生物概念设计17诀  17 ways to draw better creatures

原作者：Bobby Rebholz    原帖链接：ImagineFX   https://www.creativebloq.com/how-to/16-ways-to-draw-better-creatures

译者ID：Yarmi            

 如何设计尽可能真实的奇幻生物

How to design fantasy creatures that look as real as possible.

无论你的设计是多么的天马行空，设计生物至关重要的一点就是“真实可信”，只要你想以此吸引观众，那么只要记住一点，那就是“必须建立在正确的解剖学基础之上”。

When you're drawing creatures, it's vital that they're believable. No matter how crazy your designs become, just remember that they must always be grounded in some way – usually through correct anatomy – if you want to keep your audience engaged. 

这里，我整理了一些我所学习到的，关于绘制真实可信的生物的一些小技巧，据此以确保你的设计看起来尽可能真实可靠。如果你想获得更多关于角色方面的设计建议，可以自己去看另一篇帖子“角色设计顶级秘诀”。

Here, I'll explain some tips I've learned about drawing believable creatures, and how you can make sure your fantasy creatures look as real as possible. For more advice on creating believable characters of all genres, see our post on top character design tips.

01.【从缩略图入手】Create thumbnails

 画缩略图要放松别拘谨，你要在意的就一点，即各种“形状”

Have fun with shapes when you're creating thumbnails

“缩略图风暴”是一个很容易被大家轻视跳过的流程，然而要知道，我们一开始往往不会得到最好的设计，而对缩略图的探索会是一个很好的开始，当然这里少不了研究真实世界作参考。

A step that's often skipped in the design process is the thumbnail creation process. Chances are that you won't land on your best design right out of the gate. This is where thumbnail exploration comes into play, with the addition of studying real-world reference. 

切忌在这个阶段就陷入细节，相反的，应该把注意力放在形状语言上。尽情放肆地去画吧，用心去感受自己所创造出来的形状。如此，你最终的成品将会显得更深思熟虑和可信，而你的创作激情也将火花四射、展露无遗。

Don't worry about details at this stage. Instead, focus on shape language and just having fun with the shapes you're creating. By doing so, your final design will be that much more thought-out and believable, and your passion for creating will shine through.

02.【继续探索】Keep exploring

 你已经画了好多缩略图了？很好，那就再多画一些吧。

Done loads of thumnails? Great, do some more

你可以画许多缩略图，这至关重要，以确保你探索了足够多的可能性。很多时候，我们脑海里会捕获一个特别的念头，并自以为“没错，它就是定稿！”

You can never do too many thumbnail sketches. This stage is vital and ensures that you're exploring as many avenues as possible. A lot of times, we'll get a specific idea in our head and think that design is the final. 

然而，这种事情发生的概率真的很小。真实的情况是，你所认为的酷跟最后真正的酷相去甚远。而画缩略图绝对是一条带给你惊喜的捷径。因此，它是一个非常有意思的过程。

Although this does happen on rare occasions, chances are you're far from landing that awesome final design. Thumbnail creation will ease the process and surprise you at the same time. That's why it's so fun!

03.【超越常规的创意】Look beyond the norm for ideas

 拥有一个强劲的剪影轮廓，决定了一个缩略图值得你继续深入刻画

A strong silhouette is a sign that a thumbnail's worth developing

第一个激起我兴趣的缩略图是16号，剪影的趣味性是选择缩略图的一个重要指标。这个案例中，一个多足的、身形奇怪的生物激起了我的兴趣，我决定选择它继续深入。

The first thumbnail that interests me is number 16. One of the important aspects about choosing thumbnails is finding an interesting silhouette. In this case, a multi-legged creature with a strange torso excites me and I go with it. 

我尝试着去寻找一些不一样的形状剪影，而那些被用滥了的形状，就需要我们不留情面的舍弃掉。比如说，我们经常会看到一些四肢发达而头部细小的生物设计，这样设计并没有错，但是，我要的是不一样的、非传统的设计。

I try to find silhouettes that don't follow standard shapes, which verge on the cliché. For instance, it's common to see creatures with hulking shoulders and small heads. There's nothing wrong with that; however, I'm aiming for a non-traditional design.

04.【在熟悉的形状里加入新的形状】Mix the familiar with the new

 形状独特的跟熟悉的混合到一起，将会是一个很好的结合

A mix of uniqueness and familiarity can be a good combination

21号缩略图我觉得也挺有意思的，它酷似一些菌类，尽管我们并不是要设计一个类菌物。之所以要用到它，是因为它的形状是我们大家所熟悉的。

Thumbnail number 21 intrigues me, specifically because I never intended for my creature to look like fungus. The silhouette is working because we have a familiar shape while it still looks unexpected. 

每当绘制生物时，我都会确保它们是独一无二的；并且呢，又总有那么点似曾相识。当然，在后续的深入设计时，我会添加更多的大家所熟悉的细节点。就这个缩略图而言，我探索了植物（菌类）形状，并去设想这个生物是如何行走和进食。我们再来看看第三个缩略图可供挖掘的信息有哪些。

Whenever I sketch creatures, I try to ensure there's a uniqueness with a touch of familiarity. But I'll go into more detail about familiarity in a later tip. With this thumbnail, I explore plant shapes and try to imagine how this creature will move and eat. Let's see what the third choice brings.

05.【加入真实昆虫元素】Combine real-world insects

 异世界的形状，同样值得探索

Other-worldly shapes can be worth exploring further, too

觉得这个缩略图有意思，是因为它混入了昆虫的形状。昆虫对我的生物设计拥有极为重要的影响。这个部分中，我用到了蟋蟀和蜘蛛的形状。它的后腿提供了独特的形状，它们向外伸展弯曲以支撑自身体重，同时也便于跳跃。

This thumbnail intrigues me because it's a mix of insect shapes. Insects have been a major influence in my creature designs. In this particular case, I use shapes from crickets and spiders. The rear legs offer a unique shape, they bow outwards and are able to support the creature's weight, as well as aid jumping. 

同样地，我挑出它来作为第三个可供后续深入的缩略图，因为它好像在对我说，“异界生物！”这个形状非同寻常，可能会提供一些趣味性。一个意料之外的形状，极有可能后续会成为一个超棒的设计。

I'm also choosing this as the third thumbnail to develop because something about it says ‘other-worldly' to me. It's a shape that's not common and should offer fun possibilities. Unexpected shapes can turn into awesome designs down the road.

06.【头部设计要慎重思考】Think carefully about the head

 想获得灵感的话，就去看看真实世界的动物吧

Look at real-world animals if you need inspiration

头部研究，是生物设计的最有意思的一个阶段。这是我第一轮的尝试，我想让它像昆虫，并且得诡异一点

One of the most enjoyable stages in the creature design process is head exploration. Here, I'm exploring the first round of head designs. I know that I want something insect-like and creepy. 

因此，我开始找一些昆虫啊、蜘蛛啊诸如此类的参考，不管什么时候，你如果突然卡壳了，或者不知道接下来该怎么做了，那你可以回来好好看看咱们地球上的动物，它们会给你答案的，并且会给你指明方向。

So, I begin looking at references of Earth insects and arachnids. Whenever you're stuck and don't know where to go next in the design process, just take a good look at real-world animals. They offer all of the answers and give you clarity when coming up with new designs.

07.【维持住形状语言】Maintain the shape language

 尝试创作一系列拥有相同形状语言的缩略图

Try to create a set of thumbnails that speak the same shape language

在画缩略图的时候千万别限制自己，这很重要。我做了第二轮的头部研究，因此我有了许多方案。这一步很容易在一些随意的、或并不怎么可信的特征形状中忘乎所以。

It's important not to limit yourself when exploring with thumbnails. So I'm doing a second round of head studies just so I have a good number of ideas. It's easy to get carried away with random shapes and not-so-believable features. 

对于这些头部研究，我始终在控制他们，一定要具有一个统一的形状语言。例如第5个就像是蚯蚓和树皮的一个结合体。我确保他们的形状看起来都是一端像蠕虫头部，然后渐变到尾部就像是破烂的树皮。

With these head studies, I make sure that all of the shapes stay within a unified shape language. For instance, number 5 looks like a combination of an earthworm's head and bark from a tree. I make sure that all of the shapes taper like a worm's head and the ends look like broken bark.

08.【敲定头部设计】Finalise head design

 细化的时候，一定要把他们的生物特征表达好

Bring across your creature's personality as you refine the head

细化头部是件非常有趣的事情。因为，你终于可以好好的把他们独有的生物特质表达出来了。可以看到，我添加了许多细节，比如脸部啊、功能性啊、整体的形式美啊。

Refining the head is so much fun. This is where you can really bring the creature's personality out. Here, you can see that I go into detail about the creature's face, functions and overall aesthetic. 

在第12点中，我添加了一些重要标注，你可以看到，他们对于描述功能特性非常有用。并且，一定别忘了你所设计的生物应有的独特特质。至于生物的表情，其实并不重要；但是，骨骼、眼睛、嘴、肌肉，以及整体的形状设计却是绝对不容忽视的。

I go into the importance of call-outs in tip 12, but here you can see they're useful for describing a functional feature. And make sure that your creature has personality. This doesn't necessarily mean facial expressions, but the skull design, eyes, mouth, muscles and overall shape are very important.

09.【添加肌肉组织】Add muscles and tissue

到此，开始应用解剖学知识，看看自己到底能把生物的真实性推演到一个什么地步……

Apply these stages of anatomy design to your development process, and see how far you can push the believability of your imaginary creature…

 先画出骨骼，然后再添加肌肉

Sketch the creature's skeleton before adding muscles

当你要为你的生物考虑解剖结构时，切记先从骨骼结构开始。这一步经常容易被忘记，因为大家都想直接开始绘制酷炫的皮肤纹理和此起彼伏的肌肉。从上图中可以看到，我左边画了骨骼图，右边才是附着在骨骼之上的肌肉。

When thinking about your creature's anatomy, consider the bone structure first. This stage is often forgotten because we want to jump right into the cool skin textures and muscles. I sketch the creature's skeleton on the left followed by what the muscles will look like attached to the bones on the right. 

现在我们有了一个清晰的肌肉结构前视图。相比其他骨头而言，头骨应该最先画。因为头骨可以直接展现出生物的特质，而只有头骨确定了，面部结构方才有着落。

Now we have a clear indication of the muscle structure in front view. The skull should be drawn before any other bones because even the skull can show personality, which dictates the facial structure later on.

10.【展示腿部】Put the legs on show

 一个充满生命力的后视图有助于设计的表达

An energetic rear view can help sell your design

接下来，我绘制了一个充满力量感的后视图，这样以便我能知道这个生物一旦动起来会是什么样子。哪些肌肉会帮助它跳跃，当他跑起来或攻击时会是怎样。

Next, I'm painting a rear view with lots of energy so that I can see this creature in action and what muscles are helping it push off the ground, as if it were running or attacking. 

四分之三后视图跟前视图一样，对于帮助表达都很重要。因为我们也不可能永远都只画那一个角度。上图中我把它的前脚消隐了，毕竟这个视角下它不是表现重点，后腿才是。我希望它的后腿才是吸引人的，正如它所传达出来的一样。

Rear three-quarter views are just as important as front views in selling your design, because we're not limited to just one angle. I'm fading the arms off because they aren't the focal point here – the legs are. I want to make sure the legs get the attention they deserve.

11.【整合解剖要素】Combine anatomy elements

 搞清楚所设计的生物的肌腱、韧带、肌肉等，有助于增加可信度

Working out the tendons, ligaments and muscles will pump up your creature's believability

现在，我为怪物的手臂添加了一些肌肉、筋腱的细节，并把他们叠在之前的草稿上。之所以选择手臂来画，是因为它比较全面完整的展现了这个生物的解剖要素，作为一个设计，这么干很清晰明了。【这点很佩服老外，哪个流程或视角更能说明问题就挑哪个来画，不管是简单还是复杂；而咱是来反的，管你三七二十一，哪个简单画哪个，你挑一个稍微复杂的来搞，还要被骂“二百五、有毛病”，还要怪你“拖后腿、影响效率和进度”；别人卯足了劲想如何把事情做好，咱一心只想着怎么捞钱；当然，要想从心所欲，必须具备相当的基础和功力才行】

Now, I go into detail about the tendons and muscles of the arms and then juxtapose that on to my original pencil sketch. I'm choosing the arm for the close-up because it's a complex array of tendons, ligaments and muscles. 

如果你有哪个地方需要特别说明，那么你就需要添加些细节上去以增加其可信度。你看，我把局部肌肉直接叠在铅笔草稿上，这样我们就能很直观的看到它的底层解剖。

If you have a certain area of your creature that needs clarification, this becomes your chance to go into detail and ramp up the believability to your design. Because I've juxtaposed the muscle rendering on top of the pencil sketch, we can now see underlying anatomy.

12.【敲定方案稿】Decide on sketch

 这个剪影很别致，因此选定它

This design wins because of its unique silhouette

其实，前期我做了三个草图【其他两个原作者没放进来】，之所以选择这个，是因为它独特的剪影造型。而这里，需要强调的是“比例”的重要性，它是后续设计的基础。

Out of the three sketches I developed earlier, I'm choosing the third ideation because of the uniqueness of the silhouette. Proportions are key because it helps solidify a design. 

它的头、躯干和四肢既不是太长也不是太短，一切都刚刚好，并没有哪里不协调。但是，由于它的比例比较特殊，因此一定要找真实世界的参考，以确保它的真实性，而不是让人一眼就觉得你是在瞎编乱造。

Its arms, legs, torso and head aren't too long or too short. The shapes are just the right size so we don't question something being out of place. This creature has unique proportions so I must make sure it remains believable using real-world reference.

13.【思考该用什么样的皮肤纹理】Consider skin texture

 生物的皮肤纹理会讲述它自己的故事

Your creature's skin texture can help tell its story

皮肤纹理非常重要，它会让设计更真实，会直观地反映生物所处的环境、饮食习惯以及物种进化【是爬行类、鸟类、远古生物、还是鱼类】。利用皮肤纹理，我可以推断出自己设计的生物的生存环境【是沼泽、两栖、岩浆、沙漠、还是深海】。而这些信息，能很好地帮助你设计的生物讲述他们自己的故事。

Skin texture is extremely important because it adds realism to your creation. It also gives the viewer a close look at your creature's environment, eating habits and evolution. With skin texture, I'm figuring out what type of environment my creature lives in. And with this information, I can begin to tell its story.

14.【学会使用标注】Use call-outs

 强悍的标注会给你的设计带来独特性和目的性

Strong call-outs can give your creatures character and purpose

标注有助于说明设计的某一特性，比如运动、武器装备、摄食等等，这只是列举了众多特性里的很小一部分。我见过太多模棱两可的设计，生物外貌处理的很含糊，缺乏深层思考，这些都是应该避免的问题。

Call-outs enable you to explain a certain feature about your creature. Movement, weaponry and feeding are just a small numbers of features you can have for your creature. The problem I see with a lot of creature design is too many ambiguous surfaces with no real thought behind them. 

标注某些特定区域，并解释一下他们都是些啥，将有助于提升生物设计的可信度，也将让设计更有目的性【而不是连自己都不知道那么画的意义何在】。

Calling out certain areas and explaining what they are helps make the creature more believable. I use call-outs to give my creatures a sense of purpose.

15.【展现力量】Show energy

 尝试展示一下生物动起来时的样子

Try to give an impression of how your creature moves

展示生物的运动和力量将给人一种真实感，就好像他们真的站在你眼前一样。这种真实感的传递，在你递交设计稿给主美或建模同事时将大有帮助。因为你的领导或同事需要获得一种真实感，这种感觉就好像你设计的是一个活生生的、会呼吸的生物。“力量”将赋予你的设计以生命力。【而不只是一堆在平面上的、无聊的二维线条或形状】

Showing energy and movement gives a real sense of how your creatures moves as if it were standing in front of you. Conveying that type of realism will be helpful when you're sending your sketches off to the art director and modelling department. They need to get a real sense of how your creation will behave as a living, breathing creation. Energy brings your design to life. 

16.【加入一定程度的熟悉感】Bring in a degree of familiarity

 即便是最奇幻的生物设计，也是来源于可识别和触摸的真实世界

Even the most fantastic creatures benefit from some recognisable touches

建立熟悉感，意味着你需要在设计里加入一些可识别的形状，而这一点需要贯穿整个设计的始终。我画的这些奇幻生物都是基于我的图像资料库的，那些真实世界的昆虫参考对我的创作具有非常大的影响。

Establishing familiarity means you're bringing recognisable shapes into your creature design. Indeed, this approach should be applied throughout the design process. These fantasy insect sketches are based on mood boards that feature images of different insect species, because my creature is heavily influenced by bugs. 

这些基于真实推断而来的奇幻生物我画的越多，我对真实世界的了解就越熟悉深刻。如此更能帮助我最终创作出真实可靠的生物设计。

The more I paint these fantastical extrapolations of real-world creatures, the more familiar I'll be with what actually exists on Earth. This will help me create a believable creature in the end.

17.【整合所有】Put it all together

 把所有探索和研究整合到一个设计里

Turn all your research and explorations into a single sketch

我把各个阶段的设计都整合到了一个单独的草图里。侧视图简洁明了，能很好地展示生物的比例、肤质纹理和形体。

I combine all of the stages of my design process into a single sketch. A side view keeps things simple and can show enough of the creature to get a sense of its proportions, textures, and build. 

当然，千万别认为你只要会画侧视图就足够了，3/4正侧面对于展示解剖同样很合适。而当你在画最后的概念图时，好好想想自己向观众到底要讲述一个什么样的故事。自己的设计是可信的吗？如果是，那么作为一个生物概念设计师，你已经完成本职工作了。

Don't limit yourself to just doing a side view, though. A front three-quarter view is also effective and can show anatomy as well. When making your final sketch, think about what story you want to tell the audience. Is your creature believable? If so, you've done your job as a creature concept artist.