Sally Steers A Speedster Skillfully - Adding Simple Backgrounds

Sally is taking a break from selling seashells by the seashore and is off for a spin accompanied by Dash the Spaniel.

In the image above they’re both speeding along, but where are they? There’s no background at the moment to help set the scene. Let’s have a go at adding some simple backgrounds.

Without looking at any reference images, what would you draw to show the countryside?

Try to add the following using simple lines:

• A hedge row

• A row of Trees

• -Some rolling hills

Now find some reference images and repeat the exercise.

I’ll show you my examples below, however, I recommend trying it for yourself myself first before scrolling down.

If you haven’t time to draw, at least imagine what it might look like.

My Examples

A Coloured Example

I coloured this one using a minimal palette, as I want to keep the focus on the characters and car in the foreground.

Showing Speed Using Lines

Show speed using lines instead of a background.

Instead of using an actual background, you could use lines to give the impression of everything whizzing along at high speed. Here’s another car for you to try this with - this time featuring the flying carrot…

The Flying Carrot

Summary

If you want to keep the focus on the characters and foreground, try using really simple lines and a limited palette for the background.

Try experimenting using the same characters and varying the backgrounds each time.

Would you like to learn more about drawing backgrounds?

Fill out the form below, and I’ll send you details of ‘The Background Course - How To Draw Simple Cartoon Backgrounds’

A Simple Perspective Exercise

In this article we’re going to try out a simple exercise to help you with perspective.

First of all, take a look at the image above. What do you notice about all the lines?

All the parallel lines running away from your view point meet at one point in the distance. This is called the vanishing point.

This is an example of parallel perspective.

Time To Try!

1. Draw a line across the middle for the horizon.

2. Draw a dot in the middle for the vanishing point.

3. Draw diagonal lines from corners A, B, C, & D to the dot.

Now using the guidelines you just set to help you, draw an avenue of trees.

Here’s my own example. Feel free to experiment with different tree shapes. You can also add additional guidelines to help you with the proportions of the tree.

Next, use the guidelines again and draw two rows of buildings lining the street.

Here’s my example. As you can see, the buildings are really, really simple. So you can add more detail, such as a few windows to make them more ‘building-like’.

Over To You!

Now try creating your own scene using perspective. Try adding buildings, trees, and any other details you like.

Useful Backgrounds For Cartoons

What would be some useful backgrounds for your cartoons?

In this article you’re going to generate some useful backgrounds to go with your cartoons.

Before then we’ll look at some backgrounds that I regularly use.

I draw a lot of dogs, so can you think of three different backgrounds for three different dog-related situations.

List three different doggy backgrounds.

1.

2.

3.

Now try doodling them. If you don’t have time to drawn try to imagine what they look like. Keep your doodles simple and sketchy.

I’ll show you my ideas below, but have a go yourself before scrolling down.

Three Dog Situation Backgrounds

Street background (going for a walk)

Countryside background (going for a walk in the countryside)

Living room background (at home)

The Different Backgrounds In Use

Over To You

Now think of a subject you like to draw, or would like to draw.

Think of three backgrounds for it.

1.

2.

3.

Now try doodling them.

If you draw a certain topic regularly, it’s likely that similar backgrounds will crop up again and again. So it can be useful to have some backgrounds on standby. 

Wrapping Things Up…

The most important things to remember with all things cartoony and doodly, is to give it a try!

Keep it simple while you try out the ideas from this article and having fun playing around with them.

Lesser-Known Dog Breeds - The Air Spotter Dog

Lesser-Known Dog Breed - The Airspotter Dog.

This breed as its origins in the First World War.

The Royal Flying Corp of Great Britain (later to go on to be renamed the Royal Airforce) faced a major problem getting enough aircrew for its fledgling service.

Prospects were not good for new aircrew, in fact the average life expectancy was a mere two weeks and there was never enough young men to fully man the aircraft.

As a means to make up this shortfall it was proposed to create a new dog breed - one with very keen eyesight that could act as a spotter and alert the pilot to incoming enemy aircraft.

Anticipating a long war ahead, a breeding program was started.

Happily for the air spotter dog, the war came to an need before they were able to take to the skies. With the war over, the very purpose for this highly specialised dogs existence was over, and many feared that the breed would die out almost as soon as it had been created.

A Most Famous Flying Fellow

Fortunately, with all the surplus aircraft left over from the war, and the boom in popular aviation, the air spotter dog found itself a loyal companion, to barnstormers, amateur pilots, and pioneering aviators around the world.

Perhaps the most famous dog was that of aviatrix Kitty DeHavilland.

Icky accompanied Kitty on all of her solos flights, and was also noteworthy in enabling her to take place in the Venice to Athens seaplane race.

Prior to the start of the race, Kitty plane has been taken over by a flight of passing pelicans who thinking it a most excellent perch on which to take a breather, had plonked themselves down and prevente the aircraft from starting take off preparation.

Fortunately Icky was able to brave the battling birds and to finally shoo them off enabling Kitty to start the race.

Icky To The Rescue!

Although able to start the race, Kitty’s hopes of victory were thwarted when her engine cut out, forcing her to hand on the sea. Her bad luck was doubled when upon handing her seaplane hit a floating log, and the resulting damage caused it to sink.

Fortunately Icky was on hand to tow Kitty to safety.

Coat Variations

The first coat colour achieved was brown on top to camouflage the dog against the ground, with a white belly to match the sky. There is also a sandy coloured coat for desert use, an all-white one for winter, and the exceedingly rare dark blue for naval use.

The air-spotter dog definately has the keenest eyesight in the canine world, and it able to spot a far distant aircraft. However, One drawback of the breed is their tendency to bark at passing aircraft. This trai is so deeply engrained in them, that it is something that prospective owners have to take into account.

Flap Those Paws!

Today Air Spotter dogs can generally be found in high altitude locations, as they seem to fare badly closer to sea level. They can also be found enthusiastically taking place in bird and competitions around the world.

The Horizon Line

The owl and the pussy cat went to sea. Who knows where they’ll travel to and when we’ll see them again after they disappear over the horizon…..but first there has to be a horizon for them to disappear over…

Luckily puss had a paintbrush handy and could add a line for the horizon.

In this article we’re going to look at the horizon line.

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• What is the horizon line?

• Why is it important?

• Low Horizon line

• High horizon line

  After that you’ll get to practice with some images I provide, along with any of your own.

What Is The Horizon Line?

The horizon line is the point where the earth meets the sky.

It doesn’t have to be a straight line.

Why Is It Important?

Horizon line is a keystone  of perspective

It controls the height of the viewers eye when they’re looking at the cartoon.

It is used most commonly with  landscapes. 

However, it can be used in interior scenes.

It is always at eye level.

It determines where the viewer is looking from, whether its high up or close to the ground.

The actual horizon itself may not be visible.

It shows you the viewer what is interesting in the picture.

Low Horizon Line

Low horizon line puts the emphasis on the upper part of your drawing - the sky, the upper part of a building, a ceiling, tall person/animal etc

High Horizon Line

High horizon line puts the emphasis on the lower part of your drawing - the ground, floor, owner part of a person/animal.

Over To You

Here are some images you can add horizon lines. Experiment by adding them in different positions.

You can also play around with some of your own cartoons.

Summary

• The horizon line is a key part of perspective.

• Can be outdoors or indoors.

• It guides your viewer’s eye.

• Low horizon line emphasizes the the upper part of your drawing.

• High horizon line emphasizes on the lower part of your drawing.

Extra!

Can you spot the mistake in one of the cartoons?

Dr Nate Zinsser - A Battle-Tested Guide To Unshakeable Confidence

Here’s a set of Illustrated Podnotes I did to go with the episode where Chris talks with Dr. Nate Zinsser - A Battle-Tested Guide To Unshakeable Confidence

Dr. Nate Zinsser is the Director of West Point's Performance Psychology Program, a Mental Performance Coach and an author.

Having genuine faith in our abilities is a trait all of us want. To be able to step into our chosen arena and not only perform well but to do it without dreading that we'll fail. Nate has coached some of the US Army's best and brightest for 3 decades alongside world champion NBA, NHL, NFL and track & field stars to fulfil their potential and create true confidence.

You’ve got to be a workhorse, but match it with a racehorse.

Decide what’s important and allow your senses to flow into it - see how good you can be.

You don’t need to be perfect - you need to be excellent.

That which we practice is what we default to.

Get the last word in with your negative self.

It’s not your competence that’s holding you back, it’s your own sense of self.

Lesser-Known Dog Breeds - The Bone-Headed Goat Dog

The Bone-Headed Goat Dog was bred to herd goats in remote mountain regions.

Mountain goats can be particularly tough to handle, and thus an equally tough dog was required. The Goat dog is easily recognisable due to the pronounced bulge on the top of its skull. This enables the dog to go toe-for-toe, or rather butt-for-butt, with any goat trying to assert its authority.

The Most Stubborn Breed

Goats are renowned for their stubbornness, and many generations of hanging around with them has made the dog very stubborn indeed. Owners should be aware of what they’re getting into when considering the breed.

Are they a good match for equally stubborn people? That might depend on how much time you’ve got on your hands to take your pet out for a walk…

The High-Altitude Dog

Mountain goats are also renowned for their remarkable climbing ability. This trait too has rubbed off onto to the dog.

So much so that the breed has become a cult favourite amongst climbers, who have found the dogs thick skull to be very useful at knocking in climbing pitons.

For weekly cartooning tips, fill in your name and best email address to the orange box below.

Drawing Backgrounds With Simple Lines

Sally sells seashells sitting on the seashore. We can see Sally and her seashells, but where’s the seashore?

Has the tide gone out taking it with it?

In this article we’re going to create some simple outdoor backgrounds using simple lines.

The settings we’re going to feature are:

• The sea and seashore

• The countryside

• A country roadside

Take a moment and imagine what a really simple seashore would look like.

Even better, copy and paste the above picture and draw on in.

You may have drawn something like this:

As you can see, wavy lines are a widely recognized symbol for waves.

For simple line backgrounds you only have to provide enough detail to set the context, we fill in the rest with our experiences and imagination. A simple wavy line is enough to represent the sea, as we have seen that symbol to represent the sea many times before.

Sally Sketches The Skyline Standing In The Surf

Let’s think about what other simple lines could represent background features.

How could you show a row of trees?

Now try drawing three different rows of trees.

Schnauzer Splashs Sally In A Scenic Spot

Here Sally is doing a spot of dog walking in the country.

Without looking at any reference images, what would you draw to show the countryside?

Try to add the following using simple lines:

-A hedge row

-A row of Trees

-Some rolling hills

Now find some reference images and repeat the exercise.

I’ll show you my examples at the bottom of the page. Try it for yourself myself first before scrolling down. If you haven’t time to draw, at least imagine what it might look like.

Sally Steers A Speedster Skillfully

Now Sally is taking a spin accompanied by Dash the Spaniel.

Without looking at any reference images, what would you draw to show the countryside?

Try to add the following using simple lines:

-A hedge row

-A row of Trees

-Some rolling hills

Now find some reference images and repeat the exercise.

I’ll show you my examples at the bottom of the page. Try it for yourself myself first before scrolling down. If you haven’t time to draw, at least imagine what it might look like.

Over To You

Feel free to play around with adding backgrounds to the following images.

Here are two other articles on drawing backgrounds that you might find useful:

Summary

If you can draw straight, wavy or squiggly lines, then you can draw simple backgrounds - and sometimes a simple background is all you need.

For more cartooning tips, fill in the orange box at the bottom.

My Example Backgounds

Schnauzer Splashes Sally

Sally Steers The Speedster

For more cartooning tips, fill in the orange box below.

Louisa Nicola - How To Maximise Your Brain’s Performance

In this episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast, Chris talks with Louisa Nicola on how to maximise your brain’s performance.

Louisa Nicola is a Clinical Neuroscientist, Neurophysiologist and high performance coach.

Maximising performance isn't just about being as physically fit possible, it's ensuring that your brain is operating at its peak condition all the time. Louisa works with NBA superstars and trading floor managers to refine and enhance their brain function using the latest research.

You can’t have good brain health without having good balance.

Time in bed doesn’t equal time asleep.

Good fish oil should actually smell fishy.

You’re preparing for sleep the moment you wake up.

You need to be in bed for nine hours to get eight hours sleep - and no one’s in bed for nine hours.

Lesser-Known Dog Breeds - The Triple-Coated Mountain Dog

The Triple-Coated Mountain Dog - Truly the shaggiest of all dogs.

The Triple-Coated Mountain Dog is unique in the dog world in that it has a triple-layered coat, which enables it to endure the harshest of conditions. Bred to guard sheep in remote mountain areas against wolves and bears, this dog is able to bare the very worst of winter conditions without showing the slightest signs of discomfort.

The hairs on the Triple-Coated grow faster than any other breed of dog. Unfortunately the dogs also shed those hairs faster than any other breed. This means that most folks would find it very difficult to put up with the constant hair that the dogs leave behind them wherever they go. 

However for those not obsessed with having a perfectly clean home, there. Is a surprising benefit to the dogs supercharged shedding. Under icy conditions, owners have found that the the hairs left on the ground behind the dog enable them to get a suer grip on slippery roads.

Perhaps the biggest challenge though for someone considering Triple-Coated Mountain Dog ownership is trying to keep their pet sufficiently cooled.

Drawing Cartoon Backgrounds - From Simple To Complex

The owl and the pussycat went to sea…….well that’s maybe what they intended, but at the moment they seem to be stuck in some sort of backgroundless void…

Maybe the puss will pick up a pencil and the owl will grab some oil paints and together will create a background to go with their situation.

We’ll return to this pair later on.

In This article we’re going to look at creating some different backgrounds for cartoons, from using very simple lines to adding a lot more complexity.

Here’s what we’re going to cover.

1. Simple to complex

2. Complex to simple

3. Over to you - your turn to try!

We’ll start by looking at a cartoon and gradually adding complexity to the background. After than we’ll reverse the process and go from complex to simple with a different cartoon. Finally, there are a few characters for you to practice drawing backgrounds for.

I recommend pausing and answering the questions as you go along. You don’t have to try doodling all of the backgrounds, however, you could imagine how they might look.

Let’s start by taking a step ontodry land and quite a few steps back in time to see what Terence the T-Rex is getting up to.

Simple To Complex

Here Terrence is trying to scratch an annoying itch…made even more annoying by the fact that his arms can’t reach…Perhaps a passing Pterodactyl could pause and help him out…

You could use this image exactly as it is. However, let’s look at a simple background.

Before I show the one I drew, what do you think might work? Have a guess before you scroll down.

In a couple of seconds, I added a couple of lines to create a really simply background.

Now what could you add to the background to make it a little more complex?

It’s always good to throw a volcano into a Jurassic scene!

Could you add anything else?

I’ve added a few Jurassic trees, but to be honest I don’t think they’re really needed.

Here’s the colour version of the simple background. Colour instantly makes a background a bit more complex.

And the colour version of the detailed background. This is the one I ended up using.

As mentioned, I think that the Jurassic trees are a detail too much, which just goes to show that complex isn’t always the way to go.

Next we’re going to start off  with a different cartoon with a complex background and progressively strip out some of the detail.

Complex To Simple

Rui here is doing a spot of fishing. She hasn’t brought her phone with her, so she’s relying. On eel mail to keep in touch.

It can be a very rewarding experience to create complex backgrounds. However, sometimes that background can be in danger of overwhelming the main idea of the cartoon.

I really enjoyed creating the lush forest background, but I wondered if all the detail distracted away from the primary idea of the gag.

Let’s take a look at stripping away some of the detail step-by-step.

What detail would you remove?

Now let’s look at how a simplified background could work with the same cartoon.

Here I’ve kept just the one tree and added a simple hedge to act as a background. It was completed with a blue wash for the sky.

How else could you simplify the background?

For this one I extended the hedge up to the top of the frame.

If you were to only use a simple lien background, what would you draw?

I thought I’d end by trying a simple line background. I’m not sure that it’s a good fit for this particular style of cartoon.

Over To You

Let’s return now to the owl and the pussycat. They’re still backgroundless, and it looks like the cat has broken out the paints to render a portrait of the owl or perhaps a sea view. What will be in the background of the sea view?

That part is up to you!

Have a go at doodling a background for the cartoon. You can even try three differnt ones, going from simple to intermediate to complex in terms of detail.

Summary:

Here’s what we covered:

1. Simple to complex

2. Complex to simple

3. Over to you - you get to try.

Below are some additional characters for you to create backgrounds. Experiment with varying the complexity of the backgrounds.

Have fun!

Life Hacks - The Gym Edition

In this episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast, Chris talks with Jonny and Yusef from Propane Fitness.

Try to applying some of these ideas to non-gym situations as well.

Find a song that you cannot not get amped for.

Music can give us an amazing boost before or during when we need to get something done.

Have a sacred playlist that you listen to while you warm-up or train.

It can get to the point where you don’t even have to have the music actually playing for it to have an effect.

Your mood changes more pre and post workout than it does when you go to bed versus wake-up.

Try to train on the same days of the week at the same time.

You could apply this to almost anything you want to work on.

Instead of saying ‘I have to train’, say ‘I get to train.’ And remember

If I do this, it’s something that future me will thank me for.

Save Time By Reusing Backgrounds

Ocean liners have served as the backdrop for many intrigues, adventures, and romances over the years - some of which have been captured on film.

Imagine going to all the trouble of painting an ocean liner only for that paint job to serve for just a single voyage.

Now while you’re not likely to engage in much ship painting, you’ve probably created a few backgrounds only for them to be use once and then forgotten about.

In this article we’re going at how you can get the most out of a background you’ve gone to the trouble of creating, and how you can use that background for repeated cartoons.

Let’s look at an example featuring Percy the Pelican perching on a shop railing.

Here are the three main ideas we’re going to cover in this article:

1. Use the background exactly as it is.
2. Zoom in
3. Alter some details

1. Use the background exactly as it is

Here’s the background without any characters. Let’s look at a couple of examples where I used it exactly as it is above.

Percy appears again alongside a friend and Felix the fox.

Here we have a couple looking out at the ocean. What do you think she might be saying?

Over To You

What character/s could you draw on this background?

2. Zoom In

We’re now going to use the same background without any alteration, but to zoom in on one section.

Is there any particular part of the background that you could zoom in on?

This works bestfor backgrounds that have a bit of detail on them.

However, this can even work with more simple backgrounds, such as the above example.

Here’s Percy again.

Over To You

What character could you put on this background?

3. Alter Some Details

I’ve now modified the background to look like a railing by the seaside. The railing itself is still the same, I altered the ground swapping on the wooden planking of the ship’s deck for a concrete path. I also added a stormy sky and waves.

Here’s Suki and a Schnauzer.

Over To You

What characters could you add to this background?

Summary

We looked at three main ideas in this article:

1. Use it exactly as it is.
2. Zoom in
3. Alter some details

Some Additional Backgrounds For You To Use

Continuing with the nautical theme, here are three backgrounds you can try using for your own characters.

Johann Hari - Why You Can’t Pay Attention & Focus

Johann Hari - Why You Can’t Pay Attention & Focus.

Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Johann Hari - Why You Can’t Pay Attention & Focus

Dr Benjamin Hardy is an organisational psychologist and an author.

Johann Hari is a writer & a journalist.

You probably struggle to focus on the task you're doing. You probably wish that you could pay attention for longer and that you were less easily distracted. Why is this such a common problem? Is this a byproduct of the modern era? Technology? Social Media? Johann has travelled the world trying to work out what is going on.

Spotlight Attention

Attend to immediate tasks by filtering what’s around you.

Starlight Attention

Named because when you’re lost in the desert you look to the stars to navigate.

Daylight Attention

Named because you only see clearly when it’s flooded in daylight. How you even know what your long-term goals are.

Fractured Attention

Our attention is fractured into slithers so small we can’t get anything done.

Getting Small Children To Sit Still

We are the first human society ever who thinks it’s possible or sensible to get small children to sit still for eight hours a day.

No Normal Brains?

There’s no way you can have a normal brain today.

The Itching Powder Meditation

It’s like trying to meditate while someone is pouring itching powder on you.

Concentrate On One Thing

Slow down & concentrate on one thing. That’s a radical message in today’s world.

Hailstormed By Distraction

How do you begin to know what’s wrong if you’re constantly being hailstormed by distraction?

Dr Benjamin Hardy - A High Achievers’ Guide To Happiness

Dr Benjamin Hardy - A High Achievers’ Guide To Happiness.

Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Dr Benjamin Hardy - A High Achievers’ Guide To Happiness.

Dr Benjamin Hardy is an organisational psychologist and an author.

Many high achievers are unhappy because the same motivation which drives exceptional performance often also leads to feelings of insufficiency, jealousy and comparison. So how can driven people reframe their worldview to come from a place of gratitude and happiness, whilst still keeping that competitive edge?

Expect to learn how comparing your performance to your potential is a recipe for disaster, why success without happiness is a pointless pursuit, Ben's best triggers for realising when you've fallen into The Gap, how to protect yourself against complacency when feeling happy with your performance and much more...

None Of The Externals Matter If It’s Not What You Want

You’re Either Approaching Or Avoiding

It’s a lot easier to approach what you want than to avoid what you don’t.

The Gap And The Gain

Your Past Is A Fiction

You are the one making up the story about it.

Could, Should & Would Are All Gap

It Doesn’t Matter What Happened - It’s How You Frame & Measure It

Even If You Achieve…

If you achieve all society’s measures of success & you’re still not being who you truly want to be, then you can’t consider yourself to be a success.

Cartoon Clinic - Trainee Tamer

In this occasional series I look at a cartoon and how it can be improved.

Today I’m looking at a cartoon that I received some feedback on.

This cartoon was used to help illustrate a series of points covered during a Zoom call with Sean D’Souza of Psychotactics. One of the topics being discussed was how we can build confidence in students and clients.

The feedback I received is in bold italic.

Hm, you lost me on that last cartoon.

My reply: The idea was to start off with mice to build confidence and then work the way up to lions.

I guess the fact that the guy wasn't in an outfit or didn't have anything that would have to do with a lion, is likely the reason. For one, a cat might be logical rather than a rat. And secondly he needed to be in costume. Finally, he needs to be doing what he would do with real lions—but instead with a cat.

Version II.

Taking onboard the feedback, I did this second version. After I completed it I started thinking about if there was anything else I could improve.

I thought that the bright red jackets might be distracting attention away from the main focal point of the cartoon - the cat.

Version III.

So I tried this version, making the cat a brighter orange, and giving the other characters grey oufits, as well as graying the pedestal.

Final Version.

The grey outfits didn’t seem ‘showy’ enough for a lion tamer, so I instead opted to reduce the brightness of the red jackets instead. I also made the pedestal blue to contrast with the orange of the cat.

Over To You

How about taking a look over some of your own cartoons and see if there is anything you can change. Here are a few ideas to think about.

• What is the main focal point of the cartoon?

• Does anything distract the viewers eye away from the focal point?

• Could a character or object be swapped out for another more effective one?

Have fun cartooning!

Rich Diviney - How To Perform Like A Navy Seal

Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Rich Diviney - How To Perform Like A Navy Seal.

Here is the introduction that accompanied the podcast:

Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL Commander and an author.

The Navy Seals are one of the most hardened military groups in the world. During 13 tours and over a decade of service, Rich researched and tested his favourite ways to improve and enhance the mental and physical performance of himself and his unit.

Task switching takes up a lot of energy, which is why when it happens a lot we feel exhausted.

We feel stress and anxiety because out body is being overdosed with carbon dioxide.

UnJaded Jade

Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Unjaded Jade - How To Study For Any Exam.

Jade Bowler is a YouTuber and an author.

It's weird that we spend the first 18 years of our lives desperately trying to study and revise for exams, but no one ever actually teaches us how to study or revise. Thankfully Jade is kind of a professional nerd and StudyTuber, and today she breaks down exactly what science says are the best ways to own an exam.

The second you hear someone’s name, try to associate something with it.

Get good at estimating how long it takes you to do things.

Sanctity of space.

Take a step back and put into perspective with the grand scheme of your life.

Environmental triggers prime you.

Reduce the number of steps between doing what you’re doing now and doing the thing you want to do.

James Nestor - Change Your Breath, Change Your Life

Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - James Nestor - Change your Breath, Change Your Life.

Here is the introducti0n that accompanied the podcast:

James Nestor is a journalist and an author.

We get more energy from our breath than we do from food or hydration or sleep. And yet most people have never considered assessing how properly they breathe. Thankfully James has spent years speaking to the world's leading researchers, breathwork teachers, monks and free divers to find out exactly what we need to know.

In our industrialised modern living environmnet we have to reacquaint ourselves with breath.

Breathe through your nose.

Snoring is not natural.

Extreme sports are a forcing function for presence.

Breathing is the most direct window into the autonomic nervous system.

Here’s the link if you want to check out the podcast:

Drawing: Differences Between Canines And Feline Anatomy

I recently ran the Cartooning Canines - How To Draw Cartoon Dogs Course.

One of the folks on the course asked about if some of the ideas could be applied to animals other than dogs, so I thought it would be useful if I put together an articles exploring this. I decided to focus on the similarities and differences between canines and felines.

Before we go any further, what do you think are some of the the similarities and differences between canines and felines?

Try to list at least three.

*

*

*

Leopards and Shepherds

For this comparison I’m going to use a German Shepherd and a Leopard. They’re roughly the same size, and the names rhyme!

For domestic cats, you can simply scale down the leopard in size. Don’t forget to swap out the more rounded ears of big cats For the triangular ones of family pets.

There are of course so many different breeds of dogs with a variety of shapes and sizes. This will help you to draw a generic dog shape, and you can then look at images different breeds to personalize them further.

Comparison of Canines & Feline Form

Canines

• Back is relatively straight.

• Muzzle is longer on most canines than on felines.

• Legs are thinner on canines than on felines.

• Toes are more slender than on a cat.

• The rear leg shape is basically the same.

Felines

• Back slopes up towards haunches.

• Muzzle is shorter on most felines than canines.

• Legs are stockier on cats.

• Cats toes are rounder than a canines.

• The rear leg shape is basically the same.

With the overlays you can see the differences and similarities more clearly.