Dog Noses and Mouths, Human Hands and Feet
My Least Favorite Things to Draw
So recently I posted an article on eyes being the most favorite thing for me to draw. I thought I’d touch briefly on my least favorites…dog noses, human hands and feet. And next to dog noses, that black fleshy, gummy part of their mouths.
So dog noses are just odd. It’s an odd shape and oddly textured. It’s a fleshy, nubby button of flesh that juts out of an otherwise entirely furred face. And around the nostrils, there are strange areas where the flesh curves around and enters into the nasal passage. Usually they’re wet, but sometimes not. There are scientific reasons for this, I know. Doesn’t make it any easier to draw…
Dog noses and mouths from past portraits.
And then there’s the dog’s mouth. Many of them have black gums, but some have pink. Some have a combination of both. But they’re all overly fleshy and the edges closest to the fur are not smooth, but ridged and bumpy. I’ve noticed that this can also hold true for some big cats in the corners of their mouths.
Hands and feet from 2015 daily sketches.
Ever notice that chimp feet are essentially another set of hands?
Now most of you know by now that I prefer drawing animals over people. One of the reasons why I shy away from people portraits is that people have hands and feet. I know I’m not alone here and one of the hardest things to draw, hands down (no pun intended), are hands and feet. You can only avoid them for so long if your thing is drawing the human species. I really challenged myself with one portrait of a chimpanzee…our closest living relative in the animal kingdom. It didn’t take me long before I realized that I’d essentially be drawing four hands! In the end, it didn’t turn out too badly, I think.
What about you? Whether drawing people or animals, what’s your least favorite thing to draw? While you’re at it, what’s your favorite? Comment below and let me know!
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