Height From Ground to Neck-Thorax Pivot

Most of ungulates (hoofed animals) are grazing animals, and while standing high above the ground is beneficial in avoiding being preyed upon, their bodies also need a highly efficient mechanism in order to sustain long hours of standing and grazing (thus the “stay apparatus” – which should be a topic for another day!).

Being aware of these constraints is an excellent starting point for creature designing: enters a formula as shown in our today’s animal drawing tip 🤠. For the Pythagorean fans in our followers, keep in mind that this so-called formula is an “artistic” one 🤭.

What good knowing a formula does, you asked? Well, it allows you freely (to an extent) tweak the factors while keeping things sensible. For example, your herbivorous creature may have a larger head, and then its neck doesn’t need to be as long to reach the ground with its legs standing straight; and vice versa, another hoofed creature design of a much smaller head will need a larger neck length to justify its lifestyle!