I am going to show you how to make your very own space dinosaur!
If you would like to watch a video of the tutorial please visit here:https://youtu.be/8r3C-9gEQro
Now, I can’t take all the credit for this masterpiece. The idea does come from Peggy Dean herself. I don’t know exactly how the topic was brought up but in a live class one day Peggy mentioned making a space dinosaur and I haven’t been able to get one out of my mind since.
But you see I had a problem, my ipad was OLD. Like so old, the most amount of layers that I could have was 9….do you know what you can do with 9 layers!?!?! Well, a lot, but an unlimited amount of layers make space dinosaur making a more pleasurable experience for everyone involved.
After months of waiting I decided to make the investment in myself and my business, scary huh?, and upgrade to an iPad Pro which means it is time for you to come along and explore while we make some space dinosaurs together.
Follow along using your Ipad or own supplies in this step-by-step blog post, or scroll down to watch the video!
Supplies Referenced: Please note that some of the links are affiliate links which means I may get compensated if you make a purchase based on my recommendation.
Step 1: On a Sketch Layer Outline the Moon.
You can get as detailed as you would like with this step. I pulled up a reference photo from Unsplash to get some inspiration on detail, but feel free to use your imagination.
Step 2: Sketch Dinosaur
On a new layer, sketch your dinosaur. Every time I have an animal that I need to draw, I alway reference Peggy’s Animal Line Drawing book first. She breaks down the steps so they are so easy to follow along, here is what my dinosaur sketch looked like.
Step 3: Position the Dinosaur and Moon Together
One of the great things about working in Procreate is your ability to move things easily around on the page. I experimented with my dinosaur placement by duplicating my sketch layer and then flipping it horizontally. I then used the distort selection tool to play with more playful positioning of my space dinosaur.
I decided that I liked my dinosaur on the top left of my page with the moon on the bottom right.
Step 4: Trace Sketch Layers
Now that everything is positioned, trace your sketch layers. I’m using TPL Ink Bleed Brush from TPL Ink Pack for the moon.
For the Dinosaur I’m using the Watery Ink Brush from the same pack.
Step 5: Add Color!
It’s time to add some fun colors! This is where having a lot of layers available to you on your ipad comes in handy.
First we are going to be adding our background color. This can be any color of your choosing and because I am going for a night sky but not totally black, I am opting for a dark blue.
Turning on the moon as a reference layer allowed me to isolate it’s pink color and build texture and contrast by using clipping masks.
Repeat for adding color to the dinosaur.
Step 6: Add Shadows and Highlights
If you really want your dinosaur to look like it is popping out of space, make sure to add in some shadows.
It’s super easy to do, get a color that is slightly darker than the original. (For example grab a slightly darker orange if you are going to be shadowing the dinosaur).
Then, while thinking of your light source, draw a line where the sun would cast a shadow. Here, the light source is coming from the upper left corner so items on the bottom and to the right will need to be shaded.
Adding a white highlight on the upper left side of the dinosaur’s helmet will help emphasize the light source.
Step 7: Add Background
There is no greater background for a space dinosaur than TPL Stardust Brush. Add a new layer above your background color but below the moon layers and play with various sizes and positionings and you will be thrilled with the adorable background you create!
Step 8: Admire Your Work
Make sure you share your space dinosaur with me on Instagram!