Peryton

I made this drawing of a peryton (a mythical creature that had somehow flown under my radar despite my longtime interest in creatures) as part of the prize for the The Shadows that Rush Past contest I held on my blog earlier this year.

For paper-space and aesthetic reasons, the wings are relatively small. They certainly could not realistically lift a powerful creature like this, especially with his heavy antlers. I think he should get a pass, though, since he's a magical creature.

For a great exercise in imagining how a winged fantasy animal like this would need to look in order to achieve flight, check out Terryl Whitlatch's drawing of a pegasus with massive wings. The discussion that follows is also worth a read.