TigerDragon1001 on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/tigerdragon1001/art/Gryphon-351044409TigerDragon1001

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Gryphon

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Description

I've decided this shall be my final version for :iconmukki-tadi:'s contest. I quite liked it in just black and white. :)
I tried out a new style of shading, lots of lines so it looks a bit like fur but it didn't come out well >.<

ANYHOW

This is a secretary bird/snow leopard gryphon.
My idea came from a quote taken from Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows - 'People have an innate desire for conflict'.
So I chose a bird that lives in Africa, used to the hot climate, and merged it with a cat that lives in the Himalayas, naturally living in a cold climate. Two completely different beings in the same body = Conflict.

Plus I just liked the way they looked together, seeing as both of them are naturally only black, grey and white (besides the orange patch on secretary birds), and they're two of my favourite animals.


I'd also like to dedicate this to WanderingDragon379 , since she helped me with cat anatomy and also, I know she likes silver/grey animals and snow leopards. ^^

PS I thought shading would be confusing, seeing as everything's in black and white so I left it out. :P
Image size
3072x2304px 1.7 MB
Make
FUJIFILM
Model
FinePix Z10fd
Shutter Speed
1/104 second
Aperture
F/3.7
Focal Length
6 mm
ISO Speed
400
Date Taken
Jan 28, 2013, 12:37:53 PM
Sensor Size
5mm
© 2013 - 2024 TigerDragon1001
Comments12
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WanderingDragon379's avatar
Sorry for not responding sooner. I really only have time to write my longer comments on the weekends, and even then it's a little dicey. So expect that. ^^;

The concept is brilliant! You have created a hybrid whose design is so well planned you're making me want to have a go at this when I get the chance. And thank you so much for the dedication! :D
On to the requested critique!

Very impressive work! I especially love how the wing came out. The feathers and the variation in their lengths help make them like real feathers as opposed to stylized. Did you use a reference for any of this? 'Cause the wing feels like there was a concrete idea to direct it.

Feathers aside, all I can say about it for the next time is make the wing at least double this size if you want it to fly and bring it all forward so the 'hand joint' is roughly in line with the front of the shoulder of the front legs. You're joining it on the ribcage again. XD

In terms of proportion, the head feels like it should be about half a size larger than it is and almost flat on top (Like this [link] . I did rounded heads for years so don't feel bad XD). As for the beak, for a secretary it should only make about a third of the total head length if you go by where the feathered part ends at the nostrils.

The legs are just something you'll have to look at a photo for to get right, especially when the cat's lying down. Descriptions alone would make it confusing. All I can say is where the black meets gray, round off the line according the shape of the shoulder muscle. This is a great place to gradient-merge the legs into the body.
Hope that helps. :D

I have a little challenge for you if you ever want to try it:
Pick a photo of an animal or object of your choice and draw the outline of it like you would a silhouette. Don't just generalize the shape, follow every tiny bump both concave and convex you can spot. It will come out looking warped for a while but don't worry. ^_^

Funny coincidence: My 'persona' is a snow leopard; one of Tangerine's Spirit of Nature characters is a secretary bird. XD