DRAWING DRAGONS - Anatomy Basics Art Tutorial, How I Do It! 

I needed this video 5 years ago 😢

On Reddit a lot of people were saying they use dogs as references for dragons. Thanks for the video, it’s helpful.

Wow! I always adored artists who could draw larger animals like this so gracefully, but your video really made it easy! My first go even looks decent, using my knowledge of cats and deer for reference. Thanks Bella! Really appreciate it! :>

OMG I NEEED to understand how to DO an open mouth! Love the video, very helpful!!!

This worked 👍 im gonna try to give it more style

This is so helpful! I’ve always had issues with anatomy! I will be using your tips! Thank you!

heck i just realised, i was drawing wins wrong, they are just go foward like planks and never start to curve at my arts!

thanks this really helps me

This is so helpful. I never understood the basics before. Thanks so much!

The great thing about drawing dragons is that they are mythical! I just love trying to draw dragons of all shapes and sizes; in fact, taking a random animal and trying to make it into a dragon is a super fun way to practice drawing all those body types and features!! The sheer creativity that comes alongside drawing a dragon is what makes the process so enjoyable! Great video :DD

It's always great to get insight from other artists! Turns out you construct your dragons very similarly to me haha. It's great what a basic understanding of anatomy can do for you! Wonderful vid :)

So I've been in an art funk for a while. I've felt like my art just sucks, and I don't know what to do. This video was just what I needed. Thanks, Bella ❤

this vidoe is so helpful but as a non digital artist the amount of times you deleted a line ways so frustrating 😭

As someone who struggles with perspective and ofc anatomy, I love this video so far (not done watching lol) A personal thing though is that I hate almost everything I draw so it's very hard to hear "look around you and reference other artists to find your style" for the five quadrillianth time and yet even after four years I'm still considered a beginner. I even feel as though I have a basic understanding of anatomy as a whole, it's everything else I'm struggling with. Eye placement, mouths, perspective, all of that is absolutely rough for me. So I hope I can find a tutorial or at least a way of thinking that explains how to not hate your own art or something like that, how to avoid the "gunky brain" that I get when I can't draw well (Sorry for over sharing)

I think this tutorial is a really great way to show how to do perspective. Personally, I’ve had problems with the thickness of the wing bones and the way the talons look on their arms and legs. I think a major problem I’ve been having stems from not tapering off the legs. (Also personally I like adding a protrusion on the shoulder when connecting the wings to the body, like there’s an extra joint where the wing bone attaches.) Thank you for the in depth, high quality, and easy to understand tutorial Bella!

I've decided a long time ago that dragons get dog/cat paws. I am just terrible at drawing talons, and so i just don't try anymore just so i don't lose my mind- I love how you explain things, very comprehensive for beginners :) I personally like more chunky necks, so it feels like their neck can't simply be broken by a stray pebble. Also, I put wings right over the shoulder.

Btw guys when drawing dragon wings bat wings are your best friend. Bat wings are usually very similar to dragon wings.

Ty Bella for making this video! I love the way you draw wof dragons it’s so amazing!

thanks for this

i find it super interesting how you think of the different body parts as different parts found on other animals! especially with you connected that back leg and describe it as a dog's leg--that was so helpful because i'd never thought of dragon anatomy like dog's anatomy, more like cats. but yea i definitely enjoyed this, as did everyone else i can assume, and i think i speak for us all when i say that i'd love another tutorial!!!! keep up the good work, you are my idol when it comes to wings of fire :)

Absolutely wonderful of you to make this video, Bella! It's always great to see how other *rather amazing* artists go about, in their art styles. I believe this would be very helpful for newer artists like myself to better understand how perspectives work!

Yippeee! The beasts!

Anatomy 😡😡😡

wowza! A+ video I will say but I feel like I need to add the fact that; if you want to stylize you need to understand it first. not full realism, but before you stylize, test and see what you like! You are allowed to see stylistic choices from other artists and incorporate it in your style, but it takes TIME and PATIENCE! But always, always understand before stylizing! I call it the LUPE. L -- LEARN what your gonna do and how to do it U -- UNDERSTAND the subject you're drawing and the 3d space around it. test and see what you like. P -- PRACTICE before stylization E -- EXECUTE your art style and express yourself!! Bonus; H -- Have fun, dont push yourself.

ty for this

I beg for you to do perspectives with heads and faces this already helped out with doing a new perspective for my art and omgggggg thank you sosososososo much my art will turn out so much better thanks to you.

Very informative review! I’m sure this will help a lot of people that struggle with the basics. Although as a nerd, I must add my own thoughts on the wings. The “skin pocket” that you describe seeing other artists add, is meant to emphasize muscles at the base of the wing, but I also like to use that point on the body for another thing as well. The membrane on bats wings and on animals like flying squirrels is called a “patagium” and bat wings have something called a “propatagium” which extends from the shoulder to the hand of the wing. I depict the propatagium as folding slightly underneath the shoulder towards the stomach, with that area serving as the base for the arm of the wing and the propatagium. I also must point out that the “elbow finger” on the wing does not make anatomical sense as a bony appendage like the actual fingers of the wing. How are you going to bend your elbow if there’s a bone right on the joint you know? I personally never draw it, but I have seen other artists interpret it as boneless and more like a string of muscles meant to stabilize the wing, and I think that works a lot better. Bottom line though, I think it’s important to emphasize that dragons are not real, and can be interpreted in many different ways depending on what animals you take inspiration from. As you said it’s important to have an understanding of anatomy before you jump into drawing. I personally think it’s also helpful to visualize the kind of environment a dragon lives in and take inspiration from animals that also live similarly to that dragon. Great video, works really well as a stepping stone for artists!

hooray! hooray! happy mulchmas! i love mulch!

People who heard zelda music 👇

anatomy..... we meet again..

Omfg TYSM!I needed this desperately so I could upgrade my dragon drawings

Also to draw you need Motivation I suggest looking at the world like Bella says or listening to things that make you feel happy or motivated like music i listen to a lot of music that give me drawing ideas and one I like a lot is High Hopes Ain’t Worried.

Bro just roasted my dragons in 50 different ways 💀

I reference dinosaur, pterosaur, bat, bird and cat skeletons

Tysm for this it was very helpful! Btw what brush do did you use in this video? (Im sure u get asked that alot lol)

THANKK YOU I WOERSHIP THY GREAT BELLASAURUS NOW

This video is absolutely amazing, I love this. Please make a headshot tutorial on how to draw dragon heads from different angles :)

i didnt know hpw it worked ty for the tips and drawing

Yay! Thank you, Bella! I've been wanting a tutorial from you because you are one of my favorite artists/animators. I've watched other stuff but I think it was way too early to draw that sort of stuff. Now I'm advancing and I found this tutorial helpful for me, such as explaining how to look for references. I often get a reference picture and then start drawing what is there without really learning much and just left me feeling agitated. Now I know what I should do with reference. Hope to see more of this!

tIpEe tOe fOoTy FoOt tHiNg got me dying

Well, time to redraw every dragon I’ve drawn lol

Wings of fire artists are loosing it rn.

This video is both informative and hilarious

I’m so lucky this video was uploaded, dragons are so complicated for me, they’ve always been a problem because I tried to make a story where a group of cats find a cave leading to an underground dragon city.. but there’s the problem.. I didn’t know how to draw the dragons 😅

The tutorial I really needed is here, thank you sm!

What app do you use to draw and animate?

This actually really helped me with 3/4ths dragon perspective, tysm!

Why is that flat dragon better then anything ive drawn in my 6 years of art 😭🤚

This is so helpful

Thank you!!

Most of this I already know as an animal artist (cats, dogs, etc.), but it's cool and helpful to see it applied to a dragon form, thanks!

EEEEEE TYYY

Thanks. I can draw but I don't usually draw animals/monsters but I need to for something so this helps

what drawing program

jesus christ i didn't think it would help me to such a huge extent, thank you one billion times

My favorite thing for dragons is looking at other animals! Dragons, depending on which you're doing, have a HUGE variety of designs you can go for and still look like a dragon. You can look at head shapes like an axolotl's or a komodo dragon's, or even look at stuff like tuataras or lizards! You can give them paws, bird feet, lizard fingers, etc. Basing dragons on real life means that not only do you have a HUGE array of options, but you also have an even bigger amount of refs! Not just drawings but real life examples, too! This specially helps if you're trying to animate it or make fluid scenes.

Honestly think I just need back leg/ talon work as well as perspective. Other wise backgrounds.

OMG THANK you so much I need this so badly😊

I did not know I needed help on the legs! This has helped me understand those more, thank you But I'm having trouble with structuring the mouth... I dont know how to do the bottom jaww 😭

The way it said 'rib' giving me a sensible trauma...from a specific game

Thank you a lot i have a problem drawing the LEGS

Ppl: oh ur art is so flippin kewllio :D thank for tutorial :D My dum ash: whys a fish face in the left bottom corner 💀

Finally a good tutorial about how to draw a dragon ty! :D

As someone who has never drawn a dragon, this was so freaking helpful! I can now draw a dragon for my dad thank you!!

That looks awesome but…. The way the dragon wing thumb be lookin 😂💀

Tyyy for making this , is difficult to study dragon anatomy theres no irl reference of them 😭

if you ever plan another tutorial, i feel that you would make a great dragon teefs one, love the video though, gonnna try it in my next works! :)

I'm currently trying to learn to draw dragons and this video has helped me alot!! tysm!

She said look at you Hans and I saw more webing than before😂

this had been so helpful and I can finally understand. Thank you SO MUCH

Drawing two semicircles for the front talons is genius. I gotta go try that

My dude you literally posted this after I went to sleep*sob*

I still don’t understand how they explain it soo detailed and easy and the dragon isn’t even a real animal

Great tutorial I really needed this you got a new sub!

I don't draw dragons as much as I used to, but this helped with angling the snout and horns.

Thank you for making this video.

well man i was starting a wof paper model and i did the neck thing wrong i needed this like 2 weeks ago lol

I love how you have a phrog in the bottom left corner!!!

can you make one on how to draw mouths on a front view and side view?

Ty bella, I never really knew where to start when learning but this guide really helped me, thank you!

this helps a lot thanks ima try updating my style with this

This way of drawing has actually helped me draw many animals, not just dragons! With this way of drawing, I’ve actually been able to draw a horse that doesn’t look crappy!

BELLAAAAAA- SOMEONE REPOSTED THIS VIDEO OF YOURS 😭

This really helped thank you🥲 and when you said "Don't be hard on yourself" that really hit hard😭

Holy moly please make more of these this is the first time I’ve been able to actually draw something that isn’t a stick figure lmao this is awesome

T H A N K Y O U time to draw sunny from wings fir-

Was struggling with trying to draw one of my favorite scenes from WoF, thanks for this!

Why does this look like my dog 😭😭😭

This helped so much Tysm Got a new sub ❤

Ooh, seeing someone elses dragon guidelines is really helpful! Dragony anatomy has always been a struggle for me, so this really was helpful!

really great tutorial, however i feel like the wing placement is a little off (not to be judgy or that one guy, just my personal preference) wings should connect to the arm shoulder blade since thats where most of the power from the muscles comes from to enable the dragons to fly, in your perspective it looks like the wing is connecting to the midsection in which the bone structure doesn't match up (the shoulder for the wing is connecting to the ribcage or the middle of the spine???) obviously dragon anatomy isnt set in stone because they're a fantasy creature and artists can take whatever liberties they want and it doesnt have to be 100% anatomy-wise, it also could be to not crowd the neck/head area since if you shift the wings forward, it sort of blocks the head and thats where you want your focus to be other than that, great tutorial!!! very helpful for beginners, keep doing what you do

This was so helpful! The end tho- 😭😭

Omg I needed this so much

wait, are you russian? because on your channel page picture you have a russian flag on your shirt. Or is that just the pepsi logo?

What do you use to draw

This is super helpful!

I love you Bellasaurus

Ello! What app is that!? Btw your so good!

*This is sooo cool!*

THIS IS SO HELPFUL OMGGG!!! now ik how to draw more poses, more full body's without being scared ill mess up!! Tyy bella!!!^^