Creating your Chimera Assignment

Lesson by

David Colman

inDrawing Dynamic Creatures

150

Assignments 31

Downloads 1

Creating your Chimera Assignment

Lesson by

David Colman

in Drawing Dynamic Creatures

150

Assignments 31

Downloads 1

Do some very simple shape breakdowns from two different species. Then take what you’ve learned and try combining them into one dynamic and believable creature.

This assignment is not about making a beautiful drawing, keep it loose and sketchy. I want to see “thinking” in your sketches, not a finished render.

You can use the images and videos that we provided or choose your own. Just make sure to upload your reference images when you submit your assignments.

korsola

These are my breakdown and chimera drawing!

K. J. Reittinger

11d

I tried combining a daisy like flower with a chimpanzee.

David Colman

10d

What a great idea but what about really embracing the "bloom" of the flower into the ecology of the creature. I feel now its just set dressing. Additionally the drawings are getting a little soft- they are charming but lacking structure- get some blocky forms in there.

Michael Gutierrez

2mo

Here are some drawings that I have done.

David Colman

10d

Very fun. I do feel you need to get into the volumes more extensively.- the drawings are a little superficial. Try breaking it down into objective forms. And build from the inside out. Not literally just from a foundational thought process. You got the details but there is no form design or structure to latch on to

Kassjan Smyczek

3mo

I made a mix of a mandrill and a lion. I made some shape breakdowns before.

David Colman

3mo

Nice one bUT the mandrill and Lion both have very similiar hsape proportions- both have a severely protruding muzzle and long nasal bone. the real ingenuity of this combination would be in the full body- like a more mandrill dominant face on an more feline dominant body. Its neither here nor there right now Too safe- find the uniqueness

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Kassjan Smyczek

3mo

These are the shape breakdowns

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Ian Gregory

5mo

Sticking to the combination of apes and bats. There is the thought of always wanting to follow the exact anatomy of the two animals, but for these I tried to make a variety of shapes and proportions. A big learning curve for this one as well.

David Colman

3mo

I think these are great- keeping the shapes big and clear . Now try to be more structurally sound- they have volume but try to find the objective forms allowing you to exploit those in various ways while maintaining the integrity of the source

Linus Lehmann

5mo

My first attempts. For the breakdown i used the fotos from the videos. I will definitly try some with other references, and other species than bats aswell. Feedback is very welcome.

David Colman

3mo

Nice and loose and exploratory- I do like the last page alot- the upper right is an appealing combination. But I think you need to go a little further in general. Find the objective forms- work them out- dont bail so early. Take it all a step further- Be as didactic and analytical as possible.

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Bernard

6mo

Should have sticked to the assignment, mostly drawn by fantasising, so no useful reference pictures. Nevertheless a fun excercise.

David Colman

3mo

I WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN!! Whats the point otherwise. I do this as a profession because I love it. Even the hard assignments and ambiguous films are a welcomed challenged Generally speaking in any design, whether realistic or stylized, there needs to be a dominant shape- What is the one for this character? See how even he is throughout. Is it the upper body of the centaur- the horns? etc

Jeff Arsenault

6mo

Great concept! Would be cool to see it fleshed out a bit more with some refrence!

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Jeff Arsenault

6mo

a Markhor and Chimpanzee mix. Pencil sketches. Trying to play with different head shapes!

David Colman

2mo

OH my goodness.. these are great. Solid breakdown of the Markhor.... Just masterful. And your combo species is unique.. feels authentic. Love the expression on the right too. Now lets see the full body!!! You have the chops- Jeff...show off a bit- explore it and charter undiscovered territory. (I know I behind on feedback but glad I saw this one)

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Ash

5mo

very cool!!!

Bernard

6mo

Great linework, real characters, with wisdom and emotions. The horns could have been connected somewhat more solid on the skull, convincing the viewer they won’t break.

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Samuel Lemons

6mo

I did my work on a 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper with a blue ballpoint pen.

David Colman

2mo

good objective form breakdown but need to take it further because you can see in your combo pieces your potentials are limited evident in the very basic breakdowns. Solid drawings just the iterations feel way too similair.

Bernard

6mo

Nice stuff, especially the two images on the left hand side, they look animation ready.

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David Colman

Illustrator working in film as a designer and storyboard artist- known as the "animal guy" for my passion for doodling animals. insta @davidsdoodles