Depending on how realistic or stylized your work is, you can use watercolor effects or charcoal brushes in Adobe Fresco to add texture to your snake drawing. A drawing does not have to be photorealistic, so embrace your artistic freedom and break away from the reference photos when necessary. Use the Pen tool to fill in color, and experiment with layer masks and locking pixels to add color to precise areas of your coiled serpent. Go back in and add the shading, color, and final touch-ups. “Be fairly delicate with the scales on the head to contrast the darker elements of the eyes and the nose so you can communicate those expressive facial features,” adds Case. If the snake has an open mouth, look at how the fangs and forked tongue are positioned. Before adding details to the snake’s head, study your reference photo again since different species of snakes have vastly different head shapes.ĭraw the eyes, and sketch out the pits and angles of the snake’s face to show depth and curvature. There are a lot of different angles that don’t necessarily make sense to us because we’re just not used to looking at snakes so closely,” explains Case. “As the snake goes in and out of the lighting, you can ease up on the detail in certain spots.” For example, when the snake’s body changes direction or is foreshortened, adding some scales and detail can help the viewer understand what’s going on there.īring life to your drawing by adding facial features to your serpent, but keep this in mind: “Snake heads are kind of tricky. But we’re not necessarily trying to mimic a photograph here - we’re just trying to indicate what’s there,” says Case. “Some people’s tendency is to think they have to draw every single scale. Pay special attention to the different types of scales on the top versus the bottom of the snake, and the stretched sections of the snake versus the coiled parts. Once your initial shapes are complete, add scales and texture. You can create new layers and refine the body of the snake as many times as needed until you’re satisfied. That lets me see what my original sketch was, so I can go back in and refine the lines and add more volume,” explains Stanton. “I use my first sketch as an underdrawing. It’s often going to be foreshortened in surprising ways that will give it a more dynamic feel,” says illustrator and comic artist Jonathan Case.Īdd a new layer to your Adobe Fresco file so you can draw over your basic lines and hone the shape of the snake. When looking at reference photos, “pay attention to how the snake moves in space and how that musculature works. The king cobra has a flared hood along its neck, while a rattlesnake has the distinct addition of the rattle-like tip to its tail. Think about what makes your species of snake distinct. Depending on the kind of snake you’re drawing, these basic shapes will differ. Make sure the curved lines of the body aren’t perfectly round since snakes have more organic curvature. Now’s the time to draw the general shapes of the snake’s body. Create the surface on which the snake will reside to help lend more weight and volume to your snake drawing. If your snake will be draped over a tree branch, sunning itself on a rock, or curled up in someone’s hand, sketch in the background elements first. Will you draw a jungle scene? A desert view? A lush meadow? Once you’ve done some research and found solid reference photos, pull them into your Adobe Fresco file so you can refer to them while you work. Think about the setting and atmosphere you want to create. Before you start, consider what’s compelling about the species you want to draw. “What is it that makes that little snake charming versus what makes a boa constrictor powerful and intimidating?” says illustrator Kevin Jay Stanton.
#Intricate snake sketch series
Once you know what type of snake you want to draw, find a series of good reference photos.
From the tiny Barbados threadsnake to the giant green anaconda, there are many options.
There are more than 3,000 species of snakes around the world. Whether you want to make a cute cartoon or a highly realistic snake drawing, the same basic principles apply.Ĭonsider the kind of snake you want to draw. Understand their musculature, form, and movements to successfully draw a snake. With their distinct lack of arms and legs, snakes move in ways that can seem alien to us. You probably even made snakes out of Play-Doh in kindergarten too.īut there’s more to snake drawing than wavy lines. From the serpent in the Garden of Eden to the countless snake characters in Disney movies or Harry Potter books, snakes are common symbols in literature, art, religion, and mythology.
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