SSSDrawingTutorials
Drawing is simply a line going for a walk ~Paul Klee
This is a more detailed step by step tutorial for the dragon eye. It splits the video tutorial into individual phases for you to follow along with and help you draw the eye. This is a good way to see the evolution of the drawing in each of its phases. You can use this with my video to see how I do it. the pictures are taken from the video and I apologise for any obstructions in the image. For this drawing you will ned a 2B or 3B pencil, or a pencil set, an eraser, an A4/A3 sheet of paper and a blending stub or tissue (or you can just use your finger).
Good Luck!
Step 1: Outline phase 1
For the outline, first draw this triangular like shape for the mouth. Remember to make the tip of the mouth curved of course. To create the snout use curved lines to create the outline aboce the mouth. It is a rectangular like shape. The eye is a straight line, starting a triangle, followed by one curved line to create the rest of the shape. The spikes are drawn above this and spike towards the right. The neck curves around the right side of the dragon head and owards the left into the rest of the dragon shape.
Step 2: Outline phase 2
Add in the teeth, using small triangular, jagged along the inside of the mouth. To create the 'chin' of the mouth use a curved line, followed by spikes down the chin and along the whole jaw line. The upper teeth are the biggest in the whole dragon maw. The jaw is cut off by the spikes that give the rest of the head shape, before the neck starts.
Step 7: Shading the Snout phase 1
To shade the snout, make the lines detailing the snout dark while creating a gradient around it. Make the nostril completely black (as possible) and create highlihgts along the darker areas of shade using an eraser. This will give depth and shape to the snout.
Dragon Head Tutorial
Step 4: Outline phase 4
The next step is to draw in the detail for the neck by severing it into different rectangular sections as well as drawing quick, curved lines along the shapes.
Step 3: Outline phase 3
The next step is to draw in the eye and the area surrounding the eye. Use sharp, jagged lines in a curved manner to give this shape. To draw the eye, draw a diamond with two lines in it as well as a small shadow. This can be seen in my dragon eye tutorial.
Step 5: Outline phase 5
To add Scales along the neck, create an interlocking diamond/hexagonal patern as depicted.
Step 6: Shading the Eye
Make the diamond shape dark and thick to stand out from the rest of the eye. Keep the light reflection completely white to create a contrast. Make the jagged areas around the eye dark as well, while creating small highlights using a small and thin eraser. Use a blending tool, such as a blending stub, finger or tissue to blend in the shades together.
Step 8: Shading the Snout phase 2
The spikes on the top of the head will be shaded in asimilar fashion as to the rest of the snout. Remember to create a dark shade area around the outlines and create a gradient around that. The spikes will have a dark shade area on one side of the spike as well as the tip.
Step 9: Shading the Spikes on the Head
the tips of the pikes will have the darkest shade while the rest of the spike will have a gradient getting lighter. The lower spikes will have more dark areas as a shadow will bas cast over them.
Step 10: Shading the Maw
The teeth will have dark jagged outlines and the inner part of the mouth will be lihgter as well as the rest of teeth, to bring out the jagged tips of the teeth. The outline of the tongue will also be darker than the rest of the tongue and have a small gradient. A highlight on the left side of the tongue can be created using an eraser. This will give the maw more depth, as well as an animated feel, like it is roaring.
Step 11: Shading the Jaw
The spikes follows the same pattern as the rest of the spikes in the picture. The tips of the spikes are dark and jagged. As you go upwards in the jaw, it will start to get darker as there is more shadow.
Step 11: Final Outcome
This is the completed drawing of the dragon head. The techniques learnt here should be applicable to any other drawing you do. I encourage you to keep on practicing with other visual references and check out my other tutorials if you liked this one. The shading techniques, as well as individual drawing elements can be adapted into other drawings as well as other visual references. Thanks for Watching! I hope this helped!
Step 11: Shading the Spikes and the Neck
The spikes follow the same pattern as the rest of the spikes. The diamonds/hexagonal shaped scales on the neck are shaded in a similar fashion to the spikes. Use a dark shade followed by a lighter shade to create depth and contrast.
Step 11: Shading the Neck
Go over the outlines of the individual sections as well as the lines. The lines will need to be much darker. However leave the lighter lines as well as this create a similar contrast/gradient style effect which gives the neck more depth.
Step 11: Shading the Wing and Scales
Shade in the diagonal/hexagonal shaped scales using the same pattern as before as well as shading in the wing. Create a dark outline followed by a light interior to give the wing muscles shape.
