So it turns out that when you add a big scaly hand to your drawing, you have to figure out how to draw scales. Did these "studies" in preparation for the gryphon picture.

A sketchbook page showing several variations of cylindrical shapes with scaly textures. These vary in the size, shape, and irregularity of the scales and the intensity of the light and shadow.

In most cases, the cylindrical nature of the samples is implied through the lighting, but for a few of them, the cylinder is more clearly drawn with ends visible. Two of the more strongly lit/shadowed samples have cartoon flashlights indicating the light source/direction.

"Studies" might not be the right word since they're not directly from life or reference. (The number of perfectly cylindrical lizards in my area turns out to be pretty small.) Oh well.