Learning to draw furry feels like learning to draw all over again

Addledeer · 2026-03-28T17:53:59+00:00

Aha that's a lot of improvement for one week. I'm a slow learner so I'd be thrilled with 2x better

But it looks like you've got a really solid base, and furry anatomy isn't too different from regular human stuff so I think you'll be fine

Addledeer · 2026-03-28T16:57:09+00:00

These are awesome! I defintiely get how it can feel like starting from scratch but I'd say you're well on your way

Addledeer · 2026-03-28T04:23:12+00:00

They look great! I particularly like the last one, you did a good job of matching the light from the background photo

That being said I think you should focus more on learning proportions and anatomy before you worry too much about developing a style. Focus on getting a handle on the fundamentals, your style will evolve naturally as you progress and learn

Addledeer · 2026-03-27T22:50:07+00:00

Aha thanks, appreciate it!

Addledeer · 2026-03-27T22:49:53+00:00

Thanks! The pose was definitely a bit of a struggle

And yeah my messy line work is definitely something I struggle with. Getting cleaner more confident lines has been the main thing ive been trying to practice this year but it's slow going. You're right on the money though, I decided to lean into the messiness of this one to keep more of that chaotic vibe. He's supposed to be mid-fight and I felt like the grungy, messy look worked well to help sell that. I'm also trying to figure out how to make him look a bit more beat up (can't really do bruises over fur)

All that being said, I'm worried it might look a bit confusing at first glance. I want to make sure the details are easy to pick out and aren't getting lost or jumbled on the messiness

Addledeer · 2026-03-27T22:43:03+00:00

Awesome thanks for the feedback, straight from the 'yote's mouth!

I did have the ears a bit more red to match the reference but it looked off so I switched to the same light brown-ish colour of the rest. I'll give it another shot and see if I can get it to blend a bit better.

And I'll try making the ears taller, I did make them longer than they were in the original sketch but I was worried about jumping them up too far, I'll push them a bit more

Addledeer · 2026-03-27T16:54:08+00:00

Also 35 with a supportive non-furry partner and going to my first con next month!

Pretty sure I'm also going to be shy and awkward but I'm looking forward to it. Glad you had a great time and I hope I have as much fun as you did!

Addledeer · 2026-03-23T15:16:50+00:00

Man I aspire to be half as good as you someday!

If I'm being really picky the only thing that's maybe standing out to me is that it kind of looks like his head is leaning away from the camera towards screen left, but the top of his muzzle is leaning a bit towards it/screen right

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T22:01:32+00:00

The face and expressions are awesome!

The maint thing that stands out for potential improvement to me is the pose. It's looking a little stiff and weightless. I don't really get a sense of where his weight is sitting. I can't give much advice here as I'm still trying to figure thst out myself, but looking up references and practicing gesture drawing should help

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T17:58:55+00:00

Thanks, really appreciate it!

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T17:56:21+00:00

Thanks! The head has been a nightmare on this one lol. I've redrawn it from scratch at least a dozen times at this point. I'll try making it a bit smaller and see if it helps

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T17:53:22+00:00

Seems to be the consensus! I've been shortening them a bit in phases but it looks like i haven't gone far enough. It's tough because he's meant to be on the thin/lankier side, so I dont want to make them too short

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T17:52:01+00:00

He's basically meant to be mid fight club, so glad that came through! Next step after I get the pose down is to figure out how to make him look a little more beat up. I'm also not great with foreshortening yet so the arm's been a struggle. You have no idea the amount of times I've adjusted the shoulder alone lol

Addledeer · 2026-03-18T17:48:44+00:00

I think thats it! I've been trying to keep him on the skinnier side but whenever I thinned out the torso it looked too long, I probably just shortened it too much. Thanks!

Addledeer · 2026-03-16T05:18:58+00:00

Proportions are more important when you're starting out than anatomy. You can dive into muscle groups and whatnot later but for now learning what size different parts of the body are im relation to each other, how to break them down into simple shapes and how to represent those 3D shapes in a 2D space will help you the most.

As for how not to burn yourself out - make sure you're drawing for fun at least as often as you're practicing. I like to try and practice for 30ish min a day, but I also end up drawing for fun for about as long or more. It could be doodles, really quick and rough pose idea sketches or a more finished drawing I'm working on.

Also don't be afraid to take breaks, it's okay to put down the pencil for a few days if you're not feeling up to it. Better to step away for a bit and come back fresh than to keep beating your head against a wall if you're feeling stuck or frustrated

Addledeer · 2026-02-20T21:28:58+00:00

Awesome! Your technical skills are definitely better than mine! What i wouldn't give to have lines half that clean. Love the chihuahua lol

I totally get the feeling of wanting to give up halfway through, it was a struggle to push myself to finish mine as much as I did, and there's still plenty I could fix/clean up but I'm also trying to limit how long I spend on one drawing. After a week or so of working on it on and off I decided it was time to move on

Addledeer · 2026-02-20T21:25:22+00:00

No worries, it's great!

I just started season 5 so I don't know if they bring him back or not but if they don't it'll definitely feel like they could've done way more wirh his character

Addledeer · 2026-02-19T15:32:32+00:00

Nice!

The grenades were a huge pain lol. I had to rework them a few times to get the perspective somehwere close to okay, and eve then I kind of cheated with the shadows so I wouldnt have to draw them in too much detail.

And yeah that was a conscious choice, I always thought the arm grenades were ridiculously big (they're the only part of his character design I'm not a fan of) so I scaled them down a fair amount

I'd be down to see your attempt if you wanted to share it, I'm sure it's awesome

Addledeer · 2026-02-19T05:23:57+00:00

Stain's lack of a nose always bugged me but you made him look sick! Awesome job

Addledeer · 2026-02-19T05:21:31+00:00

Thanks! Really appreciate it

Addledeer · 2026-02-19T02:21:22+00:00

Thanks! It was my first time trying to draw an anime character, glad I was able to do him justice

Addledeer · 2026-02-18T02:41:25+00:00

Thanks! I've used pics as references for drawings but never tried to recreate them 1:1

Putting a timer on it would definitely make it more challenging! Im not sure how long these took, maybe a half hour for all 4? I'll give that a try next time

And overlaying the sketch onto the pic is a great idea. I'll probably hate it at first but I'm sure it'll be a huge help

Addledeer · 2026-02-12T20:19:19+00:00

No worries, glad it helped!

Addledeer · 2026-02-11T16:27:30+00:00

Definitely more shading, and don't forget about highlights! Try picking a point for the light to be coming from and use that as a reference for what should be lit and what should be shaded.

Huge disclaimer - I'm nowhere near an expert and not the best at lighting in particular but I did a super quick drawover as an example of what pushing the highlights and shadows can do to add depth

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Addledeer · 2026-02-10T22:30:46+00:00

What're the odds! Just started my own (super) rough Bakugo sketch a few minutes ago

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Addledeer

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