HOW TO: Creature Design!

Gotta design a creature? Here are some tips I've picked up over the last few years of working in design in games and film.
In this video I talk about the thought process of planning your creature ~
- Why are you desiging this creature? Whats it for?
- Where does it live?
- Is it a predator, prey or omnivore type animal?
- Gathering reference and brainstorming
- Drawing and anaotmy techniques
and other stufffff
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Music- Louie Zong louiezong.bandcamp.com/
If u like my stuff I’m posting other places too!
Insta- tinyurl.com/mtcehpkj

[@lilhedgehog8576]

A desert animal that has the magic power to cast hallucinations is so clever because of mirages. I like that a lot that is neat.

[@Mkchibs]

I’m glad you like my idea!! Thank you sm! 💙

[@lilhedgehog8576]

@@Mkchibs I like your creatures too. I’ve always struggled with with making up random creatures. So I admire the skill to do so. ❤️👍

[@diamondglitter205]

They say that a hyena's urine causes hallucinations in its prey

[@lilhedgehog8576]

@@diamondglitter205 neat.

[@IkoranYT]

@@lilhedgehog8576I have an idea,I call it.. the “Crearorith (Cree-Ay-Roar-Ith)” they are similar to the baryonyx and use thier wings (wingspan is as long as a bus!) to fish,they can walk on quicksand due to thier specialized feet and legs to very literally swim in water and quicksand,they are docile to humans and will attack most animals that get in the quicksand,thier scales can be used for armor and weapons,they shed the scales normally without any problems,they have the ability to strategize and they will hold grudges tracking you even 200+ miles away just to even the score,this one is for freebies

[@doriangaay]

i love bat inspired designs in general but BAT HYENA LIZARD CAMEL??? I love him dearly omggg T.T

[@Mkchibs]

All these animals r too cool to leave out 😤

[@k1ttyzpawz_]

​@@MkchibsHey there! I must ask, what drawing app do you use in this video?

[@Mkchibs]

@@k1ttyzpawz_ 👋🏼 this is photoshop !

[@k1ttyzpawz_]

@@Mkchibs thank you so much!

[@KIKURAsky]

i was thinking it was bat hyena dinosaur lion

[@user-zf7fu1ku5o]

a creature that lives deep in the dessert, using a mirage to trick traveler's in to coming closer or to give it something befor it jumps out the sand and eats them.

[@waxsuyaaa]

IN THE DESSERT RAAAHHHHHHHHHH 🍰🍰🍰🍰

[@NightshadesLair]

Brown sugar desert,jello oasis,cookie dough canyon

[@voidshard0653]

I loved the way you explained your thought process behind making animals! Keep it up!

[@Mkchibs]

Thanks so much 😭💙 I wanna make more!! Wonder what about hmm

[@Aglaesia]

i love your nonchalant nature while being funny, 10/10 helpful video for a fellow artist -Former dragon kid

[@Dapper_Frog]

The way you explained it made it much easier to understand and remember. This was very useful and love the design

[@amacd07]

your editing has me sold for future videos 🪑

[@Mkchibs]

I will work hard to deliver more silly edits 🫡

[@darkglacier9786]

Duuude I was the dragon kid lmfaooooo. I also do my creature design similar to this its like were the same person this is so awesome

[@kitsunea1499]

Same, I even own that book 😭

[@suk4_ch4n11]

Im feeling a bit down today, because im worried about my bird's constant hormonal behavior, and now im realizing this, making me feel icky once again. But watching tips on something i really enjoy doing makes it a bit better, thank you!

[@suk4_ch4n11]

And also about my female bird, looking like she's eating but she isn't. And sometimes she chews on things she isn't supposed to, in the cage. Now im anxious about her being sick, and me not being able to afford a vet considering she is very skittish, and they are very expensive.

[@SleepDeprivedartist1]

i mainly study creature design so i can make my art dolls more unique, alien like, and sometimes creepy. this video really helped! hope to see even more videos like this! ❤

[@Thund3rsp4rk]

0:22 I HAVE LITERALLY READ THAT BOOK WHAAAAAT Edit: 35 L.IKES? WHAT? FOR ME THATS SO MANY AAA THANK YOU!

[@Creaturella_CoS]

I HAVE IT LMAOO

[@FruitBatsLyra]

I still have that book 😅

[@finsav1035]

It was in my primary school classroom 😭

[@Thund3rsp4rk]

@@finsav1035 loll

[@fallenflame1940]

Same-!

[@jaysonolsen7615]

This felt like a video from a far more established channel, please keep up the amazing work and post more content :)

[@milliavalentine]

I’m gonna have my daughter watch this! This explains what I’m trying to say to her about being creative! And it reminds me not to be so serious and HAVE FUN!! 🎉

[@SterlingDragonn]

Randomly happened upon your channel and I could not stop watching this vid until it finished bc you gave sm helpful advice!!! Currently tryna design more characters for my portfolio and this was very much needed. I tend to get overwhelmed when it comes to designing bc I have so many ideas and never know how to organize em, but this rlly gave me the motivation to keep brainstorming! Very much appreciated!

[@sunderthorme]

i never really put much thought into creature eyelashes but now that ive seen it mentioned i need to adapt some of my creatures!!! /pos

[@nonerdsherexx]

This videos vibes are immaculate

[@Kynserims]

I love this creature he’s so silly

[@rxynela]

criminally underrated i love ur designs sm!

[@sheanadillon]

This is a very well done tutorial. Very low-stress and relaxed way of explaining it. Thank you!

[@ShadowsINthe_Dark]

Right off the bat I got called out with the “dragon kid” 😭😂 been drawing dragons since 4th/5th grade, & now I’m in high school and still drawing dragons!

[@CaptainCaliansAdventures]

The moment I saw Dragonology, I knew this video was goin' to be damn good.

[@shriek_the_grank1d237]

10:37 “This guys an awkward creature who probably didn’t start off in this landscape, but was brought here; hundreds of years later, starting to fit in, but still awkward” Literally me -

[@FruitBatsLyra]

I love this design so much - creating random creatures is my favorite passtime ❤

[@ceramically]

I've always liked the sorts of creatures that appear in actual medieval media, like the headless folk that have faces on their chests? That sounds so weird and terrifying in a good way. Edit: wowie this thing is so cool the magic nose boy wow!!!

[@sadlyfinn]

I've done this thing for years where I warm up by just mixing animals. I've created some that i really like and some that are abominations but i love them all the same. I made an episode of something i was going to do a long time ago based on creature creation, took it down and kind of became inactive on youtube because i was young and burnt out. Yet I love that there's content w/ people speaking about stuff like this it was fun to watch :]!!

[@sadlyfinn]

I still want to do a series about creature creation but for now its just a dream lol.

[@artnestt]

The idea and execution of this creature is so well done, hes so disturbing (in a good way) i love it, i always struggle design creatures for my history cause the main jist is that all magical creatures came from regular creatures that exist in our world, but due to magic being brought there, they evolved to be magical, somehow when i try to make something it doesn't look like a real animal or it doesn't look magical enough 😞

[@funfunfunfunfunfunfunfunfu8860]

i love how much you value evolution and anatomy while designing!!! good job

[@river_river_river]

This is such a great walkthrough of your thinking and process. Thank you!

[@RoveTheDog]

I have been looking for a video like this for so long, and you hit everything I was trying to figure out

[@Zi4rra]

I can not thank you enough there’s been many times where I’m just looking at my blank screen and not knowing what to do

[@timewilltale9214]

Just found this video and checked your channel and I was so shocked that this is your first video with this format/style!!! its so professional and cosy and well made!!! Maybe a video suggestion could be how to add your own twist to existing fantasy creatures? Like how to design a unique dragon (heehehe) or how to create your own version of like a gryphon etc!

[@Mkchibs]

@@timewilltale9214 i just nevet had the time to sit and make it before! This time I received some pay from a local comic festival to make this so I put a few days into it ❤️ and that’s such a good idea!!! Maybe I’ll do something like that 💙✨

[@KevinMcLean]

Im new to the channel and will be using this for reference later. Till then, i'm just enjoying the vibes

[@kitsuonyo]

This was so cool to see! Your art is gorgeous and your explanations and process are really interesting. You've given me some ideas on how to approach creature designs I've been stuck on - Thank you!

[@TwistedWolf42]

Wish I could draw like you. I mean this creature is just amazing! The ideas are fantastic too! Kudos

[@duckcatthequrugosk5504]

I watched this video to see if I have anything to improve- and then realized I have nearly the exact same thought process you go through when designing LOL

[@KIKURAsky]

i love how the creature turned out :O

[@Seleylone]

Really lovely creature! It's really refreshing to see not only the end result, but also those warm-up sketches and explorations. I've been doing that too and it's nice to know I'm not the only one! I'm gonna stick around, your animation stuff is cool too!

[@still-H3R3]

Im working on creature design and this helped me a lot! Also i feel like I could actually encounter this in the desert (maybe not the magic part but its very cool :D )

[@cutepods4578]

Absolutely loving it! Will look forward for more content from you

[@DeltaHydrixian]

This video got recommended to me at the exact right time

[@ianeisenman]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, this video will give me a whole new perspective when I do creature design!! Great work!

[@amayaelessar]

Fantastic video!! Keep it up, I immidiatly subscribed. And I LOVE that creature you created!

[@Addy-xk2jc]

I really enjoyed this video and I’ll be coming back later to take notes! It was very informative and entertaining 💖

[@Just_A_Bug.]

It looks so cute! And it also looks amazing, I think the pictures really came together!

[@HannaJohnson-kk1gs]

ITS SO COOL ALSO THIS WAS SO HELPFUL IL YOUR ART SM😭🙏

[@lilaclupin5966]

This is so helpful and the end result is amazing oh my god

[@Forg0tten_Oblivion]

This is so cool and aspiring! You really captivated me.

[@lilhedgehog8576]

You were the dragon kid, neat I had one of those in my school. I on the other hand, always drew dogs or cats.

[@coffee-overlord]

this was so helpful, thanks!!

[@InvasionAnimation]

Looked amazing! Great job!

[@cheesecakeandheron]

instant sub, your art and editing is great

[@blue1584]

Really cool, would love to see more tutorials from you!

[@owlfog6955]

oh great now I'm addicted to your content

[@Brett5810]

I love this kind of art content. Keep posting! I would love to see more art process videos like this one ❤.

[@meddler-gz1ks]

Ive been trying to pin down a design for a story im working on, this is a big help, thank you

[@natvlogs12]

Please make more of these videos! I loved it :)

[@REALIdi0tXC]

Sharing this with my group chat we could all use these tips (😭😄😄😄)

[@nyx6360]

I really like your style, it looks like a storybook, and it kinda gives me Adventure Time vibes :)

[@kairo2937]

DUDE IVE BEEN A DRAGON KID TOO!! I GOT THE DRAGONOLOGY BOOK FOR CHRISMAS AND NOW ITS ON DISPLAY IN MY ROOM!

[@teaformiles]

this is such a cool process and it really helped figuring out the necessary steps to making something completely fictional yet still functional and realistic (in the context)!! also i absolutely love your style of colouring and sketching, especially how effortlessly you add texture! great video =) also, out of curiosity, what brushes do you use?

[@ogeniscool39]

this is so useful omg!! i enjoyed this sm :3

[@elijahquipse5879]

I love this thing, and am going to (try) to create a stat block for it so I can use it.

[@Giguv05]

Love your choice for the background music

[@princeatie2231]

I really appreciate this

[@PilferpupCartoons]

Beautiful artwork, and love the thought process / advice! :O I'll share this around, love your content!

[@Mkchibs]

@@PilferpupCartoons thank u so much omg 😭 I’m so floored the feedback I’m getting from this vid I can’t wait to make more! 💙✨

[@LoknLod3]

Dragon kids forever!

[@siriusbusiness7274]

oh they ARE such a creechur thansk for this!!

[@viaxxl]

I’ve been trying to design an intelligent alien species for my spec evo project, and this helps lots!!! :)

[@AnastasijaSladojevic]

You sounded like enui from inside out at the beginning lmao 😭 amazing video btw ❤

[@MANGONDRAS]

Wow, thanks for helping, very good video 🎉

[@Goose_doom]

NEAT ty for the tips and all really use full :3

[@savannahsmith4739]

I love this so much!,,

[@CozyFlowz]

This is… AWESOME!

[@_gravy_]

Duddeee 172 views is WAY to little, this is some quality stuff I learnt a ton 🔥🔥🔥

[@craz2580]

Cool, i needed something to make creatures for my world

[@Bellyshsen]

Amazing! This was very fun to watch while eating cerial😊

[@kingpotato1762]

You need to make more videos often, this was very useful!!!!!

[@rooms_fixed_remastered_fan]

If I saw that creature I would definitely try and hug it

[@GraniteChickenMrJr]

Damn. Welcome back after 3 years.

[@Mkchibs]

@@GraniteChickenMrJr haha yeah thank u 🫡 I do not often make videos but I had so much fun doing this one so I’m inspired to make more sooner !

[@houndgirl7365]

Kind of funny because as someone who also enjoys designing creatures my thought process is similar. I grew up off of animal planet and reading animal encyclopedias, so even before you said it I was like "large ears and eyelashes for sure" my brain also went towards a dark mask, though with it being a cave dwelling species that doesnt matter as much. Would this creature have extremely hardened paw pads to travel on hot desert sands or are they not as rugged because they live in a cavern 🤔 I lived the implementation of the bat nose its not only a way for echolocation but also more areas for veins to go to cool down faster (much like those huge ears). I was also really excited when you brought in blindness because most cave dwelling species are! Overall very much enjoyed this video!

[@Yellow_Goober]

The elorse is a humble creature that is 7ft as a male 6ft as a female. It is a mixture of elephant and horse with a horse legs and body with an elephant skull with a long chunky neck and strong skinny legs.thats is mainly in South Africa or Middle East.its main diet is plants and bark. It has a strong neck and legs to hold up its skull and body. It gives you the feel it’s a cow with a long neck and skinny neck, with 5 neck bones and around 18 ribs. And a soft yer rough texture like a horse with grey-ish brown skin with light brown spots. Thanks for reading!!!!😁 I worked hard

[@ijlayugan4149]

I read a fic about dragon riders and I'm in such a mood to draw dragons for the first time. This is a huge inspiration!

[@libaryofruina]

Dragon kids are always the coolest imo

[@charlottebastid-neveu9715]

hes just a little guy i love it so much

[@xiaohuanxu]

I have a literal notebook full of made from scratch dragon designs from when I was 5 😂

[@alexisworkinger8992]

I felt like naming and giving this silly guy a description based off info and made-up stuff for fun. Abraxas OVERALL - APPERANCE - LIFESTYLE * A cave-dwelling depths lurker beneath the shadowy caves of many regions, such as Arok, Felscathor, and Bazyn, all in the deserted sands. The bat-nosed secrete canine will eat various things, though it tends to not care for small things if not hungry, but will attack any human that dares to anger the beast, hungry or not. It's evolution chain allows it to run at many speeds; It's hooked claws and teeth can grasp things easily, and allow it to jump, while their fur can protect its back if a human decides to domesticate it and use it as a horse, which in common situations, they are mainly used as horses. DIET * Abraxas are opportunistic feeders, meaning they can both feed on the skeletal ribs of many, and graze upon berry bushes, they seem to like to wait for most meat to rot, and mostly enjoy to eat the ribs- even bones. They resemble vultures, and if need in a snack will feed off the leftovers of scaled fliers, otherwise known as dragons. SPELLS - MAGIC * These beasts when threatened can cast a vary of magic spells, their lengthy, tall bat-like nose glows right at the tip, and it ranges from their body's threatened heights- if not threatened, their nose will not glow, but most travelers will find if they annoy them, the horse canine's nose will glow and alight their face, and the traveler will be harvested for the Abraxas's hunger- or pride, many of these horse canines use spells such as freeze, to slow their prey and paralyze them- just like a snake's venom. That's all ! :D

[@-MansBestFriend]

I like to call my little guy a spideer, he’s a spider x deer. He’s for my ocs universe ( which I have 3 of. But it’s for my newest)

[@corgi_loafness8986]

I watched treasure planet recently (my favorite movie) and got annoyed with the aliens that are just based off dogs and cats- when there are so many weird, whimsical, and wacky animals to work off of! So I picked two animals I liked, an aard wolf and a caribou and designed an alien off of that and was very proud of the result :) And yes, I was the dragon kid lol

[@The_Idea_Guy]

amazing

[@chloedewberry1034]

Yes I love it

[@ForestCloud771]

I really liked this, this amazing! I really liked how you did this what you gonna name the creature? Btw 💯💯💯

[@uiopgamer4647]

Really cool

[@Adley4Felixx]

1:24 uh.. wonderful creatures! (I definitely won’t have nightmares from :3)

[@venessafugi6768]

I love this awkward lad so much. I guess I need to become better at drawing animals if I wanna do something like this 👀

[@Kaz1983]

Thank you!!!!!

[@XxLEAFY_GECK0ZxX]

0:16 You just described me entire personality within the span of 10 seconds.

[@Sultanofthesun]

Those bat noses are truly something 💀

[@glorythenova008]

0:20 I HAD THAT EXACT BOOK WHAT THE

[@alexviol1587]

Now we need a name and a statblock for this thing

[@ThePissling]

Ayyy I was the dragon kid too!