Animals, Pt. 1

Why do we draw animals and animal characters?  Perhaps it is to explore our humanity more.  We are often assigning animalistic qualities and names to human traits - that guy is "an animal", "fast as a cheetah", "stop monkeying around", "slow as a sloth", "memory of an elephant", "mongoose like reflexes" . . .  Perhaps it is to understand and enjoy our world more.  As artists we are always trying to capture and render glimpses of our world in a way that will speak to others.

There are many, many types of animals.  Quadrupeds, bipeds, furry beasts, winged creatures - with and without feathers, insects, sea creatures.  They all have one thing in common . . .  SHAPES!

When drawing animals, as with anything that we can observe, the key is breaking them down into and understanding their basic shape structures.  We must see through them, just as we would a human model in life drawing, to get to the very root of their form.

Anatomy! - would you ever consider a study of the human form complete without a study of anatomy?  Why would a study of an animal subject be any different?  Especially if you are designing a particular animal character, a study of it's anatomy is essential.

Learn to draw them realistically first! Artist David Colman puts it perfectly in his book "The Art of Animal Character Design" :

When capturing and studying animals, it is fascinating to discover their unique characters, especially in mammals.  Perhaps this is why we love to use them as characters so much - they offer unique insights and windows into ourselves.  Observe your animal subject and really strive to capture not just the shape and form of that creature, but also its unique character.

Caricature -  can you really caricature an animal!?  Of course!  What is a caricature if not and exaggeration of a subjects shapes and character?

Study from life. Study from reference.  Learn from the greats.

disclaimer: none of these images are mine.  they were borrowed from the internet or from books many images taken from these guys, via the internet: http://www.joeweatherly.net/drawings_gallery.html,  http://www.davidsdoodles.com/, others were taken from national geographic and random google searches.

Heros and Villians

Hero's and Villains.  Good vs. Evil.  Right and Wrong.  Stereotypes, Archetypes, all those kids of types that instantly bring images and the character of someone to mind.

What images to the words "Hero" and "Villain" bring to mind?  Likely we have a whole mental trove of images, shapes and constructs that come to us based on our experiences, aesthetic preferences, information stored in our mental vaults and moral attitudes.  All of this information leads us to agree or disagree with the aesthetic of any given character in either of these roles.  It can cause visceral reaction to the design of a character in a visual medium that can either enhance or detract from our enjoyment of said medium.

There are some generally accepted design ques that inform us instantly as to the character of a . . . character.  And sometimes our personal constructs can be challenged.  After all, each of us is unique in our world experience.  No two people will even experience the same event the same way.  Sometimes these challenges are successful, sometimes they cause us to reevaluate our own constructs.  Sometimes they are done to twist a story - to varying degrees of success.

It is up to us, the designer, to absorb the accepted,  explore the unknown and challenge the common conceptions to make our characters truly unique. It is also up to us to design characters that fit within a world, that inform and are informed by that world, and help the viewer understand who the character is, merely by looking at them.

Proportions- what proportions do heros and villains have?

Mr.'s Lee and Buscema would say 8 and 1/2 heads:

 Mr. Loomis would disagree, slightly.

And what about villians?

According to Mr.'s Lee and Buscema:

I wonder if Mr. Loomis would agree with that.  Well, agree or disagree, there are many examples to fit your personal construct.

The Heroic  Hero
Typically strong, exaggerated proportions. Square jaw, solid musculature.

The Unlikely Hero

Not often who we'd suspect.  Usually challenges our classical ideas of strentgth.  Often defined more by their brain than their brawn, or sheer determination and stubbornness, or by some special unique skill or characteristic. 

 

The Anti - hero
They're probably a terribly person.  Though they might fight for the good, their methods and life choices are often suspect, and below the moral pale, even though they offer glimpses of redemption.  We don't really like them . . . or do we . . .

Villains
The best villains begin from something recognizable. They offer a counterpoint to the hero, even, occasionally, they can be the exact opposite of the character.   They are a distortion of reality, and of something good, and are generally designed that way.