Drawing Tutorials - The proper way to stripe a Tiger

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Drawing Tutorials - The proper way to stripe a Tiger

As simple as one might think placing tiger's stripes would be, some particular observations may be of help. The number, shape and thickness of the stripes vary on individual animals. On most tigers the general direction taken by the stripes on the sides conforms with the slant of the ribs beneath (see figs. 1, 3, 4 & 5). Yet a loose skinned, heavily-furred type may have lanky flanks and belly sag which tend to stretch out these curves,(see fig. 2)this does incline toward a 'flat' look, especially from a straight side view.

Fig.1 has a thick "boomerang" stripe angling under the stomach. On the spine are split stripes tapering off between `the side markings. No animal ever has continuous stripes going around the body. They are always broken somewhere; a few may be mere dashes. The thick side stripes of fig. 3 are like a bow (of a bow and arrow). Both 1 & 2 have the lower shoulders more or less devoid of stripes. If there is a plain area, that's where it will be, and many big tigers have it. Some huge tigers have little more than pin stripes (fig. 5). Fig. 4 widest stripes are a little like twisted teardrops.

Some few tigers have altogether plain front legs such as 4 & 5. Most have elongated dashes of black on the inside or outside however. There are always partial rings on the back legs. In order for the vertical hip stripes to "get into" the flow of these rings, there has to be archangel of direction on the thigh. Sometimes this is accomplished by a triangle (fig or 3); other times by several flimsy triangles (fig.) The change at this thigh juncture may be jagged (fig. 4) or crooked like lightning in the case of a thinly striped cat (fig. 5). Tiger tails may be irregularly ringed with the heavier rings often corning at the end. Notice the neck stripes and ear backs. The stripes on one side of the body will never be repeated exactly on the other side. No two tigers have the same design.

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There are times when one has to draw a tiger partially or altogether from the rear (see fig.D). The stripes oval informally around the tail's root and slant in toward the inside top of the legs. These rings continue down the tail. Each leg will be marked differently. If the view is somewhat from above, the spine line will tend to show. There is a perceptive demarcation there. See three ways of treating this in figs.E, F & G, Fig.E, has the dorsal line as if there were a fold in the paper. In F it appears like there was a pull frontward the skin itself on this ridge. In G there is a spasmodic alteration in the stripes down this center line. Observe closely the stripes on the neck as they relate to moss on the forehead.