A friend asked me how I draw khajiit and for some tips.
I’m not the best & I’m sure that I’m making mistakes, but this is how I draw and visualize things *^_^* ((... I’m probably wrong by placing the eyes above the circumference line on the “brain sphere” but this is the way that I personally do it & draw the cartoony form of my animal characters. For humans the eyes definitely go on the circumference line, but our jaws are set far lower, under the “brain sphere” while most animals have their jaws set forward, in front of the “brain sphere”, and it just looks better to my artsy brain.))
So ya, start with the “brain sphere”, and visualize where you want your character to be looking, then add the “muzzle box” to the sphere. You don’t have to draw every step, but it’s good practice & can be helpful in visualizing the shape and curves of the face. ... I drew out the lumps on the face where the jaw, jowls and eyebrows go, just to help with visualizing them. ...When doing a 3/4 angle on a face, its always nice to catch that divot in the face that sits between the eyebrow and the cheek. The more realistic you draw, the more the eyelids will cover the eyeball. Like an iceberg, there’s only a small portion of the eye that peeks through the eyelids. Also the gap between the iris and the top eyelid can sometimes make the character look a little crazy or like they’re feeling an emotion that is intense. If your character is calm or not going crazy, try to set the top eyelid a little over the iris. (LOL I forgot this rule in the pic below.) Noses are not flat and will often have a few curves to them depending on your character and style, try out a few different curves and angles. Ears are curvy cones that are split up the middle. And fur is an awesome character building accessory.
Even though the fur on the face is supposed to flow back, away from the nose, I personally like to draw it pointing forward on Daro’Mei’s bent nose. I think it gives her a slight uniqueness and character. So go ahead a break a few tiny rules to make your character(s) unique. It’s easy to forget, but try to remember that the joint of the jaw is set pretty far back. (LOL I messed up again in the 2nd yellow spot) & the cheek squish, due to the placement of the jaw, can help with depicting your character’s expressions. And ears UGH! I LOVE EARS! They are SO expressive <3 definitely use them and play around with them, they can sometimes be used to show the inner emotions that are not being expressed with the eyebrows and mouth.
The biggest tip though - Don’t ever give up. Everyone sucked at first, everyone! If drawing is something that you would like to do and become good at, keep working at it. Do some research/look at photos and other people’s art. Heck, do some tracing to learn from others, (just don’t post it as your own art when you traced it from someone else). And don’t be afraid to mess up. That’s apart of learning. & if you’re brave enough, it’s good to post your work - it’s good to look back & see your own progress. <3 Keep going and play around, discover your own style and try new ones. Have fun with it! Don’t stop working on progressing either, I’m not, I know that I still have a lot to learn. *^_^*
Have fun! Love ya!
