Now: @galaxy-lilies

24 | Indie | a blog for things I don’t want to forget and chain posts

[galaxy-lilies-main]

Now: @galaxy-lilies

Hello! This is the main blog of @galaxy-lilies where I reblog posts I don't want to forget and random reblog bait posts. If you want to check out my new stuff feel free to head over to the @ above.

Thank you!

[lilac1203]

Oh would you look at that… more permit office

Who woulda thought

[illustromic]

My thoughts on drawing wings (an unofficial tutorial)

Do you want to get better at drawing your favorite winged character? Do you have winged OCs? Just want to learn something new? I can't promise this post will help, but maybe it'll give you some helpful tips.

I know, I knowww, wing tutorials have been done to death. I don't care. This was initially inspired by a conversation on twitter, but actually I've wanted to write down my notes on the topic for a long time lol. Basically wings are one of my special interests so it's very important, for me, to draw them both nicely and also realistically.

On that note, let me first show you my resume *distant sound of floodgates opening*

Like what you see? Read on! (Oh, and I will only be covering feathered/avian wings bc those are the type I know best.)

Now, I'm not here to give you a step-by-step guide on wing anatomy and aerodynamics, because there are plenty of other resources that cover this already, and I'll list my faves at the end of the post. Right now, I'm going to give you some easy guidelines and tricks that I wish more artists knew.

1: Wings do, in fact, have bones (crazy, I know) and are actually very rigid because they have to support the weight of a living creature. There are some positions you cannot physically force a wing into irl.

2: Flight feathers are not placed willy-nilly on the wing, because then they wouldn't catch the air properly. Again, like the bones, they are rigid and strong, so don't draw them like fur or ribbons. All wings have the same pattern of feather placement, with slight variation depending on species. If you learn the feather sections, it will automatically improve your drawings a lot.

2.5: Feathers overlap each other like a handful of playing cards, and this looks different depending on which side of the wing you're drawing. They always do this unless they're extremely untidy.

3: The size of the wingspan is important if you're going for a more realistic design. There is no "scientifically accurate" measurement when it comes to fictional creatures, but my general rule is when in doubt, you probably need to make them bigger. Personally, for my original winged human species, I give them wings that can be up to 12 feet long each (the artistic sacrifice is that it's really hard to fit the wings on the dang page lmao, so make your own call).

4: Get used to drawing folded wings. Most of the time, birds keep their wings folded because it prevents them from getting damaged and it conserves energy. The trick is to get good at visualizing how the joints bend and overlap (look at plenty of photos!) In general, they can fold much tighter than you think.

5: Wings and feathers take a lot of patience to draw, but the results are worth it. I've seen so so many incredibly beautiful and skillful artworks that are---well, maybe not ruined, but still negatively affected by a pair of wings that look like an afterthought, or not even like wings at all. You have no idea how much a little extra time and practice will add to your work until you see for yourself.

Finally, some notes on "stylized" wings: Of course it's perfectly ok to draw more simplified/cartoony wings if that's your preference!! BUT there is a difference between a stylistic choice and a lack of effort/poor understanding of the subject matter. Even cartoonists have to learn the fundamentals of realism so they know how to make their designs logical and appealing. Here are some examples of more stylized wings that I feel retain the core principles of anatomy/aesthetics:

And last but not least: A list of helpful links I use personally for reference and inspiration!

I made this pinterest board for general artsy inspo, and this board to curate my very favorite tutorials/refs/information, focusing on the scientific aspect of wings and flight in general. Feel free to use both! (I also suggest pinterest in general for pose refs and such, but try to only practice using photos at first and not other drawings.)

I highly recommend this blog and this blog if you want examples of artists who draw more realism-based winged creatures!! They are both huge inspirations for me and I think you should totally follow them even if you don't plan to draw wings lol <3

If you're REALLY serious about it, my favorite ref books are: Winged Fantasy, a lovely drawing book by Brenda Lyons; Proctor & Lynch's Manual of Ornithology; and Angelus vincens by R. Spano, which is essentially an artbook by someone who (I believe) designed biologically plausible "angels" for their senior thesis.

Ok, idk how to end this lol but I hope it helped! I know it's not my normal kind of post but I'm super busy with college stuff rn and this was all I had time for. If you guys have any questions or feedback, please let me know!!!

-Aloe <3

[stahsm]

Overlock Stitch by @clothes_reetzy

[thatisuseful]

Damn, that's useful

[fluidstatick]

Finally a hand sewing tutorial on a hemline that isn't just the ladder stitch! the ladder stitch disappears when you tighten it, but it's not meant for hemlines because it breaks really easily! The overlock stitch is more stable, so it holds much longer, and it won't pucker or warp the fabric!

[hiding-under-the-willow]

Around the Carousel

[beautyqueenxwisegirl]

new tag game: explain any of your ocs terribly (but accurately) in one sentence

mine: a golden retriever on a sugar high in the body of a 16 year old jock

@cate7solace @was-that-the-bite-0f-87 @heyblondie2011 @itscrylady @kipper7 @kathrine-khoward-05ismerp @kiki15fox @obsess-over-ink-on-dead-trees @hardtobethebardbitch + open tags

[kathrine-khoward-05ismerp-deact]

Mine is a half wolf/human demon who loves Kathrine Howard (Six) and is my persona, she’s in love with Nyx

@transmasc-offical @silly-fi5h @twistedlikeness1 @hummingkittiz

@nyx-the-devil @nicothehalfblood

@stonewalltitlow

[stonewalltitlow]

Mine is a demigod son of Ares who goes from broken by the loss of his parents at a young age to a semi-immortal unstoppable killing machine that is also a simp for Apollo’s daughter Kayla Knowles.

[heytheresbrutus]

war crimes but make it a happy depressed 15 year old

@demigodmagician @smilingartur

@r0adkill13 @meester-skunk

[r0adkill13]

changeling finds a friendship in the traumatized boy she told to die while someone tries to torture them both

@soupedepates @itzlusil0u @goldenrat3 @bardorsomethinglikethat @sweetsandcupcakes @smilingartur @meester-skunk @demigodmagician

[soupedepates]

Narcissistic lesbian vampire is in love with her dead best friend (who offered to marry her in their youth), tries to quit smoking, experiences psychosis, hates her boss, gets beaten up and doesn’t shower frequently

@hel-phoenyx @me-thal @noa-de-cajou @corneille-but-not-the-author @calugaritsa @bettabastard

[calugaritsa]

god's sluttiest monk gets martyred for a publicity stunt, also he's emo and uses any pronouns

@amaianita @dendydaisy @vashslostwing and any other of my mutuals who have ocs because I cannottttt think of anyone else to tag...

[mavratt]

4 astronauts becomes 5 when they pick up a bogan alien named after soup who helps them take down a masive cover-up plot 700 light years away

@luminarylysia @abby-wolf-reblogs and any other moots who have oc's!!

[abby-wolf-reblogs]

HIIIIIIIIIII MAV!!!!

fucked yo science experiment gets therapy and promptly fucks everything up so thus hide in the woods never to be seen again

@fish-popsicle @ivy-is-fine @deersoncupcakes @lonniethefurry @mothnether @howmanyholesinswisscheese @horrorgoof @pineapple-cheese-bread @draconicsnail +everyone else i forgor

[mothnether]

thanks for tagging me abby :>>

a daisy flower looking demon whose learning magic with an ulterior motive of being cool but uses the WORST possible person on the entire planet as a point of reference

@moonarune @st3pcr8r @nept00n @astroseaberry @atlas-of-andromeda @ceruleanishpanic @galaxy-lilies-main @remderance @ashynfoxes @moss-sweaterrr @filyahehh and any other moots :]

[galaxy-lilies-main]

ty ty for the tag :D

for the first trio we got local fnaf nerd + himbo gets tortured in space but at least he has some personified stars to help him. the next trio we got lesbians pining for each other and realizing "wait a minute....WE CAN BE A POLYCULE" (at the mall*)

@crazypercheron @b10000p @ivyharbour @taigarrryen @dot-moth and any other oomfs i have not tagged uwu

[corn-cardigan]

dungeon nights was already such a funny edition - but imagine if it went full generic anime dating sim and they had uniform skins or something

[resp0nsiblesillygo0ber]

Hey so I've made some flower language analysis on funger characters like a year ago so here we go

D'arce: red roses as a symbol of love and beladonna as a symbol of obsessive love

Ragnvaldr: basil, begonia and clover, all of them are symbols of hatred and revenge

Enki: blue/purple iris as a symbol of thirst for knowledge

Kahara: yellow poppy and orchid as a desire to get rich, pink roses as a symbol of tender love for his wife and gladiolus cus... I'm not gonna say why

[snoopyoftheday]

snoopy of the day

[robogrind]

drawings are secretly the enemy because they start off very nice and unassuming but then when they're about 80% done they start emanating a malevolent aura that makes finishing them the scariest activity you can imagine

[sw1ft-sniff]

[linvana]

The power of a fandom

[redesertsands]

[xzazu2002]

season 7 hermitcraft cat doodles- i realized I posted a cat grian… and never followed it up with anything soo here’s the follow up! I dont have much but here it is xD

[solium-m]

Prompts "Infection" and "Amputation" (yes, one spread, but two prompts!)

How it`s like to experience the first descent into the dungeons of Fear and Hunger

[viv-psd]

For drawing references 

[@/ALEXbutalsoK on Twitter]

[xzazu2002]

season 7 hermitcraft cat doodles- i realized I posted a cat grian… and never followed it up with anything soo here’s the follow up! I dont have much but here it is xD

[shigure]

i'm sorry i never did your tag game. i love you