fireEyes' Tutorials  

• Introduction
• Drawing Western Dragons
• Drawing Eastern Dragons
• Drawing Dragon Heads
• Drawing Wings (Bat-like)
• Drawing Paws
• Coloring in Photoshop
• References
• HOME

By fireEyes tailchaser

Introduction:

Most dragons are portrayed as having "bat-like" wings, arm like appendages with a fleshy webbing in between the long fingers. Since there are no quadrupeds on earth that are capable of flying, dragon wings are rather difficult to portray and, in my opinion, are rarely "realisticaly" portrayed. I've put together here theories and techniques I use when drawing wings.

Theory:

A wing is structured just like an arm...the only difference is the length of the bones. Observe the comparison drawing below. Notice the identical structures in both the human arm and the dragon wing. Everything bends and moves the same way; just bend your arm into different positions and you will get a good understanding of how a wing folds and unfolds, and the limitations of the different joints.

When a wing is folded, it is tucked neatly to the dragon's side. The membranes in between the wing fingers become limp and folded. To understand how this thin skin folds, study sheets, curtains, and other drape-y materials.

When a wing is spread, the membranes become tight and sail like. Minimal folds will appear, save a few stretch lines. To observe how this works, take a sheet in both hands and pull it taught; observes the stretch folds that appear.

Let's Draw:

I've created a demonstration to show how I go about drawing a wing, folded to the side. This seems to be the position that people have the most difficulty with. First, I draw three ovals representing, from right to left, the wing shoulder, the bicep, and the elbow. Next, I draw 3 more ovals representing the forearm and the wrist. I then draw in the 3 or 4 wing struts and the wing "thumb". The joints are relaxed and the fingers point up and towards the body. Lastly, I add in the wing membranes and shading.

I believe that the most difficult part of wing structure is the point at which the wing connects to the body. I am constantly changing my theories on how this works, but I currently place the connection point of the wing directly behind the shoulder. Since dragons have a set of forelimbs, it is difficult to theorize how wings would also fit into the torso. Wyverns, that is, dragons with only a pair of wings and hind legs, are easier to structure.

I recommend observing the skeletal and muscular structures of the wings of both birds and bats to better understand how to structure a dragon wing.