Reptile studies

[Cyanide]

This started as a result of me trying to draw a decent dragon and realizing that I just don't have enough experience drawing reptilian forms to do it well. So, these are my first reptilian studies. The quick sketch in the top left was done without reference just to see what I could do without it. The others were done with reference. Any comments, critiques or other forms of help you can give would be appriciated. Also, if anybody can point me to some reptilian anatomy references that would be great too.

http://www.gnomelan.com/Cyanide/reptileStudies_1.jpg

[look]

Hum, I think you need to do more study of the overall body of the reptile more.

One thing I noticed in most of the starter dragon/reptile drawings are that the artist always tend to give the creature a more human form rather than reptile form. The main difference set human form and reptile form apart is the shoulder joints. For humans, we have a distinct shoulder joint, but for reptiles, its very subtle and you rarely see the strong and round shoulder muscle there (don't know what that part of muscle is called). Also they don't really have the same waist and hip structure as human. I dont think you have problem with drawing the head, but the body is the major part.

[jfwalls]

Your pencil strokes look very sketchy and small. I can see you hunched over the paper slowly drawing each little sketchy line. Stand back and loosen up. Try to get the general shape with just a few quick strokes. Then subtly make your marks stronger and more detailed.

[Cyanide]

Thanks for the feedback.

Yeah, I do draw short sketchy strokes, but I don't do them slowly and I don't hunch over the Wacom. :tihi: My problem is that when I try to do large strokes they're always shaky and never smooth. Especially curves. I just can't seem to make a steady stroke that goes where I want it to.

[Cyanide]

Here's another one. The whole lizard from ref this time.

http://www.gnomelan.com/Cyanide/reptileStudies_2.jpg

[BMunchausen]

The only way to grow and gain confidence is to do things that you can't do very well. Sketchy, tentative lines betray a lack of confidence on your part.

You can practice just filling pages of copy paper up with lines. It's an animator's exercise - you just practice drawing lines all the way across the paper, using your whole arm. Vertical lines, horizontal lines, diagonal lines, and then circles, circles and more circles, until you can draw those things firmly, and well, w/out hesitation.

It's like learning to play the piano - you play scales over and over and over. It isn't music, but it ingrains a certain dexterity into your fingers that'll enable you to play music later.