Playful Critters

This one is for you Chloe!

Every now and then my thoughts clear and my hand just starts scribbling lines and forms. Determined to draw my cousin's daughter a dragon of her own, I got to work. 

This part (the idear think'en) took about 3 hours. I looked up a few images of some dragons and chose a few that really caught my attention. I really liked the web-like design of one image and the facial structure of another. I already had a few images on the dragons' general body structure. I started with the head- meshing the webbed ear-like part (I really don't know if those are supposed to be ears or what :/) with the facial structure of another dragon image. Added big eyes...because dragons have big, glassy, marble eyes. That's how they can see so well from so high up. Then I worked my way to the body, playing with ideas of how I want the dragon to pose. the final head posture may change, but for now it is as it is. 

Why this pose?..

My half husky, half corgy? pooch is always stretching her little body like a cat. She makes this little howl that is adorable. I sometimes watch and wait for her next stretch to hear her. Maybe I'll catch her on camera next time and insert into this post later. Anyway, downward facing cat/dog (google image that "downward facing cat"..you'll see what I mean) is my pose of choice. The pose is very playful and has a lot of movement. Rather than a static profile position. I need to work on making the position MORE lively, so the dragon really looks like it's going to pounce. 

Now to add some shading, texture, and COLOR!...or not.  Depends on what Chloe thinks ;) 

9"x 12" B/W sketch

9"x 12" prismacolor markers/color pencils on trace paper

...Continuing.....

I really like the translucency of trace paper. That's probably why most of my recent works have been on trace paper. I used it a lot for my Landscape Arch. course. Maybe it is just habit. The trace paper allows me to play with colors before actually marking down on the drawing. Which is awesome. I also love the way the prismacolor markers settle and blend on the trace paper. 

As far as the head position changing, I just changed the dragon's gaze downward on the little bitty caterpillar crawling ahead. The whole body position makes more sense. Else the dragon just looks like it is gazing downward at nothing. I don't know what else to say about this drawing. If anyone has any questions regarding the how, what, why, etc. making of this drawing feel free to ask away. 

I admit I have lots more to learn about shading techniques, texturizing, and giving more realistic qualities (movement), but I'm learning slowly. Constructive criticism welcomed!

Now, on to some landscaping!!

Buonanotte! <3