How to draw a Camel??

Hey world!

So, since this is an "Art in the Middle East" blog, I decided to have a drawing lesson on the animal which is infamously related to the middle east - the CAMEL [=

I will start by giving the basic structure, and then we will add the body itself, and all of the details.

Lets get right on it!

1. The basic structure

Here it is, nothing too fancy!
Basically, the camel figure is composed of a very large central mass, a curvy neck, and four, relatively long (!) legs.

Here are the main points to get correctly:
A. The main mass is shaped as a fat oval. The hump comes on top of the center of that oval.
B. The legs are very long. After a bit of research I came to the conclusion that the height of each leg is about the horizontal length of the main mass oval:

C. The neck comes out of the front, central part of the body, and the head is in about the same height level of the hump.
D. The knees are very prominent. Also, the 2 front leg's joints are bending like a human's knee (to the front), and the other 2 leg's joints bend to the back.

2. The simple figure

Here I added the basic figure, without too many details. Notice the unique shape of the legs and how they bend, and also the feet.

Now I want to try and do something a bit different, and have a close up look on the important parts of the body.

3. The head

Let me tell you, this is one funny looking animal =P ... Notice how the eyes are really far away to the sides, especially with the heavy foreshortening that occurs here, when it is looking straight at us. The central part (with the nostrils and mouth) is actually closer to us then the eyes and ears, which are more at the back. I gave it a little fuzziness and fur in the part where the head connects to the neck, as I've seen it in many photos (and in the few real life camels I had the chance of seeing).

4. The central mass

The central mass is pretty huge. Look at the big belly in the bottom. Also, look how the hump is less noticeable then the way it is usually drawn in cartoons or kids drawings (although the prominence of it CAN vary a lot).

5. The feet

These are really uniquely shaped, there are two toes, and hopefully I got these anatomically right.

6. Finished pencil version

7. Finished inked version!

Here is the complete version! I inked using a nib pen and ink.

Hopefully this drawing lesson was clear and simple, and gave you an idea of one way to draw a camel, and how the camel figure is built and moves.

I know I'm late with this post, been extremely busy lately, big life change
Will do my best to pick up the pace.

Also, check out my new website and subscribe for a FREE eBook! (=
LironYan.com
Until next time, [=

- Liron