How Do You Draw Decent Animals?

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

I would like to know how to basically draw each animal. I think I'm okay with drawing most objects at least so they can be recognized correctly, but I have no idea how to draw a fox differently than a horse, for example. Animals are tough for me to draw, so will you please show me the basic version of how to draw various animals in about one to two minutes? Thank you in advance!

[Crazyjayde]

I usually consult the Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists, which can be found online here: http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collect...ce/VetAnatImgs
I find there's no better way other than observation.

I tend to not look at how people do it, but I prefer reading on the subject beforehand and coming with my own interpretations. Just go fetch a book in your local library, there are tons on the subject.

[L.B.D.D]

practice

[Wayward Vagabond]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+draw+animals

[noname219]

You probably won't be able to draw anything you want without having any visual clue. Rare are the people in this world that can draw very well from memory. Having any reference to base your drawings will definitely help you improving. You can start by doing small sketch based on illustrations (~5 minutes) - if you have a real animal at your house, it's even better. That will help you understand the anatomy and proportions. The more you practice, the more you can add time to your sketches. A good sketch takes for me at least 25-30 minutes, and a good drawing will take me a few hours.

Originally Posted by Crazyjayde

Just go fetch a book in your local library

Dude, who here still go to the library ? Just Google.

[Wayward Vagabond]

You seem like a cool person drizzle but come on

[Crazyjayde]

I just did like today .__. Found out they had video games on the third floor. Sleazy vagrants on the second.

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

You seem like a cool person drizzle but come on

I thought it would be more meaningful if I asked on FFR rather than just searching in google.

[Wayward Vagabond]

How could that possibly be more meaningful

[MracY]

It depends on your current skill level.
If you show me some drawings that you can actually already make, I can give you some tips.

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

How could that possibly be more meaningful

I'm asking real people instead of looking up information on google, which means I will get real human interaction from multiple perspectives. I believe that this is a more effective way to learn, and asking real people instead of searching for the results will probably make me retain what I learn.

[Spenner]

In my experience, do LOTS of studies. Really try different elements of each different animal first before even trying any of the bigger pictures. For example, for birds, practice eye areas, beaks and feet, then basic anatomy/poses, then try weaving it altogether. You'll get there eventually, but DO be really critical if you're aiming for realism. Use plenty of references but try your hardest to break it down/find formulas for the different animals that make sense.~

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

Originally Posted by Spenner

In my experience, do LOTS of studies. Really try different elements of each different animal first before even trying any of the bigger pictures. For example, for birds, practice eye areas, beaks and feet, then basic anatomy/poses, then try weaving it altogether. You'll get there eventually, but DO be really critical if you're aiming for realism. Use plenty of references but try your hardest to break it down/find formulas for the different animals that make sense.~

Thank you! I'll make sure to study the anatomy of different animals so I have a better idea of how to draw them proportionally. ^.^

[Pseudo Enigma]

try thinking about where the ribcage is, where the head should be and you should be able to ace it every time. When in doubt draw the skeleton first. (though that can be hard sometimes)

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

Originally Posted by Pseudo Enigma

try thinking about where the ribcage is, where the head should be and you should be able to ace it every time. When in doubt draw the skeleton first. (though that can be hard sometimes)

Thanks, I'll try that! ^.^

[3lijah]

Im pretty sure you know that everything that you draw is essentially made of shapes. Just like Pseudo said, draw the skeleton. The benefits in that are so you don't draw certain things out of proportion or unsymmetrical. Pay close attention to detail in the animal you are trying to draw and replicate them to the best of your ability. Over time, your visual aspect gets better and produce works of freakin art faster. Then you can create your own animals, like goddamn neopets.

[Renevatia]

Balance is important, pay attention to center of mass. If moving animal, or anything really, shift center of mass toward direction of motion.
When you get major shapes down, treat the whole anime as a whole as a bean bag with how it interact with the surface it is on.(unless you are drawing crazy buff, big scale animals)
Muscle/skeletal anatomy of reference animals.
Rest is just basics things like shading and definition of shapes, not that they are easy.

[Nullifidian]

The fact that you ask this question makes me wonder what your skill level is.

Everything currently mentioned is kind of cheating on how to approach drawing animals (or anything for that matter). The key to drawing is thinking in shapes/volumes in 3D space. If you understand volumes, you can break down an animal's anatomy into basic shapes and construct the animal into a drawing. Copying reference images won't help if you don't understand volumes. Only when you understand the fundamentals (perspective, value, volume etc.) would reference studies matter cause reference is mainly used to memorize or refer back on the subject matter's appearance. The reference part of drawing is insignificant though compared to understanding how something appears in 3D space, which is why I'm wondering about your skill level.

If you want to get a better grasp on this, I suggest drawing from life first so you can understand how your subject matter is built up. Draw simple things you see laying around, such as pens, phones or whatever. If you understand how to break down objects and project them into a convincing 3D drawing, you should have no problem drawing a realistic animal as it's the same as drawing a realistic pen, only more complex in construction.

This image is relevant:




edit: If you want to get more specific tips, you should probably post a couple drawings of yours so I can tell what you need to work on more.

[MracY]

Yes, that's what I said also.
If Drizzle still uploads something, I'll be sure to fill in any information Spitfire leaves out.

[Renevatia]

thats exactly how I learned to draw an owl.