a lesson on drawing whitetails!!! (mostly bucks bc they're more interesting, they have the antlers!)
PANEL 1: For one thing, deer are basically boxes on stilts | For another, their heads are shaped almost exactly like shoes (although there is a bit of sexual dimorphism between bucks and does) | Calculating age is surprisingly easy; all you have to do is count the number of "points" (spiky things) on one antler | So our boyo here is about 5 years old!
PANEL 2: When I go to draw a deer, I start with the box, then block in the shoulders and hindquarters, then add in the ball-and-stick leg. I then sketch in the lil getaway sticks, add the hooves, and boom. There's an idiot. ball-and-stick legs | shoulder and hindquarters
PANEL 3: Their skulls are also super fun to draw, although they are weird and delicate | Eye sockets are ALWAYS bigger than you think! Start with a profile view of the skull, it's always easier than a front view | Points of attachment on the skull are bumpy and have flat bases | Bumps eventually give way to smoother grooves | Antler velvet grows to protect the rest of the skull while the antlers come in. It usually takes about 150 days for a full rack to grow in. Velveting is an uncomfortable process, but it's mostly itchy. Despite the blood beneath the velvet, this shedding is entirely painless. Velveting bucks will rub their antlers on just about anything, from trees to fences to the sides of peoples' houses.
PANEL 4: Right antler profile | Left antler profile | Full rack rear view | Full rack top view | Root - Main branch (point 1) - Point 2 - Point 3 - Point 4 - Point 5