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| Tutorial Listing | How to Draw a Western
Dragon By fireEyes tailchaser Background : A Western dragon is basically any dragon that isn't from asia (ie oriental dragons). These dragons are normally portrayed as quadrupeds with 2 bat like wings. They often have large sharp claws and adornments such as horns, spikes, crests, and tail spades. They come in every color of the rainbow and are often covered in scales. Western dragons are also often portrayed as fire-breathers, and have been looked upon as evil creatures amongst western society. Of course, there are many exceptions to these characteristics. Many western dragons are covered in fur or feathers. Some have more than one set of wings, sometimes feathered. There are a variety of different body shapes and sizes. And we all know that not all dragons are evil. Some examples of western dragons are the Dragon of St. George and Draco from the movie Dragonheart.
Let's Draw :
1. When drawing any type of vertebrate, I always find it easiest to start by drawing the "line of action". This is a quick, free line drawn to symbolize the motion in the picture. In this case, the line of action is simply the backbone of the dragon. I have placed hash marks to segment the line into the three major components of the body : the tail, the torso, and the neck/head. Sometimes before I even start drawing, I make a quick sketch in the corner of my paper to plan out how I want my picture to look. This is good to do once you are comfortable with drawing basic shapes and forms.
2. Following the hash marks, I draw the larger parts of the body using simple circles and ovals. As you can see here, these are the foundations for the head, chest, and hip. It is ok to change around some of the original lines you drew; I have done so here with the neck. When drawing, it is good to get in the practice of keeping your sketches free and light so it is easier to make necessary changes. This is something I even have yet to perfect.
3. Connect the shapes and begin drawing the basic shapes for the limbs and face. I recomend studying anatomy to get these forms to look more realistic. Since no one can really be sure as to what a dragon looks like, the best we can do is study from familiar life forms. This is the part that takes the most practice. Try to keep the lines free and flowing to bring out life and motion in your drawings.
4. Wing structure is rather difficult, in my opinion. I use bat wings as a foundation for my anatomy, and I often make things up along the way. Some people prefer to use bird wings as a reference. Think of the wing as an arm, where the wing struts are fingers. This will help in understanding how the wing folds. Start at the base of the wing, where it meets the shoulder and work up.
5. Start cleaning up your drawing by erasing guidelines and rough edges. Retrace the picture if necessary. Try to get everything as smooth as possible. Begin adding details to the face. (Please see my tutorial on drawing heads for more help on this).
6. Add any desired details. Here, I added horns, spines, belly scales, claws, and a tail spade. I also added some lines to give the impression of muscle and bone structure. Be sure not to go overboard on the details as you might clutter up your drawing. Textures such as scales and fur may also be added.
7. Shade, shade, shade! There are many different methods of shading so be sure to experiment with them all. Again, studying anatomy will help a lot here. Attention to lighting is a good way to add depth to your pictures.
8. Color the picture, if desired. I chose to color this one using Photoshop. To learn more about using Photoshop, please read my coloring tutorial. |
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