Art Help - How to Draw Anthro?

[GamerFool]

So, I'm having issues figuring out how to work anthro characters into my style.. I have trouble working with tutorials I find, and honestly, I'm not overly fond of the cartoon-y look, which can make it hard to find tutorials (especially when I'm not skilled enough to be very detailed). I think this http://56.media.tumblr.com/8b31ec2d17f0df33511464abafdacb9c/tumblr_n2lm6uYZ1K1su5akfo1_1280.jpg is a good example of what I want. It's not overly cartoony, but it's still clearly anthro.

I draw in a very anime-manga style, and the closest you really get to anthro in that style are cat girls and things like that. Whenever I look up tutorials, I find it hard to use them as I draw, and I'm thinking it's because there are some basic things there are pretty different between anthro and human drawings, mostly in the hands, legs, and head. When drawing anthro, many people replace hands and feet with paws (assuming the sona has them), and sometimes changes the structure of the legs. Finding out how to work with different kinds of legs that some sonas have is really hard, especially because when I'm drawing humans, the way the legs are held is very important for their body language. I have no idea to work with legs with 3 segments. At the same time, heads are another problem. I think the reason is probably because, in my style, a head is usually a shape of a tall oval. When it comes to animals though, they tend to have circular heads with muzzles added on. I'm having a lot of trouble trying to attach circular head to normal shoulders when I'm used to using oval heads... It just looks weird...

I want to learn to draw anthro characters, so any advice? The best I can do right now is give humans ears and tails.. While I'd be fine with just that, lots of people doesn't really see that as furry, and I usually like to use my sonas in RP, so I want to have at least some sonas with designs that others are more used to.

[PossumDeMort]

To quote my first and favorite art book, "Practice, Practice, Practice", what it's going to come down to is familiarity with the basic shaping of each animals head (a circle with a snout shaped box on it).

I highly recommend life drawing, find somewhere you can sit and draw and just sketch the people and animals you see, work fast without a base so you are more discovering all the shapes and curves etc in each thing and you will be more able to see what makes animals and people look different.

then its drawing out the basic shapes and putting on the curves and extras you've picked up from research on top of that for your drawing, what will happen is over time you will get better and have to think less when drawing things and you'll develop your own style as you go, my style thats coming out wasn't what i had wanted but i am learning to enjoy it.

but i've never taken an art class (Besides 4 years of technical drafting) so if someone who has shows up they are probably better to listen too lol.

[faygolordhonk]

So, I'm having issues figuring out how to work anthro characters into my style.. I have trouble working with tutorials I find, and honestly, I'm not overly fond of the cartoon-y look, which can make it hard to find tutorials (especially when I'm not skilled enough to be very detailed). I think this http://56.media.tumblr.com/8b31ec2d17f0df33511464abafdacb9c/tumblr_n2lm6uYZ1K1su5akfo1_1280.jpg is a good example of what I want. It's not overly cartoony, but it's still clearly anthro.

I draw in a very anime-manga style, and the closest you really get to anthro in that style are cat girls and things like that. Whenever I look up tutorials, I find it hard to use them as I draw, and I'm thinking it's because there are some basic things there are pretty different between anthro and human drawings, mostly in the hands, legs, and head. When drawing anthro, many people replace hands and feet with paws (assuming the sona has them), and sometimes changes the structure of the legs. Finding out how to work with different kinds of legs that some sonas have is really hard, especially because when I'm drawing humans, the way the legs are held is very important for their body language. I have no idea to work with legs with 3 segments. At the same time, heads are another problem. I think the reason is probably because, in my style, a head is usually a shape of a tall oval. When it comes to animals though, they tend to have circular heads with muzzles added on. I'm having a lot of trouble trying to attach circular head to normal shoulders when I'm used to using oval heads... It just looks weird...

I want to learn to draw anthro characters, so any advice? The best I can do right now is give humans ears and tails.. While I'd be fine with just that, lots of people doesn't really see that as furry, and I usually like to use my sonas in RP, so I want to have at least some sonas with designs that others are more used to.

I made a mini tutorial for you hope this helps, it really all depends on your drawing style though haha

[GamerFool]

Thank you both! I've done a bit more practicing, and I was able to make an improvement, but I'm still pretty clumsy with this stuff X) I'll figure it out. After all, practicing is the only was to improve!!