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Scale Tutorial
Published: 2011-05-19 21:52:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 77184; Favourites: 3534; Downloads: 1109
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Description
When I was in my woolgathering stage for my dinosaur stuff, I was completely stymied by the scale tutorials offered here on DA. Almost all of them used the same technique, and almost all of them were for dragons. So I had to do my own research and look at how folks like Gary S. Paul and Luis Rey did their stuff. (And James Gurney, for that matter.) Looking into the wide, wide variety of scales and how they work made a lot of the tutorials kind of insulting, since they broke things down into a icon instead of examining how one would draw a whole frickin' dragon without drawing every single forsaken scale.So here's what I've learned, and I thought I'd share it. Wanting to draw things with scales should not ever mean that you have to draw EVERY single scale it grows. You don't draw every hair on a horse, or every bit of fur on a dog. The rule of implication can apply to dragons, too.
EDIT: Wow, a DD? Seriously? That is so awesome! Thanks to everyone who faved or commented; I'm really glad this has helped so many folks.
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Comments: 161
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!!! I've been trying to draw an IceWing (A dragon with spikes on it's head and diamond shaped scales) OC of mine for a long time now, and this is a LIFESAVER!!!!!!
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You addressed a major problem in scale tutorials. Β Many tutorials do not address that scales also come in different shapes, even on the same creature.
It's also a lot harder to shade when you show all of the scales, because there is a lot more to keep in mind, and most people only shade where scales overlap.
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Yeah! In this one book series I read, there are 10 different species of dragons, all with different scale types. The icewings have diamond shaped scales, the mudwings have crocodile-looking scales, and the leafwings have(obviously) leaf-shaped scales.
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I chose to base my school art project on Dinosaurs and I've just came across this tutorial and I thank you so much for this!Β
This is going to really help me with my drawings!Β Β
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Hello,can I feature this in an Educational Art Magazine ? Details about it can be found here :Β
Update on the Interview MagazineHello Everybody !
I am back with an update on the Interview Magazine. I am very optimistic about it and I have a feeling that it will be a SUCCESS.
So let's talk about the magazine.
First of all I have still not decided on a name for the magazine as I am thinking in having it translated in more languages so I need a name that could work in any language. If you have ideas shot them my way !
Content of the magazineΒ
There will be around 30 pages , more or less (around 10 interviews in it). I will try to make each interview as unique as possible (big range of questions).There will be one art theme to draw after, same theme for everybody that wants to draw. This month it might be "Abstract Tree" , "Abstract Brain" or "Waterfall of Knowledge". Still thinking which one should it be, I want to show the readers the different styles and imaginatioCredits will be given !
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An extremely helpful tutorial, thank you very much! I always thought the dragons with every single scale drawn out looked...strange. Now I understand why!
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I always knew that Dragons drawn with full scales didn't always looked right.
This is awesomeΒ
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Oh my!! This tutorial is very helpful. Thanks for sharin it with us ^ ^
I used it to make thisΒ chip667.deviantart.com/art/Arcβ¦
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Thank god this exists. man no matter how many times i review scales i cant seem to grasp it but this is greatΒ
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If you do dragons based on snakes you will have that "garden hose" look. Make the garden hose look like a snake. Glossy dragons are good dragons.
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This is very good tutorial, and very useful too!
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I saw this a while ago and I guess I forgot to save it, this is a pretty good jumping point as far as tutorials go.
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Oouuhh...I understand now what this tutorial mean.
Not all scales must be draw. Because, if it has a full/too many scales, it looks flat and unrealistic.....many professional artist did this mistake too, to be honest. I've seen like this a lot.
Drawing the full/too many scales only eat a lot of time, but the result is unsatisfying. That what the lessons I got from this tutorials. ^^ Thank a lot for this tutorial. C: Of course, this tutorial is very rare, for me. ^v^
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wow! thank you for posting this tutorial. there's so much logic in drawing scales!
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Finally some useful scale tutorial. Thanks.
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now if you could do a tutorial on how to draw fish (or mermaids, I draw them a lot)
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Oh my goodness, finally!
I've been looking for a decent scale tutorial for the longest time DX
I knew you don't draw each individual scale
I just wasn't sure where to draw scales and where not to
If only I could find a shading tutorial for small scales on skin ><
Or the many different types, like thick scales, stick out scales, soft small scales etc.
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Thank you for this. It saved my arse when I was doing this [link]
And I learned how to do a new thing all thanks to you! Yaaay!
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That links to the front page btw
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So it does....well shit.
[link]
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haha, your icon matches this realization very well.
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Very infomative! Yes, THIS is the kind of guide I was looking for. Your mentioning of rhinos and elephants were rather eye opening. I've got more animals to study in a different way. Thank you for sharing your wonderful tips!!!
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Oouuuwwww....;__;
This is really helpful....TTnTT
I jsut really hard to search this tutorial from day to the day......
But,*gasp* I just found it on here!*o*
Thank you so....much for the tutorial that you've made it!;u;
It's really extremely helpful!
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by far the best scale tutorial yet.
Always looking at those awesome works other people do and then wonder how they do it but yet no one wants to give the big "secret" away
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Very helpful and better than many other tutorials
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This is really good, I've always struggled to understand what scales would look like in different places. This helped! 8D
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Ooh, this will be really helpful for future drawings!!! Awesome dinosaur in the middle!!!
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Thank you very much , this helped me alot ~
I will submit a dragon drawing I made right now Traditional, and then you will be able to see how you tutorial helped me
Don't have to watch me, just remember my username to go see later C:
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One of the best tutorials on this subject i have come across. Thanks for the tips!
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this is amazing! I love all your work i had no idea about the breaking up scales like the alegator pictuer!Thank you. time to practice my "scales" and arpeggios
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Very nice tutorial. Love how you include the rules about implying scales.
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Why is this the only tutorial of it's kind on DA, seriously. I've been going through the internet with a fine toothed comb for days trying to find something like this.
Normally I only draw furred or feathered creatures so I needed some serious help with where to start for going about scales that didn't make my character look gaudy with unnecessary detail, and didn't give me some form of wrist owies after a few hours. Thank you so so much for this. :3
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Totally just realized; i've seen your DA before today. That little nagging voice started up when I saw your icon, but I definitely remember this. Small world, huh?
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Congratulations once again on your Daily Deviation! You've been featured in the August 2011 Resources DD Summary . Thanks for sharing your resources with the community!!
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Lol wish i'd seen this before I made a sketch of Zalazane; ([link] )
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Heheh... 'woolgathering phase'. I'm soooo definitely in that phase. Thank you for this tutorial, I now have hope for scale tutorials!
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I had no idea that scales evolved from teeth until just now 0_o
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my god, how did you draw the alligator? IT LOOKS SO REEL...
But no, seriously, this will be a lot of help for me.
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I am certainly glad to have found this tutorial if I ever need to work with something like this.
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This will help greatly for my Dragon art. Thanks so much!!! I knew I didn't have to draw every scale, just wasn't sure how to go about it.
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THIS.
...is an awesome tutorial. And it actually helps more than all tutorials on scales I saw before combined. You have my thanks for sharing that tutorial.
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Hey, this is awesome. Well drawn out and explained, helps a lot!
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*bows down* Oh thank you thank you thank you. I finally understand.. I always thought I had to draw every scale but now I will try this technique. <3 Congrats on the DD!
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As D. Alexander Gregory once proved... Painfully detailed scales are only important if what you're trying to show the scales off.
Nicol Bolas don't need no freakin' scales, man.
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