Draw with Demi - Borzoi Drawn from Ref (Patreon)

Second step in designing a character - drawing from refernece!

My aim in these isn't so much to perfectly replicate the reference! It can be really hard when working from a photo to divorce myself from the details and realism, but those things aren't terribly helpful when it comes to character design. Instead, I'm trying to look at the movement, the personality, what lines of action and shapes convey a certain character to me. It's a fun exercise to give me ideas of how I can further anthropomorphize the animal.

In this case, borzois are long bois, and I tried to get those sweeping tails and long snoots into the drawing. When the snoot is foreshortened (as in the bottom right) it can be harder to read as 'borzoi' which will present challenges when drawing the character. 

This is also a good time to think of what type of character lends itself well to the movement and personality depicted here. A fun-loving, exuberant athlete? Or maybe a more pensive scholar. Depending on the refs, I could see both of these working!

If working from refs is frustrating for you, don't sweat it. It is for me too! But I find that, once I've done these, no matter how good or bad the results, it helps carry into the anthro design because I'm far less likely to default to drawing the way I always do.

Next step is sketching an anthro version, which I'll be streaming on the 15th at 4PM BST! It won't likely be a super long stream, but I hope to see you there none the less!