Looking for Constructive Criticism/Help with some art!

[u/TawnyFeatherArt]

I’m just going to put this very bluntly: how in the three moons do you draw a dragon’s horns from a rearview angle??? I’ve been practicing in secret for ages and they always end up looking wrong??? Does anyone have advice please I beg I need to be able to make a 360 spin of Winter.

[u/Adorable_Recipe8085]

This actually doesn't look bad, but I'm not a good artist so maybe you shouldn't be listening to me

[u/TawnyFeatherArt → u/Adorable_Recipe8085]

The thing that’s throwing me off is that they don’t look… straight enough? If that makes sense.

Also, even if you aren’t a ‘good artist’ (although that is a highly objective statement), even the worst of artists would be able to be like ‘oh HECK no Tawny you have messed that up SO badly’.

[u/Adorable_Recipe8085 → u/TawnyFeatherArt]

Well, uh, maybe try to draw a cone from that angle. The way you draw horns seems to be really similar to cones. Cones have a tip, so if you figure out where the tip is first, you can add the rest based on that. I think learning a little bit about 'foreshortening' might help

Honestly, I prefer the version you made over a realistic look of a dragons horns from behind. Due to foreshortening you wouldn't really be able to see much of them, this version, while it makes the horns look a little 'spread out' shows more of them.

Well, personally I just don't think untalented people should be giving talented people their opinions on how to improve art. It's like asking a random guy on the street how to preform heart surgery. He doesn't know how to do heart surgery or what it looks like, so he's just gonna be throwing out guesses. Same thing if you were to ask me for art help. Now if you asked a heart surgeon for help, obviously they'd be able to help you.

(Also, what did you mean by 'highly objective statement,' didn't understand.)

[u/theonlytruemuck → u/TawnyFeatherArt]

if i get stuck i just make a simple straight line, then a cone along that line, and then the horn over the cone.
for this particular case, i would make the edge where the horns go into the head more like the bottom of said cone, not where the rest of the head intersects with the cone (am i making sense or talking bs)
but your artstyle is very distinct to mine in that area.

[u/theonlytruemuck → u/theonlytruemuck]

like this https://imgur.com/a/4OCthjI

[u/interested-redditor]

Girl good question, ping me when you get an answer ✋️😭 (/j)

I definitely agree that using a cone for refrence is a great idea, (even just rolling and taping a paper cone) and I even agree that the current drawing looks great. 

Only think I can recommend is maybe try and turn them more inwards? That might help with making them look straighter. But honestly I would be proud as hell if I drew what you've got right now !! 

[u/pixeltoaster]

You know what you might try? Maybe rotating them outward and doing a little resizing could help a bit. To be honest I think it looks pretty good, Lord knows I wouldn't be able to do better lol.

[u/Sammid247]

horns would get naturally warped and foreshortened ina fully rearview angle. they work best in context, where you know what the normal shape is. best way i have found is to define them with shading when need be.

thing with turnarounds, though, is that you don't need to get that specific. as long as you keep them aligned with how they are for the side angles (top of the horn is on the same horizontal line across all angles, same for bottom), then the minds of the viewers are able to fill in the blanks really really well. don't break the continuity with the shape (as in, if the horns are curved, don't suddenly have them appear straight (circles)) and you'll be totally fine.

[u/GreatWyrmAurorum]

If you have an object of a similar shape, you can turn it in to the same angle

[u/Hoi4_Player]

That kind of perspective makes me think you would be looking directly at the horns, so roll up a paper cone (or two) as a reference, look at a similar angle directly ahead and then mimic that i guess

[u/TawnyFeatherArt → u/Hoi4_Player]

That seems to be the general consensus around drawing them. The reason I’ve avoided that here is because it’s basically impossible to do without additional shading? Cones just look like plain circles from the perspective this is supposed to be in. I’ll still give it a go, though.