::Dragimal's art blog:: dragons and other indiscriminate imagined creatures prevail :: I've recently started doing image descriptions, but if you want me to write a desc for an old piece, feel free to drop an ask/message about it!
[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of Holostars vtuber Machina X Flayon, but if he were a ferret-like, leathery-skinned dragon.
the first image shows the bare dragon body, resembling a red, bare-skinned ferret with diminutive wings and a long tail. the torso is long and curved, with four short, muscular legs, each with four thin, grippy toes. the wings are only about as long as the legs, with short, thick arms. they resemble bare bird wings, but they each have a thumb talon, and a few thick fingers with semi-stiff webbing connecting between the fingers and partly down the torso. the tail is long and thin, with Flayon's canon, antenna tail-tip strapped onto the end, resembling a sharp pin with four stabilizing petals flared out around the base. the neck is somewhat short and curving, holding the head almost level with the torso. the head has a pointed snout with a slightly upturned nose, and a pair of pointed horns that curve smoothly back from the crown of the head. the ears are somewhat wide and rounded, and the eyes are large and sharp. several slightly curved spines trail along the spine, starting mid-torso, and shrinking smaller until they end halfway down the tail. most of the hide is brick red (including a mask pattern over the eyes), with a pale red underbelly/underwing, and dark red points on the paws, wingtips, and horns.
nearby headshots show a few different facial expressions, ranging from smug grins to a teasing smile with a wide, drooling maw. one of the smug expressions is blowing a small stream of light blue flame. I've also drawn my Roonsona in one corner to fill up space-- a small, dark green blob with a light green cat-smile + swirl eyes, and a light green tail fin, bat wings, and bat ears. she's also wearing a little red flower to match the Roon's standard red earrings.
the next image shows Flayon's regular outfit-- a red trenchcoat with a black collar and cuffs, on top of a black, skin-tight suit, all retrofit for a dragon body. the sleeves are still wide and drown Flayon's short front limbs. similar sleeves extend down the wings to anchor at the thumb, though the underside is left open and bare. the main bulk of the coat drapes over the back and halfway down the tail, split into two halves that are connected by short straps of fabric, to accommodate the spines. a second, slightly darker chunk of fabric lays along the sides of the torso under the wing, connecting to the bulk of the coat underneath.
the next two images show Flayon wearing the skin-tight suit with black/red, geometric armor plating floating over his hide. the first of these images shows his wings open, while the next shows his wings folded. most of the body armor is shaped like interlocking scales, conforming to Flayon's body shape, with some extra armor-spines floating over the flesh spines and alongside the tail. the helmet is sleek, round, and aerodynamic, when the visor is closed. a kind of "rocket-pack" sits on his back, just between his wing shoulders, with a turbine on either side. two larger sections of armor float over the topside of the each wing, extending their surface area much wider. the "primary" section sits over the hand section of the wing, and is very sharp-edged and thin. the "secondary" section sits over the lower arm of the wing, and has two sections connected by a hing at the leading edge. the main section is wide and square-ish (resembling Flayon's canon R-TRUS control panels), while the other section closer to the torso is thinner and longer. both chunks have grippy handles at their leading edges.
extra doodles show and explain how the "primary" section is a sharpened blade, while the "secondary" section is a reinforced shield and blunt weapon. Flayon can manipulate the mech wings with his flesh wings, or just grab them in his teeth and swing them around by their handles.
end ID]
second in my Holo-dragon/creature series: Machina X Flayon!! to simply quote the extra commentary already in the image, "this took me longer than I expected lmao. I love drawing dragons, but this is one of the few times I've felt so inspired to draw anything 'mech'-adjacent, even if the armor really isn't all that much. I had to take some pointers from animal Transformers and Dragon Booster, with a heavy helping of artistic liberty. hope it still works!"
[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of Holostars vtuber Banzoin Hakka, but if he were a crow-like, feathered dragon.
the first image shows the bare dragon body, resembling a cross between a crow and a microraptor. the torso is short, with a bipedal stance, and long, slim legs with long flight feathers and crow-like talons. the rounded wings resemble a crow's, but with a long talon supporting the alula feathers. an extra set of small, short limbs are set in front of the wings, with a few curved talons and short, vestigial flight feathers of their own. the tail is long, stiff, and thin, with flight feathers fanning out of the back half. the head sits on a long, curved neck, with a cockatoo-like crest of head feathers curling up behind the head. the beak is long and crow-like, with a few pointed teeth towards the back of the jaw. most of the body is dark purple, with even darker purple on the topside of the body and wings, and a lighter magenta-purple on the belly and underside of the wings. there are three white feathers on the whole body: one of the head crest feathers, one of the left leg remiges, and one of the right wing remiges.
the second image shows the dragon now wearing clothes, similar to Hakka's standard outfit. a white cloak lays over the torso, fading to black at the feather-shaped edges. the top layer of the cloak drapes over the wings and back, latching to the wing wrists with red cuffs that slide between the flight feathers. the second layer of the cloak hangs to the sides of the torso underneath the wings, looping over the hips behind the wings, and connecting to the top layer at the front with the red neck collar. underneath the cloak, Hakka wears a black, romper-like article, with the arm/"shirt" section smoothly connected to the leg/"pants" section. the romper leaves the back fully open for the wings, with cuffs to secure around the neck and base of the tail. light blue/purple, gem-like feathers of pure energy float off the trailing edges of his wings and tail. he has a few other rope accessories on his collar, and a red omamori knot tucked into his head crest.
additionally, I drew myself as a Hakkito in the free space: Dragimal the Dragonkito. I'm just a little crow (shaped more like a finch or other small, round bird), with an extra set of tiny, scraggly talons held up in front of the body, and a long, thin tail with a fan of feathers at the end. also, a matching red omamori knot accessory like the other Hakkitos, but with some flowers on it.
end ID]
a couple months back on Valentine's Day, I was briefly Hakka's FAVORITE(!!) Hakkito, and he drew me a beautiful D(ragon), so I had to return the favor! this was so fun, I may end up doing this for more Holos-- we'll see!
[image ID: a semi-cartoony digital drawing of a four-legged, two-winged, green/brown dragon named Juniper.
she has the low, somewhat squat torso and stance of a crocodile, but with longer legs and a longer neck, though still thick with a low-held head. she stands flat on the five-fingered palms of her front legs, and digitigrade on her shorter, four-toed hind legs, each with thick claws and opposable thumbs. her snout is long and somewhat wedge-shaped, with an upturned nose and a couple sets of short, sensory tendrils hanging from the tip of the chin. her ears are wide and long, with natural notches along the outer edge. her tail is long, starting thick at the hips, then gradually slimming to a thinner, prehensile back half. her wings are bat-like, with four fingers and one thumb. the trailing edge of the wing's membrane extends down the full length of the tail, connecting with three sets of jointed spines flaring out at the end of the tail. a dorsal fin flares out of the lower back/hip region of Juniper's spine, supported by three jointed spines. most of her body is covered in roundish, muted green scales, though larger brown scales cover the back of her neck, bridge of her snout, shoulders, hips, and front of her lower legs. thick, dark green fur frames her jaw and the top of her head, and extends from her throat, all the way down her underbelly and a bit onto the underside of the tail. fur/hair is implied to sparsely cover any bare skin between the scales, comparable to an armadillo. her wings are mostly bare-skin, with light green undersides with brown spots, while the topsides are dark brown with light green spots.
additional text on the image reads: "- Omnivorous scavenger; - No breath weapon; - Talent for healing, and developed a tolerance to many poisons/diseases due to diet; - Has a strong affinity for flora/fauna; - arboreal and aquatic habits; - best suited to thickly-forested, wetland/riparian habitats"
end ID]
and another 'sona for the pile! this time, I wanted to give myself a more "standard" dragonsona than usual. I know I call my main sona, Willow, a "dragon", and I do still think she counts! but she's rather atypical-- more of a "creature" than a true dragon, in the popular sense of the word. Juniper scratches that itch I have for a more "recognizable" dragon that could slip easily into some established dragon story. I did try to give her a more strictly "scaley" design, but what can I say, I like being a hairy mammal! so she's still got some fur lmao
[image ID: two drawings of Gavis Bettel from Holostars, with his imp-like Bettelions.
the first image is a semi-cartoony drawing where Bettel looks like his normal, jester-self, but he's also wearing a pink clown nose. he looks uncomfortable, sharing eye contact with the Bettelions (and the viewer), while twisting lines of pink/blue/purple energy connect between his head and theirs. the word "Empathy" is written in impact font over the top of the image.
the second image is an even more cartoony drawing of Bettel and a Bettelion, drawn as simple bobble-head chibis. they're similarly sharing eye contact and energy as before, and "Empathy" is written in impact font over the top of the image.
end ID]
my pitch for a Gavis Bettel "empath" emote. (the first turned out too elaborate for a real emote, so I whipped up the second one too lmao)
[image ID: Melon (a leopard/gazelle hybrid from Beastars), posing for a photo with my fursona, Basil (a small opossum/bat hybrid). text at the top reads, "Hybrids with dietary issues and botanical names", while text pointing at Melon lists out, "-lack of taste; -no appetite," and text pointing at Basil lists out, "-IBS; -food sensitivities"
Melon is crouched down on one knee, with Basil sitting on his raised knee and curling her tail around his leg for support. Melon's leaning over Basil while playfully winking and sticking his tongue out, holding his paws up in peace signs on either side of her. Basil's smiling while squishing her face up against Melon's, giving a peace sign with one of her feet, and the two short fingers on one wing.
end ID]
ummm I forgor I drew this lmao. anyways, here's Basil if she was in Beastars! clothes would be hard for her, but it would be a fun challenge if I drew her like a Beastars furry again. I don't think she'd actually know Melon, but the overlap in their circumstances is funny to me
[image ID: images and notes about headphones designed for furry heads.
the ear pieces have the speaker set into a curved projection, which itself sits on a larger, round base. notes read, "since most mammalian ears are large and mobile, furry headphones can't press the ears back against the skull. thus, most mammal-designed ear pieces push the speaker inside the ear canal, and try to dampen environmental sound by molding to the shape of the ear canal. headphones must cater to specific species, but standard ear buds can fit a wide range of ear canals. ear buds are more popular than headphones for this reason, but some furries prefer sturdier, sound-dampening headphones."
a wolf wears a set of "wide-base" headphones, where the ear pieces sit individually inside each ear, and are held in place by a wide hook that loops around the top edge of each ear. an optional, detachable cable connects between the hooks, at the top of the head. a gazelle wears a set of "thin-base" headphones, where each ear piece is individually latched to an ear by either hinged pincers or an elastic strap. notes reflect this information.
end ID]
I got so mad seeing shitty furry headphones, I went ahead and designed my own. more notes under the cut:
[image ID: these notes/designs are about noise-dampening headphones for furries.
diagrams show the ear pieces set on a long strap, which can latch around the head. this combination of strap + ear pieces is then surrounded by layered, cushioning fabric. notes read, "connected ear pieces are usually reserved for higher-grade noise-dampening headphones, which prioritize acoustics over sleek, compact design. these ear pieces are connected by a thick inner strap, and each ear piece can slide up/down the strap to adjust orientation to the ears. a layered fabric/foam tube surrounds the inner strap, further dampening noise and cushioning the headphones against the head. gaps in the fabric tube allow free ear movement."
the same wolf wears this set of headphones, and it looks like scrunched-up fabric wrapped around their head, with their ears sticking out of holes in the fabric tube. notes read, "the inner wire at the edge of the fabric gaps can pinch closed against the ears." the same gazelle wears their own set of noise-dampening headphones, which look like the earlier thin-base headphones, but covered in cushioning fabric. notes read, "thin-base ear pieces don't typically use connected straps, but they still use cushioning fabric to block noise."
end ID]
this one made me laugh while drawing bc the wide-base headphones look like a happy hoodie 🤣
[image ID: these notes/designs are about reptile/bird headphones. the ear pieces here look more like human headphones, with a flat, circular speaker. notes read, "some mammals (apes, seals), and most reptiles and birds use flat ear pieces that don't enter the ear canals. these ear pieces are similar to human headphones, with harder foam surrounding the speaker, set over the ear canal." an iguana and an eagle model these headphones, which are held on by a single strap. notes read, "however, most of their craniums are still too short to use "humanoid" head straps, so their earpieces are usually held together with a simple thick strap around the skull.
this is a redo/revisit of an old post I made elsewhere (iykyk), cus' I wanna reference it in a different project, but I'm not satisfied with how I originally approached it. and this isn't attached to any headworld or anything, this is just a thought experiment, and an examination of how I approach clothing/ergonomics for any kind of creature design
[image ID: two drawings of semi-cartoony creatures.
the first is a dragon with four digitigrade legs and two bat-like wings. the torso is rounded by the thick muscles attaching the wing shoulders to the torso, behind the front leg shoulders. the front edge of the wing membrane attaches to clawed thumbs on the wings, and down over the front leg shoulders. a medium-length, thick tail is held stiffly out, and the back edge of the wing membrane attaches halfway down the tail. the legs are somewhat thick and slightly short, with a few short, clawed toes. the head is thin and pointed, attached to a slightly thick neck held almost level with the shoulders.
the second creature is a humanoid with two bat-like wings. the torso is rounded by the thick muscles attaching the wing shoulders to the torso, below the arm shoulders. these wings don't have thumbs, so the front edge membrane attaches at the wing wrist, then down over the front arm shoulders. a medium-length, thick tail is held stiffly out from the hips, and the full body's spine leans forwards, halfway between vertical and horizontal. jointed spines at the end of the tail form a fan of webbing, extending the back edge of the wing membrane beyond the full length of the tail. the arms are typically human, but the legs are digitigrade with longer toes. the head is more wedge-shaped, with a pointed nose and long nasal bridge. a longer, thinner neck attaches towards the back of the skull.
end ID]
I specifically challenged myself with webbed wings rather than feathered wings, since straps could theoretically slide under/between feathers to hold up clothing more easily. I also purposefully gave the dragon vs. human different webbing features (dragon has a thumb, humanoid has fins on the tail) as a further challenge, so I don't rely too heavily on the thumb or tail as anchor points for the clothes. I even pulled the front-edge webbing up above the front limbs, though I usually do that for winged hexapods anyways. I could've avoided that challenge by keeping the front-edge attached to just the wing shoulders, but I think clothing should accommodate the body, not the other way around, so I kept it
tho these designs are still technically easier to work around than something like a bat furry, whose webbing would cover almost the full length of limbs and tail, so at least I have that in my favor. and honestly I may still visit that concept at some point, bc I'm chewing on a bat furry design rn lmao
anyways, let's get to the actual clothing notes:
first off, I think furgonomics is a lost cause when you don't have a strong idea of the base anatomy you're even working with. I don't like treating wings like pasted-on decorations, but rather actual limbs with connections to and impacts on the rest of the body. most obviously, the wings on these designs have robust muscular connections to the body, with an implied keel at the sternum. but more importantly, the process of powered flight has fundamentally molded the entire rest of the body plan (stiff/compact torso, humanoid spine leaning forward rather than straight up, digitigrade humanoid legs, neck connecting to back of skull, etc.)
I genuinely cannot imagine building clothes around a body plan that I don't understand on a logical, anatomical level. how would the clothes shift and mold around the body, as the creature naturally walks or flies or even breathes? I just can't move on until I know
next I like to initially plan the purpose of any given piece of clothing; are these creatures covering the body for health/protective purposes? or do they have a sense of propriety/self-consciousness? are they trying to meet certain sociocultural standards of class or aesthetics? I don't need answers to all of these questions right off the bat, but it helps to know whether I'm designing PPE, underwear, or a casual work outfit, y'know
for propriety, I would think abt what parts of the body might be considered "nude", and work around those. typically, genitals and defecating regions are the common denominator, but I can always work in more cultural complexity later. for something protective, I think abt how weather/environmental factors would impact body coverings: what temperatures are these creatures shielding from? is there snow/rain or strong winds? what about rough terrain, or prickly plants? what direction would these hazards come from (above, below, sideways), and how would that effect the cut/design of protective clothing? this is especially important for flying creatures, since flight leaves the entire body more vulnerable to weather hazards, from every direction
material and technology is another important consideration for clothing design. I've assumed access to fabrics for most of these designs, but do these creatures have the ability to make fine-woven fabric themselves, or any outside access to such fabric? if so, then what is the material made of (animal wool, plant material)? and if not, then what other material do they use-- maybe animal leather, or full pieces of plant matter (leaves, bark)? how do they process these materials for clothing? what about other specialty materials-- do these creatures have access to metals and metal-working?
then I consider the human impact: do humans even exist in this setting? this is an important initial question, because it helps me immediately recognize my own human bias during the design process, and make more intentional decisions about the potential human influences in a design. in this particular design process, I've decided that both the dragon and humanoid on display are sapient species who have a say in their fashion design. so, for now, this eliminates the avenue of a dragon rider dressing up their non-sapient dragon with their strictly human sense of aesthetics
however, this still leaves a lot of room for questions: do these creatures cohabit with humans? do human design principles or sense of propriety still influence their clothing designs? for example, here's my take on a work shirt and cargo shorts for these creatures
[image ID: the same creatures, now wearing human-like "work" outfits.
on the dragon, a long strap runs from the shirt collar on the neck, underneath the wing membrane, then to a latch wrapped around the tail. both the shirt and shorts hang from this strap by belt loops. on the humanoid, the shorts are held up by straps comparable to overalls, which run behind the arms, but still below the wing membrane. the top edge of the shorts loops under the rump, under the base of the tail, and the shirt is attached to the pants straps by belt loops. both creatures have large wing covers, which almost fully cover the torso back and topside of the wings in one continuous piece of fabric. the wing covers are anchored to the collar, and fold partially down over the front edge and back edge of the wings, held in place by straps on the underside of the wings. the dragon's wing covers have open cuts for the wing thumbs.
end ID]
looks a bit silly, right? it makes you wonder why these creatures would try to fit themselves into clothing and design trends that clearly don't fit their body plans. but in-context, this could have interesting explanations: perhaps these creatures work for a human-led company that requires a particular uniform? or maybe these creatures live in a human-dominated society, and the only clothes they can even get are retro-fit human clothes? these social pressures could explain this outfit
for another example of human influence, consider this dress
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing dresses.
they both have bow collars sitting on their necks, and frilly sleeves cupping their front limb shoulders. on the dragon, the dress anchors at the collar, runs underneath the wing membrane, then loops over top the end of the tail. the back of the dress attaches to this section over the tail, and runs back up to the collar, above the wing membrane. the dress is cut slim to the torso, while the skirt starts halfway down the torso, flowing down over the legs and tail. on the humanoid, the dress anchors at the collar, runs down under the wing membrane, loops under the rump, and back up to the collar on the other side. the back of the dress is anchored to the collar, but doesn't attach to the rest of the dress underneath the membrane. the dress is cut slim to the torso, while the skirt starts just above the hips, flowing down the legs.
end ID]
while I've taken care to design this dress around these creatures' body plans, it still reflects certain human design principles: the front limbs get sleeves, the torso is form-fitted, and the skirt flares out at the hips and lower limbs. by contrast, here's the same dress design with more "nonhuman" design principles
[image ID: the creatures are wearing a slightly different version of the previous dress.
rather than separate sleeves around the front limb shoulders, the skirts of the dress encompass the entire length of the body. on the dragon, it looks like a continuous length of flowing, rippling fabric from neck to tail. on the humanoid, the skirt layers are angled in such a way to create an angled flow from neck to rump. and the humanoid's arms hang between two layers of the skirt fabric.
end ID]
rather than wrapping a sleeve around each front limb, I can imagine a looser, more open fabric plan, that treats the entire block of fabric around the body like the "skirt". this allows the limbs to move more freely, particularly for the dragon. not that these creatures would never design sleeves or form-fitting outfits, but it helps to think outside the box for nonhuman designs
and this touches on another aspect of this design process: gravity and body posture. rather than reflecting the vertical, human body plan, this "nonhuman design" dress reflects a more horizontal design, particularly for the dragon. human clothes often use the shoulders as an anchor point for fabric to hang down, because we're fully vertical animals. the dragon's dress, on the other hand, anchors on the neck and tail, because the neck/shoulders sit on the same level as the hips, so they wouldn't be able to hold up a dress on their own. the humanoid is still able to use the neck/shoulders as a single anchor point, since their spine still leans upwards, but they still have to be a bit careful securing their clothes around the haunches
so combine that with the webbing's impact, and we get a very different design philosophy compared to humans. that is, humans often think of clothes through the lens of "torso + legs" (like shirt + pants, dresses with a form-fitting torso + flared skirt, etc.), whereas I think these creatures would think of clothes through the lens of "dorsal (shoulder, back, and wings) + ventral (torso and all other limbs)". for example, consider this cloak design:
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing cloaks.
on the dragon, the torso section is anchored at a neck collar, running under the wing webbing, then looping over the tail to connect both sides. this section covers the whole torso, tail, and most of the legs in a large, hanging swathe of fabric. the wing section also anchors at the collar, folding partially over the front edge of the wing to attach to the front of the torso section. the back of the wing section covers a large portion of the back of the wings, and runs down the full length of the back to attach to the torso section that loops over the tail. there's also an open cut for the wing thumbs.
on the humanoid, the torso section anchors at the collar, running under the wing membrane, then looping up over the finned membrane at the end of the tail. this section covers the full torso and most of the legs, and the section that loops over the tail is wide enough to cover most of the finned membrane when flared open. there's also an extra section of fabric covering the arms separately from the main body of the fabric. the wing section also anchors at the collar, folding partially over the front edge of the wing to attach to the front of the torso section. the back of the wing section covers a small portion of the back of the wings, and runs down the full length of the back to attach to the portion covering the tail.
end ID]
while this cloak is one full piece, it's still structurally and visually delineated into two distinct sections: one which covers the back/wings, and a section that covers the torso/legs.
this dips into another important aspect of design: the actual ergonomics of the clothing-- particularly how these creatures would put on their own clothing. while I tried to design some one-piece options for clothing, I ended up separating most of the wing pieces from the rest of the clothing, or at least implied it. in that earlier "work outfit", I imagine shirt and wing covers are actually detachable from the shirt collar, which itself is attached to the belt holding up the clothes. or like in this "sweats" design:
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing something like "sweats".
on the dragon, the main body is separate from the wing coverings. the main body of the outfit anchors at the neck and tail, covering the legs and torso in comfy fabric, while leaving the back and wings open. a separate wing covering anchors at the wing thumbs, where an open cut allow the fabric to hang. the fabric folds partially over the front edge of the wings, and covers much of the torso back and topside of the wings. on the humanoid, the sweats are a one-piece, fully-attached outfit. the sweats cover the full torso, arms, and legs. the wing section covers the back, part of the top of the tail, and part of the topside of the wings. this section also folds down over the front edge of the wings, running down the length of the torso, and looping under the rump, alongside the pant section.
end ID]
the humanoid could probably pull a full, one-piece outfit over their head, so I left their wing pieces attached. but the dragon likely wouldn't have the same range of front-limb motion to easily pull big outfits over their head. in this case, I imagine the dragon stepping into the torso/leg portion, securing the neck and tail latches, then pulling on the separate wing piece over their back. so, for convenience, the dragon ends up with clothing that is often cut into separate ventral + dorsal portions
but, we must also take human (or other) influence into account, here. sure, I decided that these dragons are sapient and have their own fashion sense, but do they still cohabit with humans or other creatures that can more easily manipulate objects? could these humans help their dragon companions into their outfits? or maybe these dragons just help each other put on outfits, as a communal bonding activity? this would allow a bit more flexibility in clothing design, if the dragons aren't expected to put on the entire outfit all by themselves
another consideration is that of body positioning, movement, and motion. I've drawn most of these clothes with the wings flared open, but practically speaking, the wings would be closed most of the time, and the outfits should be able to accommodate that. for example, the dresses from earlier could integrate an extra layer of skirt over the back, to cover the wings when folded and add more visual interest
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing the "nonhuman" version of the dress again, but their wings are folded. the back of the dress we couldn't see earlier has its own section of rippling skirt fabric, which now hangs down over most of the folded wings.
end ID]
wings must be free of obstruction for proper flight, so most wing covers would likely be designed to cover a folded wing, but only a small portion of a fully-open wing, as in the "sweats" I shared earlier
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing the "sweats" again, but their wings are folded. the wing sections of both their outfits fully cover the folded wings.
end ID]
or, if they do cover more of the wing, they would likely be separate, removable pieces, or the extra fabric could be pinned up against the back so it wouldn't interfere with flight
that's why I've put very little covering on the underside of the wings compared to the topside, among several other reasons: protective covering isn't necessary on the underside of a closed wing, tucked close to the body. and any extra fabric underneath the wing would droop when closed, leading to unwieldy extra fabric under closed wings. the only time these creatures would keep their wings open for an extended time is flight, and flight would require mostly-bare wings anyways. barring special sociocultural circumstances (like dancing with wings open, or flaring wings for display, etc.), any accessories on the underside would be uselessly hidden under closed wings. so most accessories would likely hang from the topside of the wing so that they'd be visible while folded, like so:
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing wing jewelry, modeled on open and closed wings.
the jewelry rests on the topside of the wings, not visible on the underside except for anchoring magnets on the underside. when folded, the jewelry hangs in denser clusters along the sides of the creatures' torsos.
end ID]
alternately, certain decorative accessories could be designed specifically for flight. like tassels clipped to the edges of the membrane, which could trail out in dazzling patterns during flight
all to say, when designing an outfit, I personally suggest drawing a creature in all sorts of positions, doing all sorts of activities in that outfit. I didn't do that here bc... I just didn't feel like it, lmao. but it's a good way to get a feel for how the outfit sits on the body, the range of motion your creature needs, and the regular activities the outfit needs to account for.
I've even made some assumptions about the specific anatomy/movement of my own designs-- namely the stiff tails. my dragon's stiff tail works well to support the clothes as an anchor, but more flexible tails may shift the outfit and expose the body in unintended ways. or, alternately, certain outfits may restrict movement in certain ways, like this example using stiff rods to hold up the fabric
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing clothing held up by rods.
the rod stretches from the base of the neck to the rump, underneath the wing membrane. this rod pulls fabric up against the torso, which loops around each of the legs. for the dragon, a neck collar anchors the front of the rod, while the back is tied to a rope, which stretches back to an anchoring latch on the tail. on the humanoid, a neck collar anchors the front of the rod, while the back is held in place by the torso fabric looping up under the rump.
end ID]
while I imagine these rods to be semi-flexible, they may still be uncomfortable in certain positions.
now, clothes don't have to fit perfectly for every single position or activity you can possibly think of-- even real-life outfits have their flaws. but these shortcomings should be understood by the creatures within the setting, whether they impact propriety, comfort, or protective layering. in real life, shirts ride up the chest while doing hand-stands, but we're not usually doing hand-stands in the first place. and short skirts will reveal the crotch when you sit with your legs open, but most people learn to close their legs when wearing skirts. similarly, flying creatures should be well-aware that their undersides will be revealed to anyone watching from below, if those parts aren't covered up. so, depending on the needs of these creatures (whether it's protective or propriety), any "draping" outfits like the dresses and cloaks may still have an underlayer of some sort that closely covers the torso, such as in the "rods" example
and finally, we must consider uncomfortable fashion and body modifications. mild examples would be clip-on or magnetic accessories that pinch the membrane to stay on (like the jewelry I shared earlier). theoretically, they wouldn't permanently harm the membrane, but they'd probably still be uncomfortable to wear for long periods.
but also consider piercings and cuts:
[image ID: the creatures are now wearing wing jewelry, and outfits that fit snugly to their torsos.
the jewelry anchors at the wing thumbs on the dragon, and a thick clip on the humanoid's front edge membrane. then the chains hang down, to secure at several piercings at the back edge of the wing's membrane. the outfits conform to the shape of the underside and topside of the torsos, held in place by straps between the topside and underside. the first collar strap just sits around the neck, but the other three straps require a cut in the wing membrane to connect both sides: a strap between the front limb shoulder and the wing shoulder, a strap just in front of the hips, and a strap just behind the rump.
end ID]
I left this for last, because I must once again emphasize that clothing should accommodate the body, not the other way around. however, real-life humans modify our bodies for the sake of fashion, so it's not unreasonable to believe that other creatures would do the same.
the jewelry is, again, the more mild version of this, but I think it would still require a bit more thought and consideration for a flying species that relies on delicate membrane. the cuts along the torso are far more substantial tho, and I don't think this would ever be a creature's first option, especially if they revere flight and don't want to risk tearing their membranes further. but these cuts in the webbing provide more anchor points on the torso to hold clothing more snugly against the body, so I can think of a few situations where creatures might do this. for example, to hold up protective battle armor or environmental protective gear. or, more depressingly, because of social pressure from other species (namely humans) to conform to particular fashion/nudity standards
[image ID: two watercolor paintings. the first painting features four horses scattered across a grassy field, with a wooden fence in the background. a palamino and paint horse are at the foreground, while a chestnut and dark brown horse graze farther back. the second painting shows a window looking out onto grassy plains with scattered pine trees, and mountains in the distance. a grey tabby cat loafs on the windowsill, looking out the window. end ID]
some paintings I did for my coworkers who retired recently. I basically sat down like, "well, I haven't touched watercolor since high school, but how hard could it be?" I hope my amateur skills don't show too badly, lmao
the composition of the first isn't all that interesting, so I'm not as pleased with it, but I do like how the horses turned out. I'm SUPER pleased with how the second one turned out tho, I think I rly nailed the vibe I wanted from it
bonus practice sheet, while I was reintroducing myself to the medium
[image ID: simple watercolor sketches. a few spheres of different colors, a pine tree on a bright day, and a brown horse head. end ID]
[image ID: photos of a dragon costume, laid out on a bed. the body is somewhat kigurumi-shaped (that is, footie pajamas without the hood or feet). the fabric is soft, and mostly dark green with a pale green belly and long, dark brown fur on the back. the bat-like wings and long, slender tail are both made of faux-leather. the wings are tan-brown on the outside, and light green on the inside, while the tail is light green. when worn together, the wings and tail poke out from underneath brown fur on the main outfit. end ID]
I keep forgetting abt this dragon kigurumi-type thing I made like... three years ago or something? I never fully finished the present outfit (wanted to add claws to the wing thumbs..), and wanted to add more pieces too (namely paws and some kind of fursuit head piece), but I got intimidated by those pieces and never got around to it...
I'm still rather proud of how the rest of this outfit turned out tho! at some point I'll remember to take a pic of myself actually wearing the damn thing, but I never think abt it lmao
[image ID: a headshot drawing of Beau the dragon from Dragon Booster. he's in profile and has his basic red/blue color scheme, head tilted and neck curved in a relaxed posture, grinning slightly. text around the drawing reads, "Dragon Booster! Release the dragon!!" end ID]
there was a big poster set up at Denver Fan Expo asking attendees "what's your fandom?" and a lot of my popular faves were on there, so I decided to give an obscure one some rep~
I drew this on the day I wore Tav too, so I was sitting on the floor wearing these fucking horns while drawing, so this is what people in the rest of the room were seeing
[image ID: rough sketch of me in my Tavros cosplay, sitting on the floor in front of the sketch poster on the wall. it's a back view, so you're mostly seeing my hunched back and giant fuck-off horns. end ID]
[image ID: a headshot drawing of Beau the dragon from Dragon Booster. he's in profile and has his basic red/blue color scheme, head tilted and neck curved in a relaxed posture, grinning slightly. text around the drawing reads, "Dragon Booster! Release the dragon!!" end ID]
there was a big poster set up at Denver Fan Expo asking attendees "what's your fandom?" and a lot of my popular faves were on there, so I decided to give an obscure one some rep~
[image ID: a photo of me wearing some pieces of a cosplay for Tavros from Homestuck. namely, his horns, which are essentially longhorn steer horns, about 3.5 ft long. they're made of felt, dark red at the base, orange at the center, and yellow at the tips. end ID]
realized I don't actually have a good photo of my horns on here, so here's one I just took. wore these to a con recently, I'm glad they still hold up after a decade~
Was speaking with my good friend @dragimal and we concluded that a proper kingdom needs a dragon.
When thou pictures me sitting on my throne, make sure that mental image includes a green velvety dragon either puppy sized and sitting in my lap or as big as an elephant curled around my throne
Ash is a beast with the power to control it's size and she aids me in diplomatic situations with foreign dignitaries.
[image ID: a rough sketch of a squat dragon with a low stance, four short/thick legs, two large bat-like wings, and a long, curling tail tipped with webbed fins. she has a long snout with an upturned nose, and long, pointed ears. scales and fur mix across her hide, with a central palette of dark forest green, pale sage green, and dull yellow-brown. end ID]
I've been chewing on the problem of Orange dragons and dragon sapience for a long time, partly bc I don't think I've satisfactorily engaged with it in my own lore
the conundrum is this: DB is just a tv show for kids, and the color-coded breeding schtick is ripe for kids to project themselves onto and create fan-characters. but then the show adds in Orange dragons, and suddenly we're left in the deeply uncomfortable position of breeding fully-sapient creatures who lost a war that was specifically in opposition to that treatment as objects. the color-coded breeding schtick isn't as fun, once you know that's a person you're breeding
so my three proposals for rewrites:
1) Dark and Gritty
the show locks down on the grim implications of its setting, and it's no longer a "general audiences" show. dragons are a fully-sapient underclass, oppressed by humans after the war. the show could still start out light-hearted, but learning more abt dragons over time leads to a slow, creeping realization (in both Artha and the audience) that something is deeply wrong.
before meeting the Prophets, Artha's gang only knows them as a dangerous anti-human collective. but after meeting them, Artha and co. finally realize that the Prophets are basically in the right-- this would be the big tipping point in the show's tone.
this is not my first choice for a rewrite, bc I do prefer DB as a light-hearted kid's show, even if it does engage with darker topics. plus, too much focus on the light-hearted dragon riding at the beginning could undercut the terrible reality of their lives later. it's also too easy to slip into real-life slavery allegories, which could be.... questionable. though I did kinda accidentally go this route in my own lore (namely the Honker lore) while trying to wrestle with Orange dragons, so I may need to rethink some things lmao
2) Working Animals
dragons are sentient but not necessarily sapient; they don't mind being partnered with humans, and particularly enjoy racing. essentially, they're working animals, and get enrichment out of their work with humans. they can still be bred by humans without many ethical qualms, bc the dragons themselves don't mind it.
Orange dragons simply do not exist as ultra-smart mind-controllers, they're just another, particularly clever clade of dragons. and there was no devastating war between humans and dragons. rather, the Big Bad threat of the series is a separate issue from humans' relationship with dragons.
while this is the easiest route for a kid's show, it's also not my ideal choice either, simply bc I enjoy worldbuilding around sapient nonhumans. I also think it's too easy to go a similarly uncomfortable route of, "but dragons likeee serving humans!" with this one. it's not a bad route overall tho; I can see the potential for a rly good, HTTYD movie-style story of human/dragon friendship in this
3) Cultural Exchange
dragons are fully sapient with rich cultures and societies outside of humans, alongside a rich history of co-mingling and working with humans. humans do not breed dragons for human purposes, but rather dragons choose to work with humans if they deem humans worthy, or their interests align. dragons just really enjoy racing as a sport, and carrying humans adds a unique and rewarding layer of challenge. humans and dragons are equals, with full rights and autonomy in either society (though dragons think humans are a bit silly and fragile).
I'm willing to keep the dragon-human war, leading to high tension in the current day. it probably started over resource disputes, maybe Draconium? and maybe shitty groups try to spread propaganda abt dragons just being "mindless beasts", or selfish parties want to trigger another war for profit. the dragons under Propheci are a splinter-cell of Orange dragons, either working for selfish reasons, or maybe genuinely working for good but with a bad rap, idk they could go several different directions. either way, both humans and dragons have their own splinter groups of good and bad people/ideas, and the narrative itself never questions dragon sapience.
this is my preferred route, bc I LOVE worldbuilding nonhuman cultures, and engaging with the complexities of cross-species communication and understanding. I also think this is a good way balance the light-hearted with the darker aspects-- the color-coded breeds still exist and can still work in harmony with humans, and these breeds aren't a direct result of forced breeding by humans... but these societies can still experience the conflicts and struggles of any real society.
[image ID: a drawing of the standard Ogrin pet from Neopets, drawn in a slightly more realistic style. this Ogrin has a tan/yellow body much like a big cat, with thick legs and round paws. they have a short, cow-like tail with longer, rusty-orange hair at the tip. a tall, thin, llama-like neck sprouts from the shoulders, surrounded by a thick, rusty-orange, lion-like mane. the head is slim and llama-like, with large eyes evocative of the original site style. rather than ears, they have two slim, upright structures that look a bit like antennae, but covered in fur with longer hair at the tip much like the tail. they have an additional mane of stiff, rusty-orange, upright hair like a zebra along the back of their head and neck, giving the impression of a tall mohawk. there are dark brown, tiger-like stripes along the back of the neck, back, rump, and tail. end ID]
at some point I wanna draw mine and my friend's Ogrins, but I needed to figure out my style for them, so consider this my initial "design test". when I was a kid I thought they were tiger-horse/goats (so I named mine "Torse" lmao), but looking back on them now, I realize they're prolly more like llama/zebra/giraffe-lions. and when I was a kid, I interpreted the head projections as weird ears bc I didn't know what else they could be. but I think it's more interesting if I treat them more like the strange antennae/ossicones they seem to evoke. didn't go full specevo to figure out their sensory nature or anything, I'm just drawing them like antennae now.
either way, big cat + camelid (or arguably bovid) is such an interesting design choice, I love these guys <3
[image ID: three pieces of art and a photo. the art pieces are Tarot cards depicting Dragon Booster characters in a similar cartoony style to the show. the photo shows a selection of several more of these Tarot cards, physically printed and spread out on a bedspread.
the first art piece depicts Stewardd and his dragon Gunny, representing the Light Green Keeper crew. Stewardd is sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of Gunny, with his dragon-head-shaped backpack on his lap, working on it with some tools. Gunny is lounging comfortably behind Stewardd, with their head hooked over Stewardd's shoulder, nuzzling affectionately against his cheek as he laughs. Stewardd is a small, short, light-skinned man with blue, spiky hair, a square face, and buck teeth. he's wearing a green/magenta jumpsuit, large green goggles, and patchwork collection of other clothing items like a silver gauntlet on one arm, golden pauldrons, and mismatched shoes. Gunny is a light green, raptor-like, bipedal dragon with a sharp, triangular face.
the second art piece depicts a scene from ep 7 "the Horn of Libris", representing the Tarot card "Judgement". Moordryd's head is lifted high as he blows on the circular, dragon-shaped Horn in the lower foreground. Libris the Grey bone dragon is starting to climb over a tall wall in the higher background, jaw gaping to roar down at the humans below. other characters are gathered far behind Moordryd: Artha and Khatah are approaching to stop him, while Kitt and Parm watch Libris' approach in horror. Moordryd is a pale, thin man with a gaunt face and long white hair, wearing a dark jumpsuit + jacket combo of dull reds, purples, greys, and blacks. Libris is a lean, quadrupedal, skeletal dragon of clean white/grey bone. they have a long skull, sharp teeth, and toxic green, glowing eyes-- one focused intently on the viewer.
the third art piece depicts Kawake and his dragon Rumbull, representing the Tarot card "Strength". Kawake is sitting in his wheelchair, smiling as he leans over to pet Rumbull's broad head, who is standing at his side. Kawake is a muscular Black man with thin legs, and a round, friendly face. his white hair is shaved into an undercut, with the top half pulled into three thick cornrows. his skin-tight jumpsuit is pale blue and white on the top half with dull red legs, and his wheelchair has a somewhat tech-fantasy design, steel blue with bright red accents. Rumbull is a thick, sturdy, quadrupedal dragon, brown with blue/grey accents. he's built much like a bull with a low-set head, tall shoulders, thick legs, and a short, square face with a prominent underbite.
the photo shows the entire Dragon Booster Tarot set, fanned out across my bedspread. the first row shows the cards representing the 13 Draconium colors and their respective crews, while the bottom row shows the 22 Tarot Major Arcana. a black container with a gold design depicting Artha and Beau sits above the cards.
end ID]
YAYYY I can post this now!! so excited to contribute to this fan project-- now the second DB-centric fan project I've been a part of! I had so much fun designing these cards, and seeing how everyone else approached the composition/design of their own cards-- everyone part of this project is so crazy talented!! absolutely nuts to be able to hold something I helped make in my own, physical hands, it almost brings me to tears...
since this is several months out from actually finishing these cards, I can already see a few tweaks/changes I would make if I could go back, but overall I'm still rly rly pleased with how these cards came out! and if anyone's wondering abt the anatomy of some of the dragons, I have my own headcanons regarding DB dragon designs that go into more detail~
and finally, a special shout-out to @wyrdle, who not only organized this whole event, and designed the box art and absolutely beautiful borders for all the cards, but also specifically helped me out with my second card, Judgement. I had a lot of trouble figuring out the tones/values I wanted out of that one, and Wyrdle flew in with some great advice-- thank you!!! it's been such an honor and privilege to work with everyone here!
[image ID: two images of Anby from Zenless Zone Zero.
the first is a screenshot of Anby’s splash art, depicting a slim girl with pale skin and pale grey hair styled into a bob cut, and wearing a mostly neon green/black outfit with some white/red accents. her green/black hooded jacket has some kind of green cross connection at the center of her chest, connecting the two sides of the open front. a cropped white shirt is visible underneath the jacket, leaving her bare midriff exposed. the detached sleeves leave her bare shoulders exposed, and are puffy and bell-shaped, with some screw-like knobs on the upper arms. she's wearing a short, black, pleated skirt, with black g-string straps riding up her hips above the skirt. she's wearing black, thigh-high socks, and green/white, high-top sneakers with decorative straps. she's holding a long, rectangular, saw-like sword, and wearing black headphones.
the second image is a cartoony drawing of Anby, now depicted as a tall, thin Black girl, with her thick, pale grey locs styled into a similar bob shape as the original. the outfit has a similar neon green/black style as the original, but with orange accents instead of red. her jacket is similar to the original, but the sleeves are now attached with thick/puffy shoulders, and the cross attachment on the original is now just a design across both sides of the open jacket. the jacket has been cropped shorter, and the white/orange crop top is more of a jog bra now, leaving more of Anby's long torso exposed. she's now wearing long pants in the same bell-shape as the sleeves, with a similar green/black design and screw-like knobs. the pants end about mid-calf and ride low, leaving the top of white/orange spanx or athletic shorts visible underneath. a decorative orange belt hangs across her legs from a belt loop. her sneakers and headphones are similar to the original, but chunkier. her sword is more angled and less squared-off than the original.
end ID]
back with another ZZZ redesign, but surprisingly not a furry this time! I just have a rly strong impression of Anby in my head and needed to get her to (digital) paper. also she's one of my mains and I love her <3
some extra design notes under the cut~
idk why but I feel like Anby should be tall and gangly. she just kinda vibes that way to me. not sure if she should be the tallest Cunning Hare, or still shorter than Billy tho 🤔
I LOVEEE deadpan, cartoony half-eyes with heavy bottom lashes, like Kinich in Genshin, it just looks SO GOOD!! and Anby feels like the type of character that should have that look <3
apologies for discrepancies in the weapon, I just don't super care for drawing weapons, and wasn't even sure what exactly her weapon was at first? so I just went with my preferred style of angled lines instead of squared-off corners. in retrospect, I think her weapon may have been modeled off of ice saws, but I'm still not sure?
