Starting Something Different

[ArtEdGradStudent]

So, after my zillionth landscape/seascape I decided to finally start some concept based artwork. I'm starting a series on dragons, and this is the first. Any crits appreciated. Description added below:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o259/arthursmithsotheralbum/sharpwingedscreechdragonadjustedsma.jpg

2006, Oil Pastel, 14" x 17"

From the notes of Aspworth Frentnoggin, Explorer and Naturalist:

Species: Sharpwinged Screech Dragon (also known as Frempton's Curse)
Length: 40" - 60"
Wingspan 40" - 70"
Weight: 7-11 lb.
Territory: 5 sq miles.
Range: Along the northern forests & plains of the Hachenlov divide in northern Mehrania.

Identification: Known for its horrendous screeching call, the Sharpwinged Screech Dragon is one of the more common of the lesser species of dragons. Long and slender, its tail makes up over half it's length. It has an elongated snout shaped like a harpoon, and no teeth. Two rows of spines crest it's head, while short, sharp feathers hide its ears. Several smaller horns protrude from its spine, and down it's tail, which ends in a sharp spearlike club. Wings are slender, strong, and extremely sharp edged, with long, straight talons. Coloration varies from ash grey to blue to a rusty red, and also changes according to season. Sharpwinged screech dragons turn light grey in the winter and back to their original color next spring. Like most dragons the female is slightly larger than the male.

Habitat & Ecology: Sharpwinged Screech Dragons are solitary, meeting only to mate and fight for territory. They nest in tall trees and rock crevices, and change nesting sites each season. Skilled hunters, they seek fish by rivers and all manner of ground fowl, rodents, and reptiles. Fast and agile fliers they also hunt birds in flight. Their only natural predators are other larger dragons, although young ones are sometimes caught by great plumed eagles. During the day Sharpwinged Screech Dragons lay in their nests and sleep. From sunset to dawn they fly the course of their territory in search of food.

Mating: unknown, although females are left alone to feed and care for young.

[Brightdreamer]

Being a bit of a dragon nut, I may be ultra-picky, but off the top of my head my advice would be to take a breath before dedicating yourself to a dragon series. Study how real-world animals are put together before you get too deep into creating imaginary ones. At the very least, study other dragon images to see how dragons work; they tend to have deep chests, well-muscled limbs (usually oriented like a mammal's, bird's, or dinosaur's for an upright, legs-straight-under-the-body posture, rather than the modern-day reptile belly-on-the-ground sprawl), and strong jaws. This creature looks like a snake with limbs tacked on right now, with no variance in girth from neck to tail. Limbed creatures usually have some sort of girth variance. If it's got wings, it needs some sort of ribcage, and probably a deep central keel for anchoring muscles. If it's got hind legs, it needs hips, and I see little to no evidence of them. The mouth seems to be a beak variant, but it's hinged very strangely, and the legs are bugging me. In short, your dragon doesn't seem to have a sturdy skeleton or working muscles - it looks a bit flat, to be perfectly honest. But that's just MHO.

[Pigeonkill]

I can see you put a lot of time/effort and thought into the project. I like the text descriptions.

I agree with a lot of what Brightdreamer mentioned. The muscles and flesh on the dragon seems to sag in your picture. I'm reading the scales like fur instead.

[ArtEdGradStudent]

thanks for the crits. I could maybe go back in for a bit of the ribcage, but I did want him to be snakelike. I'm not so much of a traditionalist when it comes to dragons - I actually want to play with the idea, based on various reptiles and make some new concepts. Not all of them will be great - and some will have fur and feathers rather than scales.

[look]

It's ok if you want the design to be snake like, but at the moment the creature's tail looks so heavy he'd have hard time balancing himself.
I suggest look up some drawings of oriental dragons, they are snake shape with limps, but looks a lot more believable. See how those design place the legs.

[Brightdreamer]

It doesn't have to be a traditional Western dragon, but generally I find that there's a reason certain conventions come into being, in that they help convey a believable creature. If you want to retain the snakelike lines, you might consider a different type of wing - usually, if you have the big bat/"arm" wing, it implies some sort of powerful, thick anchoring system. Maybe look at gliding reptiles, then, and try an extended-rib look (like a fan stuck to the sides), or something a bit more insectlike. Snakes do vary in girth, too, tapering fairly evenly (your guy seems to have a thicker tail than "body" region), so you still might benefit from studing a few reference images of snakes. And most Asian dragons have proportionately shorter limbs, to help retain the long-and-flowing look; your dragon would be hunched more on the branch, or perhaps looped about several branches (Asian dragons often coil and loop quite a bit, like ribbons twisting in the wind.)

[ArtEdGradStudent]

Thanks. I'm gonna thin the tail a bit. I know just where to do it, too. I think just a subtle change will make a big difference.

[ArtEdGradStudent]

Well I've retouched this pic. I thinned the tail a tad, I reworked the neck, scales, and wing. I also lengthened his hind legs a bit, so they closer match his fore legs. It's all subtle, but tell me if it helps. Oh, I also raised his right arm a tad, so hopefully it seems better connected to his shoulder.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o259/arthursmithsotheralbum/sharpwingedscreechdragonretouchedph.jpg

[Brightdreamer]

The back legs do look a little better, though something about how the tail comes off the "hips" isn't quite in-line with the orientation of the body, as implied by the ventral scales and legs.... for some reason my eye's telling me (from the legs) that the hip's a bit more square-on to me, yet the tail seems to flow straight off to the side. Maybe that's just me, though... Now try evening up the wing-arm thicknesses, maybe adding some implied muscle like you did on the forelegs. I'd also consider reworking the jaw (it's very odd that it would have that rubbery bend in the middle as it flops open, as jawbones tend to hinge further back - I'd still recommend looking at some ref pics on that one), but it's your dragon. If you're happy with that look, go for it.

[ArtEdGradStudent]

Hmm, I didn't notice the discrepancy in wing arm thickness. I guess since one was behing the body, but you're right, I see it now. I'll touch that up. The jaw could go a lil farther back.

[evildragonfire]

How old are you? I mean this looks like a drawing that my six year old child did , so if you are six I do not want to critique it and point out all the problems with it that an adult would see.

[ArtEdGradStudent]

Hmm, I think you've got a very talented 6 year old. I'd encourage that.

Did you notice my name on here is "art ed grad student"?

What age would reckon that means?

[chaosrocks]

I would guess it should mean that you know a damn sight more about anatomy and composition than you are exibiting here.

Didn't they teach you all that stuff in ArtEd school? I would reccommend some serious research into Drawing, anatomy perspective and composition if you didn't get that in school... it will help you to teach. Learn to look at your own work the same way you analyse a work in an arthistory class. you know the language and the concepts...apply them to your self.

Now..PRACTICE!!!!

I would say this dragon needs a solid bone structure. even imaginary animals need some type of hard form.

since you want this to be a concept drawing and it is in a scene you should look at the composition of your dragon in the page.

and yes for a 6 year old its talented.... maybe not so much for a middle schooler

NOW DRAW MORE!!! USE REFERENCE!!!
DRAW MORE!

yep <end rant>

keep up the good work
chaos

[evildragonfire]

I would guess it should mean that you know a damn sight more about anatomy and composition than you are exibiting here.

Didn't they teach you all that stuff in ArtEd school? I would reccommend some serious research into Drawing, anatomy perspective and composition if you didn't get that in school... it will help you to teach. Learn to look at your own work the same way you analyse a work in an arthistory class. you know the language and the concepts...apply them to your self.

Now..PRACTICE!!!!

I would say this dragon needs a solid bone structure. even imaginary animals need some type of hard form.

since you want this to be a concept drawing and it is in a scene you should look at the composition of your dragon in the page.

and yes for a 6 year old its talented.... maybe not so much for a middle schooler

NOW DRAW MORE!!! USE REFERENCE!!!
DRAW MORE!

yep <end rant>

keep up the good work
chaos

My point exactly made. :)