I beg of thy, paw tutorial please
Talons and Paws - The tutorial
Hi guys! The talon dragon will be administering this tutorial.
We’re going to talk a little bit about different tricks/references you can use to make nice paws and talons, as well as discussing the anatomical differences between them. This isn't a step-by-step tutorial, but it does include useful examples and quick poses for you to reference in a time of need.
Before we get into the details of the tutorial, remember two things: first of all, even the talon dragon isn’t the best anatomy expert ever. Secondly, dragons aren’t real and you can do whatever you want. Now, without further ado..
Let's get one thing straight: I (the talon dragon) draw appendages which anatomically fall somewhere in between human-like and cat-like, as seen in the chart above. While these sketches might look like they all use the same anatomy, they don't: and the ratio of human to cat is slightly different per design.
Those of you who love speculative biology might be crashing out about this, but inconsistency = practicality in the case of talons. Sometimes a pose needs opposable thumbs, sometimes it doesn't... as the artist, you can make your life easier by being flexible and swapping these features out at your discretion (I do this a lot with my artwork, since I have a tight turnaround for posts and don't want to fuck around drawing talons all day.)
I shall show you two ways of drawing talons: human-like and cat-like. That way you guys can learn how to do them with and without pronounced opposable thumbs.
Human-like talons are notably seen (kind of) in the graphic novels. Compared to a normal hand, they have shorter fingers, longer palms and large finger pads. You can even smack some paw pads on the bottom if you want to!
Instead of following a step-by-step tutorial, I recommend using the 'liquify' tool (can be found on most digital drawing apps) and trying to twist some human hands into a more draconic shape. This will help you familiarize yourself with the differences between talon and hand. I've tried it myself in the image above, alongside some annotations and a traced sketch of the final result which you can reference if you're struggling.
Feel free to play around with the length, width and stubbiness of your talons - squashing them brings out a paw-like shape, while stretching them creates a more traditional 'talon.' The paw pads also make a big difference on how your dragon's limbs are perceived.
Speaking of paw pads - you can also use cat/dog paws as references for your talons! Making these look draconic is a lot easier - I tend to over-pronounce the lumbrical muscles (those lines above the toes) and call it a day. Paws are much easier to simplify, and very handy when it comes to fullbodies/poses that don't require any specific talon-to-object interaction.
Although they save time, paws still have their own set of disadvantages - they lack room for accessories and tend to take away from the lizardness of the dragon. If you're looking to adhere to more reptilian proportions, paws are not for you.
Drawing talons is one thing - posing them is another! Most beginner artists tend to struggle more with where to put their talons, given how awkward a dragon's stance really is when looked at in plain view. These bent-lightning-bolt shapes have served me well over the years, creating dynamic movement while still being easy to draw.
And of course - if you don't like drawing talons, you don't HAVE to! (At least, not every single time.) While I recommend facing your problems (talons) head on, even I cheat sometimes.
Good luck dragon artists! Sincerely, The talon dragon.
