In myths dragons symbolize a myriad of real and imagined terrors, which perhaps originated from the real beasts that roamed ancient forests. But for modern storytellers, it is usually the majestic hero in the story. The best thing in drawing dragons is that you could keep in mind that all those pictures you’ve seen are all derived from mere imagination only. Thus, there is no right way of drawing a dragon. You get to have all the creative freedom that you want in drawing one.
What Kind?
Before you can start drawing, you should first decide on what kind of dragon is it that you want. What is the environment that shaped your dragon? Is it a green forest or a mountainous desert? If it’s one of those mediaeval fire-breathers you might want to consider referencing historical sources. If it’s a fantasy creature, then it all depends on the course of your imagination.
Think of its key features. Do you want it as a slender, lizard-like dragon with filmy wings, or do you want it to be a mighty beast that has the arching back and chest of a war horse? Try to think and sketch out rough ideas like these before you proceed.
Be Convincing: Find A Reference
The best way to have a convincing dragon drawing is by having an anatomy which flows together and has some sense in it. Thus, try to make use of real animal anatomy for your reference. Does your character have wings? If so, are they decorative or functional?
Also, think about the skin. Is it the leathery type with fine reptilian scales or is it crocodile rough? How about the color? Do you you want it to be in camoflage browns and greens or would you want it in bright rainbow colors? Once you’ve decided on these things, try to make a sketch or a list of all the characteristics. Then, go and search the Internet for photos. Make sure that you learn from your references and not copy.
Be Realistic: Have A Light Source
The light source of your drawing is also important. Although it is from your imagination, pick out one light source that you want your character to be subjected to. If you have various image sources, also be aware of their lighting. The light source of the crocodile picture you are looking at and that of the snake picture may be different. Thus, be careful and make sure that the shading of your picture would sync with the light source you’ve chosen.
Pin point if the source is overhead sunlight, the moon, a window or a cave opening. Take note that light waves travel on straight lines. This could help you know where your shadows are. Keep in mind too that light bounces. Thus, there may be some lighted areas within the shadowed areas. If you are having a problem with this factor, go and get some plastic dinosaurs. Use a flashlight as the sun and you’ll see the shadows you are looking for.
Fire And Smoke
Another important factor would be the fire and fire-breath, if your dragon has this kind of feature. Do not experiment with flamethrowers just to get this right! It is quite easy to achieve this kind of effect. All you need to do is make use of tones. Give contrast to the smoke and flame by using shades of black, grey and white.
Manga is the world famous style of drawing Japanese cartoons. It is also more popularly known as “Anime”. This style of drawing has captivated a lot of Anime fans all over the world and people of all ages. Here are some of the basics of drawing Manga.
Learn The Culture
If you really want to draw good Manga, it is best that you learn more about Japanese culture. Most Anime’s are based on Japanese tales and historic characters. It is also better if you learn to observe the different surroundings and places in Japan. This is so that your drawing would really have a Japanese feel to it.
The Hair
Characters’ hair is generally based on a variety of hair strand shapes. More often, these shapes have a grass like appearance to it that is more curved at the lower end. Just like real hair, they do have many strands. However, you do not draw each individual strands as is, instead, you have to draw it into clumps.
It is important to take note that there is a skull underneath your character’s hair. A lot of artists overlook this factor and usually end up drawing oddly shaped heads. It is better that you draw a hairless head first so that it would look natural when you add on the hair.
Clothing And Folds
For clothing, the folds are very important details that you should take note of. You should always remember to take into consideration the direction that the fabric would be pulled. That is where you should create folds. Also, remember to shade the parts that are not subjected to light, like grooves, places in which there is an overlap of cloth and areas within folds.
For female characters, the clothing usually cling tighter to the body. For male, they usually hang loosely. There are also body portions that folds always occur, whether you are drawing a boy or girl character. These portions usually include the shoulders, lower waist, ankles and knees. There is less creases on the cloth on the lower and upper leg, since they are usually hanging loosely or are simply pulled down by gravity. They only have folds when the leg is being lifted up.
The most common pieces to be seen are pants, shirts, skirts, kimonos and capes. Manga art is very fond of using capes and kimonos, especially if the setting of the story is somewhere long ago in the past. School uniforms are a favourite too, which usually consist of pants and coats for boys and white blouses and mini skirts for girls.
Eyes
The eyes are the most important aspect of your character. This is what makes them different from other characters. Thus, you have to learn how to draw them correctly. For most cases, female eyes are drawn big. They are also more complicated than male eyes, since they tend to have a lot of shiny areas.
It is important that you select a light source, so that you would know where to put the white shiny areas on the eyes. For male eyes, they do have shiny areas but they are less obvious, than that of female characters. Male eyes are also narrower than female’s.
Most of the time, they are shady too in order to give life to the character, especially if they have a very mysterious personality.
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