeratedmore.Theanglesuseddistract from and break up the flow of the action. The shapes andanglesofthedrawingontherightfollowasweepingactionline.

ActionLinesAction linesareessential togoodgesturedrawing.Manycartoonistsandanimatorsbasetheirdrawingsaroundsuchalineofaction.

TIPSFOROUTSTANDINGGESTURES

Emphasizeangles

FollowaboldactionlineSuggestmovementthroughhair,furor

clothingPayattentiontodistributionofweight

OutfittingYourCreatureFeatures

Thefoundationfordrawingfantasycreaturescomesfromthefantasticreal-lifecreatureswealreadyknow.Takinginspirationfromnaturecanaddrealism to your ideas and designs and helps to make even the mostunbelievablecreaturesbelievable.

AnimalBodiesAnimals’bodiescomeinallkindsofshapesandsizes.Hereareafewbasicvertebrateanimalbodiestoinspireyourcreations.

GetaLegUpWhendrawinganimals,keepinmindwhetherthatanimalisplantigradeordigitigrade. Plantigrade means the animal walks on the soles of the feetfromtoestoheel,likeahuman.Digitigrademeanstheanimalwalksonitstoes,ordigits.Someofthem,likemanyhoofedmammals,actuallywalkontheirtiptoes.Whatmightappeartobeabackwardsbendingkneeontheseanimalsisreallytheirankle.

FacesOne of themost engaging features of your creaturewill be its face. Liketheir bodies, animals faces come in an unbelievable variety, each withadaptationsuniquetotheirbehavior,socialstructureandenvironment.

FeetandFlippersYoucanhavea lotof fundesigningwild feet for your creature.Vary thenumberoflimbsandtoes,orthesizesandshapesofclawsandpaws.Thinkabout the environment your creature lives in and why it might need acertaintypeofhands,feetorflippers.

EYESPY

Eyesonthesideoftheheadgivethecreaturea

wider rangeof vision towatchout for predators,while eyes in front allow for better depthperception.Thismayhelpyoudecidesomethingsaboutyourcreature’sbehavior,butdon’tletitstopyoufromdrawingfoureyes, teneyes,compoundeyes–anyeyesthatlendthemselvestoaone-of-a-kindcreature!

HumanBodiesandProportion

Althoughthisbookisaboutdrawingfantasycreatures,it’sstillagoodideatohavesomebasicknowledgeofhumananatomyandproportion.Youcanapplythatknowledgetodrawinghumanoidmonsters.Humans range in height andproportion fromabout 6½ tomore than 8

“heads”tall.Tomeasureinheads,dividethebodyinhalfatthehipsocketorpubicbone.Pointsofreferenceonthebodyareallaboutahead’slengthapart:thenippleline,bellybutton,hipsocket/pubicbone,mid-thighs,kneesandankles.

MeasuringUpThisdrawingshowswhatmightbeconsidereda“heroically”proportionedpersonatjustover8headstall.

FacialProportionsIt’s also a good idea to have a foundation in drawing human heads andfaces.

It’s useful for placement of facial features to divide the head in halfverticallywithacenterline.Almost halfwaydown thehead is thehorizontal lineuponwhich theeyesareplaced.Dividethelowerhalfofthefaceintothirdswithtwomorehorizontallinesforthenoseandmouth.Asageneralrulewhendrawingaperson’shead, the topof theearswilllineupwiththeeyesandthebottomoftheearswilllineupwiththenose.Theeyesareaboutoneeye-widthapart.

ChangingPerspectivesThefeaturesofthefacewilllookdifferentatdifferentangles.Withenoughpractice,youwillbeabletomastereventhetrickiestperspectives!

FunWithExaggerationRememberallthoseproportionruleswejusttalkedabout?Nowit’stimetobreakthoserules,oratleastbendthemalittlebit!

Perspective

Perspectiveistherepresentationofathree-dimensionalspaceonaflatsurface. Without perspective, art can appear flat and lifeless. (Not thatthere’s anything wrong with that, if that’s what you’re going for!) Theillusionofspacecanbeshowninmanyways.Objectsclosertotheviewerare drawn larger while those in the distance will appear smaller. Whenobjectsoverlaponeanother,asenseofspaceiscreatedbetweenthem.

SideViewThis viewoffersminimal illusion of three-dimensional space.We still getsome sense of space from the overlap of the dragon’s wings and theplacementofthelegsandtailonthegroundplane.Thedrawingisflatsothefocusisovertheentireimageratherthanaparticularpoint.Thisviewisusefulwhenyouwant to showa lotof information,especially if you’redesigningacreature.

Three-QuarterViewThisviewofthesamedragonoffersmorethree-dimensionaldepth,givingasensethatthedragoniscomingatyou.Placingthehindlegshigheronthegroundplaneextendsthebodybackintospace.Thebodyisforeshortened,drawnasiftheshapesfromfronttobackarestackedbehindoneanother.The overlap of the head over the wing pops the head out from thebackground.Thedragon’sfacebecomesthefocalpointbecauseitappearscloser.

ATMOSPHERICPERSPECTIVE

Useatmosphericperspective tocreateasenseofdistancebychanging

thesaturationandvalueofanobject.Youcanalsosoften theedgesofanobjecttopushitbackinspace.

Foreshortening

Foreshortening is the illusion that an object appears shorter than itactually is as it tilts away from the viewer’s eye. Learning how to drawthese squished shapes can be tricky, but it’s an important tool to use tocreatethesensethatyourcreaturesareturninginspace.

ForeshorteningFacialFeaturesTheshapeofthedragon’sheadchangesasitturnstowardandawayfromtheviewer.Thelengthofthesnoutisshortenedandtheshapesofthefaceappeartostackontopofoneanother.

Pencil-RenderingTechniques

The timewill comewhenyouneed todecidehowyouwant to finishyourdrawing.Youmight like the lookofaclean linedrawing,where theinterestcomesfromtheposeanddetails rather thanshading.Perhapsyouplan to paint your drawing, andwant to save the rendering for the colorstage. If you do choose to render your pencil drawing, here are sometechniquestohelpyou.

ShowingFormWithPencil

Hatchingseriesoflinesmadenexttoeachother

Crosshatchinghatchmarkscrisscrossingoveroneother

Stipplingseriesofdotsplacedclosetogetherorfaraparttoindicatevaryingvalues

BlendedToneverytightcirclesmadewithapencil,blendedwithblendingstumporfinger

RandomHatchLineshaphazardmarksofvariouslengthanddirection,goodforcreatingatexturedappearance

Crosshatching

BlendedTone

HatchingPlusTexture

LineWeightVarying your line weight creates more interest in a drawing. Thinner,

lighter lines recede. Thicker, darker lines come forward in space. Theydraw the eyeandemphasizepart of adrawing.Youcanalso suggest thetextureofaformwithlineweight.

UsingColorColor is one of your most powerful tools. It can affect a viewer’s

emotions and set themood for your piece of artwork.A bright splash ofcolor can be used to draw attention to an area of a muted, desaturatedpainting. Warm colors seem to vibrate right off the canvas, while coolcolorsmaybringawaveofcalmoveranobserver.Consider what role you want color to play when creating a creature.

Perhapshesportsbright,beautifulcolorstoattractothersofhiskind,ortowarnpredatorsthatheispoisonousandshouldn’tbemessedwith.Acritterthatneedstoblendintohersurroundingscouldbecamouflagedbycolorsorpatternsthatmimicthelocalenvironment.

ColorWheelA color wheel can help you plan out a color scheme for your image,whetherit’sacomplementary,analogousormonochromaticpalette.

ComplementaryHighcontrastschemeusingcolorsoppositeoneanotheronthecolorwheel.Colorsintensifyandpopoutfromoneanother.

AnalogousUse colors right next to each other on the wheel for a pleasing andharmoniouscombination

MonochromaticSimpleschemeusingtintsandshadesofthesamecolor.

ColorSchemesColorschemesareagoodwaytoplanoutaninterestingcolorcombinationforacreatureoranillustration.

ShowingFormWithPaintWith transparent mediums such as gouache and watercolor, value andcolorareoftenbuiltupinlayers.Watercolorpaintsarebuiltupfromlight

to dark. The same technique is useful with gouache, but because of itsability to be used opaquely, you don’t have to follow this rule quite soclosely.

TECHNIQUETIP

Agoodtechniquewhilepainting(oftenusedwithoilpaints)istokeep

theshadowareastransparentandthebrightestpartsofthepaintingopaque.

CHAPTERTWO

CreatingYourCreature

Now thatyou’vepracticed someof thebasics, it’s time toapplyyourhard work to the creation of your very own fantasy beasts. You mightalreadyhaveaconcreteideaforyourcreaturecreation.That’sgreat!Butifyouhaveawholebunchofideasswimmingaroundinyourheadthatyou’dliketoorganizeintoacoherentcritter,followingsomestepsmayhelpyoutocreateastrongerimagerather thanjumpinginheadfirstwithyourfinalcomposition.While therearenoabsolute rules thatmustbeobeyedwhencomingupwithyourideas,thisdesignprocessmayhelpyou.

FindingInspiration

Inspirationcomesinmanyforms.Youmightbeenergizedbywatchingyourfavoritemovieorfeelcompelledtocreatewhenlisteningtoamovingpiece ofmusic.Perhaps youhave absorbed some influences that enhanceyour work without even knowing it. Many artists are inspired by fellowartists,eithertheircontemporariesoroldmasters.Oryoumightdeliberatelyseek out inspiration for a specific project. Whatever the case, taking amoment tofindcreativeworks thatenergizeyoucanhelp jump-startyourideas.

Brainstorming

Ifyou’restuck,putyourpenciltopapersomehow,someway.Whetheryou’redrawingorwriting,justscribblingwillbegintoyieldsomekernelofan idea, no matter how small. If you’re working on a particular type ofcreature, list features you think you might want it to have. If you’reworkingonamorecomplicatedproject,youcouldconnectyour thoughtsby making one of those uber-exciting spider-web diagrams you mightrememberfromcreativewritingclassatschool.Whateverworks!

Real-WorldInspirationTo truly bring your fantasy creature to life, you have to convince yourviewertobelieveinit.Takinginspirationfromrealanimalsintheirnaturalsettingswillhelpyou.

UsingReference

Theabilitytopictureformsinyourheadandtranslatethemfaithfullytopaperispartofwhatmakesyouanartist.Buildupavisuallibraryinyourmind to help translate your ideas into tangible images.Use reference forthosethingsyoucan’tpictureaseasilyinyourhead.Usingreferenceisnotcheating.Youcan’tremembereverythingyou’ve

everseen,orknowwhateverythingthathaseverexisted(orneverexisted)looks like. Taking the knowledge you gained from your reference andapplying it to a fantasy creature will make your work better and yourcreaturemorebelievable.Reference is everywhere. It can be anything you learn from visually.

Draw studies from life using animal or humanmodels. Look through artand photo books and collect pictures frommagazines. Pose in front of amirror and sketch, or ask a friendor familymember to pose for you andtake some photos. Many artists keep a file of photos and magazineclippingsforuseasreferencelater.Obviouslynoonecangoouttosometrans-dimensionalsavannahtotake

pictures of unicorns in their natural habitat. The most important part ofcreature creation happens in your imagination. Using reference is likeputting a puzzle together in your head. When designing a creature, payattention to how an animal’s bodyworks, moves and looks from certainangles.

TheReferenceDon’tfeelcompelledtocopythereferenceexactly.Trueartcomesfromthewayyou interpret the imagesby injectingemotionanddynamism into thepiece.

TheResult

Whilethephotosofthereptileswerenotcopieddirectly,theyinspiredthelookofthisVenom-SpittingSandDragon’sscales,frillsandstumpylegs.

REFERENCE

Do’s

Usephotosordrawstudiesfromlife Keepafileofpicturesthatinspireyou Collectreferencefromasmanysourcesaspossible Useyour

imaginationtoenhanceyourreferenceDon’tsTraceanotherartist’sorphotographer’swork

Copyaphotodirectlywithoutthecopyright

owner’spermission Copybadorconfusing

reference

Sketching

Nowthatyou’regoodandinspired,it’stimetoputpenciltopaperandstartworkingonyourdesigns.Theroughsketchstageisoneoftheearlieststepsofthedesignprocess.

This is the part where your imagination will shine as you scribble outforms.Usesomeoftheideasyoubrainstormedearlier.Sketchthemdownon paper quickly. Let your ideas flow from one to the next. Keep yourdrawingssmallandmanageable.Thiswillhelpyoutogetalotofideasonpaperinashortamountoftime.Here you should be concentrating on the shape and form of your

creature.Roughsketchescanbetinythumbnailsshowingshape,proportionand pose, or close-ups of a part of a creature to figure out a particularfeature.

PlayWithFeatures

Noticehowdifferenteach face is fromthenextbasedmostlyonchangingtheplacementandproportionofthefacialfeatures.

ExperimentWithBodyStructureThese rough sketches work out the basic shape and posture of thischaracter’sbody.

ANEWPERSPECTIVE

Try flipping your drawing by holding it in

frontofamirrororholdingituptoabrightlightor awindow to look through the back. (You canachieve the samemirror-image effect by flippingthe canvas in Photoshop® if that’s your tool ofchoice.)Thistrickmighthelpyoutonoticeshapesyoudidn’tseebeforeandleadtonewideas.Thistechniqueisalsousedtofindmistakeslaterinthedrawingstage.Grabbing a sheet of tracing paper and

overlayingvariationstoyourdesigncanoffernewinsights,too.

MixItUpIfyouhavemultipleideasforfeaturesonyourcreature,takesometimetovisualizethem.HereIwantedtotryoutseveralsizesandshapesofhornsfor the chimera. The double-horn sketch came aboutwhen Iwas playingwithoverlappingcopied-and-pastedhornsinPhotoshop.Thesamecanalsobedonewithtracingpaper.

LetYourCreativityFlowLetyourbrainoverflowontothepaper.Letyourhandglidefromoneideatothenextasyouwork.Youwilloftenfindthatashapeoracertaindetailfromonedrawingleadsintoanewideaonthenext.Feelfreetoalternatebetweensketchesofthebody,faceoranyotherfeaturesyoulike.Youwillendupwithagreatpageofideasthatyoucanreferbacktoanytime.

Designing

Nowthatyou’vebecomefamiliarwithroughsketches,let’smoveontotheprocessofdrawinganddesigningourfriendlylittleguide,Paki.

SketchIdeasI had a general idea of where I wanted to go with our guide critter. Iwantedhim to look intelligent, energeticandexpressive.Heneeded tobeable towriteanddraw, so I knewheneededopposable thumbs. I triedafew different ideas, but kept returning to a lemur-like primate. Thevariationsonthisbodyshapegiveaninklingofthefinaldesigninsomeofthesedrawings.

ChooseaLookTheroughsketchIselected.

HEADSUP

Ifyougetstuckwhiledesigningyourcreature,

one of the bestways to get unstuck is to draw abunch of creature heads. It can be hard to get afeelforacreatureifyouhaven’tyetdefinedhisorher personality. Drawing the face will help youshape your creature’s attributes, and might leadyoumorequicklytoideasthatechothosefeaturesovertherestofthebody.TherewereavarietyofideasItriedwhencomingupwithalookforPaki.

SilhouetteValue

A great technique to assess the strength of your creature design is totakealookatthesilhouette.Blockoutallthelittledetailsofyourdrawingand look at the outline of the form you have created. How well does it“read?”Thatis,howeasyisittodecodetheshapeofthecreatureandknowinstantlywhatitis?Nature has equipped the eyes of animals (including humans) with the

abilitytoeasilypickoutshapesinanenvironment,whichiswhystripesandspotsaresohelpfultoanimals.Thepatternshelpbreakuptheshapeofthesilhouettesothatit’sharderforpredatorstoseparatetheshapeoftheirpreyfrom other shapes around it, and harder for prey animals to detect thepredatorsstalkingthem.Usethistendencytosearchforasilhouettedshapetoyourcreativeadvantage.

CrispandClearItisclearinstantlythatthisisadragon.Noticetheboldshapesofthehead,wingsand tail.Negativespaceseparating the legsclearly illustrates theirshapeandshowswheretheyattachtothebody.

PakiThis silhouette of our guide reveals an iconic triangular shape to hisdesign.

AvoidConfusingSilhouettesCan you tell what this creature is? Me neither! There is not enoughnegativespacetohelpbreakuptheshapeandallowtheeyetodecodewhatisthere.

UseNegativeSpaceBringingthearmsawayfromthebodycreatesnegativespacebetweenthetorso and the arms. With a simple change to the drawing, we instantlyunderstandtheshapeofthebody.

MANYTECHNIQUESAIDDESIGN

Using well-defined silhouettes is not a hard

andfastrule.Whendoinganillustration,therearemanyways to focus a viewer’s eye on the storyyou’re trying to tell. Value, color, compositionand many other nifty artistic terms factor into agreat piece of art. Silhouette is just one ofmanytechniquestohelpyoucreateastrongdesign.

DevelopingPersonality

Your creature’s personality and the way he lives his life are just asimportantashislooks.Youcandefinepersonalitythroughtheuseoffacialexpressions,bodylanguageandbehavior.

Habitat

Thinkaboutwhatadaptationsyourcreaturemightneedtosurviveintheplace where he makes his home. Adaptations can include all kinds offeatures,frombodyshapetocolorandpatterntobehavior.Creaturesthatliveonavastopenplainmightbebuiltforrunning.They

maywalklongdistancesandusespeedorstaminatocapturepreyorevadepredators. Or theymight be beings that burrow undergroundwith a vastnetworkoftunnelswheretheyhidefrompredatorsandstorefood.Acritterthatlivesinadarkenvironmentlikeacavemightnothaveany

needforeyes,butwillneedothersensoryorgansthatdon’trequirelighttomaketheirwayinthedark.

Animalsarebuilttosurvive,andfindingfoodis,ofcourse,ahugepartoftheirsurvival.Herbivorousanimalsmighthaveadaptationsforgrazingonthegroundor

up in the trees, andmouths adapted to grinding andbreakingopen toughfoods. They also need good defense mechanisms for escaping theirpredators.Meat-eating animals are often built for speed or ambush. If they can’t

chasedowntheirprey,theyneedtobeabletosnatchunsuspectingvictims.

Mostpredatorshavesharpteethandstrongjaws,butsomemightkillwithvenomorotherscarysecretionsthatcanincapacitateorevendissolvetheirprey.

YouAreWhatYouEatDietplaysabigpartofthephysicalmakeupofacreature.

HomeSweetHomeWhere does your creature live? Is the climate harsh ormild?Give yourcreaturewhateveradaptationshewillneedtosurviveinhisenvironment.

Behavior

Animals have developed many ways of living. Some remain solitarythroughoutmostoftheirlives,andothersliveingroups,workingtogetherto collect food, raise young or keep close for protection. Some animalspecies have evendeveloped their owndistinct cultural behavior, such asdiscoveringwaysofcrackingopennutsandpassingthosetechniquesfromadults to the young, that might not exist in another group of the samespecieslivinginadifferentarea.Thinkaboutthetypeofsocialbehavioryourcreaturemighthave.Maybe

he’s part of a fully developed culture that includes music, language andwriting,likeourfriendPaki.

Movement

A huge part of imbuing your creaturewith life is through the use ofbody language and expression. Draw your creature with distinctmannerisms unique to them. Think about how youmight depict thewayyour creature moves and what that says about his personality. Pose andposturecanconvincinglyindicatehisemotionalstate.

Laughing

Surprised

Dejected

Confident

Terrified

ExpressYourselfThemostexpressivepartsofafacearetheeyesandmouth.Youcanalsoconveyalotoffeelingwithacreature’sears.Manyanimalscommunicatethroughthepositioningoftheirears.

FinalizingYourCreature

Use your favorite aspects from your rough sketches and studies todevelopafinisheddrawingofyourcreature.

FinalLineArtThis is Paki’s final design with all the details of his costume. ThecombinationofhandcraftedandmanufacturedaccessoriesshowsthatPakihasmixedandmatcheddifferentitemshecollectedduringhistravels.

SideViewAflatsideviewwillhelpyouputeverythinginitsplacewithouthavingtoworryaboutforeshorteningortrickyperspectives.

ColorStudiesOnceyou’vefinishedyourhardworkatthedrawingstage,youmightwanttocoloryourcreature.Maybeyouknewfromthebeginningwhatcolorheshould be, but if not, it can be helpful to try a fewdifferent optionswithsome quick color studies. Color studies are about trying different colorcombinations, not about producing a perfectly rendered finished piece ofart.

Manyartistsdocolorstudiesinthesamemediumasthefinalart.IusedPhotoshopinthiscasebecauseit’sfastandeasytolaydownbigblocksofcolor.

PakiPaki is a spiral-tailed glider who lives in a complex societal group that

makes its home in the rainforest. Evolutionary cousins to the pancakeglider, they live on the same continent. Paki and his friends are verycomfortable high in the forest canopy, and are adept at climbing andswinging from tree to tree.Through the use of strong, stretchy skin flapsunderneath the arms, and aprehensile tail that canopen like aparachute,Pakiisabletoglideshortdistances.Heandhis fellowspiral-tailedglidersprepare theirmealswith fruit, nuts, leafy vegetation, bugs and grubs. They craft their ownclothing and accessories. Tame pancake gliders might be found hangingaround the spiral tails’ forest villages begging for food, and they aresometimes kept as pets. Paki enjoys adventuring and records hisexperiencesinthesketchbookhekeepswithhimatalltimes.

CHAPTERTHREE

CreaturesofMyth

Storytellersarealways looking forways tocapture the imaginationofthelistener.Popularlegendarytaleshavefoundengrossingwaystoconveyahistoricalevent,passontraditionsor teachamoral lesson.Thesemythsare often filledwith stories of astonishing feats and fascinating creatures.Some of these beasts are so fearsome that storytellers have passed downtheir tales for generations. They have become creatures of legend. Theysymbolizepowerfulnaturalforces,andsometimesourdeepestfears.Someare benevolent, some cruel, but all are mystifying and powerful. Treadcarefully as we seek to capture some of the most striking creatures inhistory–withourpencils,ofcourse.

BringingLegendtoLife

DRAWACHIMERA

The chimera is a fearsomemonster that has been described in many

different ways. It always boasts the features of a lion, goat and serpent.Some people have claimed that it has the heads of all three creatures.Othershavesaidthatthefrontofthebodyisthatofalion,themiddleisagoatandthetailisaserpent’s.I’mnotsurewhattheconfusionisallabout.Maybetheyweretoobusyrunningawaytogetagoodlook!

Materials

acid-freeartpapereraserpencil

1CreateaGestureDrawingCreating a powerful pose starts with the gesture. Begin with a strong,sweeping center line. Don’t be afraid to make loose, sketchy lines. Use

simpleshapesasguidelinestoindicatethedifferentpartsofthebody.Drawthecirclefortheheadlowandclosetothegroundplanesothatthecenterlineofthechimera’sbackarchesupbehindit.Thiswillmakethebodylookcurved, as if she’s ready to pounce. Draw horizontal and vertical linesdividinguptheheadtoindicatethedirectionthechimeraislooking.

2BuildtheBodyDrawbasicshapestoconstructthebulkofthechimera’sbody.Markkneeand ankle joints with circles. Indicate the shoulder line with a powerfulangle.Thechimera’sweightisrestingonthefrontlegclosesttous,sothatshoulderbladewillbepusheduphigherthantheotherone.Drawtwoovalstoindicatethespacethehornswilleventuallyoccupy.

REMEMBERYOURREFERENCE

Look at pictures of reptiles, sheep, goats and

lionsforinspiration.

TwoHeadsAreBetterThanOne

DRAWTHECHIMERAHEADS

Thehead isalmostalways thecenterof interest inanydrawing.Once

you are satisfiedwith the pose and basic anatomy of your creature, startworking on the head and face (or in this case, heads and faces). Thesnarlingexpressionispartofwhatmakesthechimeralooksopowerful!

1BlockIntheFacialFeaturesUse thehorizontal lineyoudrewas the eye line.Extending from the eyelinedown,sketchinthenoseandmuzzlewithsimpleshapes.Drawalineforthemouthbelowandblockintheareawheretheteethwillgo.

2DrawtheEyesandOneHornDraw the eyes. The tops of the eyes should appear flat since the head isangleddownward.Fillouttheformofthehorn.Leavethesecondhornforlatersinceitoverlapsthebody.

3DrawaSnarlandWrinklesDrawacurlinglineupfromthemouthtothetopofthenosetocreatetheeffect of the lips pulled back to reveal the teeth. Draw several v-shapedlinestoformthewrinklesonthenoseandbrow.Thelowercaninesoverlaptheuppercanines.

4AddSurfaceDetailsFleshouttheangrybrowandnosewrinkles.Tomaketheeyeslookreallymean,adda thicker lineon top to indicate theoverlapof theupperbrow.Draw bags under the eyes for an evil-looking squint. Draw part of theundersideofthehorntoshowthatitspiralsbacktowardthehead.

DRAGONHEAD

Fillinthedragonhead,er,tail.

1FillIntheHeadandJawThedragon is in a three-quarter view, sowe should see part of the othersideofhisjawandmouth.

2AddFeatureDetailsFill in the brow ridge above the eye and the bony ridge along thecheekbone.Sketchinthespikeonthechinandthefinalongtheneck.

3PowerUpWithMusclesBlock in the muscles of the front leg and shoulder using interlockingbubbles. If you need to, refer to photos of lions or anatomical drawings.Youcanstarttoerasetheguidelinesifyounolongerneedthem.

4RefinetheMusclesEmphasize the strength and size of the paws by spreading out the toes.Draw some curved lines sticking out of his back along the centerline toindicate the spines on his back. Then connect the lines with sharp,triangularcurves.

3AddSurfaceDetailsUsehatchingtoindicatetheplanesofthebonyridgesontheface.Cleanupthesketchylines.

5AddSurfaceDetailsSketch the fur placement on the neck and legs using soft, flowing lines.Drawdownward-curving linesalongthebottomof the tail/dragonneck tocreatearmorplating.Drawingtheplatesinthismannercreatestheillusionthat dragonhead is coming forward to snap at us!Draw the secondhornoverlappingthebody.

6KnockYourselfOutWithDetails!Addfurtexturealongthebodywithshort,curvedlines.Blendthereptilianelementsofthecreaturewiththerestofthebodybydrawingscalesalongtheback.Makethicklinesontheedgesofthefrontlegsandhornstopushthe head and legs forward and enhance the illusion of perspective.Don’tforgettodrawtheears(Ialmostdid!).

Chimera16”×10.5”(41cm×27cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentWhite,PermanentYellowDeep,RawUmber,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWAGLASSDRAGON

Sincetheearlieststoriesweretold,manycultureshavebeenfascinatedby dragons. They are intelligent, cunning and powerful and come in allshapesandsizes,fromslitheringserpentstomassivewingedbeastssuchasthe Glass Dragon–named for the crystal-like spikes on its neck and tail.Some are benevolent, some greedy and some pure evil. Dragons mightchallengeahero, terrorizeavillageorcontrol theweather.Andwhethertheylivedeepintheforest,perchhighonamountain,orlurkbeneaththesea,dragonsbothsparktheimaginationandfuelourdeepestfears.

Materials

1SketchtheActionLine

Sketch an action line that twists and turns. Thiswill eventually form thetail,spineandneckofthedragon.Drawacircleforthehead.

2FormtheBodyWithBasicShapesSketchbasicshapestoformthebody.Drawcurvingtubesforthebody,tailandneck.Drawcylinderstoformthelegs,usingcirclestomarktheelbow,wristandkneejoints.Addasnouttothedragon.

3RefinetheAnatomyEraseanyguidelinesthatyounolongerneed.Drawcurvedlinesonthefeetintersectingthetoelinestoindicatewheretheknuckleswillbend.Sketchintheshoulderblades.Fleshouttheshapeofthearmsandlegs,usingoverlaptoshowwherethelimbsbend.

4StarttheWingsDraw thewings coming out from the dragon’s back, behind the shoulderblades.Create the leading edgeof eachwingwith a line.Wings functionmuchlikearms,withelbowsand“hands”towhichtheleatheryskinofthewingsisattached.

5BulkItUpDrawinterlockingbubbleshapestobulkupthedragon’sshouldermuscles.Itishelpfultolookatanimalanatomytodecidehowyouwantthemusclestolook.Forthefrontlegs,Iusedlionsasinspiration,andforthebacklegs,I used a combination of lion and goat anatomy. Refine the shape of thedragon’sheadbysketchingbonyridgesovertheeyes.

6AddtotheBackandWingMusclesWrapthemusclesofthebackaroundthebaseofthewings.Drawanothermusclebelow thewingbase.Themuscles shouldbothenvelop thewingsandattachthembelievablytothedragon’sback.Addaspinetotheelbowasanadditionalattachmentpointforthewings.Drawthumbs,addinglinesforthedigits.

7FleshOuttheWingsConstructthewingsbyaddingbicepsandshouldermuscles.Drawanarchbetweeneachfingertoformtheleatheryflapsofskin.Drawanotherflapofskin from theelbowspinedown to theback, connecting thewings to thebody.

8SOFTENMUSCLESHAPESANDADDEMBELLISHMENTS

Softenthemuscleshapesonthefrontarmandshoulder.Sketchthin,bonyplatesjuttingoutfromthebackoftheneck.Thinkaboutwhereyou’dliketoplaceyourdragon-ish embellishments, such as additional spikes, hornsandspines.

WingingIt

DRAWLEATHERYWINGS

Drawingwingsofanytypecanbetricky.Withleatherybat-likewings,

thefoldsofskinandthewaythewingsbendandflapcansometimeslookconfusing.It’shelpfultopictureabatordragonwingasanarm.Thearmbonesarecomparabletothebonesofahumanarm.Thewingismadeupofthehandwithitsfingersextendedasthestructuretowhichtheleatheryskinattaches. Here are some helpful tips for drawing cool looking creaturewings.

OpenWings

1STARTWITHSIMPLESHAPESSketchinsimpleshapesforthearm,usingcirclesasjoints.Drawalineforthetopedgeofthewing.

2DRAWTHEFINGERSDrawlong,thinfingersbranchingoutfromthewristcirclejointatthetopofthewing.Don’tforgettodrawathumb!

3SKETCHTHEWINGEDGESSketch in the edges of the wings. The skin should stretch between eachfinger,comingtoapointateachfingertip.Thefingersmayormaynotendinclaws;it’salluptoyou.

4ADDTEXTUREIndicate the textureof the leathery skin stretchingbetween the fingersbysketchingincurvedlinesofvaryinglengthandthickness.

FoldedWings

1LAYINBASICSHAPESLayinthebasicshapeofthearm,usingcirclesasjoints.Wherethewingisfolded at the wrist, draw a line bending down into what will eventuallybecomethefoldedshapeofthewing.

2DRAWTHEFINGERSANDKNUCKLES

Drawlong,thinfingerscurvingdownfromthewristcirclejointatthetopof thewing. Indicate the knuckles by sketching a circle,making sure thefingersbendateachknuckle.

3CONNECTTHEFINGERSConnect each finger with an arching shape showing the skin stretchedbetween them. The second and third fingers overlap one another, so youwon’tseetheskinflapthere.Drawacurvinglinefromthefingertipinthebackgroundtowardyourcreature’sbody.

4FINISHWITHSHADINGANDTEXTUREFinish off your drawing with shading and texture. Shading the areaunderneaththefoldedwingwillhelpthewingtopop.Indicatethetextureoftheleatheryskin.Sinceweareseeingthebackof thewing, thefingersarecoveredbytheskinandwon’tbeaswelldefinedastheviewinsidetheopenwing.

9ERASESKETCHLINESANDBEGINADDINGDETAILS

Withapencil,traceoverthelinesyou’rehappywith,makingthemheaviersotheypopoutfromtherestofyourdrawing.Erasesketchylinesyounolongerneed.Drawoverlappingwrinklesandfoldswhere jointsbend.Usehatchingtoemphasizesurfaceanatomy,suchaswheretheribcagecurvesunderneath thebodyorwhere themuscles intersect.Continue tofleshoutthefeaturesofthedragon’sheadandthemagnificentcrestofspikyplates.Sketchinmorecrystal-likespikesrunningalongthetailandindicatesomesmallerspikesonthechest.

10ADDFINISHINGTOUCHESGonutsdetailingthehorns,platesandspikes.Addsomewrinklestoshowtheleatheryskinstretchedoverthewings.Drawinscales,makingsuretheyfollow the form of the dragon. This pushes the illusion of volume andmakesthedragon’sbodylookasifitexistsinthree-dimensionalspace.Usesmallanddelicatescaleshapes;he’saswiftandsinewycreature.

GlassDragon12"×18"(30cm×46cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouachepigments:AlizarinCrimson,BurntUmber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue, Lemon Yellow, Permanent Green Middle, Permanent White,Permanent YellowDeep, RawUmber, Scarlet Lake, Ultramarine, YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWTHEMINOTAUR

Thispowerfulmonsterwith theheadofabull, thebodyofamanand

quite an eyebrow-raising story surrounding his origin roams the endlessLabyrinthofCrete.Legendhas it thateachyearsevengirlsandboysaresacrificedtofeedthecreature.Thoughhehasatasteforhumans,onecan’thelpbutfeelalittlesorryforthebeast,havingbeenthrownintothedepthsoftheLabyrinthatbirthbecauseofhisfreakishappearance.Manywould-beheroeshaveattemptedtoslaytheMinotaur,andtheireffortshaveendedindefeat.Perhapsthingswouldhaveturnedoutdifferentlyifhehadbeensentfruitsandvegetablesratherthanteenagers!

Materials

acid-freeartpapereraserpencilstraightedge

1STARTWITHAGESTUREDRAWING

Sketchagestureusingapowerfulcenterline.Drawopposinganglesfortheshoulders and hips, and a sharp anglewhere the neckmeets the body to

emphasize the strengthof thepose.Block in theheadand shoulderswithcircles.Don’tforgetacenterlinetoshowwheretheheadispointing.Formthearmsbydrawingstickswithcirclesforthejoints.

IT’SOKTOSCRIBBLE!

When beginning a drawing, it’s OK to keep

things loosewithabigmessof lines.Usea lighttouch. Just keepworking until you find the linesyou like best. Then you can go over those withyour pencil to make them darker, and erase thescribblesyoudon’tneed.

2BLOCKINTHEBODYANDMUZZLE

Keeping inmind the locationof theknees andelbows,block in the armsand legs with cylinders.Make them thick and powerful like tree trunks.Since theMinotaurwill have hooves, drawhis ankles a little higher thanyouwouldlocatethemonahuman.Drawrectangularshapestoblockinthechestmuscles.BlockintheMinotaur’smuzzleusingasquarelocatedlowonthehead.

3PUMPHIMUP!Flesh out the Minotaur’s impressive muscles using interlocking bubbleshapes. Don’t make them too squishy looking; muscles, especially whenflexed, should appear strong, not flabby. Draw in the facial features,keepingsomereferenceofcowshandy.Cowheadsareroughlytriangularinshape,taperingtowardthetop.

4REFINEMUSCLES,ADDHORNSANDDETAILTHEFACEErase theoldguidelines anddarken the linesyou’rehappywith to refinethe muscle forms. Sketch in the outline of the horns. Make them anyoutlandish size and shape you like. Continue to detail his face, thinkingabout theemotionyouwant toconvey.Perhapshe’s sadandangrybeingstuck in the Labyrinth. Lightly sketch out the form of theweapon in hisrighthand.

Give’EmaHand

DRAWMONSTERHANDS

Afterthefaceandhead,handsaregenerallythemostimportantfocusof

a humanoid figure. The way hands are drawn can say a lot about yourcharacter, and the way he is feeling. Remember to show emotion in thehandsaswellasintheface.Ifyouaredevelopingahumanoidcreature,youcanexaggerateandbend

human anatomy to your own will. To create monstrous hands, draw bigthick fingers, massive knuckles, popping tendons, bursting veins andleathery folds in the skin.Claws or cracked fingernails on a big guy likethisMinotaurareanextrabonusdetail.Addingorsubtracting theamountoffingersisanotherwaytomakeyourcreature’shandslookotherworldly.

ClosedHand

1STARTWITHSIMPLESHAPESBlockinsimpleshapesdividingthehandintoroughlythreesegments:thebackofthehand,thefingersandthethumb.Asyouwork,keepinmindthatheisholdingaweapontightly.

2DRAWTHEKNUCKLES

Drawcirclestoshowwheretheknuckleswillbe.Forthisguy,theyshouldbebigandmeaty.

3ADDDETAILS

Fleshout thehandwithsomedetails.Drawveinsandcraggy folds in theknucklestoaddpersonality.

4CLEANUPANDADDFINALDETAILS

Cleanup theconstruction linesandadd finishing touches to finalizeyourdrawing.

OpenHand

1SKETCHTHEBASICFORMANDPOSEDrawboxyshapes to formthepalm.Sketch in thegeneralplacementandposeofthefingers.

2CONSTRUCTTHEFINGERSANDTHUMB

Construct the fingers and thumb with simple cylinders. Stacking thecylinders on topof eachother from thebottomupwill foreshorten them,creatingdepth.

3FLESHOUTTHEHANDS

Makethepalmofthehandlooksofterandfleshierthanthefingers,whichshould look strong and sturdy. Add fingernails. Not only are theseinterestingdetails todraw,but theycanhelp indicate thepositionofeachfingerinspace.

4FINISHWITHSHADINGFinish your details. Use shading or hatching to enhance the form andvolumeofthehand.Thislookslikeaverypowerfulhand!

5ADDDETAILTOTHEHEADANDHANDS

Foreshorten the horns so that the one closest to us overlaps itself as itcurves back into space. Draw V-shaped frown lines between his eyes.Continuedetailingtheheadandface.Addathickflapoflooseskinhangingfromtheneck.Blockinhiswristguardandthechainaroundhisarm.

6CONTINUEADDINGDETAIL

Use hatching to help define the forms of the face. Use a heavy line toindicate thick eyelids. Add any other fun details you like, such as battlescarsorchipsoutofhishorns.Drawsomechunkyshapestoblockinhairhangingoverhishornsand forehead.Drawveinspulsating inhisarms tomakehimlookevenstronger.

7USEBASICSHAPESTOBLOCKINARMOR

Wrap the armor around his form so it looks like he’s really wearing it.Straps should look like they encircle the arms, legs and chest. Use astraightedge to draw a long, skinny cylinder for the handle of his warhammer.

8REFINETHEARMOR

Sketchmassiveoverlappingplatesonhisshoulderarmor.Slightlycurvetherectangular platesmaking up the thigh armor to fit the form of the legs.Drawmoresquareshapestocreatethearmorplatesontheshinguards.It’sOKtodrawthroughthewarhammerhandleasyoudesigntheshinguards;erasetheextralineslater.Turntherectangularendofthewarhammerintoacylinderbydrawingarcinglineswrappingaroundthetopandbottom.Weare looking at the hammer from overhead, so the lines should curvedownward.

9FINISHTHEHEAD

Drawwavylines tofinishoffhishair.Addwrinkles to thedewlaponhisneck. Texture the hornswith rough lines.Add a spike to one end of thehammerhead.

10HAVEFUNWITHDETAILS!

Add asmany rivets, spikes, straps or stitches to the armor as you’d like.Usearulerorstraightedgetohelpdrawangledsidestoshowthatthewarhammerisforgedfromastrongmetalandisveryheavy.Drawtheheadofthehammersothat itoverlapsthehandleandappearstocomeforwardinspace.

Minotaur11"×14"(28cm×36cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue, Cobalt Blue, Ivory Black, Lemon Yellow, Olive Green, PermanentWhite,Permanent Yellow Deep, Raw Umber, Scarlet Lake, Spectrum Red,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWTHEHYDRA

Thisslitheringabominationlurksingloomyswampland.Anyvenomous

serpentcanbeprettyscary,buthowaboutahugeonewithmultipleheads?Thehydrasportsninedeadlyheads,eachwithnastybigpointyteeth.Ifyoutrytodestroyherbycuttingoffanyoftheheads,twonewoneswillgrowinitsplace!Accordingtolegend,HerculesdiscoveredthisthehardwaywhenhewassenttodestroytheHydraasoneofthelaborshehadtocompleteforKingEurystheus.(WhatIwanttoknowis,howcanshemakehermindupwithallthoseheads?)

Materials

1SKETCHAGESTUREDRAWING

When drawing what is basically a nine-headed snake, you want to havesomeswaying, slitheringactiongoingon.That’swherea flowinggesturecomesin.StartatthecentralheadofthehydraandlooselydrawalongS-curveforthecenterline,loopingandtwistingaroundtoformthetail.DrawsimilarS-curvesforthenexttwoheads.Usebroadsweepinglinesandtrytokeep your pencil on the paper almost continuously. Block in the headshapeswithrectangles,andthearmswithsticksandcircles.

2BLOCKINTHEBODYWITHBASICSHAPESIndicate the placement of fins on the head and backwith simple triangleshapes.Drawacenterlinealongthehydra’sbacktoshowwherethespinewouldbe and add another centerline on eachneck to indicatewhere it istwistinginspace.Drawovalstoformthemeatypartofthejaws,andalineblockingineachmouth.Usecurvylinesonthesideofeachnecktoindicateplacementofthesmallerhydraheads.

3REFINEANDFLESHOUT

Refine the beak-like shape of the hydra’s mouths using jagged lines.Constructtheminihydraheadsusingtubesforthenecksandrectanglesfortheheads.Fleshoutthearms,indicatingmuscle.Addtoesusingcylinderswith circles representing the joints. Divide the belly from the rest of thebodyusingaline,andindicatearmorplatingextendingdownitslength.

4ADDDETAILTOTHECENTRALTHREEFACESTheheadonthefarleftisinathree-quarterview,showingtheinsideofthegapingmouth.Block in the jawlinesof theminiheads thesamewayyoudidonthecentralheads.Continuetodetailthearmsanddrawinthedeltoidand biceps muscles. Draw a wavy fin connecting the arms to the body.Draw lines in thedorsal fin andneck fins to indicate the spiny structuresholdingthemup.

5BLOCKINARMORANDFLESHOUTTHEFEETBlockinthearmorplatingonthethreecentralnecks.Refinetheplatesonthe belly using strong arrow shapes. Sketch the eel-like facial features oftheminiheadsusingsimpledetail,asifthey’realarvalformofthelargercentralheads.Fleshoutthefeetbydrawingintheknucklesandbulkingupthetoesand“hands.”Lightlyindicatescalesonthebody.

6SKETCHINSCALESBlock inwhere thescaleswillgowithcurves that follow the formof thelimb or tail. Draw curving lines that intersect them, creating a sort ofcheckerboard pattern. Refine the shape of each scale so they form aninterlockingpattern.Scaleswillbebiggerwherethereismoresurfaceareatocover,orwherethecreatureneedsmoreprotection.Theywillbesmallerinplaceswherethingsneedtobend,likeknees,shouldersorelbows.

7EMBELLISHWITHDETAILS

Add battle damage, stretchy skin between the toes, spikes—you name it.Drawatongueflickingoutofthemouthofthefarlefthead,completewithvenomousspittle.Drawasmanyorasfewscalesasyoulike, just leaveafewblankspotsfortheviewer’seyetoreston.

FORMSINSPAAAAAACE!

Lightly sketching a series of curving lines or

circles around body features can be helpful inconstructingtheformsandfiguringoutwheretheyexist in space. Depending which way your linescurve,shapescanlooklikethey’recomingtowardthe viewer or receding back into space. This ishandy when foreshortening an arm or leg ordrawingsomethingfromadifficultangle.

Hydra11×14(28cm×36cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,Cobalt Blue, Lemon Yellow,OliveGreen, Permanent YellowDeep,PrussianBlue,RawUmber,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWASPHINX

The sphinx embodies beauty, intelligence and strength. The regalqualitiesofa lion,ahumanvisageandfeatheredwingscombinetoshapethis magnificent creature. The form of the sphinx has been used incenturies-oldarttorepresentthepowerofpharaohsandqueens.Asphinxmayappear asmale or female, dependingon the culture of origin of thetalesthatfeaturethecreature.Legendhasit thatthesphinxisfamousfortormentingunlucky travelers by asking them to answer nearly unsolvableriddles. Thosewho can solve her puzzlesmay continue on their journey;thosewhocan’tmeettheirdoom.

Materials

1STARTWITHSWEEPINGGESTURELINESThemostimportantgesturelineisthecenterlineshowingtheactionofthepose.Blockinacouplediagonallinestoindicatetheangleoftheshouldersand hips. Draw an S-curve, which will eventually form the shape of thesphinx’sback.

2BLOCKINBASICSHAPESAtthisstageithelpstothinkofthehumanandlionpartsofthesphinxasseparate sections. Draw a cylinder shape to block in the human torso.Lightlysketchatriangletoshowwherethelion’shindquarterswillbe.Thishelps ground the figure and reminds you that the bulk of the sphinx’sweight is resting on the hindquarters. Sketch simple lines to showplacementof the arms, front legs andwings.Draw the centerline and theeye,noseandmouthlinesontheheadforplacementofthefacialfeatures.

3BLOCKINTHELIMBSANDWINGS

Drawcylindersforthearmsandlegs,usingcirclestomarkthejoints.Usethe same techniqueon thewings.Keep trackofyourcenterlinedown thetorso.Itwillhelpyoukeepthebodyinthecorrectthree-quarterperspective.Thespinecreatespowerfulanglesasitextendselegantlyfromnecktothetail,addingaregalairtothepose.

Let’sFaceIt

DRAWASPHINXFACE

Most of the creature facial features in this guide are of non-human

animals. In the case of the sphinx, we’re looking at a stern yet eleganthuman face. It’s often a good idea towork on the face of a character orcreatureearlyinadrawing,becauseit’ssuchanimportantfocalpoint.

1DRAWGUIDELINESANDBLOCKINFEATURESAfterdrawingacenterlineandhorizontallinesdividingthefaceintothirdsfortheeyes,noseandmouth,it’stimetoaddthefeatures.Asageneralrule,eyes are about one eye-width apartwhen a face is looking forward. Thisfaceisinathree-quarterview,sowewillseemoreoftheeyeclosertous,and lessof theeyefurtherawayas it iscoveredpartiallyby thenoseandcurves back into perspective along with the rest of the face. Generally,human-sized ears fit between the eye andnose lines.That is not the casewiththelargercat-likeearsonthisdrawing.

2DEVELOPTHEFACIALFEATURESDraw in the irises of the eyes, the nostrils, and the upper and lower lips.Draw slightly downturned eyebrows tomake her look as though she’s indeepconcentration.Eyesandeyebrowsare themosteffectivefeatures forconveyingemotion.

3ADDDEFININGDETAILS

Sketch in more defining characteristics to give your face, well, morecharacter. Drawing lips in three-quarter perspective can be tricky. Curvethembackintospacewiththerestoftheheadsothatweseethecornerofthemouthon the sideof the facepointing towardus.Studyyourself inamirrortoseehowfacialfeatureslookatdifferentangles.

4DRAWHAIRANDADDFINALDETAILS

Sketch in some cheekbones and block in long locks of hair. Give her astrong chin and a slightly angular jaw. Draw the folds of the earsoverlappingtogivethemmoredimension.Finishdrawingthefacewithanyotherdetailsyou’dlike.

4REFINETHEANATOMY

Blendthehipsofthehumantorsointowhatwillbetheneckandshouldersof the lion.Block in the shapeof thebreasts andwings.Block inbubbleshapes for the toes of the powerful paws. Jot down lines in her hands to

indicatethebowandarrowshewillbewielding.

5FOCUSONTHEHUMANASPECT

Drawthedeltoid,bicepsandtricepsmusclesofthearms.Herrightforearmisfacingus,andisslightlyforeshortenedasshepreparestonockanarrow.Sketchinthefingersoneachhandusingcylindersandcirclestomarktheknuckles.Thehandgrippingthebowshouldlooklikeapowerfulfist,whilethehandnockingthearrowshouldlookmoredextrousandrelaxed.Dividethewingsintothreesectionsfortheplacementoffeatherslateron.

6CLEANUPTHELINESTraceoverthelinesyou’rehappywith,makingthemheaviertorefinethecontours of the upper body. Erase any sketchy construction lines you nolongerneed.

7FINISHTHELIONHALFOFTHEBODYSketchinterlockingbubbleshapestodefinethelion’sforelegandshouldermuscles. The shoulder blade will protrude from the back slightly as theweightofthebodyrestsonthefrontleg.Blockinashirtforyoursphinx.Lightly sketch lines for the primary feathers along the outer layer of thewings.

8DEVELOPTHEWINGS

Drawtheprimaryfeathersarchingoutfromthecenterofthewings,usingthe lines from the previous step as a guide. Sketch similar lines on thesecond and third layers of each wing, overlapping the primary feathers.Shade in the chest and stomach of the lion to indicate a light source andfurtherpushtheillusionthatthesphinxisacharacterinthree-dimensionalspace.

9FINISHTHEWINGS

Drawtheremainingfeathers,makingthemgraduallysmallerasyoumoveinward from the primaries. Exaggerate some aspects of the wings, likeunusually long or strangely shaped feathers to give the sphinx anotherworldly,godess-likelook.Drawcurvedlinesfor thefeathersandherflowinghairtotietogetherseparatedesignelementsandmakeyourdesigncohesive.

10DRESSTHESPHINXStartblockingintherestofthecostume,eitherdrawingrightontopofyourart,orusingthe“paperdoll”technique.Blockinherbowandarrow.She’llalsoneedaquiverfortherestofthearrowsandabelttostrapiton.

11FINISHWITHDETAILS

Detail the sphinx’s accoutrements asmuchor as little asyou’d like.ThissphinxhasanelaboratefeelinfluencedbyEgyptiandesigns.

PAPERDOLLTECHNIQUE

Ifyouwanttodesignacostumeforacreature

but aren’t surewhatyouwant, try thepaperdolltechnique. Lay a piece of tracing paper over thetop of your drawing and sketch costume ideas.Scan the costume elements in separately fromyour original drawing and piece them togetherusingAdobePhotoshop®.Ifyouareexperiencedwith Photoshop, you can also scan in yourdrawing and make costume edits using differentPhotoshop layers. If you don’t have access to ascanner or Photoshop, you can layer and makecopieswithaphotocopier.

Sphinx12.25×15.25(31cm×39cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue, IvoryBlack,LemonYellow,PermanentGreenMiddle,PermanentWhite,PermanentYellowDeep,RawUmber,ScarletLake,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

CHAPTERFOUR

CreaturesoftheWater

For those of us who make our homes on land, the water seemsmysterious and unknown. What lurks in the depths of the ocean or themurkinessoftheswamp?Agreatnumberofspeciesliveinthewater.Somecreatures live so far beneath the surface, no one can record their image.Others are so rare, they only exist in whispers of legend. And there aremanythatareyettobediscovered.Itcanbealittlecreepy,wonderingwhatlies beneath, but gather your courage and let’s explore thiswatery realmtogether.Afterwe’ve takena lookat someof thecritters I’veuncovered,perhapsyoucanexploresomeofyourown.

DiscoveringtheDepths

DRAWAPAINTEDMARSHNYMPH

Making their home in marshes and swamps, these timid and delicate

beings are rarely observed due to their shy nature. Marsh nymphs areamphibiouscreaturesthatgivebirthtoliveyoung.Asyouths,theyspendalloftheirtimeinthewater,butastheymature,theyareabletoventureontolandandbreatheair,thoughtheyrarelydoso.Becauseofthis,theyretaintheir gills throughout life. They feed exclusively on plant material. Notmuchisknownabouttheirsocialbehavior.

Materials

Beginwiththeactionline.Drawacircleforthehead.Drawstraightlinestoindicate the angle of the shoulders and hips. Connect them with loose,angularstrokestosuggesttheposeofthebody.

2DIVIDETHEHEADANDBLOCKINTHELIMBS

Drawacenterlineandeyelinetodividetheheadandindicatethedirectionshe is facing.Block in themass of the legs, and sketch in some lines toshowthepositionofthearms.

3SKETCHBASICSHAPESTOFORMTHEBODYMake sure the curve of her back retains the loose feeling of the gesturedrawing as you work. Divide the body into sections that also serve asstartingpointstoblockintheanatomy.Indicatetheribcage,waistandhips.Drawahorizontallinecurvingaroundtheribcagetoremindyourselfthatthesurfacedetailsyouaddlatershouldfollowthiscurveasyouwork.

4FLESHOUTTHEANATOMICALFEATURESGive amore natural shape to the body. This creature’s body is thin andelongated,soher torso,neckandlimbsshouldbelongandelegant.Taperthearmsandlegstowardtheelbowandkneejoints,andmaketheforearmand shins slightly thicker, like a frog’s.Lightly sketch inhernostrils andlips.

5BLOCKINFINGERSANDFINSSketchinlong,gracefulfingersoneachhand.Drawcirclestoindicatetheknuckles.Positionherlefthandtogivetheimpressionthatsheisfloatingortreadingwater.(It’sperfectlyfinetochangeoralterpartsofyourdrawingat any stage if theyaren’tworking foryou.)Lightly sketch in some lineswrappingaroundherchesttoshowwheretheribsmightfall.Thiswillhelpyoutolocatewheretodrawthegillslateron.Blockinsomeangularshapesforherfins.

6CREATEANOTHERWORLDLYLOOKSmall stylistic changes to the form of the body can make a humanoidcreaturelookmoreunique.Exaggeratethesizeoftheirisesandtheshapeofthe lips tomake themmore fish-or frog-like.Make thewrists and anklesreflecta similar“froggy” look, somewhat rotundandchubby.Extend thismotifdowntothefeetwhenyousketchinthetoes.Repeatingdesigndetailsthroughoutthebodygivesyourcreaturedesignunity.

7HAVEFUNEXPERIMENTING

Playwith different shapes and textures as you start to detail the fins andspinesonherbody.Drawacollar-likeruffleofgillsaroundherneck.Thedesignofthefeatheryappendagessproutingfromthesidesofherheadlikeearswas inspiredby theexternalgills somespeciesof salamanders retaininto adulthood. Add thin, webbymembranes of skin between the fingersandtoes,andunderneaththearmstoassistwithswimming.

8ADDFINISHINGDETAILS

Addsomelittlelumps,bumpsorwartsonherskin.Makesureshelivesuptoher species’namesake (thepaintedmarshnymph)bydrawing swirlingspotsorstripesonherbody,wrappingthemaroundtheform.Detailssuchas these reallymakeyourdrawing sing.Depicther inhernaturalhabitat,serenelyfloatinginaforestofunderwaterplantlife.

SHOWINGFLOATINGFEATURES

When drawing a character or creature in an

environment,keepinmindhowthatenvironmentwill affect her pose and features. The mostimportant thing to remember about drawing acreature floating or swimming underwater is toconvey a sense of weightlessness and motion.Notice themarshnymph’s feetarenotgrounded,and her toes are pointed, so she appears to befloating. Draw primarily soft lines curving indifferentdirectionstoshowfinsaffectedbygentlecurrents.

PaintedMarshNymph12×15.5(30cm×39cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,

CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle, Permanent White, Permanent Yellow Deep, Prussian Blue,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWASEASERPENT

Acreature that has inspired legendand struck fear into the hearts ofseafarers everywhere, this massive predator lives in the open ocean.Despite its name, the sea serpent is more closely related to fish thanreptiles.Ithuntsforitspreyinalargeterritory,fromtheocean’sdepthstothe surface. The serpent feeds mostly on other large predators includingwhales,sharksandoccasionally(gulp)boatloadsofpeople.Some sailors have reported amember of this species approaching 750

feet (229 meters) long! A flattened, rudder-like tail propels its smooth,muscularbodythroughthewater.Equippedwithheatsensingorgansnearitsmouth fordeepwaterattacksandabioluminescent lureon its chin toattract prey, the sea serpent is a deadly and effective predator. It is asolitarycreature,onlycomingintocontactwithothersofitskindtomate.Because the ecosystem cannot support many animals of this size, few ofthese humongous creatures exist. They have no predators aside fromintrepidhuntersonships.

Materials

1DRAWTHEACTIONLINEStartwith a dot thatwill represent theplacement of thehead anddrawalong,curvyline.Drawlooselyfromyourwristtogiveyourlineaboostofenergy.Thislinewillbecomeonesideoftheserpent’sbody.

2SKETCHYOURGESTUREDRAWING

Usingthedotasareferencepoint,sketchintheserpent’sheadwithsimpleshapes. Give your serpent a gaping jaw. Draw another spiraling linealongsidethelineyoumadeintheprevioussteptocompletetheserpent’sbody. It’s okay to draw through the overlapping shapes to connect yourlines properly. Make the neck area thicker and gradually taper yourserpent’sbodyasyouget toward the tail to show that the serpent isverylongandthetailismuchfartherawayfromtheviewerthanthehead.

Something’sFishy

DRAWFINS

Creaturesthatliveundertheseaareamongthemostwidelyvariedand

amazing animals on the planet, ranging from tiny to huge, fromastonishingly beautiful to scary and dangerous. Fish fins come in anamazing array of sizes, shapes and colors. Any frills or fins you canimagine, no matter how outlandish, would be appropriate for yourunderwatercreatures.Finscanbeverycolorful,exhibitcomplexpatternsorbealmostcompletelytransparent.Decideifyouwouldlikeyourcreature’sfins tobedelicate, soft ormenacing.Here are just a fewexamplesof finshapesyoumightliketotry.

PointyFin

1STARTWITHTHEBASICSHAPEDrawarounded triangleshape.Thiswill formthepartof thepectoral finthat connects to the body. Draw another triangle sprouting out from thatshape.

2ADDLINESDrawlinesradiatingoutfromtheinsideofthefintothetip.

3REFINETHEEDGESConnectthelinesyoudrewinthepreviousstepwithavaryingshapesothefindoesn’t looksomechanical.Dependingonthe typeoffinyouwant toportray,youcouldconnectyourlineswithpointyorroundedshapes.Here,theedgeofthefinissoftandrounded.

RoundFin

1STARTWITHTHEBASICSHAPEDrawasemicircle.Drawafanshapecomingoutfromthesemicircle.

2ADDLINESDrawlines radiatingfromthe insideof the fin to theoutsideedge. Ifyoulike,doubleup the lines tomake thickerspinesso that the fin looksabitmoresubstantial.

3REFINETHEEDGERefinetheedgeofthefinbydrawingascallopedshape.

3BLOCKINTHEBODYSTRUCTUREDrawa centerline along theback andbelly of the serpent.Thiswill helpyoukeeptrackofthewaythebodyisturninginspace,andemphasizethedynamicposeoftheserpentwrithingbeneaththewaterasheburstsforthtoattack.Continuebuildingupthestructureoftheheadanddrawintheotherside of the jaw. Now the head is starting to take on a three-dimensionalappearance.

4DRAWTHEDORSALFINSketch ina long, twistingdorsal fin that runs the lengthof thebody.Usethecenterlineyoudrewin thepreviousstepasyourguide.Visualizehowthisfinwill turnalong thebody,where itwilloverlap itself,andwhere itwilldisappearbehindthecreature’scoils.Sketchinsomespinyfinsbehindtheserpent’shead.

5ADDDETAILSTOTHEHEAD

Lightlysketchacenterline tohelp locate thecenterof thenose.Thiswillhelp you keep the perspective of the nose and jaw consistent as you adddetail.Addsomewrinklesaroundthejawbone.Makethemouthlookfleshyandmuscular.Addthelureusedtotrickdeepseaprey—asimplestalkwithabioluminescentballonthetip.

6ADDTEETHANDHORNSANDREFINETHEFINSAddseveralrowsofsharpteethtothefearsomemawoftheserpent.Usingthecenterlineyousketchedearlier,addsomefleshyhornstothetipofthenose.Torefinethefins,drawcurvinglinesconnectingthespinestocreateamoreinterestingshape,asiffabricislooselystretchedbetweeneachspine.

7CONTINUEADDINGDETAILS

Drawlinestoformthegroovesonthethroatpouchthathelptheserpent’sthroat expand to engulf and swallow large prey. Sketch in the fleshytentaclesbehindthefins.Finishaddingspines,horns,barnacles—whateverotherdetailsyouwouldliketoadd.Shadeinthemouthtopushthethree-dimensionalityofthefaceandaddthatin-your-faceferociousness.

8CHECKYOURPROGRESSHereisthenearlycompletedheadasitappearsonthebodyoftheserpent.

9FINISHWITHTEXTUREANDSHADINGEnrich your drawingwith texture and shading. Draw fleshy, overlappingwrinkleswhere thebodycurvesarounditself.Addaspeckledcamouflagethatbreaksuptheshapeoftheserpentunderwatersothathecanstealthilyapproachhispreyfromunderneaththewaves.

ATMOSPHERICPERSPECTIVE

Varyingthelineweightisespeciallyeffective

at pushing the atmospheric perspective in thisdrawing.Gooveryourlinesonthefaceandfinstopoptheheadoutfromtherestofthebody.Usealightertouchonthecoilsoftheserpentandthetailinthebackgroundtopushthembackintospacesothat they appear further away. Draw less textureanddetail the farther away thebodygets to givetheimpressionitisrecedingintodeeperwater.

SeaSerpent11”×14”(28cm×36cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouachepigments:AlizarinCrimson,BurntUmber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle,PermanentYellow

Deep,PrussianBlue,ScarletLake,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,ZincWhite

DRAWALIVINGISLAND

Thisrarecolossalbeasthasbeenmistakenforislandsbyexplorersaswell as the organisms that colonize them. Thismassive being is so largethat it can support its own little ecosystem! The living island makes itshomein largefreshwater lakes.Itcanremainmotionless inahibernatingstate for more than a century, and its lifespan can last many centuries.Thicklimbsanchorittothegroundduringitsrestingperiod,andnewlimbsslowly grow, working their way down to burrow into the ground. Thesecreaturesrarelyseeeachotherandarespeciallyequippedwiththeabilityto produce their own fertilized eggs, so that theymay reproducewithouthavingtofindamate.Whentheydopickupandmove,othercreaturesmovewiththemwhether

theywant to relocate or not! Living islands help distributemany speciesthroughout the land, increasing biodiversity. (If only they moved moreoften, I couldmakemyhomehereanddoallmy exploring frommyownbackyard!)

Materials

1SKETCHTHEBASICSHAPEDrawarectangularshapefortheheadandalongovalshapethattapersattheendtoformthetail.

2BLOCKINLIMBS

Drawaseriesofcylindersandovalstocreatethelimbs.

3ADDTOESANDNEWLIMBS

Sketch long, root-like toes at thebottomof each leg.Drawsome shorter,thinner, tentacle-like limbsbranchingoff fromthebody.Addoval-shapedbudsofnewlimbsformingbehindthefirstandsecondlegs.

4DRAWTHEWATERLINEANDBLOCKINUPPER-BODYFEATURESDrawinthewater linearoundthetopof thecreature’sback.Blockin thedetails of the face including closed eyes, a line for the mouth, and longnostrilsonstalksreachingupoutofthewater.Blockintherock-likebonyprotrusionscomingoffoftheisland’sbackandtail.

Ecology101

DRAWTREESANDROCKS

Everylivingislandhasadifferentappearance.Varioussizesandshapes

of trees and plants will grow on its back, depending on the region it’sslumbering in. Rocky structures on its body may grow large or erode.Uniqueanimalsmightcolonizethecreature’sbody.Drawwhateverfeaturesyouliketomakeyourlivingislandyourown.Herearesomequicktipsfordrawingbasicrocksandtreestodetailyourcreaturewith.

1SKETCHTHETRUNKANDBLOCKINTHECANOPY

Sketch a simple trunk splittingoff in a coupledirections.Draw long, flatovalstoblockintheshapesofthecanopy.

2SPLITTHETRUNKANDADDBRANCHESSpliteachpartofthetrunkintoprogressivelysmallerandsmallerbranches.Makethebranchesskinnierasyoumoveupthetrunk,withthosefarthestatthetopofthetreelookingverytwig-like.Makesurethebranchestwistandturn.Veryfewtreeshavebranchesthatlookstraight.

3SKETCHTHECANOPYANDFINISHWITHSHADING

Sketchinthecanopyofthetreeusingloose,scribblyshapes.Don’tattemptto draw individual leaves, especially since we are seeing this tree at adistance.Treat the treeasashapewitha topandbottomplane.Showtheform of clumps of foliage by shading the underside, and leaving the toplightwherethesunlightwouldilluminateit.Addbirdsifyoudesire.

1STARTWITHBASICSHAPESDrawjaggedtriangularshapesjuttingupwards.

2DIVIDEINTOSECTIONSDraw some craggy lines to divide the largest central rock shape intosections.Angularchangesinplaneandthewaylighthitstheseplanesandcastsshadowsiswhatgivesrockstheirlook.

3CONTINUEDIVIDING

Dividetherockfurtherwithmoresharplyangledlinestosuggestcrevices.

4ADDTEXTURETOFINISHCreate texture through hatching and other sketchy, descriptive lines. It’sOKtobealittlemessy—thatwillhelpcreateanaturallook.

5REFINETHEBODYMake sure the anatomy, while strange and plant-like, looks like it canfunctiontoallowthecreaturetowalkwhenitfinallydoesdecidetomove.Makeyourlinessoftandorganic.Adddetailsthatlooklikeacrossbetweenanimal and plant parts. It should be difficult to tell what is part of thecreatureandwhathasgrownonitwhileitslumbers.

6CONTINUEREFININGDETAILS

Traceoveranddarkenthepencillinesyoulike,bringingthemforwardandpoppingthemoutfromthebackground.Gowildaddinganydetailsyoulikeon thecreature’sbackand itsunderwaterunderside.Yourdrawingof thiscreature canbe all yourown, sporting any formsyoucan imagine: rockyhorns, bumps, plant-like growths, colonies of coral. The details are up toyou.

7ADDTEXTUREANDFINALDETAILS

Use varying line weight to help bring overlapping features forward andmake parts closer to us stand out from those in the background. Lightlyshadeinthelimbsfarthestaway,butkeeptheoutlinessoftsotheyappeartorecede in space. Make sure he looks like he’s rooted to the sandy lakebottombyhistree-liketoes.Finishoff thismini-ecosystembyaddinganyothertouchesyoulike.

IT’SALLRELATIVE:SHOWINGSCALE

The best way to show scale is to position a

familiarobjectnext toyour fantasycreature.Thesize of that object relative to the size of thecreature instantlycreatesasenseofscale.Oneofthe best markers to help show scale is a humanfigure,sinceweareallsofamiliarwiththesizeofanaverageperson.Size and shape variety can also show scale.

Creating overlapping layers of sizes and shapesshows how they relate in proportion to oneanother.Drawingformsleadingfrombigtosmall,thick to thin, less detailed to more detailed canalsoemphasizescale.

LivingIsland18.5”×12”(47cm×30cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle,PermanentYellowDeep,RawUmber,Ultramarine,YellowOchre

CHAPTERFIVE

CreaturesoftheLand

Creaturesthatlive,grazeandhuntonlandareoftenthosewearemostfamiliarwith.Fromreptiles tobirds tomammals,manybeastsmake theirhomeshere.Thelandscapeoffersawiderangeofclimatesandhabitatstoexplore.HerdsofmagnificentIbakgallopacrossvastplainsoftallgrasses.Themajestyof lush forests teemwith creaturesgreat and small.Dragonsbask, content in the forbidding heat of the desert. You’ll find much toexploreandmuchtolearnfromhere.Putonyourrunningshoesincasewecome upon some tough customers. I never said all these creatures werefriendly!

ExploringUnchartedTerritory

DRAWAVENOM-SPITTINGSANDDRAGON

Thisdragonlivesinrockyandsandydesertareas.Itsbroadbodyshapeandthespinesonitsbackhelpittosoakupthesunandconserveheat.Thehumponitsbackismadeoffat,likeacamel’s,andhelpsitsurviveduringlong stretches without food or water. The large front feet and claws areexcellent for digging into the earth. Broad scales and spikes on the legshelp to deflect sandanddirt, and the smaller hind legs and flat tail helpmove debris behind the dragon as it burrows. Spikes on the throat andspines on the headare used for display, and the throat can inflate as animpressivedefensemechanism.Glands inside the throatproducethe toxicvenomthedragonspitsatitsenemiesorusestoimmobilizeprey.

Materials

1STARTWITHANACTIONLINEDrawa bold line of action.Makeyour lines as relaxed as possiblewhileroughingout thedragon’s form.Sketcha teardrop shape for thedragon’sbody.Makeaboxfortheheadandconnectittothebody.

2BLOCKINTHEFORMBlock in the dragon’s form using basic shapes. Draw an oval for thedragon’smidsection.Useovalandcylindershapestoformthelegsandtail.Spacethelegswidelyaparttogivethedragonalowcenterofgravityandtosupporthisbulk.

3ADDPERSPECTIVEANDFLESHOUTANATOMY

Visualize an invisible box around the dragon, particularly the area of thefeet. Thiswill help you keep the perspective consistent, and his feetwilllook planted on the ground. Flesh out the anatomy of the arms and legs.Addthehumponhisback.

4CONTINUEFLESHINGOUTTHEMUSCLES

Draw overlapping lines to show where the joints bend and skin folds.Indicatewherethespikesonhisheadwillbewithatriangularshape.

5SKETCHINREPTILIANDETAILS

Sketchtriangularshapestoindicateplacementofthefinsandspikesontheneck and back. Draw in big strong-looking teeth. Add claws to the feet.Usingaseriesofarcinglinesfollowingtheform,indicatewherespikeswillbeplacedonthelowerlegs.

6ADDSPIKESANDARMORPLATINGDraw in spikes along the edge of the leg and elbow, using the lines yousketched previously as a guide. Draw armor plating on the front of theforelegthesameway.Thesedetailshelpgivethelegvolumeandmakeitlookthickandpowerful.

ATRUSTYTOME

If you plan to make a habit of drawing

creatures, it’s very helpful to have an animalanatomyreferencebooktoreferto.MyfavoriteisCyclopedia Anatomicae by György Fehér andAndrás Szunyoghy. This book not only showsskeletal and muscle anatomy for humans andmany animals species, but it also showscomparisonsbetweentheanatomyofthoseanimalspeciesandhumans.

7CLEANUPANDADDSHADOWS

Gooverthelinesyou’rehappywithanderaseyourperspectiveguideboxandotherlinesyounolongerneed.Shadetheinsideofthedragon’smouth.Lightlysketchinthefrillsandspikesalonghisback.Finishyourspikesandplatesonthelegs.Usehatchingonthebellytocreateashadowandmakeyourdragonlookheavy.

8ADDFINALDETAILS

Addallthelumps,bumps,scalesandspikesyouneedtomakeyourdragonaformidablewalkingtank.Drawpebblybumpsonhistailtocreateabonyclub.Addinteresttothespinesonhisbackandtailwithwrinklesandfolds.Drawthespikesalonghisthroatfrill.

Venom-SpittingSandDragon16.25”×12”(41cm×30cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Lemon Yellow, Olive Green, PermanentYellow Deep, Raw Umber, Scarlet Lake, Spectrum Red, Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWAFORESTBEHEMOTH

Truetoitsname,theforestbehemothisacolossalherbivorethatmakes

its home in forests with equally gargantuan trees. These bulky creaturesstretch their longnecksup into thecanopy to feedon leafybranchesandtwigs.Strongteethandatoughhideallowthemtocheweventhetoughestand thorniest branches. Food is stored in the crop and regurgitated forruminationandforcalvesthatcannotreachthetreetopstofeed.Behemothsliveinsmallfamilygroupsdominatedbyfemales.Becausetheymusteatalotof foodtosupporttheirmassivesize, theymigratefromfoodsourcetofoodsource.Bothmalesandfemalespossessbonyplatesontopofthenoseandheadwhichmalesclashtogetheratmatingseasontowinthefavoroffemales. Behemoths have no predators and are threatened only by thedestructionoftheirhabitat.

Materials

Beginyourdrawingwithacirclefortheheadandasweepinglinedowntothe ground plane. This will become the behemoth’s spine. Block in theheavymassofthebodywithanovalshape.

2BLOCKINFORMSWITHBASICSHAPESSketch in thebehemoth’s limbsusingbasicshapes.Keep theformsbulkyandthick.Drawthroughtokeeptrackofwhereeverythingfitstogether.

3BLOCKINFACIALFEATURESANDGIVESHAPESDIMENSION

Blockinthefacialfeaturesandadddetailtothebasicforms.Indicateacenterlineforthechest,whichhelpsshowthe roundness of the body. Overlap your shapes to help add three-dimensionalformtoyourbehemoth.

4DEFINEMUSCLEANATOMYANDREFINESHAPESSketchinthemuscleanatomyoftheupperarmsandshoulders.Refinetheshapesofyour lines throughout thedrawingsoyourbehemoth takesonamore natural appearance. Sketch in wrinkles and skin folds, especiallyaroundjoints,togivetheappearanceofloose,leatheryskin.

5FOCUSONTHEFACENow that the facial features are in place, begin drawing in the details.Refine the shape of themouth, including the fleshy tip of the upper lip.Drawanirisandpupiltoaddlifetotheeyes.

6CONTINUEWITHDETAILS

Continue to detail your behemoth’s face by drawingwrinkles around theearandjawline.Drawinthebonyareasofthecheekbone,eyesocketsandchin.Refinetheshapesofthebonygrowthsontheheadandnose.

7FINISHTHEBODYRefineyourlines,erasingsketchymarksyounolongerneedanddarkeningthe lines youwant to keep. Continue addingwrinkles and flaps of looseskinalongthebelly,chestandjoints.Asyouaddthesefinaldetails,thinkaboutwhere skinmighthang loose, orwhere itmightgather andoverlapitself.Giveyourbehemothmassivefeet,thicktoenails,andcallousedwristsandankles.Sheisverytoughandisbuiltlikeatank!

8ADDMOREDETAILS

Addallthewrinkles,lumpsandbumpsyourheartdesires.Usehatchingtoemphasizeformandtexture.Alldetailsyouaddshouldinformtheshapeofthebody.Addabitofdetailtothegroundplanetohelptieyourbehemothintoherenvironmentandfurtherexaggeratehermassiveform.

9DETAILTHEHIDETOFINISH

Giveyourbehemoth’shideatough,leatheryappearancebylightlydrawingsomelinescrisscrossingoneanother.Lookingattheskinofanelephantorrhinoishelpfulforcapturingthislook.

ForestBehemoth12”×14”(30cm×36cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouachepigments:AlizarinCrimson,BurntSienna,BurntUmber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle, Prussian Blue, Raw Umber, Spectrum Red, Ultramarine, YellowOchre,ZincWhite

DRAWACROWNEDIBAK

This elegant creature lives on vast, grassy plains, where it grazes inherds.Named for the largecurvinghornsgracing the topof itshead, theCrowned Ibak can run at high speeds, and its broad chest and largesternum add extra lung capacity allowing it the stamina to run longdistances. Flexible toe pads provide a large surface area adapted torunningonbothsoftandhardground.BothmaleandfemaleIbakhaveacrownofhorns,butthemalesportsapairoffleshywattlesonhischin.Dueto its intelligence, speed and gentle disposition, the Ibak has beendomesticatedbypeopleforridingforhundredsofyears.

Materials

Startwithatriangleshapeforthehead.Drawacurvedlineforthebackoftheneck,leadingintoalong,flowinglinethatdoublesasthespineandtheactionlinerepresentingtheflowof thepose.Blockinsomebold,angularlinesforthelegs.Thiswillbeatrottingpose.

2BLOCKINTHEBODYEmphasizestronganglesintheshapeandpositionofthelegstoaddinterestand action to the pose. Pay special attention to focal points of surfaceanatomysuchastheshoulderblade,kneeandanklejoints.Indicatingthesewillhelpyoutoadddetailswhilekeepingtrackoftheunderlyinganatomy.Drawthelegstobelongandslendertoemphasizethiscreature’sspeedandelegance.

3FLESHOUTTHEANATOMY

Refine theshapesof thebodybydrawingsofter,curving linesso that theIbakisnotquitesoboxyandmechanicallooking.Blockinthecurveofthebelly and visualize the thickness of the trunk to get the feel of three-dimensional form. Begin to sketch in details such as the horns, toes andfacialfeatures.

4SKETCHINTHEMUSCLES

Concentrateontheareasthataffectthelookofthesurfaceanatomyofyourcreature.Sketchthemusclesasagroupofinterlockingshapes.

5REFINETHEMUSCLES

Workingfromthefeetup, refine theshapesof themusclesbygoingoverthe linesyouwant tokeepanderasing thoseyouno longerneed.Asyoudraw,rememberthatthereisskinandfatcoveringthemuscles.Referringtophotosofdeermayhelpyoutodecidewhatlinestokeepandwhattoerasetocreateabelievablelookingbody.

6FINISHTHEBODYEraseanyremainingmuscleguidelinesyoumadeearlier.Forasofterlookon some of the muscle shapes, use hatching rather than a strong line.Reserve thicker lines for themuscle shapes you want tomake stand outmore.Continue toaddmoredetailsbyblocking in theshapeof the tipofthetailandfinishingoffthefeet.

7FINISHTHEFACEAddlifetotheeyeswithaniris,pupilandhighlight.Addatwisttothehornshapes you sketched in earlier. Lightly sketch simple shapes to indicatewheretheruffoffurontheneckandthemanealongtheridgeofthebackwillbe.

8ADDDETAILSTOFINISHDrawbony textureson thehorns, bendingyour lines around the curveofthehorntoadddimensionanddepth.Sketchinthehairtextureontheneckandback.Makemarksforthehairthatflowinthesamedirectiontoaddawindswept look to theentireanimal.Thishelpspush the idea thathecanmove fast. Add any hatching or shading you want as well as any otherinterestingfeaturesyoucanthinkof.

CrownedIbak16.25”×10.25”(41cm×26cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ivory Black, Lemon Yellow, Olive Green,Permanent YellowDeep, RawUmber, Scarlet Lake, Ultramarine, YellowOchre,ZincWhite

CostumesandAccessories

Whendesigningacreatureandarider,thetwoshouldgotogetherhand

in hand. Costume details on a rider can be echoed throughout theaccoutrements on the creature. Repeating shapes and design motifs aregoodwaystoachieveamatchingset.

FunctionFirst!

A saddle should make sense when fitted on the animal. Think aboutwhereonthecreaturetheridersits,andhowshewouldbepositioned.Keepinmindthesizeoftheridercomparedtothesizeofthecreature,anddesignaseatthatwillreflectthat.

Drapery

Draperyisoneofthetrickiestthingstodraw,andtakeslotsofpracticetogetallofthefoldsandwrinklesright.Thebestwayto learn is to draw fromphoto referenceor life studies. In time, youwillstarttoseepatternssurroundingthewayfabricfallsoverabody.Thinkaboutthetypeofmaterialyou’redrawing.Differenttypesoffabric

willdrapeandfolddifferently.Thickerorstifferfabricstendtoformlargerfolds,while thinner fabricswill formanumberof smaller, tightly spacedwrinkles.Keepinmindthewaytheclothingisworn.Isit tightandform-fittingorlooseandbillowy?

ConsiderHowtheRiderCommunicatesWithHerCompanion

Can they communicate solely through voice commands and bodylanguage,orisabit,reinsorotherequipmentrequired?Thinkaboutotherusefulitemsaridermightcarryonherjourney.

Don’tBeaFashionVictim

Followtheredarrows toseehowfoldsandwrinklesradiateout fromjoints or other points of stress on the fabric. Wrinkles and folds appearmore bunched together in these areas and begin to separate from eachother as they move away from that point. On pants, wrinkles frequentlyradiateout fromthewaistandcrotchareas.The fabric isbeingpulledattheknees.Foldsbeginhereanddrapedownwardsuntil theyhit theanklebracerswherethepantsaretuckedin.Noticehowthefabricisbunchedup,overlappingitselfandtheanklets.

Weapons

One important element to fantasy costumes is frequently theweapon.Practicallyeveryoneinfantasyisonsomekindofepicquest,right?Well,theyneedsomethingtofightwithandtoprotectthemselvesalongtheway,especiallyiftheyaren’tasformidableacreatureasadragon.Justrememberthatnotallcharacterscanliftsomethingthatlooksmore

like a giant slab of iron than a sword. Make sure the type and size ofweaponyoubestowuponyourcreatureorcharacterfitsnotonlyhisorherphysique,butalsotheirfightingstyleandpersonality.

ArmingYourCreations

You can design any weapon imaginable, but, much like all the otherelements we’ve discussed, it’s often more believable if your designoriginates from a weapon used in the real world. Look at the shape,structure or purpose of historical weapons, and use that as inspiration.Thenuseyourimaginationtoexaggeratesize,comeupwithnewshapes,orelaboratedecorationtocreateyourownuniqueweaponry.

AccessorizeAway!

DRAWASADDLE

Therearemanytypesofridingsaddles.Thissaddleisverysimilartoawestern style saddle. Lookat saddles usedondifferent animals and fromculturesaroundtheworldtoseehowtheshapeandstructurediffersfromsaddletosaddle.

Materials

1BLOCKINTHESADDLEUsebasicshapesoverlappingoneanother.Drawarectangularshapeinthemiddletoformtheseat.Drawatriangularshapeinbacktoformthecantle.

2ADDTHESKIRTANDFENDERRefineand roundoff thesimpleshapesyoudrew.Sketch in theskirtandfenderwhich the rider’s leg rests againstwhile the foot is in the stirrup.Drawintheedgeofthecantleandbringitdowntoconnecttothejockey.

3REFINEANDADDTHESTIRRUPErase the sketchy guide lines you no longer need and continue to refineyourlines.Don’tforgettodrawthestirrup!

4ADDDETAILS

Add details such as colorful patterns embossed into the leather. Echoingyour designs in the costume of the rider or other equipment for yourcreatureisaplus.

DRAWAMARMOKENWARRIOR

These powerful beings live in higher elevations of mountainous and

forested regions. TheMarmoken live in close-knit family clans forming acomplex society that emphasizes creativity through art and storytelling,with favorite subjects being epic tales of hunting and courageous quests.Their strong, stockybuildand thick furmake themadeptat surviving thetough wilderness surrounding their home. Their natural features, whichinclude powerful claws and teeth and sharp quills, make them fearsomeopponents.Whiletheywouldbeefficientenoughfighterswithoutthem,theMarmokenwarriorsprefertomanufacturetheirownfinelycraftedweaponsfor battle. They choose to live peacefully but can be fearsome whenattackedorprovoked.

Materials

acid-freeartpapereraserpencilstraightedge

Drawanoval shape for thehead,markedwith the centerline and the eyeline for placing the features. Sketch in the curving action linewhere thecenterofthebodywillbe.Themostimportantpartofthisstepisinfusingthefeelingofpowerinthegesturebykeepingyourshapesbigandbold.

2BUILDUPTHEFORMContinuetobuilduptheformoftheMarmokenusingbig,roundedshapes.It’sOK tokeep everything sketchy at this stage.Form themuzzleonhisface,keepinginmindwherethecenterlineoftheheadis.

3FLESHOUTMUSCLESANDBLOCKINFACIALFEATURES

Use interlockingbubble shapes to form themuscles, butmake them lookstrong rather than squishy.Begin to detail the hands and feet.Use circleshapes to indicate the formof theknucklesanddraw lines todivideeachmass into fingers and toes. Draw a straight line between his hands toindicate theweapon hewill be holding.Block in the features of his faceoverthetopofthemuzzleformyoudrewinthepreviousstep.

4GIVEHIMASNARLANDATAILSketchinV-shapedwrinklestoformafurrowedbrowandcrumplednose.Pullbackhisliptorevealsomesharpteethunderneath.Bulkupthefingersand toes to emphasize their size and strength. Block in a tail. Erase anysketchlinesyounolongerneed.

5ADDCLOTHES

Lightlysketchinthebasicshapesoftheclothingoverthebody.Givehimbaggypantsthathanglooselyaboutthelegs.Keepthecirclesrepresentingthekneejointsvisible,astheywillhelpyoudetailtheclothinglater.Sketchin the shape of the sash, taking care to show that it’s curving around hisupperbody.

6BEGINADDINGDETAIL

Block in theshapesof the furon thehead,arms, tail andback.Draw theforms ingroupsofpointy tufts.Addmoredetail tohis face,makingyourlines follow the structure of the brow ridge and muzzle. Emphasize hisfierceexpression.Layeradditionalgarmentsofclothingovertheothersyouhavealreadydrawn.Asyousketchinthefoldsofthepants,payattentiontothepointswherethefoldsgenerateatthewaistandknees,andthewaythepantsbunchupwheretheyaretuckedinattheanklebracers.

7CONTINUEADDINGDETAILTOTHECLOTHING

Refinethefoldsandwrinklesonthepants,sashandfabrictiedaroundthewaist.Makethefoldsonthesashcrossingthechestconvergeat thepointwhere the sash is tied along the side of the body. Drawmore folds andwrinkles closely together where there is stress on a garment from beingpulledorbunched.Drawgentle ripples in looselyhanging fabric, suchasthe cloth sash hanging from his waist. Draw cylinders to block in hisweapon.

8FINISHTHEBODYANDDRAWTHESTAFFDrawadditionalspikytuftsoffur,makingsurethatitoverlapstheclothingin a realistic way. Clean up the clothing by erasing sketch lines you nolongerneed,anddarkeningthefoldsandwrinklesyouwanttokeep.

Forthestaff,drawaseriesofcylindersoverlappingoneanother.Drawalong,thincylinderforthehandleandathickercylinderstackedontopofitto create thebusiness-endof theweapon.Because it’s coming towardus,captheendofthestaffthatisfacinguswithanoval.Whenyoudrawthedetails,suchasthegriparoundthestaff,makethelinescurveawayfromusastheywraparoundtheweapon.

9GOWILDWITHDETAILS

In addition to his thick fur, this guy sports some sharp, porcupine-likequills. Add interest to your character’s accoutrements with decorativepatterns.ThisMarmokenwarrior’sgearisdecoratedwithgeometricshapes.Whatevermotifyouchoose,yourcreaturedesignwillbemostcohesiveifthepatternsyouuseechooneanother.Theangularshapesofthediamondsand triangles on the Marmoken’s costume also contrast nicely with thestocky,roundedformsofhisarmsandbelly.

MarmokenWarrior15”×12.25”(38cm×31cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentGreenMiddle, PermanentWhite, Permanent Yellow Deep, RawUmber, ScarletLake,SpectrumRed,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

CHAPTERSIX

CreaturesoftheSky

How inspirational to gaze up at the sky and imagine gliding highamongsttheclouds!Ifyou’reabird,thismightbeaneverydayoccurrence.Althoughwecan’tflylikethebirds,weareoftendrawntotheskywhereour imagination can soar.Be it a dragon gliding through the icy air of amountain range, or a rambunctious pancake glider jumping from tree totree, they are all free to float upon the air. Some of these critters can betoughtocapturebecause they’realwaysonthemove(andyournecksurecangetsorelookingupconstantly),butthetimespentdoingitisworthit.Grabyourpencilandsomeclimbinggearorbinocularsandlet’sgettoit!

TaketotheSkies

DRAWAPANCAKEGLIDER

This rambunctious and social rodent makes its home in tall tropical

forests.Itcanglidethroughthecanopyfromtreetoptotreetopwiththeaidof several special adaptations. An amazing super-articulated flexibleskeleton,alongwithstretchymuscularskinflaps,helpsstretchandflattenthebodyintoapancakeshape(hencethename)toprovidethesecrittersalargesurfaceareawithwhichtoridetheair.Glidersalsohaveafurlessairpouch on the chest that they can inflatewith air to extend a glide.Malepancakeglidershavebrightlycoloredpouches,whichhelp themattractamate.Femaleglidersgivebirthtoonetothreebabiesperyear.Thebabieshitcha rideonherbackuntil they learnhow to climbandglideon theirown.Theseglidersspendmostoftheirlivesinthetreesandusuallynestintreehollowswheretheycanavoidpredators.

Materials

JumpingGlider

Start your pancake glider with a sweeping action line that shows thedirectionofhisleap.Drawstackedcircularshapesoverlappingoneanotherfromtheheaddownwardtoshowthattheheadisclosesttousandtherestofthebodyispushedbackintospace.Sketchsomesimplelinestoshowthe

poseandplacementofthefrontandhindlegs.

2ADDTHECENTERLINEANDBLOCKINLIMBS

Drawa linedown the centerof thebody to indicate the centerline.Drawintersectinghorizontalandverticalguidelinesontheheadfortheplacementof the facial features. Using more simple, rounded shapes, block in thearms,pawsandlegs.Keeproundandcircularinmindasyoudrawtokeepwithinthecircle-shapeddesignmotifofthecritter.Indicatetheedgesoftheglidingmembrane.

SimplifiedAnatomy

SHAPEUP!

Using simple shapes can be helpful when coming up with a designmotif for a creature. As you can see from these examples, using variousshapes for a starting point can lead to different looks. Even though thefeatures of the face are almost identical, changing the shape of the headcreatesseveraldesignoptions.

The same shapeconcept canbeapplied to thebodyof your creature.The pancake glider’s body is constructed mainly of circles and when inflight,thebodyisliterallycircleshaped.

3DRAWTHEFACEANDFLESHOUTTHEBODYBlock in the eyes, muzzle and ears. Flesh out the anatomy of the body,includingblockingintheairpouchonthechest.Drawinthepaws,toesandtail.

4CONTINUEDEVELOPINGTHEFACEANDREFINETHEPAWS

Drawthenoseandmouthover themuzzleshapeyoudrew.Erase theeyeline if it’s no longer needed.Refine theglider’s paws further bydrawingsoftfingertipsandtoes.Indicatewheretheflyingmembraneattachestothewristsandhaunches.Addtuftsofhairalongthecheekstomakethis littleguysupercute!

5FINISHWITHDETAILS

Givehimnostrilsandlittleincisorteethpeekingoutfromhislips.Addtheantennae-like“eyebrows”andwhiskers,sohecanfindhiswayinthedark.Draw sharp toenails for him togrip tree trunks andbrancheswith.Usingshort,quickpencilstrokes,texturehisbodywithfur.You’refinished!

FlyingGlider

Drawanactionlineshowingthesweepofthepancakeglider’sspine.Drawan oval for the head and hind legs and a jelly bean shape for the body.Remember:roundedandcircular!

2DRAWTHECENTERLINEANDBLOCKINTHEANATOMY

Drawthecenterlineoftheheadtoshowathree-quarterview.Indicatetheplacementoftheeyes,noseandmouthwithhorizontallinesencirclingthehead.Fromthisperspective,hiseyesandnosewillappeartobealongthesame horizontal eye line. Flesh out the arms, legs and tail with simple

shapes. Connect the wrists and knees with a curved line for the glidingmembrane.

3ADDFACIALFEATURESANDFLESHOUTTHEANATOMY

Drawtheeyeandnosealongtheeyelineatthetopofthehead.Drawthemouthalong thehorizontalguidelinebelow that.Block in the fingersandtoesandtheanatomyof thebelly.Keepeverythingsoftandrounded.Thechestpouchinthisposeshouldlooklikeithasexpandedfromthepreviousjumping pose demo, as though it’s beginning to inflate with air. Draw acircleforthetail.Comparehowitlooksherewiththepreviouspose.Ithasflattenedouttohelpextendthepancakeglider’sairtime.

4FOCUSONCHANGESINTHEANATOMY

Theglider isexpandinghischestandflatteningouthisbodytocreate thepancakeglidingshape.Drawcurvinglinesoneithersideoftheairpouchonthe chest to indicate the ribs flattening out. Next to those ribs, draw acurvedlinetoshowtheedgeofhisbodyasitsquishes.

5FINISHWITHDETAILS

Finishoff the facewith tuftsof fur, nostrils andwhiskers.Make sure thewhiskers and“eyebrows”are sweptbackwards to show thathe’s cruisingthroughtheair.Erasesomeofthelinesyoudrewforhisarmsandlegstopush thecirculardesignmotifofhisbody.Thisalsogives the impressionthat his skin flaps and squished body are melding into one Frisbee-likeshape.Sketchinhisfurandgivehimalittlemischievousglimmerinhiseye!Socute!

PancakeGlider12.75”×16.6”(32cm×42cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cerulean Blue, CobaltBlue, Lemon Yellow,OliveGreen, Permanent YellowDeep, RawUmber,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

TaketotheSkies

DRAWAHOOK-LEGGEDBODEO

Alargebirdwithbrilliantplumage,thehook-leggedbodeoisnamedforthe special pair of hook-like appendages extending from behind its legs.These birds live in lush rainforests and are adept at acrobatic feats ofclimbing.Theirpreferreddietoffruitsandnutsislocatedhighintheforestcanopyondelicatetreebranchesthataredifficultfortheseheavybirdstoperchon.Withtheassistanceoftheirhookedlimbs,theyanchorthemselvestostrongertreebrancheswheretheycansafelystretchtheirlongneckstograbtheirgrub.Apowerfulbeakallowsthemtocrackopentheshellsofthetoughest nuts and fruit. While they’re expert climbers, they are clumsyfliers.Malehook-leggedbodeosdisplaycolorfulsacsontheirnecks,whichtheyinflateduringmatingseasontoattractfemales.Bothsexesarebrightlycoloredandsportlargebonycrestsontheirheads.

Materials

Startwithacirclefortheheadandquicklysketchinabasicgesture,layingoutthecurveofthebodyandtheplacementofthewings.

2FORMTHEBODYExpandonyourgesturelinesbydrawingsimpleshapestoformthebody.Drawcirclestomarkthejointsinthewingsandlegs.

3BLOCKINWINGANDLEGMUSCLES

Thinkofthewingasanarm,andsketchbubblestoformthedeltoid,bicepsandforearmmuscles.Sketchinthehook-like“legs”andblockinsomethickbranchesforyourbirdtolatchonto.It’simportant to indicatewhere the brancheswill be early in the drawing, sothathisinteractionwiththemlooksbelievable.

WingingIt

DRAWFEATHEREDWINGS

Drawing featheredwings andwings invarious stagesof flight canbechallenging.Withallthoselayersoffeathers,itcanbetoughtodiscerntheshapeofthewingunderneath.Picturethewingasanarmwithoutfeathers.Manyofthebonesinawing

arethesameasinahuman’sarm.Lookinamirrorandposeyourownarminthesamepositionsyouwanttodrawawing.

FoldedWing

1LAYINTHEBASICSHAPESketchabasicarm,drawingacurvingtrianglewherethehandwouldfoldatthewrist.Drawthewingtipfoldingoveritself.(Imaginethecornerofapieceofpaperfoldeddown.)

2DIVIDETHEWINGSINTOSECTIONSSketch in sections for the feather layers. Make sure they overlap oneanother.

3INDICATEFEATHERPLACEMENT

Drawlong,curvinglines throughthefoldedwingshapeto indicatewherethefeatherswillbe.

4DIVIDETHELAYERSANDADDFEATHERTIPSBlock in shapes todivideup the feather layerson the insideof thewing.Sketchroundedtipsfortheprimaryflightfeathers.

5ERASETHEGUIDELINESANDADDINNER-WINGFEATHERSErase the guidelines you drew for the primary feathers. Block in thefeathersontheinnerwing.

6FINISHWITHTEXTUREANDSHADINGFinish each feather with a rounded point at the tip. Use small, tight U-shapedpencil strokes to create the textureof the smallest feathers.Shadetheinsideofthewingtoreinforcethelookofthewingfoldingoveritself.

ExtendedWing

1SKETCHTHEBASICSHAPESketchthebird’sarm.Lightlysketchacurvinglinearoundittoblockintheshapeoftheopenwing.

2CONTINUEBLOCKINGINBASICSHAPESANDLAYERSBlockinprogressivelysmallershapesthatechotheformoftheouterwing.Thesewillbecometheoverlappinglayersoffeathers.

3INDICATEFEATHERPLACEMENT

Blockintheprimaryfeathersbydrawingcurvedlinesthatradiatefromthearm.Taperthefeathersatthetips,butavoidmakingthemlookverysharpand pointy unless you are drawing a creature with a more aggressivedesign.

4SKETCHTHEINNERFEATHERSSketchintheshorterinnerfeathers.Staggerthefeathershapeswheretheyoverlapsothatthewinglooksnatural.

5FINISHWITHDETAILS

Adddetailwith increasingly smaller feathers asyoumove from thewingtipsinward.Erasetheguidelines.

4FLESHOUTTHEWINGSANDLEGSSketchinhiswingclawsandtoes,usingcirclestomarkwheretheknobbyjointswillbe.Blockintheoverallshapeofthewings.

5CONCENTRATEONTHECLAWSANDFEETFleshout the“fingers”and toesandaddstrongclaws forclimbing.Eraseanyguidelinesthatyounolongerneed.

6ADDTEXTUREANDDETAILS

Embellishhis face andneckwithmoredetail.The air pouchonhis neckshould hang loosely, like a turkey’s wattle, while it’s not inflated fordisplay. Continue to add detail to the tail feathers. Texture his legs withbumpyscales.

7FOCUSONTHEWINGS

Concentrateonthewingsforthenextfewsteps.SketchinS-shapedcurvestobreakthewingsupintoseveralchunksforthelayersoffeathers.

8ADDFEATHERSSketchaseriesoflinesradiatingfromthecenterofthewingtodivideeachsectionwithfeathers.Starttorefinetheedgesoftheprimaryflightfeathers.Theyshouldtapergracefullytowardthetips.

9STAGGERTHEFEATHERSANDROUNDOFFTHETIPSUsing the lines you laid in previously, roundoff the tips of each feather.Staggerthemastheyoverlapsotheylookrealistic.Varytheshapeandsizeofthefeathers.

10FINISHWITHTEXTURESANDDETAILS

Addwrinkles to the neck and tail. Sketch jagged lines onto thebeak andcresttogivethemarough,bonyappearance.Drawthefruithe’sstrainingtoreachandadornthebrancheswithleaves,bumpsandbark.

Hook-LeggedBodeo16”×12.25”(41cm×31cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cerulean Blue, CobaltBlue, Lemon Yellow,OliveGreen, Permanent YellowDeep, RawUmber,ScarletLake,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

TaketotheSkies

DRAWAFLYINGFISH

Giantflyingfishseemtostayaloftmagically,butactuallyachievethisfeat by inflatingmassive bladders in the chest and back areawith a gasproduced by a chemical reaction inside the body. Although called by itscommonnickname,theflyingfish,thesecreaturesarewarm-blooded.They feed while flying—gulping the air and swallowing insects,

microorganismsandothertinyflyingcreaturesfilteredthroughthebaleeninthemouth.Theytendtokeeptothemselves,althoughmotherswithcalvesand small familyunitswill sometimes travel together for short periodsoftime.Flyingfishenjoywarmerclimateswithmoreabundanceofcreaturesto feed on and migrate yearly when the weather changes. They are nonaggressiveandonly threateningto theunfortunatesmallcreaturescaughtinthepathoftheirgiantmaw.

Materials

Lightly sketcha roundedsquare shape for thehead.DrawaboldS-curvefor the action line showing the movement of the pose. Draw a triangleshape to form the chest. Indicate the centerline of the chest with a linecomingdownfromthehead.

2BLOCKINTHEHEADANDBODYTurnthesquareshapeyoudrewfortheheadintoaboxy,three-dimensionalshape. Taper it toward the front. Draw a tapering S-curve beneath youroriginalactionlinetoformtherestofthebodyandindicatethecenterline.Addguidelinescurvingaround thebody tohelpyou remember the three-dimensionalformasitrestsinspace.

3ADDFINSSketchintriangularshapestoformthefins.Placethemwhilekeepingtrackof the turning of the creature’s form in space, using your centerline andcircleguides.

4DRAWTHEEYESANDMOUTH

Draw theeyeandmouthof the flying fish.Wrap the shapeof themoutharoundtheformofthehead.Usetheeyeandnoselinesasyourguide.

5REFINETHEBODYANDFINSErasealltheguidelinesonthefish’sbodythatyounolongerneed.Begintorefinetheshapesofthebodyandfinsbyusingsofter,curvinglines.Yourflying fish should start to look less like a papermodel andmore like anorganic,livingcreature.

6CLEANITUP

Cleanupyourdrawingbyerasinganysketchyorstraylinesyoudon’tlike.

7DETAILTHEFORMS

Finishdetailingalltheformsofyourcreature.Drawwrinklesintherubberyskin around the fins. Shade in the inside of themouth sowe can see thebaleenusedforfilteringinsects,microorganismsandothersmallcreaturesforthefish’smeals.

8ADDFINALDETAILS

Use shading to emphasize the form, including the underside of thewingfins.Darkenlinesontheedgesofthedrawingthatareclosertous,suchasthechestandthenearerwingfin.Thishelpspopoutthenearbyformswhilepushingbackparts that are farther away, andaccentuates theperspective,givingtheimpressionsheiscomingtowardus.Drawaspeckledpatternonherback.She’sreadytogracefullysoarthroughtheclouds!

FlyingFish16”×12”(41cm×30cm)

Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,CeruleanBlue,CobaltBlue,LemonYellow,OliveGreen,PermanentWhite,PermanentYellow Deep, Raw Umber, Scarlet Lake, Spectrum Red, Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

TaketotheSkies

DRAWALANTERNBAT

An elusive creature that patrols the night skies, the lantern bat luresunfortunate insects to their deaths with its brightly glowing body. Thesecreaturesusually roost in trees, hanging frombrancheswith theaidof arudimentary hook-like paw on the tip of their tail. Flipper-like hind legshelpmotherbatshold theiryoungto theirchestswhilesleepingor flying,andtocarrylargerpreytoanotherlocationtoeat.Aswiftyeterraticflier,thelanternbatisanightmaretobugs,snapping

themupwithsharpteeththatlineitslong,flexiblejaws.Thebioluminescentlight this creature generates from within its chest causes an eerie glowilluminating the bat’s ribs. Because of its spooky appearance, it is oftennicknamedtheGhostBatortheSkeletonBat.Manysuperstitionssurroundthiscreature,althoughitisharmlesstopeople.

Materials

Draw a circle for the head and sketch a long, sweeping action lineextendingfromtheheaddowntothetail.Lightlyblockintheshapeforthebat’sextendedwings.Thisissimplyagesturetocapturethefeelingofthepose;thedetailedformofthewingscomeslater.

2BLOCKINTHEBODYDrawbasicshapestoblockinthestructureofthebody.Theactionlineyoudrewearliershouldformthecenterlineforthechestandstomach,andwillhelpyoutokeepeverythinginperspective.

3REFINETHEANATOMY

Using the basic forms you drew as a guide, refine the bat’s anatomy.Imagining that the bat’s chest and arm anatomy are similar to humananatomywillhelpyouasyoucontinuetoworkontheseareas.Sketchinthe

hands,thumbsandfingersthathelpthebatclimbandgraspfood.Blockinthefacialfeatures.

4ADDDETAILSTOGIVETHEWINGSSTRUCTURESketch in indications of fur. Draw lines extending from the palm of hishandstoindicatetheremainingfingers(therearesixintotaloneachhand,if you include the thumbs). These fingers will form the structure of thewings that the bat’s leathery skin stretches between. Add small spinesextendingfromthebaseofthetailtoserveasadditionalattachmentpointsforthewings.

5CONTINUEADDINGEDTAILSTOTHEHANDSANDFACEConcentrateondrawinginthedetailsofthearms,handsandface.Makethebat’sfingerslongandthinwithbonyknucklesandcurvingclaws.Drawthelargeeyesandearsthathelpthispredatornavigatethenightskies.Maketheteethlininghislongjawsharpandmenacing.

6FINISHDETAILINGTHEFACEANDBODYDrawclumps and tufts of fur aroundhis head andneckusing a series ofcurvinglinesandhatching.Sketchinthestructureoftherudimentary“fingers”onthetipofthetail.Lightlyblockintheleatheryskinofthewingsstretchingfromfingertofinger.

7CLEANUPYOURDRAWING

Erase theoriginalgesturaloutlineof thebat’swings,aswellasanyothersketchy lines you no longer need. Finish off the shape of the wings bydarkeningyourprevioussketchlines.

8ADDTEXTURETOFINISHFinishoffyourbatcreaturebyaddingleatherytexturetothewings.Thinkabout where there might be the most stress on the skin, like the fingerjoints, and concentrate most of the wrinkles in those areas. Sketch thetextureinwithcurvedlinesthatfollowtheformofthewingandsuggesttheflexibilityoftheskin.Drawjustenoughtexturetoaddinterest,butnotsomuchthatitoverwhelmstheentiredrawing.

9PLANFORPAINTINGIfyouplantomoveontopaintingyourbat,it’sagoodideatoplanthelookofthespookyglowemittingfromthe lantern bat’s chest ahead of time.Or, you could render your drawingwith pencil or the drawing tool of your choice, using darker valueseverywhereelsebuttheglowingbody.Itshouldbethelightestspotinthepicture.

TaketotheSkies

PAINTTHELANTERNBAT

Now that you’ve sketched the lantern bat, let’smoveon to tackling apaintingofhimflappinghiswaythroughthenightsky.Thisdemowillshowyou how to paint the lantern bat using gouache, a paint similar towatercolor. The gouache used is made by Winsor & Newton. Winsor &Newtonalsomakeswatercolorpaints,whichcouldbeusedtocompletethisdemowithsimilareffect.

Materials

SURFACE

140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaper

BRUSHES

nos.000and18/0linersnos.4,8,12and24roundsnos.0,10/0,4,6and10shadersnos..5,1and1.5wash

PALETTE

AlizarinCrimson,BurntSienna,BurntUmber,Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Olive Green,Permanent Green Middle, Prussian Blue, RawUmber,TitaniumWhite,UltramarineBlue,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

TRANSFERRINGYOURDRAWING

If youhave access to a scanner and a printer

thatcanhandlewatercolorpaper, theeasiestwayto transfer your drawing by simply printing it.Check to see what size, shape and thickness ofpaperyourprintercanaccept.Anotheroptionistotake your drawing files to a local print shop andhave them print it on watercolor paper for you.You can also transfer your drawing the old-fashioned way, using a light box to trace yourfinishedimageontowatercolorpaper.Orifyou’refeelingconfident,startafreshdrawingdirectlyonthe paper you plan to paint on. In that case, notransferringisnecessary!

1APPLYAWASH

Colorsused:UltramarineBlue,CobaltBlueandOliveGreen+CeruleanBlue.Useaspraybottlefilledwithcleanwaterorawidewashbrushtosaturateyourpaperwithwater.Selectormixthecoloryouwishtouse,andwithawetbrushdippedinthepaint,dropcolorontothepaperwithyourbrush.Alargeroundbrushisgreattodropinorsplattercolor,whileawidewashbrushmoreeasilycoverslargeareas.Becauseyouarepaintingwetonwet,thecolorswilleasilyspreadacrossthepaperandbleedintooneanother,creatinginterestingcolorandpatterncombinations.Leavesomeofthepapershowingthroughforthebat’schestarea.Thiswillbethelightestandbrightestpartofthepainting,becauseitwillbeglowing.Alsoleaveablankspotupinthecornerforafullmoon.

2FILLINLOCALCOLOROFTHEBATThink of local color as the basic color without any lighting or shadowsaddedyet.UsePrussianBluemixedwithvaryingamountsofRawUmber,BurntSienna,andalittleAlizarinCrimsontocreatethebrownsofthebat.Rather than laying in large swaths of color, use a gentle scumblingapproachwithawetbrush.Thiswillhelpbuilduplayersofcolorandthelookoftextureonthewings.Afterwettingdownthechestareawithaspraybottleorclean,wetbrush,drop inawetcolormixed fromCeruleanBlueandpermanentgreenmiddletocreatethecolorofthechest’sglow.

3FILLINTHEBASICSHADOWSHAPESUsingamixofBurntSiennaandUltramarineBlue,starttofillinwheretheshadowswillfall.Mixinginsomebluesfromthebackgroundcolorasyouworkwillhelptiehimintothebackgroundandcreatethefeelinghe’sinthenighttime environment. The bat shouldmostly be backlit from themoon.Lightingfromthechestareawillmostlyonlyaffectthenearestpartsofthebat.Paintintheribstogiveitacreepyskeletonlook.Don’ttouchthegreenlightyet.Asyouaddmoredarkvalues to thepainting, the lightwill lookevenbrighter.

4REDEFINEYOURLINESMixUltramarineBlue andBurntUmber to create a dark (butwatery andtransparent)color.Usea000or18/0roundorlinerbrushtotraceoveryouroriginaldrawinglines,cleaningupanddefiningareasthatmightbegettinglostinthedarkpaint.Addsometextureinthewingsusingsimilarsize(orslightly larger) round brushes. Use the previous color as well asUltramarineBluemixedwithRawUmber.

5ADDDETAILSTOTHEFURANDFACEContinuepainting transparentlyat this stage.Using thin lines, almost likeyou’rehatchingwithapencil,paintinsomeofthetextureofthefur.Paintin the areas where the shadows would fall. Be sure not to cover up toomuchofyourbasecolor.Leavingitaloneasyouaddtheshadowswillhelptocreatemediumandlightvalues.Layershadowcolorstocreateagreaterrangeofvaluesfromdarktomiddletolight.

6ADDOPAQUEDETAILSANDRIMLIGHTINGConcentrate most of your details on the face. With a mix of AlizarinCrimson,CeruleanBlueandZincWhite,createalightlavendercolortousefortherimlightcreatedbythemoon.MixCeruleanBlueandZincWhitetocreateacoolerlightbluehue.Withasmallroundorlinerbrush(size0–4),paintalongtheedgesofthebat’searsandfingers,andthetopofthewings.Useabitofwatertoblendsomeofthiscolordownthroughtheskinflapsatthe top of the wings. Because the stretched skin here is thin, it appearsslightlytransparentandthelightshouldshinethroughitsomewhat.Addabit of Raw Umber or Yellow Ochre to the blue mix to create a slightlywarmerbrowncolor.Usethistopaintsomeopaquelightsbackintothefurofthebat.Forareaswiththickerbrushstrokes,useasmallshader,size0or10/0.

7STARTPAINTINGINTHEBIOLIGHTWith an opaque mix of Cerulean Blue, Permanent Green Middle andPermanentWhite,paintinthespacebetweenandunderneaththeribsusinga0or10/0shaderbrush.Oncedry,usea2or4roundtotraceovertheribswith a transparent mix of Cobalt Blue and Olive Green. Then add atransparentlayerofPrussianBlue.Thedarkvaluesofbioluminescentlightwill appear as a darker shade of the glowing color. (To make gouachetransparent, add water. You can create varying levels of transparencydependingontheamountofwatermixedin.)

8PAINTTHEGLOW

Closer to thecenterof theribcage,paint theglowwithPermanentWhitemixedwith justadabofCeruleanBlueandPermanentGreenMiddle.Atthecenter,layerplainPermanentWhiteontoptocreatethebrightestpartoftheglow.Afterthepaintdries(whichshouldtakeonlyafewminutes),dipa clean shader into water and blend the Permanent White of thebioluminescent light into theedgesof theribsabit.Eating into theedgesand obscuring them slightly reinforces the impression that there is a softglow.

9DARKENTHESHADOWS

Paint some dark color back into the sternum area of the bat. Darken theshadows surrounding the chest in the fur and elsewhere to furtheremphasizetheeerieblue-greenglow.

10ADDFINISHINGDETAILS

Enhance contrast by making your shadows darker and building up thehighlightstomakethemevenbrighter.Usingathinliner,paintsomeblue-greenveinsinthewingsnearthechest,glowingwithbioluminescentlight.Usinganopaquemixthesamecolorasthebioluminescentglow,showtheway the bat’s nearby anatomy might catch some of that light such aswrinklesinwingsandfingers,ortuftsoffur.

GOUACHECANBETRICKY!

Gouache can be built up or watered down

similartooils.Ithasacreamytexturewhenusedasanopaque,but itdriesquickly. Ifyouwant topaint a lotwith a color as opaque,mix a decentamount or it’ll dry up on your palette. You canreconstitute it with more water, but that watersdown the color, making it more transparent andhardertocoverthelayerofpaintunderneath.Be careful when painting in many layers. If

your brush isn’t loaded with enough paint, or ifyouusetoomuchpressure,itwillpickupsomeofthe under paint that’s already on your piece.Gouache is water-based, so you can pull it offyour painting after it dries. This works great forachievingcertaineffects,but it canbe frustratingwhenyoudon’texpectthepainttoliftup.

11FINISHTHEBACKGROUNDAddwater tothebackgroundwithaclean, largewashbrush,makingsurenot to get too close to the edges of the bat so that the colors can blendwithout bleeding into him. Make the background darker and a bit morepurple in hue. Use mixes of Prussian Blue and Alizarin Crimson,Ultramarine and Olive Green, and Ultramarine and Alizarin Crimson to

finishthebackground.Withalargeroundbrush,dropthewetcolorsontothewetsurface inahaphazardpattern, imaginingtheyarecloudsforminginthenightsky.Thebat’swingsshouldstillbeoneofthedarkestpartsofthe painting; avoid making the background too much darker than them.Paintinthemoonbymakingblueblotchestoformthecraters.Useopaquewhite paintwhere needed tomake themoon brighter.You canmake theedgescrisporslightlyblurred—it’suptoyou.

LanternBat12.5”×17.25”(32cm×44cm)Surface:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaperGouache pigments: Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber,Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Olive Green, Permanent Green Middle,PermanentWhite,PrussianBlue,RawUmber,Ultramarine,YellowOchre,ZincWhite

AdobePhotoshop®,64Actionlines,11Animalanatomyreferencebook,90Atmosphericperspective,16,76

Behaviorforpersonalitydevelopment,29Blendedtonepenciltechnique,18Bodies

animal,12human,14structure,sketchingof,24

Brainstorming,22Brushes,3,8Buildingblocks,10

Chimera,34–39Color,19,30Constructingcreatures,10Costumesandaccessories,104–107Creatingyourcreature,20–31

brainstorming,22designing,26finalizingyourcreature,30–31inspiration,22personalitydevelopment,28reference,23silhouettes,27sketching,24–25,26

Crosshatchingpenciltechnique,18CrownedIbak,98–103CyclopediaAnatomicae,90

Dietforpersonalitydevelopment,28Drapery,106Dynamicgestures,11

Erasers,8Exaggeration,15Extras,9Eyes,13,101

Faces.SeealsoEyes;Headsexpressions,29features,24foreshortening,17perspectives,15proportions,15shapes,115sketching,24,26sphinx,61varietyanduniqueness,13

Feathers,121–124Feet,13,79Fins,69,73,127–128Flippers,13FlyingFish,126–131Foreshortening,17ForestBehemoth,94–97Formsinspace,58

Gesturedrawing,11GlassDragon,40–47Gouachepigments,3,8,140

Habitatforpersonalitydevelopment,28Hands,50–51,69Hatchingpenciltechnique,18Heads,25,26,35–37Hook-LeggedBodeo,120–125Humanbodiesandproportion,14–15Hydra,56–59

Inspiration,22,34.SeealsoReference

Landcreatures,86–111costumesandaccessories,104–107CrownedIbak,98–103ForestBehemoth,94–97MarmokenWarrior,108–111saddles,105,107Venom-SpittingSandDragon,88–93

LanternBat,132–141Legs,12Lineweight,18LivingIsland,78–85

MarmokenWarrior,108–111Minotaur,48–55Movementforpersonalitydevelopment,29Mythicalcreatures,32–65

Chimera,34–39GlassDragon,40–47Hydra,56–59Minotaur,48–55Sphinx,60–65

Negativespace,27

Paintgouachepigments,3,8,140LanternBat,135–141splattering,9techniques,19

PaintedMarshNymph,68–71Paki,26–31Palette,9PancakeGlider,114–119Paperdolltechnique,64Papersupplies,3,8Pencil-renderingtechniques,18Pencils,8Pens,8Personality,28–29Perspective

atmospheric,16,76changingfacialperspectives,15gettinganewperspective,24sideview,16three-quarterview,16

Poses,11

Referenceanimalanatomyreferencebook,90do’sanddon’ts,23inspiration,22,34usingof,23

Rocks,9,81

Saddle,105,107Saltfortexture,9Scale,83Scribbling,48SeaSerpent,72–77Shadows,19,91,139Silhouettes,27Sketching,24–25,26Skycreatures,112–141

FlyingFish,126–131Hook-LeggedBodeo,120–125LanternBat,132–141PancakeGlider,114–119

Sphinx,60–65Stipplingpenciltechnique,18Supplies,3,8–9Surfacematerials,3,8

Transferringyourdrawing,135Trees,9,80

Venom-SpittingSandDragon,88–93

Watercreatures,66–85floatingfeatures,70LivingIsland,78–85PaintedMarshNymph,68–71SeaSerpent,72–77

Weapons,106Wings,41–45,63,120–124Workspace,8,9

AbouttheAuthor

EmilyFiegenschuhattendedtheRinglingCollegeofArtandDesigninSarasota, Florida, where she graduatedwith honors and a BFA from theIllustrationprogramin2001.Her art has appeared in the best sellersAPracticalGuide toDragons,

andAPracticalGuidetoMonsters,(MirrorstoneBooks),includingcoversfor several books in the series.Emily illustratednumerousDungeons andDragons rule books forWizards of the Coast, as well as the covers andinteriorsfortheMirrorstonenovelseriesKnightsoftheSilverDragon.ShehasalsocreatedseveralillustrationsforCricketmagazine.Emily prefers the feeling of putting pencil or brush to paper and still

drawsandpaints themajorityofherworktraditionally. Inherspare time,she enjoys sculpting.One of her pieceswas featured inSpectrum 9: TheBestinContemporaryFantasticArt.ShelivesintheSeattleareawithherhusband,Vinod.Visitherwebsiteate-figart.com.

Acknowledgments

Manypeoplelentahelpinghandtomakethis,myfirstbookandverybigproject,possible.Sincere thanks go to editor Christina Richards for her kindness and

immensepatienceputtingupwithmyperfectionist streakand forguidingme through the book’s progress. Without her understanding andencouragement, all the work I put into this book would not have beenpossible.Thank you to designerWendyDunning for turning the jumbledpilesofartandtextIgaveherintoagreat-lookingbook.ThankstoKellyMesserlyforgettingtheballrolling.Withoutherinterestinmywork,thisbookmaynotevenexist!Thanksalso toMaryBostic forherguidanceatthebeginningoftheproject.ManythankstoVinodforhistirelesssupportthroughoutthemakingof

thisbook.HiscritiquesandartisticinsighthelpedmetoexpectthemostofmyselfandmakemyartworklookthebestIcouldmakeit,evenat3AMwhenIshouldhavebeeninbed.Hisadditionalhelparoundthestudio(andthehouse)forthedurationoftheprojectwasinvaluable.Thankyoutomyfamilyandfriendsfortheirencouragementduringthis

projectandformyartisticendeavors ingeneral.Andfinally, thanks toallmyguineapigs.Snugglingfuzzylittleanimalsisgreatstressrelief!

METRICCONVERSIONCHART

Toconvert to multiplybyInches Centimeters 2.54Centimeters Inches 0.4Feet Centimeters 30.5Centimeters Feet 0.03Yards Meters 0.9Meters Yards 1.1

TheExplorer’sGuide toDrawingFantasyCreatures.Copyright©2011 byEmily Fiegenschuh.Manufactured inChina.All rights reserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanical means including information storage and retrieval systemswithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomay quote brief passages in a review. Published by IMPACTBooks, animprintofF+WMedia, Inc.,4700EastGalbraithRoad,Cincinnati,Ohio,45236.(800)289-0963.FirstEdition.

OtherfineIMPACTbooksareavailablefromyourfavoritebookstore,artsupplystoreoronlinesupplier.Visitourwebsiteatwww.fwmedia.com.

151413121154321

DISTRIBUTEDINCANADABYFRASERDIRECT100ArmstrongAvenueGeorgetown,ON,CanadaL7G5S4Tel:(905)877-4411

DISTRIBUTEDINTHEU.K.ANDEUROPEBYF&WMEDIAINTERNATIONAL,LTDBrunelHouse,FordeClose,NewtonAbbot,TQ124PU,UKTel:(+44)1626323200,Fax:(+44)1626323319Email:enquiries@fwmedia.com

DISTRIBUTEDINAUSTRALIABYCAPRICORNLINKP.O.Box704,S.WindsorNSW,2756AustraliaTel:(02)4577-3555

photographsusedbypermissionofVinodRams.Pages23and34photographsusedbypermissionofKarlFiegenschuh.

EditedbyChristinaRichards,MaryBosticandKellyMesserlyDesignedbyWendyDunningProductioncoordinatedbyMarkGriffin

The Explorerâ€™s Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures

Documents

Sea Creatures

Layered Layout Algorithms for Graph Visualization...Application: Mythological Creatures and Gods Source: Visualization that won the Graph Drawing contest 2016. Klawitter&Mchedlidze

Safari Animals & Animals & Creatures Baby Animals & Animals & Creatures Dangerous Animals & Animals & Creatures Tame Animals & Animals & Creatures Groups

1430 Creatures & Treasures III · 2018. 4. 28. · (and MERP) supplement covering three key elements of fantasy masculine pronourn whm wferring topersons ofcincertain role playing:

Fantasy Book Report...Fantasy books involve settings, characters, and objects that could not exist in real life. These may include talking animals, mythical creatures, magic objects,

1430 Creatures & Treasures III - RPGNow.comwatermark.rpgnow.com/pdf_previews/88191-sample.pdf10.1 Enchanted Herbs 60-65 ... (and MERP) supplement covering three key elements of fantasy

Mythical creatures

Halloween and fantasy creatures (UK)

Celtic Creatures & Nordic Nightmares i - Legendary Questlegendaryquest.netfirms.com/books/LQ_Celtic_ed7.pdf · Celtic Creatures & Nordic Nightmares i ... Celtic Creatures & Nordic

Fantasy Shoe Sculpture. Depicts magical and supernatural themes, ideas, creatures or settings. Fantasy art can be attached to mythology and surrealism

Weird Creatures

FANTASY ENGLISH CREATURES

Draw More Furries: How to Create Anthropomorphic Fantasy Creatures

Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures

Classic Fantasy - The Design Mechanism Fantasy...are given on how to use creatures in Classic Fantasy games, includ-ing how to design your own. Chapter 12: Treasure You killed them,

FANTASY ENGLISH CREATURES Fantasy forest creatures

Uzziah is also called Azariah Rev. 4:8 --Living creatures (6 wings, four different creatures) Rev. 4:8 --Living creatures (6 wings, four different creatures)

Folk Art Creatures - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Art... · art around the world. Fantasy creatures have also played a ... What are characters like in these kinds of

Secrets of the - Classic Edition Fantasy ResourcesTentacle Spawn: An amorphous mass of faceless, mouthed tentacles with rubbery, slime-covered skin. When these creatures bite a foe,

ELENCO TESI 2003-2020 RELATORE MAT. NOMINATIVO TITOLO ... · 1251 MAZZUCCHELLI FEDERICA "FROM FOLKLORE TO FANTASY": A BESTIARY OF MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES" 1264 MICHELA CLAUDIA Translation