Dragon Tales and Scales

Drawing a Bearded Dragon

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Bearded Dragon. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

I'm really really enjoying drawing reptiles with lots of scales right now, and this drawing is probably my most ambitious reptile drawings to date. The detail that a Bearded Dragon possesses is truly amazing. It's complex scaly skin, patterning, and thorns are extraordinary at close examination, but my drawing only scratches the surface of what this little lizard's body really looks like.

when I take on a drawing as detailed as this, I like to break the drawing down into several stages and tasks. I don't try very hard to mimic reality, I'm more concerned with making up cool designs and patterns. So first I figure out the size and style of the scales I'm going to draw by adding in just a few throughout the piece. All the others are drawn spontaneously as I go. I then lay down the outline of a row of scales and after that go back and shade in each one, one at a time. It's kinda like building a mosaic of tiles. After I finish an area of scales I shade over them to create texture and depth. You can see this in my progress pictures below. I've been ask to shoot videos as I work, so I hope to do it during my next drawing. I see artists posting videos as they draw on Instagram all the time, which are very interesting to watch. If you have any interest in following my day to day progress as it happens, you can follow me on Instagram.

I've reached 40!

I've reach 40! not in years old, (I'm older than that!) but this is the 40th black and white animal drawing I've done in this series. They are all ruffly 11"x17" in size, and it's taken me about a year to get this far. I feel I've learned a lot along the way about drawing with ink, learning about the animals I've drawn, and had an amazing time meeting and communicating with so many wonderful people through social media and in person about art. So thanks to everyone who as been supportive and encouraging. I've got lots more drawing in me, so the next year should hopefully even be better.

To end, here's a little bit of info about this amazing creature in this drawing. Pogona, which are more commonly referred to as Bearded Dragons, are a reptile which lives in arid semidesert and woodland regions of Australia. They are a common pet in the US but have been banded in Australia from the pet trade. Their triangular heads and flattened bodies with spiny scales arranged in rows and clusters. These are found on the throat, which can be expanded when threatened, and at the back of the head. These spiny scales are used to scare off predators, yet they are not very sharp.

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

The finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Took a While Crocodile

Drawing a Crocodile

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Crocodile. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

Ok, I have to say, this one took longer than I expected. This Crocodile took a while! I probably put 20-25 hours of time into drawing this piece. Not that there is anything wrong with this. I love working on a single piece of art for an extended period of time. Actually, the longer the better, because I get to experience a kind of evolutionary process as the drawing progresses, and this is when I feel I get the chance to improve and learn more. Now, I don't consider myself a photo realistic artist in the least bit. I know people that can make art that you can't even tell isn't a photograph. That is a talent I just don't posses, and am not going to strive for, but what I do like is detail, and most of all I like creating patterns. Finding different patterns that somehow represent the texture and feel of the creature I am drawing, is what I love most. And repeating those patterns throughout a piece of art is where I find true happiness in making art. I never get frustrated, bored, or anxious from repetitive actions. It's more of a mediating experience that makes me very relaxed while I'm doing it. Even to the point where I can concentrate on something else, like watching TV while drawing. 

My drawing surface of choice. A self-healing cutting mat

I've tried many surfaces to draw on, from wood, to illustration board, but my preferred surface for pen work is a self-healthing cutting mat. They come in many sizes, and I find that this surface is ideal for the pressures that my pen demands. It isn't too hard or soft, but just right. This is totally a personal preference and may not work for others.

For those who might be interested, here is how I approach creating one of my drawings. Once I've come up with the animal that I'm going to draw I do quick sketches to work out the composition. After settling on the composition I do a ruff initial light sketch, in pen, on paper. I move onto what I call, "skinning the animal", by adding in the textures and patterns of the surface. This is were I get my real enjoyment. Exploring different patterns that describe the surface of the particular animal. And then I'm off to the races, at turtle speed that is, slowly constructing the animal usually from the eye out. I love starting with the eyes. One thing I will tell you about drawing with a ball point pen is that it is amazing how temperature effects the ink flow. The warmer it is, the quicker the ink comes out of the pen. When it flows fast it builds up on the pen tip and then makes blotches on the paper. So to avoid this I have a napkin in my other hand and constantly wipe the pen tip. Sometimes wiping after every 3rd or 4th line. It has become second nature to me, so it doesn't effect my drawing freedom at all, but it is something that you have to get use to. I love piecing together the patterns and working out how the scales interact with each other. Drawing one scale at a time before moving onto the next. Finally after the underlining pattern is done, I shade over the patterns to create the form, structure, and shape of the creature. Once the complete drawing is finished I do more shading to add drama. And last I black in the background with layers of india ink. ProArt is my india ink of choice since it is very opaque and covers well. If you have any other questions about my drawing techniques, please don't hesitate to write and ask me. And please forgive me for my bad grammar and misspellings. I'm NO editor, just a guy that loves to draw!

Reptiles have to be some of my favorite animals to draw. The incredible detail in their scaly skin is just cake to me! And Crocodiles are basically the coolest of the cool when it comes to reptiles. Bad to the bone!

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

The light underlying drawing 

The detail work begins

Here you can see my drawing surface and work space

Watching TV while drawing. The World Cup!

Close up detail of the eye

The finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Scale by Dragon Scale

Drawing a Komodo Dragon

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Komodo Dragon. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

It's really hard to believe that the Komodo Dragon (the largest living lizard) was only discovered by humans about 100 years ago. Really? Yup, I'm not joking. They have lived on Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years and amazingly their existence was unknown to us until they were discovered in 1910. It's basically a living dinosaur. Reaching 10 feet in length, weighting over 350 pounds, Komodos can still reach speeds up to 11 mph in bursts. And they have a life span of more than 30 years. There are around 5,000 of them left, and sadly they have been driven onto the endangered species list. 

Besides being such a interesting animal to draw, the details of their scaly skin just pulled me in. I'm a sucker for repetitive textures, and just love when patterns are woven over a shape. Doing a drawing like this is like knitting a sweater for me. It becomes a form of meditation. As you can see from my progress pictures below I basically crocheted the scales on, while drawing from head to toe.

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Chameleon Pen and Ink Wash 

Here's the latest in my reptile series. This piece is 11"x 17".

Detail of Chameleon Drawing