Creating from a reference photo can be tricky. Where do you start? How much detail should you include? Only you can answer these questions, but I’m here with tips!
Here’s exactly what my brain thinks while I draw:
“Okay I’m just gonna draw this figure real quick and then give it some animal parts and maybe it’ll look cool.”
Sometimes it works. When it doesn’t work, I usually laugh at my bad drawing.
Breaking it down:
Capture the posture first - The curve of the back, angle of shoulders, and direction of the head. Put those on the page first and don’t get lost in the details.
Head position and angle - These characters function like humans, so they’ll have a lot of mobility in their necks, twisting and tilting as they respond to each other and their environment. Look at how the figure’s head is positioned, and move your head to match. I swear it helps!
Pay attention to paws, claws, and wings - These are important to acknowledge so we’re not just drawing humans wearing those giant mascot heads. This is fine if that’s what you’re going for, but it’s not our theme this month!
I demonstrate these in detail in the video, perfect to watch before trying some of the replays and exercises below!
