Imagining Dragons
Dragons have taken on many forms around the world in fiction and folklore and it helps to understand some of the types that exist. Of course, there are also numerous subclasses within each dragon category, especially when factoring in the myriad of examples in fiction. One source, Circle of the Dragon, has at least 16 types listed under their “Dragon Types” webpage.
For our purposes, we’ll say dragons in fiction can be classified into 5 broad categories.
Drakes
Drakes are dragons that lack wings and have four limbs. Drakes are most often associated with European folklore. Drakes mostly resemble large lizards but are set apart thanks to their larger size and sometimes having magical characteristics.
If one considers Godzilla a dragon, he might be classified as a drake. Another example might be a Dodongo from The Legend of Zelda.
Eastern
Eastern dragons are most recognizable for their long, serpent-like bodies, often featuring horns and 4 limbs. They resemble wyrms but are a distinct style of dragon. They usually have whiskers or growths of hair, unlike other dragons. Sometimes they may have a resemblance to catfish whiskers.
Eastern dragons are all over anime such as DragonBall and One Piece. One also appears in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Occidental
Occidental, or western dragons, are six-limbed creatures with arms, legs, and wings. These are some of the most iconic forms of dragons in Western culture. There are numerous examples of them in literature and legend. They often have magical abilities and have been known to hoard gold and capture maidens.
It’s hard not to name a dozen examples of occidental dragons, but Smaug from The Hobbit and Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon come to mind instantly for most dragon fans.
Wyrms
Wyrms are dragons who most resemble serpents and often have no visible limbs, unlike Eastern dragons. The name comes from the German language. They are fairly common in heraldry in medieval cultures. Wyrms are also likely related to sea serpents.
Serpent-like dragons that are not Eastern dragons are common, and many examples are associated with the sea, though they don’t have to be. The iconic Sea King in the first volume of One Piece is a good example. Another famous serpent would be Jörmungandr, associated with Norse legends. For a cuter example, there is always Pokémon’s Dratini.
Wyverns
Wyverns are often confused for western dragons because of the presence of wings. However, wyverns, unlike “true” dragons, only have four limbs: two wings and two legs. Wyverns are also commonly found in medieval heraldry.
Monster Hunter, the Capcom game franchise, has many examples of wyverns. You can also find the Pokémon Noibat and Noivern, which feature the design elements of a wyvern.
Understanding the type of dragon you want to design goes a long way toward creating the creature, as the body plan of the dragon changes a lot in their design. The difference between an Occidental and an Eastern dragon is significant, for example, while in some cases the distinction may be less clear, such as between Occidental dragons and wyverns.
Of course, as creatives you can change dragon forms as much or as little as you wish, but these are the most generally seen types in fiction. Usually, great character design comes from the believability of familiar structures, such as anatomy and texture.
With an idea of the species down, then comes the hardest part: understanding the form and function of a magical, imaginary creature. This is also particularly important if you are aiming for any form of realism in your dragon anatomy.
Dragon Anatomy
We sadly live in a world where dragons do not exist, but even as fictional creatures, we can depict them with realism if we choose to do so. Because dragons are fictional, there are no “rules” to how they are depicted, but like most fantasy creatures, we’ll find that basing them on real-world inspiration goes a long way. So, to master dragon anatomy, you have two steps to follow. The first step is understanding anatomy in general, the second is looking at real-life creatures to pull design elements from.
Anatomy of the Animal Kingdom
There is a lot about drawing dragons that can be learned by studying anatomy. The nature of the animal kingdom has been mapped out over the centuries by biologists and researchers have shown that despite how different animals may look outside, many of their internal constructions are quite similar. It may be a bit strange to think about it this way, but many of the same bones and muscles that make up a horse can also be found in a lizard. And many of those elements are found in humans and primates as well.
That means understanding how a leg connects to a hip in a universal sense is important because while there are different ways pieces are arranged, the essential pieces are still there. Part of planning your dragon anatomy drawings is studying real-life creatures.
Looking to Nature
When designing dragons, consider elements such as texture, scale, and shape. The animal kingdom has many interesting things that can be added to a dragon to make them unique.
One of the most striking and unique designs for a dragon in fiction was the Rankin/Bass adaptation of Smaug from J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit. This take on Smaug borrows from mammals such as cats, wolves, and bats.
Another iconic dragon design that borrows from mammalian traits would be the adorable Toothless from Dreamworks’ How To Train Your Dragon. Toothless is often compared to a cat, and given the large eyes and arrow-shaped head, it’s not hard to see why. Cats even served as an animation reference for the movie.
Or, perhaps you want to look at the insect kingdom for inspiration. Fey-dragons from World of Warcraft feature butterfly wings giving them a certain magical elegance.
Taking non-reptilian traits and adding them to the form of a dragon can result in something innovative. But even if you are not reaching out in the direction of other species in the animal kingdom, referencing reptilian traits is extremely important as there is so much diversity in reptiles alone that can result in great-looking dragons.
Dragon Anatomy Reference
If you’re looking for reference photos from the animal kingdom for drawing purposes you have a lot of options. Any nature magazine, such as National Geographic, would have great images to work from. As for other sources of animal photography, consider the following sources:
We’ve also grabbed several interesting examples and included them here. Working from references is an important strategy any character designer can benefit from.
Reptilian Features
Here are some striking reptiles with features that you can work into your dragon anatomy. Find elements that you love and sketch them out to use later as you start working on your dragon anatomy drawing.
Wings
Here are various examples of wings that can be referenced when creating your dragon anatomy drawings. There are no winged reptiles, but the closest wing that looks similar to popular versions of dragons would be the wing of a bat. Don’t ignore inspiration from insects either, though.
Drawing Dragon Anatomy
When it comes time to draw your dragon anatomy, there are a couple of things to remember. Dragon anatomy references are something you can work toward with a little effort and making use of the following strategies.
Any opportunity you can take to study an animal’s physiology will go a long way toward making a drawing more authentic. Even if dragons do not exist, their reptilian relatives do, and their skeletons provide insight. It never hurts to visit a museum or look up photos.
Collaging
Even a crude collage of features pulled from photographs of dragon artwork you love, loosely arranged into a rough shape of a dragon, can be a good place to start when conceptualizing your dragon and their overall design.
Concept Art
When designing a character you benefit greatly from concept art. Concept art is a significant step in designing any character, be it a cartoon or a dragon. In this stage, you are likely going to try a lot of things that don’t work, but that is okay. The exploration process in character design is something that can help you get a grasp on the anatomy of a dragon.
Just keep sketching and applying your fundamentals of character design until you start finding the pieces that work, and start bringing them together. Even taking less than ten minutes to play with different shapes and pieces can unlock all sorts of fun ideas.
Borrow What You Love
Professional character designers borrow design inspiration from one another all the time. When you are drawing dragon anatomy it doesn’t hurt to borrow from what works. If you love the way a certain dragon looks, or how an artist handles specific features, then you can use them as references. Just be sure to credit creators who you borrow from significantly. It’s only fair.
Here There Be Dragons!
When you’ve finished designing your dragon characters, don’t forget to share them at CharacterHub. Building a profile for the species or unique character can generate lots of fun feedback. Perhaps you’ve got a great idea for a unique dragon species and want to let other people design similar dragons? Creating a detailed profile for your species, along with dragon anatomy references you’ve developed can help your unique take on the mythical creatures spread online.
You can also browse any number of unique dragon characters uploaded by other users for inspiration. How does your dragon stack up with the rest on the site?
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David Davis
David Davis is a cartoonist with around twenty years of experience in comics, including independent work and established IPs such as SpongeBob Squarepants. He also works as a college composition instructor and records weekly podcasts. Find out more about him at his website!
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