The Art of Drawing Fantasy Characters Discover step-by-step techniques for drawing aliens, vampires, adventure heroes, and more

2010·100.16 MB·English

by  Jacob Glaser

Characters E

Discover step-by-
step techniques

for drawing aliens,
vampires, adventure
heroes, and more

F
By Jacob Glaser
eS Sh, IS ee
~ ees RASS aa

The Art of Drawing

Fantasy Characters
© 2010, 2011 Walter Foster Publishing, Inc. Artwork on cover, back
cover, and pages 1-144 © 2010 Jacob Glaser. Artwork on page 8

(shapes and forms) © 2007, 2010 Christopher Speakman. All
reserved. Walter Foster is a registered trademark.

Digital edition: 978-1-61059-821-7
Softcover edition: 978-1-60058-166-3

This book has been produced to aid the aspiring artist. Repro-
duction of the work for study or finished art is permissible. Any
art produced or photomechanically reproduced from this publica
tion for commercial purposes is forbidden without written consent
from the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing, Inc.

WoRT65 432
Ree RN ug

The Art of Drawing

Fantasy Characters
GETTING STARTED SAWN. for- sence erame reset
Tools & Materials 6
The Elements of Drawing 8
Basic Pencil Techniques 9
Creating Textures 10
Perspective Basics u

SCIENCE FICTION. .....020ee20000eee

Gray Alien 4
Ray Gun 1s
Brain in Jar 20
Android 2
Alien Lord 26
Space Hero 28
Alien Beast 32

borg, aa
Space Pope 36
Starfighter Pilot 40
Robot Altack Pod cP
Alien Heroine 4
Alien Trucker 48
Space Sword Mystic 50
Sidekick 34

HORROR CHARACTERS. .....0.sesesceeeeee ees 56

Frankenstein's Monster 38
Vampire 62
Zombie ot

Witch 66

Mummy 70

Evil Scientist n
Werewolf 76
Grim Reaper 78
Succubus 80
Hell Hound 82
Boogeyman 86
Man-Fating Plant 88
Banshee on
Cthulhu oF
Masked Maniac 8

ADVENTURE CHARACTERS ....ss00eeeereeee++ 100

‘Young Hero 102
Evil Sorcerer lot
Gnome Dragon Slayer 108
Druid m2
Swordsman es
Drow 11s
barharian Wartior bo
Jester ip)
Blacksmith 126
Maiden 128
Archer 132
King of the Dwarves 1+
Black Knight 136
Undead Warrior 138
Avenging Angel 10
CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

In this book, I'l showcase my process of drawing characters and props from three speculative
fictional traditions: science fiction, horror, and fantasy or adventure. Fach genre has its own
unique conyentions and characters that populate movies, television shows, videogames, and
literature. I have chosen various archetypes and icons from each genre and developed them to
illuminate at least one way of approaching character illustration

I prefer to do most of the basic work in the concept sketch or thumbnail stage, but for
the purposes of this book, I work at full size so you can see the complete process, The best way
to increase your ability to make convincing drawings is to continually study the world around
you, especially human anatomy. I have also found great value in studying the processes of other

artists, and I hope that seeing mine will be helpful to you
Sg yt 5
: ue
One of the best things about drawing is that you
can draw anywhere, anytime with just a piece of
paper, an eraser, and a pencil, As your skills increase,
you'll mostly likely want to expand your drawing

tools, but it’s best for beginners to just start with the
basics. When you do start to purchase more supplie:

remember that you get what you pay for, so purchase
the best you can afford at the time and upgrade
whenever possible. Although anything that will
make a mark can be used for some type of drawing,
youll want to make certain your magnificent efforts
will last and not fade over time. Also remember that
everyone has his or her own preferences, and that

experimentation is key. Here are some basic materials

that will get you off to a good start. Work Station You dont need stun to draw, but fsa good iden to srt ap aon aren
will good fghting and enough rao for you to work an iy oul your tus When drawing
at night you can use a of white ight bulb anda cool wit Muoescent ight so that you
fave buth warm (yen) and vol (ue) High You alo nee a comarabl char and w

‘Sketch Pads Conveniently bound table (preferably near a window for natural light). You may also want to purchase a drawing,

drawing pads come inawide 5 board hat con be acusted olferent eights and angles, © shown Shove.

Sete of sieht

‘weighs and bindings.

Tey setreinssi Poay Vinyt Artist's Erasers Diferent erasers seve
for making quick sketches and aay different functions. | prefer a knewded
Shes dani cutiaas (atie fag erase, hh can be oe small
sea large steteboakin the tudo r wedges nd pls emore marin

{or laying outa painting, or take a
small one with you for recording quick
impressions when you travel. Smaoth-
‘tn medium grain paper texture (called
the “tooth isan ideal choice.

very tny areas, Lalso use a hard plastic

eraser, which s great fr large areas. At
we sum erasers are sv0d for doing 3 lot ot
erasing, as they crumble easily ané are

Act gum lassikely to darvae the paper's surface,

Kneaded

Drawing Papers or finished
pe ‘eraser

‘works of at, using single sheets
of drating paper is best. They

ae available in a range of Sharpeners You'll always want to keep

surface textures; smooth grain aN a pencil sharpener handy, as you'll need a
(plate and hot pressed), medium ™ ‘sharp point to make crisp, clean lines. An
fr old esd andor siete shrpene ee sed bat any
sie othe nes veil pacer toe Ta or
fosametn atts Mouth. ouch
tenses ates Shaper ou pels yale

good surtace for a variety of if by rubbing it against rough drawing poner
Ferent dravring techniques, ‘ora sandpaper black

Charcoal Papers Charcoal Light Table Light tables vary

pase and tables re aso wal ~ in sieand ease of use, tom
able ina variety of textures. light ap-ortabie-top models to
Some ofthe surface fishes are ‘the zoo pan steel ons
cute pronounced, and you can ; hae in my studio. They are very
Use them tenhance the tecure , useful for tracing dranings onto
inyouréravings. These papers hee clean sheets of papet and for
also came ina variety f cles, = f . composing matform ilustra
‘hich cana depth and visual tion, For those ona buege,
interest to your drawings, c recommend usinga are win-

es dow (simply tape your sketch
y the window wilh the clean sheet
on top oft, and Wace aay.
This an be uncomfortable,
though, and reuires davighs
Pencus
Drawing pencils are classified by the hardness of the lead
(actually graphite), which is indicated by a letter. The soft leads
(abeled “B” for “black") make dense, black marks, and the hard
leads (labeled “HU” for “hard*) produce very fine, light gray lines
An HB is somewhere between the two, making it very versatile
A number accompanies the letter to indicate how hard ot soft

iL isthe higher the number, the harder or sulter the pencil.
(For example, a 4B is softer than a 2B.) In this book, | switch
between a 2H and a 2B pencil, but every artist as his or her own.
preferences. Any of the leads cant be sharpened to the point you
want (as shown at right), achieving a different effect. The result
will also depend on the texture of your paper. Practice shaping
different points and creating different effects with each pencil by

varying the pressure you put on the pencil

Pen Input Device Wher choosing a pen input device, hase your derision an levels oF
sensitivity and personal comfort. luse a medium-sized Wacnm® tablet and would nat
want anything larger, though | krow several artists who use the smallest and largest tab
lets available. I'sa choice of personal style and comfur

DicitaL Paintine

You'll notice that 1 dou't provide step-by-step instructions far
the colored finals in this book; instead, | comment on my color
choices. I chose not to include exact instructions because all
software progeams are different andl all artists will use them
differently, so it won't help to explain my process with my
program, But to me, talking about color choice is always helpful

There are many complicated brushes, textures, and gadgets to

experiment with, but [find that the most uselul brush is a basic
shape, like a circle ot ellipse, that has the ability to easily control
opacity, size, and the brush edge (the “hardness” and “sofmess”

of the stroke). ‘The fundamentals of painting with physical media

such as watercolor and acrylic also apply to digital painting—
especially in regard to color theory (see “Color Basics” at
right)—so learning them will help you become a stranger digital
artist as well

1B,
sharp point

1B,
ound point

HB An HB with a sharp point produces cris lines an offers
‘300d control. With around aoint, you can make sightly
thicker ines and shade small areas.

———————

‘at paint

a

Fiat

sketching
Flat For wider strokes, use the atiened point of 4B. A large,

flat sketching pencils great fr shading large areas, but the
Sharp, chiseled edge can he used ta make thinner lines no.

PAINTING SOFTWARE AND PEN INPUT DEVICES

‘Many projects in this book include a painted fal, which I

create using painting software. Several products exist to simulate
the experience of painting for digital artists; | can't imagine a

more forgiving environment in which to learn and experiment
with color, value, line, and composition. Youll need access to a
computer with a monitor that ean display good levels of values and.
colors, as well as painting soliware and a pen input device, There
are many options for painting software, including Corel Painter®
and Aclobe Photoshop®. Both are great programs backed by teams

that continue to ituprove their stability, creative options, and ease

of use, While painting with a mouse is possible and the results can
be impressive, you won't get the most out of your painting software
withaut a pen input device, which allows you to use an electronic

pen as you would a pencil or brush.

Cotor Basics
Color theory is an extremely broad topic, so Tl just touch on the

absalute basics. ‘the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue; all

other colors are derived from these. A combination of prima

colors results in a secondary color, such as purple. green, or
orange; and a combination of a primary and a secondary color
results in a tertiary color (like red-orange or yellow-green). Pairing,
complements such as red and green results in a striking contrast
that can add excitement to a painting, However, when mixed,
complementary colors “gray” each other, resulting in a neutral
color such as gray or brown, Colors are also considered either cool
or warm, which helps express mood. Warm colors—reds, oranges,

and yellows—are. assaciated with passion, energy, and anger;
whereas cool colors—blues, greens, and purples—evoke a sense of

peacefulness and melancholy.
The Elements of Drawing

Drawing consists of three elements: line, shape, and form. The Shape of an object can be described with simple

one-dimensional line. The three-dimensional version of the shape is known as the object's “form.”

In pencil

drawing, variations in value (the relative lightness or darkness of black or a color) describe form, giving an

object the illusion of depth, In pencil drawing, values range from black (the darkest value) through different

shades of gray to white (the lightest value). To make a two-dimensional object appear three-cimensional, you

must pay attention to the values of the highlights and shadows. When shading a subject, you must always

consider the light source, as this is what determines where your highlights and shadows will be.

Movine From SHAPE To FoRM

The first step when creating an object is 10 establish a fine
drawing to delineate the flat area that the object takes up. This is,
known as the “shape” of the abject. The four basic shapes—the
rectanle, circle, Iriangle, and square—can appear tw be three-
dimensional by adding a few carefully placed lines that suggest
additional planes. By adcling ellipses to the rectangle, cixcle, and

Lriangle, you've given the shapes dimen:

and have begun to

produce a form within space. Now the shapes are a cylinder,
sphere, and cone, Add a second square above and to the side of

the first square, connect them with parallel lines, and you have

a cuhe
Rectangle Gircte
cylinder ans
Triangle Square f
Cone Cube

ADDING VALUE To CREATE FORM

A shape can be lurther defined by showing how light hits the
object to create highlights and shadows. First note from which
direction the source of light is coming, (In these examples, the
light source is beaming from the upper right.) Then add the
shadows accordingly, as shown in the examples below. The core
shadow is the darkest area on the object and is opposite the light
source. The cast shadow is what is thrown onto a nearby surface
by the abject. The highligh’ is the lightest area an the abject,
where the reflection of light is strongest. Reflected light, aften
overlooked by beginners, is surrounding light tha is reflected

inta the shadowed area of an object

Highlight

Hightignt

Core

Cast shadow Gast shadow shadow
Highlight

Highlight

Gast shadow

Cast shadow
; SEE
Basic Pencil Techniques

You can create an incredible variety of effects with a pencil. By using various hand positions and shading

techniques, you can produce a world of different stroke shapes, lengths, widths, and weights, Ifyou vary the
way you hold the pencil, the mark the pencil makes changes, It’s just as important to notice your pencil point.

The shape of the tip is every bit as essential as the type of lead in the pencil. Experiment with different hand

positions and techniques to see what your pencil can do!

GRIPPING THE PENCIL

Muny artists use wo main hand positions for drawing, The writing position is good for very detailed work that requires fine hand.
control. The underhand position allows for a freer stroke with more arm movement—the motion is almost like painting, (See the
captions below for more information on using both hand positions.)

Using the Writing Position This familiar postion provices the most control, The accu-. _Uslng the Underhand Position Pick up the pencil with your hand overt, holding the
rate, precise lines that result are perfet for rendering fine details and accents, Whea your pencil between the thumb ard index finger; the remaining fingers can rest alongside the
hand sin this pasitinn, place a lean sheet of paper under your hand ta prevent smudging. pencil, You ean create beautiful shading fers rom this position,

PRACTICING BASIC TECHNIQUES

by studying the basic pencil techniques helow, you can learn to render everything from the rough, wrinkled skin of @ monster to the
soft, smooth hair of a tower-hound maiden, Whatever techniques you use, though, remember to shade evenly. Shading in a mechanical,
side-to-side direction, with each stroke ending below the last, can create unwanted bands of tone throughout the shacled area. Instead,
try shading evenly in a back-ancl-forth motion aver the same area, varying the spot where the pencil point changes direction.

io RE a ce
Hatching This basic method of shading involves filing _-—-Crosshatching Fo darker shading, place layers of paral--Gradating To.create gradated values (om daukto ight,
sn area with a series of parallel strokes, The closer the lel stokes on to9 of one another at varying angles. Again, apply heavy pressure with the sie of your pen, gracually
Sroka, the darker the tone wil be make darker values by placing the strokes closer together, lightening the pressure as you stoke.

Shading with Texture Fora mottled texure, use the Blending To smooth out the transitions between stokes,
Sic ofthe pencil tp to apply small uneven strokes gently uh the lines with a blending rol or tissue,

1 you can create dar, linear areas of shading,