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Droemar β Riding Tutorial
Published: 2009-02-02 04:23:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 70449; Favourites: 2883; Downloads: 1152
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Description
Eh. I got bored. Been working on Flash lessons over the weekend, aside from cleaning and seeing Inkheart. But I noticed there weren't any riding tutorials on DA. Seriously? What's up with that? If someone knows of any, please link me.I make no claims to be an expert, so all of the self-proclaimed riding experts can hold their tongues. I barely know how to ride, and I don't ride regular horses. I ride gaited ones, which require little to no work on the part of the rider. Heck, Peruvian saddles were designed to make you sit way BACK, like a big cushioned car seat. All they lack are cupholders and an air conditioning vent in the pommel. So yes. I don't really ride. I sit and the horse walks in a overtly flashy manner. With my crippled spine, balance alone is an issue for me.
But on the other hand, I do have a bunch of fantasy characters that need to ride various large creatures. (Which was what I was looking for in the first place when I discovered DA's terrible lack thereof.) So I attempted to apply what I know about horseback riding to wolfback and tigerback. The dubious idea that big cats would ever suffer such trappings notwithstanding, I concluded that the power of the shoulders could handle human weight.
Also, the "wrong" drawings are HILARIOUS. I just searched for some drawings on DA and went to town. I mean, drawing horses in the correct positions alone is difficult enough, but to add a rider on top of it ... Yeah. Some people need help. So I drew this. Enjoy!
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Comments: 209
Great tutorial! This will be VERY useful for my drawings
Although I'm not as sure about placement when riding large flightless birds...
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Fantastic. I must show this to my friend, I think one of her comics has a guy riding on a giant wolf...
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This is great! Thanks for tutorial. I totally agree with the weight and balance aspect of riding. You don't ride in the center of the back nor on the flank. Now with felines and canines you have to deal with the flexing of the back. They would not care as much weight as a horse do to this flexibility as well as they walk on their toes. So a smaller rider would be in order. The thing is, would the rider sit upright like you would on a horse or more crouched down or hunched over. Also I always imagined that a wolf or tiger would not care for a saddle strapped to their back.
Now my character is NOT a good rider. He is still learning so he tends to fall or bounce a lot. And his mount the wolf tends to tease him (or you could say the wolf is testing his rider's ability to hang on for dear life!)
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I'm glad people agree. I was just going by my own knowledge, which as a rider is pretty limited!
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dude this awsome and helpful man! thsnks
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This is actually just what I was needing. I am working on my own personal comic and have reached a point where riding nonequine things is required.
The tips you gave are very helpful.
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this is really helpful, thanks for taking the time to do this.
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I rather enjoyed this 
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...that was surprisingly helpful!
Well. I know My next project.
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Awesome tutorial! Who knows, maybe I'll attempt to actually draw PEOPLE 
Lookie ---> [link] I found one! Hehehe...that little anime person is in for a nasty surprise when she slides off her pony's butt.
~Britomartis~
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See? I'm helping people already. Go mock ... er, teach her.
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Oooh, yay! Very helpful when you can see it all sorta layed out, as well as the bit on other animals.
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Good idea! Not usually drawing other animal mounts, I hadn't given much thought to the possibility of how you would ride them, but you've given a lot of good points!
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I can't possibly be the only person who has wondered what it would be like to ride a wolf. I daydream about riding my dog around barrels and breaking world records ... in the world in which my back isn't crippled.
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I used to think it would be fun to ride Moose, our old Doberman/Rottweiler mix.
OH! On a different topic, how much did it bother you when Lucy and Susan rode Aslan in the Narnia movie?
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Uh, not that I'm an expert or antyhing, but I thought they did an okay job. Aslan was large enough that their weight wasn't an issue for him, and they were up on the shoulders ... I guess.
Can't says I have complaints.
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this makes me WANT to draw someone riding! I never really tried but now i'll make a point out of it!
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I noticed your to-do list. For what it's worth, I think you have your own style.
I would like to see your results!
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That's actually pretty cool. 
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Hahaha, you said Dressage.
I miss riding. I really, really do. ;_;
Good job, you gets a gold star.
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*does gold star boogaloo*
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This is awesome. Brilliant help.
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this is great, even aweosme artists make mistakes when they draw someone on horseback.
people always put the saddle too far back, but it's really just common sense... i'd rather carry something on my shoulders than my back!
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This is a great tutorial! Especially the section on other mounts. I've got a project coming up that will require me to draw someone riding a griffin, so the feline aspects of this tut. will really help with that. Thanks for sharing!
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Very helpful even for people who know how to draw it.
I do have a comment about the bareback thing: not every barn trains them to have their heels down then. My barn teaches that you put your toes down and relax the back more when bareback for balance. I think the reason why you need your heels down in a saddle is so you have balance with a stirrup--it would slip off if you had your toes pointed down.
I really like this tutorial!^^ keep up the good work.
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Thanks for that. LetΒ΄s hope IΒ΄m not too dumb to learn from it ^^
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Yeah, I always wanted to ride a cat, and now I know just where to sit on them! Thanks, Droe! XD Here kitty, kitty, kitty...
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Yeah, like I'm the only one or something. Try it with a tiger and Youtube the result, will ya?
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Gee, I dunno where I'll get a tiger. :/ I was just going to settle for a house cat. Soon as I get one. XD
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this is a fantastic tutorial! wow! it answers so many questions!
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Wow, hehehe, this is great. Its awesome how you applied the different styles of horseback to other animals. I'm sure anyone could find this useful
Actually, I wish I had the horse bit of this back when i worked on a guest ranch.
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Idiotproof horses would be a very popular breed.
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This is a brilliant idea! I've never attempted to draw a person riding anything due to the fact that the mechanics of riding were far beyond me, but when I see some one post a draw where the rider is completely off its rather obvious. I think the only thing that may also be helpful in addition to every thing that you have explained is that different chest sizes on any animal would severely effect riding. I've seen some rather humorous art of people riding Clydesdale horses, and had quite a good laugh. I've met them in person, and one would about have to do the splits much less attempt a bare back ride.
But again, lovely tutorial and one of those things you really don't know that you need until you have it. I may even attempt to draw a rider.. some time.
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Yeah, I really hate the huge person on a tiny horse" or vice versa, and it happens a LOT. Even on book covers and stuff. I thought about adding it to the "Common Mistakes" section, but I thought I might get shouted down by pony owners whose mounts have carried 6 foot men ..,
I think I'm rambling.
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There is a difference between ponies carrying a large man, just a disproportionate drawing. I've seen several examples, mostly on book covers where there is a huge white horse clad in armor which would severally impede movement, and a tiny suite of armor I must assume there is a knight inside of. At best the proportions could be said to be of a smaller man strapped to a draft breed, it just doesn't work.
(I fear that I am rambling on as well.)
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Holy crap, kudos to you. We need more interesting tutorials like this. I've never really planned on drawing anyone riding anything, but I WANT to now!
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I was pretty miffed when there weren't any tutorials. It was like, "Okay ... there have GOT to be other people out there who want to draw wolf riders or something."
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I would think so...that is kinda surprising.
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This is fantastic! Deviantart NEEDS one of these tutorials, hell i needed it. I ride pretty well, but i know my illustration of people on mounts is flawed, i just didn't know what was the right way because i haven't had the opportunity to ride heaps and learn by observation.
The only thing i would add is WHY you have to have your heels down. For those reading this comment who dont know, if you fall off, you dont want your foot sliding forward into the stirrup and getting caught. You want it to slide back out, for obvious reasons.
But the info about non-equine mounts is also very useful :3
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Oh yeah. Here I am thinking people aren't stupid again ... dang. Yes, it also helps with grip while bareback ... or so I've been told.
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yea it would, the tendons would have a stronger force with the toes pointed up, cause you can imagine your leg grip strength if you pointed the toaes down would be weaker eh? Ive never done bareback btw im just going through the imaginary physics projector in my head
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I've done it a couple of times. It hurts one's crotch but can really help with balance. But I wasn't much good at it.
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haha. Ive never even gotten to a gallop. But im good with a trot. Ive only been riding enough times in my life that i can still count the occurences on my fingers 
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Thank you for this! Hopefuly I can get some drawings of half realistic riders now! Haha!
Oh I saw inkheart aswell, but last weekend. It was cute.
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It's got nothing on the books, but I loved Dustfinger's portrayal. And his super-hot shirtless fire dance scene ... ahem.
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