Hello! I came across your Youtube and I really like your Sonic artwork. I really want to draw the characters again but have been struggling, do you have any tips or tricks you could share??
Hi! I'm glad you like my work, I appreciate it!
As for tips, I don't have anything particular off the top of my head... I think the biggest thing that I try to keep in mind when I draw them is the volume of their shapes. Most of them have really round heads, so I try to curve their features along that sphere as well as I can. It keeps them proportionate and gives me a good guideline of where to put things!
As for me, I tend to start with the placement of the nose! It's an anchor point that I can immediately use to dictate what direction/angle the character will be facing.
After that, I usually place the eyes, starting with the middle curve between his eyes, since it goes right above the nose (if it's a character like Tails, who has two 'separate' eyes, I just eyeball it in comparison to the nose).
If you've started with a circle, then you can follow along that as a guideline for the curve of the eye, or you can decide the curve of the rest of the head from the eyes, themselves.
The muzzles I always try to make sure are curved along the bottom of the eyes seamlessly. This is my preference, as I know some people choose not to make the cheek curve with the eye, but I just think it flows much more satisfyingly when it does. Since Sonic is meant to be a character that can curl up into a ball, his design really exemplifies that idea. Even the shape and placement of his ears has a curve to it that follows the round shape of his head.
As for the overall anatomy of a Sonic character... in my eyes, it's just sort of a 'fuck it, we ball' situation. Aside from the head, I always prioritize the hands and feet of a Sonic character when I'm posing them, since they're the second biggest part of most of the characters, proportionally. Plus, they're what reads clearest in their designs. No one's really looking at Sonic's torso, you know? Obviously it's still important! But I think that connecting the limbs together after you've planned the general composition of them is easier, and keeps things from looking stiff.
But more than anything, I think the best way to understand how to draw these characters is to study how your favorite art of them looks. If you like the Sonic Adventure art style, or the Sonic CD art style, then really take your time looking at it and making notes about what you like about it, and how the artist seems to be achieving that. You can then practice what you've observed and see where it takes you!
I don't know if this was helpful or not, but I appreciate you asking nonetheless. Good luck and have fun!!
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