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Here is the gear I use in drawing, which include a sketch pencil, a
mechanical pencil, a click-eraser, and an inkpen. The sketch pencil
I use is a "4H" pencil, meaning a hard-leaded pencil; drawing pencils are
rates on a scale from "6H" to "6B", in which "6H" is the hardest lead,
"6B" is the softest, and your typical no. 2 pencil is considered an "HB"
pencil (directly in the middle.) If you don't have a hard-lead pencil,
then never mind; you can just use your regular pencil lightly. I
have a mechanical pencil, but you can use any common house pencil, and
the same goes for the eraser. The only thing you can't fudge on is
the inkpen: most house pens will not work. The pen you want is one
that puts out a dark black with a clean flow, or else your picture will
come out trashy. For example, I use a fine Pilot Precise™, which
is a rolling ball (not ballpoint; they’re different) pen. You could
use a good quality pen (that means expensive.) |
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The character who we are about to do is one of the most colorful of
the Sonic characters: Lupe. She is the most dangerous type of warrior:
a mother fighting for her children. So, Lupe will be both aggressive
and gentle in nature, hard-bitten yet quick to pity, unless you are going
to hurt her kids. Remember this, for this will help in the atmosphere
of the picture. |
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First, with your hard pencil or with your regular pencil lightly, draw
a circle. Then, one the circle draw three lines as shown. These other
lines are to guide the features of the face and to help give some three-dimensionality
to Lupe’s face. The lines should be mutually perpendicular, and the
horizontal line should just a bit higher than the midway mark. You
may also draw a neck at this time. During the course of this drawing,
except for the inking, you will want to use short strokes instead of single
lines, since strokes are easier to control. |
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Add features: eyes, snout, nose, and hair. Remember that
Lupe is somewhat older than the majority of Sonic characters, over thirty,
so suggest this age with slightly larger ears, longer snout and smaller
eyes. This conveys an aura of wisdom and maturity, though be careful
that you make her look like a man. Draw the eyes with the back corner
raised, and use a dot to reference where you want the eyes to be looking.
For the hair, lightly sketch the area where is going to be, and we'll handle
the texture later. |
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Get your regular pencil and start the detailing. Have long eyes
lashes to suggest femininity, and draw a scar on her cheek to say she's
seen a few fights. Draw the "spiky" texture of her hair, and remember
the gray hairs on the sides. Remember to draw some hairy places to
show she has fur. Also, don't forget the eye-highlights; they give
life to the eyes and draw attention to them. DON'T press too hard
on the paper; this creates a "dent" in the paper that interferes with some
color mediums. |
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Now, we ink. You don't have to do this, but I found that inking
keeps the lines crisp during coloring. If you don’t ink, you should
go over the picture with a darker pencil. Use slightly thicker lines
on undersides to suggest weight, and on the eyelashes to draw attention
to the eyes. Then let the ink dry a few minutes, and then erase all
the pencil lines. |
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Coloring. You may use whatever medium you like, but I almost
always use Prismacolor pencils. I especially like colored pencils
because of their versatility, mixability and ease of use, and you don't
have to clean up much after them. Remember to use significant contrast;
low contrast pictures aren't pretty to look at, and that just destroys
the purpose. |
 
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Now we move to the body. The figure is a standard block model
(aka "wiener dog model".) You can use this model for all anatomically
correct characters, and for furries just add ears, snouts and tails as
needed. For some people this model is confusing because the lines
overlap, but its good for keeping your form right. Simply treat this
model like the face, and it will be a synch. If you have trouble
with hands and feet, don’t worry and just do your best; these are the most
difficult parts of the body, but all you need is practice. As you
see, even I’m not perfect at them. |
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We're done. Sign your picture to show your pride. Now pin
it on the fridge or put it in your portfolio. Goodbye and keep drawing! |