 |
1. A chao's head is shaped like a teardrop--fat at the bottom, tall
and pointy at the top.
2. Draw a teardrop shape that's quite fat. Draw this shape several times to get the hang of how it feels. It's tricky to draw, isn't it? 3. A chao's head can also be compared to an onion. 4. Pick the sketch you think looks most like a chao head, then give it two eyes. Notice how large the eyes are in comparison with the rest of the head. 5. Finish it off with a cute little smile and the chao dot-thing. Chao are always cute, no matter how exotic they may appear. Their pupils are also extra-large, to make them look innocent. |
 |
A chao head from the side lets you see that the little point isn't exactly in the center of its head. It's more toward the back. (You can experiment with different placements for the point, because it varies from chao to chao.) |
 |
A chao's body is a circle, and so are their hands and feet. Their arms and legs are short and stubby, making you wonder how a chao could ever win a race. :-p |
 |
Here you can see a chao's foot, and how short its leg is. Chaos' feet vary in size and shape, depending on the type of chao. A Run chao, for instance, will have Sonic-shoe-shaped feet, while a Swim chao has flippers. |
 |
Here is the classic chao pose you see in all the official art. The chao has its paws in its lap and its feet apart. All you can see of the foot on the right is the bottom of it, and all you can see of the left foot is the side. A little of its wing is visible at its back. (Funny how normal chao have wings, but the various types lose them.) |
 |
The shaping of a Run (Sonic) chao. The first row is a baby chao, and
the second row is after the chao goes through its white cocoon (evolution)
stage. The chao's head grows bumps on the back, and the point slants backward
to form the top spike.
When the chao emerges from its cocoon, it is green and has stripes on its head and the sides of its face. If you continue to develop it, the green color slowly turns dark blue, and the spikes get long and thick, like Sonic's. It grows long, tall ears. You can also see how it looks from the back. |
 |
Here are the colors of a full-grown Run (Sonic) chao. It is blue with a dark brown tummy. The tips of its hands, feet, ears and spines darken to nearly black. Notice that it has lost the stripes on its head and face, and it has more of a jaw, instead of its face being perfectly round. Note also that it has no wings. Instead it has three spikes on its back. |
 |
Here is the progression of a Flying (Nights) chao. In the top row, you can see how its head changes from a traditional head to become enlongated (and pink). Once it evolves, it has two long points on the back of its head, which will continue to grow until the chao has two purple pigtails. Flying chao also have uniquely developed wings, which are twice as big as the chao is, and makes it look like a butterfly when it flies. |
  |
Here is the coloring of a typical Flying chao. They turn from pink to purple, with violet stripes on their pigtails, hands and feet. Their wings are bright gold. Compare its coloring to Nights, a Sonic Team character from a Saturn game. |
 |
This is a Power (dragon or "ghost") chao. See how its head changes as it grows? After it evolves, it gets two little "ears" that are more like horns. As the chao grows, these get longer and longer until it has four long spikes on its head. It also gets a sharp, angular muzzle. A typical chao, when made into a "dragon", loses all detail on its horns, but if you make a "black" chao into a dragon, it keeps this really nifty texture that is fun to draw. |
 |
A Dragon chao turns from orange to bright red, and you can see the nifty texture mentioned above. A dragon only has three spikes on its back, instead of wings. It has no other markings. |
 |
Swim (Alien) chao. This is possibly the most exotic chao you can raise. Its head grows all the way to the ground, and its underbelly changes from yellow, when young, to blue, when grown. Notice its ears. Once evolved, its ears continue to grow until they're almost as long as its body, and get stripes on them. Its markings are too elaborate to discribe here. This chao is always chubby and slow on land, but can swim like a fish. |
  |
Here you can see the Swim chao's markings. Notice how the underbelly color comes up on its face and forms its nose and mouth. It has a big belly, and its hands and feet are shaped like flippers. It has a funny symbol on its head--a crescent with a dot over it. |
| The best thing of all that you can do is to sit down and doodle chao until you get the hang of them. Don't worry about mistakes--see how quickly you can fill up a page. Better yet, use a pen, so you won't worry about erasing your mistakes. Making mistakes is the only way you're going to learn, isn't it? Let your imagination roam. Chances are, your sense of humor will prevail. | |
 |
|