Introduction

Hi there! In this tutorial, we'll learn to incorporate anthropomorphism in illustration in different ways (using Clip Studio Paint).

 

Anthropomorphism can be defined as portraying anything non-human in a human form and giving it human characteristics.

For example, an animal sitting on a desk and reading, or a chair having arms and legs of its own can be called anthropomorphic . But these are only a few basic examples. We'll be exploring multiple methods of drawing anthropomorphic characters in this tutorial.

Anthropomorphic Animals

First of all, we'll take a look at various ways we can draw anthropomorphic animals.

 

We can either:

• draw animals in human poses and doing human actions but without changing their body parts to look exactly human

• draw animals with exact human body parts

 

Let's take a look at how to do either.

 

Manipulating Animal Actions and Poses Without Changing Body Parts to Look Exactly Human

For the first example, we'll draw a cat singing on stage. I'll be using a g-pen for it.

 

Start by drawing a rough sketch of how you'd expect a human to appear on stage. Keep in mind how big or small you want each body part of the cat to appear and sketch according to that.

Now that we have an idea about the proportions, let's edit the sketch to have distinct body parts of a cat.

Next, we'll be drawing the lineart now that we have proper shapes.

Note: Draw the lineart on a vector layer for easy modification. I'll be showing some ways of modification but I'd recommend checking out the tutorials focused on vector layers for detailed clarity.

You can clearly see that the line width is very inconsistent. For that, we'll use the "adjust line width" tool.

The lineart looks more proper now.

 

Now, we'll do the base colouring (also with g-pen) on a layer beneath the lineart layer.

Next, we'll add some simple shadows on a new clipped multiply layer above. There will be stage lights ABOVE the cat so we'll shade according to that (still using g-pen).

Let's draw the background next.

And ta-da! Our illustration is completed. You can see that the cat has been given a human pose and and is doing an action attributed to humans, but retains the body parts attributed to cats.

 

I used the g-pen and airbrush for drawing the background. Also, you can draw such scattered lines in one go using the focus lines tools available in the "figure" sub tool window.

 

Drawing Animals With Exact Human Body Parts

Now we'll be looking at how we can draw animals with not only poses and actions but also body parts that look exactly human. For this example, we'll be drawing an otter working on a painting in the fields.

Let's start by drafting a background.

I used the grass and cloud brushes available in the "decoration" sub tool window.

For the sky, you can use the sky gradient/s available in the gradient window.

Now, we'll draw a rough sketch of a human and a canvas using g-pen. The sketch is just to see what goes where.

 

Next, we'll draw the lineart (using g-pen). I'll be changing the face to that of an otter but will keep other parts human.

I won't choose the vector layer this time because I want the lines to be a bit rough but you can always opt for it. Also, let's draw the lineart in colour this time.

Now, we'll do the base colouring (using g-pen) using the same colours we used for lineart.

Next, we'll add shadows and details on a clipped layer above the base colour layer. We'll be keeping the shadows more detailed in this illustration.

And it's done! In this illustration, you can see that we've drawn exact human body parts along with that of the otter unlike the last illustration.

Also, this illustration can be modified in many different ways. Like, if the feet were visible, we could've drawn them to either look like that of an otter or a human. And we could've changed the visible hand to look like that of an otter as well etc.

But the key point here is that exact body parts of both otter and human are drawn in this illustration.

 

Moreover, we could've drawn the background as a river/sea shore since otters live in water, but anthropomorphism gives us the freedom to limitlessly explore and expand our imagination.

 

P.s: I used a mix of airbrush, oil paint and blend tool for shading and detailing.

Anthropomorphic Objects

Now, after animals, we'd be taking a look at how we can draw anthropomorphic objects in multiple ways.

 

We can either:

• give an object human features without completely changing its form.

• incorporate features of an object in a human figure.

Let's put the options into practice!

Giving an Object Human Features Without Completely Changing Its Form

For the example of this method, we'll draw a clock with human expressions of waking up in the morning.

 

First, we'll draw a basic clock with the time at 7:00 because it's considered a common time to wake up in the morning.

(I'll be using a g-pen)

Next, I'll draw the face, arms and legs.

And then, we'll add a few white lines to give a shining effect.

 

Now, let's draw a cloud and the sun in the background to give more of a morning effect.

I used the airbrush to add the subtle glowing effect on the sun.

 

Lastly, we'll draw the background.

 

You can see that this illustration gave human attributes to the clock without completely changing its form.

P.s: I used the "dappled light" brush available in the Decoration window for the background.

 

Incorporating Features of an Object in a Human Figure

This time, we'll be drawing an anthropomorphic object using the technique of incorporating an object's features in a human figure to turn it into a rendition of the object.

 

 

For this example, we'll be drawing an anthropomorphic paint tube.

First, let's draw the object we are going to anthropomorphise for reference.

I'll be using oil paint for lineart and g-pen for colouring throughout the illustration.

Next, we'll draw a rough anatomical outline for the human figure we'll be drawing.

Now that we have an outline, let's draw the lineart. I'll be drawing a very rough lineart for this illustration.

The brush in the hand, the tube cap on the head, and hair almost the size of a brush's bristles are added specifically for the symbolism.

Next, we'll do the colouring on a layer beneath the lineart layer.

The prominent use of the colour red points towards the colour of the paint tube we are anthropomorphising (the dress, the hair, the eyes, the lips, the paint on the end of the brush, and the brush strokes). Also, the dress is drawn to show a common paint tube pattern.

Moreover, let's give a wet/sticky look to the hair to portray the texture of the paint.

Lastly, we'll add a shape in the background to accentuate the illustration.

And our anthropomorphic paint tube is ready!

Afterword

Thanks for going through the tutorial. I hope that you found helpful and useful tips from it. Anthropomorphism is a great creative technique and has limitless potential so one always has the chance to discover a new method to incorporate it.

One of the best tips is to keep trying and practicing and to let your imagination run wild.

You got this!