SF&F Picture 36 out of 56 by Shelz Keast.

SciFi and Fantasy Art: Fence-post Preening

An old Psittaci-Dragon uses a claw to get one of those hard to reach places behind the head. His 'feathers' are held lose and relaxed during preening. Like his avian counterparts grooming and other such comfort beaviour is a major part of his morning ritual.

Psittaci-Dragons are a Family within the Order Microdraconis (Micro Dragons). These dragons are often misidentified as some of the smaller varieties of Gryphon due to their feather like scales. This Family's name comes from the beak like cartilage snouts of some of it's members which resemble parrot's bills. Some species of Psittaci-Dragon are favoured by farmers as they are insectivouris, eating many species of crop pest. They also serve as good guard creatures as they have a loud and carrying warning call.


	Categories: [Dragons, Drakes, Wyverns, etc] [Landscape, Nature, Panoramic] [Mythical Creatures & Assorted Monsters] Techniques: [Pencil/Graphite Pen]

Date	Name	Comment
13 Dec 2007	John R Farley Jr	Loading... The drawing is good, lots of detail in the creature's feathers. But I have to focus on the really good job you did on the fence post and surrounding grass, very good. Shelz Keast replies: "Thank you so much. I'm glad the fence post turned out well, as I wasn't using any references."
17 Dec 2007	Anne Wipf	Loading... Excellent drawing! I love the pose.
21 Jan 2008	Ceecee Cris	Loading... Wow, this is cool. Interesting how the limb reaching up to scratch looks very much like a human arm! You have fantastic imagination! Shelz Keast replies: "I was using own arm as a rough guide for the anatomy."
7 Feb 2008	Jessica Allamera Macloy	Loading... This is so awesome. This is one of the best dragons I have seen ever. I always respect realism, in both forms and you have both. One the drawing is done in a realistic animal study way, with very little personal style in there. and thats hard to do. The second is a realistic anatomy for the dragon itself and thats something you don’t come across often. The feathers are amazing. As a big fan of feathers on dragons, I know just how long it takes to understand the lay out of feathers and the position of the wings, let alone actually draw them! This is a truly stunning piece and you are a truly amazing artist. Keep it up. Jessica Shelz Keast replies: "Thank you so much! You have described basicly everything I try to achieve! As for getting the wings and reathers right; I am extremly fortunate that my mother collects bird books and so I have acces to a great source of reference photos. I don’t think there’s a way to stop me from drawing, not even excessive homework, school and work can stop me."
19 Mar 2008	Stephanie S. K. Marbach	Loading... hehe, i love the way he’s scratching his head... looks great! nice shading, too! and i like the details of the plants around it.
31 Mar 2008	NIGHTSHADE @-´,-----	Loading... you have a great talent for detail. this is just great Shelz Keast replies: "Realism and detail are the two things I hold dear in art."
11 May 2008	Elizabeth R. Leggett	Loading... Cute. I like that you try to take biology into account - even when it’s a dragon that you’re depicting. I think this little creature seems more natural because of it. Shelz Keast replies: "Well I believe that a good understanding of real animals physiology is the basis for believable fantasy art. I suggest reading the "Using computor programs for fantasy realism" tutorial in turorials section. It’s very good."

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'Fence-post Preening'

SciFi and Fantasy Art: Fence-post Preening