Male and female griffins

A reader commented on my last blog post about how I make my female and male griffins look different.

Actually, I cheat. Here’s how:

Female griffins always have falcon characteristics: large eyes, small eyebrow, small beak.

Male griffins always have eagle characteristics: comparatively smaller eyes, a heavier eyebrow, and a larger beak.

I just slap the appropriate species color over the design, and to quote Homestar, “No one will be the wisor.”

In cartoons, men always have small eyes and larger, more square features. Women have big eyes, and tiny noses and mouths, and their features are rounded. Mimicking those rules in a “realistic” drawing, no matter how faintly, will get across an idea of gender if your viewer looks at it long enough.