Drawing Things That Fly
Of the dozens upon dozens of fun little animals I’ve had to draw, many have been winged creatures including a pterosaur, many species of birds, and this flying fox. Being given many flying animals to create, I had to place some of them with wings folded, perched on a twig or on the ground. The simple need for variety in my imagery demanded that I do so. Nevertheless, I certainly enjoy the drama of a winged creature in flight and felt inspired to place many of these animals in the air.
Now, the above examples also include the proud pheasant who seems to be just as much at home on the ground as in the air. A while ago I was writing about typography and how most art requires at least as much of an intuitive as a cerebral response to the assignment at hand. That certainly applies to many of my choices while posing cartoon characters, whether they be on a book cover, in a children’s book, or in this particular series. Practicing gestural figure drawing also goes a long way in preparing to pose fictional or semi-fictional characters in a way that is engaging and believable.