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Description
I've slaved really hard on this for the past week - if this doesn't aid in increasing fanart for the Baron, then nothing will.
Anyhow, ever since I heard that he's a difficult character to draw for many, it's about time I started dishing out the secrets. I didn't necessarily use all the techniques at once for my own doodles, but they're all there if you want them.
I would have wanted to put in the tutorial text in the picture, just like I did with "Computer Drawing for Numskulls", but that would just exceed the site's bandwidth. Instead, I've put down the text you need underneath this description.

Anyhow, have fun getting into it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOW TO DRAW BARON PRAXIS
A character tutorial by Rexy
-------------------------------------

The cast of Jak II have always been seen as fun characters in their own right, and over time a strong fan base started to grow for the main characters within the game. Across DeviantArt, we have a strong collection of fan art of not only Jak and Daxter, but also for the newer characters like Torn, Sig, Erol, Ashelin et al.
Being one of the few supporters of the Baron, I often wondered why there was a lack of fan art for the game's main villain. Most of the reasons I heard was based upon the fact that he's "so hard to draw". But never fear - this guide will show all the tricks needed to create an accurate enough interpretation to match with Naughty Dog's artists.
All the steps in this guide refer to a section of the image above. Be sure to analyze the text and the picture carefully.

Step 1
As usually done in character designs, you start with a human wire frame to plot out the basic dimensions of where everything is. As his name implies, he's seen as a majestic figure, so this means having his body just over three times as long as his head and twice as wide. His hand proportions should be just as big as his head, and the limbs are basically two thick sausages leading down from his shoulders to the hip area (arms) or from the bottom of the body base towards near the bottom of your drawing space (legs). The feet here are generally shown as cuboid outlines, depending on the angle you place them. And as typically shown in Jak characters, he has a pair of ears that should point up slightly and end in parallel with the edges of the body base.

Step 2a
Now that we got the wire frame down, it's time we add in the details. Divide his headspace into three thirds - these thirds have been shown more clearly by the black pixels. The top third is where the detail for the top faceplates should go - just draw two lines from the top of his head curving down in parallel with the vertical guideline. The placement for the yellow gem on the plates should be shown as a roughly square space. Four humps should also be drawn onto the top of his head to show the four pipe connections leading onto him.
The second third down is the eye area. You can draw the right one naturally, starting with the skin areas that border the eye... or as much as I hate to call them, the eyelashes. The left side is a bit more tricky - 2 fifths of the picture are brought onto a rectangular portion near the ear (do note that it slightly overlaps the second horizontal guideline), and the other 3 fifths is basically a square area with its bottom corner cut off - that is practically the position of the wounded left eye. Draw a circle along the vertical guideline and the second horizontal guideline to show the area for his nose.
Going onto the final third, we see that his moustache has line connections from the sides of the nose area that slightly slope down over to the bottom right corner of the rectangle near the left eye (left) or to the right hand side of his face (right). The lines underneath it should almost run in parallel with those above, and begin from the bottom left corner of the rectangle area (left) and the same position on the face where the top right line ended (right). His goatee is basically a curved squashed V shape positioned at the bottom of the face area.
Finish off this section by looking into his ears. The right shows a line leading from the tip down to the top "eyelash". The left one has a similar line effect leading from the tip towards a place halfway up the rectangular section but also has placements for a metallic clip onto it. The section on the top leads up to halfway up the ear, where two smaller rectangles are shown to represent the clip area. Also, put down a rectangle the same size as the one above, but it leads two thirds up the inner ear section.

Step 2b
You can see that the detail's slowly coming together. Back on the top third, you see that the far left and right humps have been extended to have claw-like connections upon the head area. The middle two also have them, but are blocked by the positions of the plate running down towards the placement for the yellow gem - that in effect is a circle trapped by another circle. He also has a few dents upon the left hand side of this section - don't be afraid to slip them in. And right above the eye is another rectangle leading from the gem towards the right hand side of the face area. There's another to the left, but that's placed slightly lower.
The second third shows the eye in more detail - surely you know how to draw them yourself. The rectangular area close to the left ear has been broken down into two rectangles of the same size, but the left one is slightly longer than the other. And the metallic eye area shows another pipe connection - it starts off in parallel with the right eye, and as soon as it reaches the rectangle area it curves up and gets tucked behind the ear. Also add in a small line to show the claw-like connection for that part. His nose is also shown in more detail - it's a rectangle shape with two small curved squares placed to either side of it.
The final third has barely changed much - just draw a mouth between the moustache and the goatee. Also connect two lines from either side of the moustache sloping down towards the goatee, therefore defining his chin area.
You can also note down that I added his neck plate into here - the position from the front extend down from the goatee for two thirds of the length of his head. The tips curve up towards the top of the body area, and once there the lines go straight up for about a centimeter. The basic positions of the top part of the plate is shown in the shape of an ellipse.

Step 3a/3b
One body part down, a bunch to go. The next area of focus should be brought upon his arms. You can see a few basic shapes showing the individual areas on his top limbs - his shoulder pads are just a pair of squashed bread loafs which come in parallel from the neck plates. Note that on the right hand side there is a small rectangle with three humps - that represents a part of his red cape.
On his left arm there's a placement for a metallic plate - see how it's almost a trapezium in nature, but it looks more curved in nature and that there's a sharp claw-like point on the top left hand corner. Two curved rectangles are used to represent the straps that tie the plate into position.
Underneath the top left curved rectangle is a placement for the trim area, as showcased by a curved square. Note that on the left arm some of that area has been covered by the metallic plate, and on the right arm it shows a more trapezium-based formation and has a small rectangle underneath to show a hint of clothing sticking out.
And both sides hold the hand placements - the base of it is a squashed circle that takes up roughly a quarter of the hand's drawing space. And placed on top of them are five sausages onto either one - see that the shape representing the thumb is positioned higher up than the other four fingers, as represented by the remaining shapes.

Step 3c/3d
Once the basic shapes are shown, it's time to define the details. The shoulder pads have been given rounded "corners" to show the harsher structures on them - also note the positions of the white stripes on them and their proportions onto the pads. Added underneath the left pad is a thick curve for another part of the cave, complete with a few humps to the left to add to the folds.
The metallic plate has also been enhanced by adding in the same lines for it inside the shape, in a similar effect to the gem on his head.
The right hand side elbow has also been shown more clearly by the use of two fold lines - they do not connect onto the outline, but should add more clarity to his clothing.
The trim areas haven't been altered much, but on the right trim you can see a few slits to add more to the detail.
The hand placements have been broadened upon by adding more of an outline around the guidelines - not much detail has been shown here other than the possible shape of a fingernail on the right hand.

Step 4a
Now we should take a look into some room for the body. This is a more complex area than the others, so it helps to break this down into three sections - the chest (red), the waist (green) and the hip-area (blue).
Starting with the chest area, draw two circles - both of them between one shoulder pad and its corresponding side of the neck plate - to show the buckles for his cape. The main bulk of that fabric is a stretched U shape with humps to show their folds over to the other side of the body. Tucked inside the main fabrics of the neck plate is a curved square - that should hold a grate later on. Also tucked away inside it is two small lines that run on the same path as his moustache - that shows the depth of the neck plate itself. Then add two circles at either side of the cape to finish off this section.
The waist isn't as complex as it looks. There's a sash that leads from underneath the cape to the left hand side, which in turn has been placed over a large rectangular area that outstretches across the stomach. It should roughly be as wide as the head. Placed onto the sash itself is a stretched rounded octagon, which should represent his trademark symbol. That has been broken down into a few guidelines too - two vertical lines go down, making sure that the middle area is as wide as both ends put together. At the top of the badge is a circle that slightly overlaps both lines, with a smaller stretched ellipse to represent the red dot on the symbol's head.
The hip area can be a bit tricky, but should be paid close attention to if done right. Underneath the emblem area, there should be a small square to show the fabric that holds the ends of his clothing in place. They in turn fold down over his thighs - and slightly underneath his hands - before forming a split right behind him. Note the thickness of the trim gradually increasing as it gets further down. Towards the right hand side of the square fabric is a rounded rectangle sloping down - that's the strap holding his sword in place. You can also see that along the trim are three rectangles that show three more buckle areas to either side, each of which at an equal distance to one another. However, this little artist did the odd mistake and forgot to put in the buckles on the right. ^_^;

Step 4b
After adding in the basic areas, it's time to enhance them. Starting from the chest, the circular buckles have been given another circle inside them both to make them more rounded. This technique has also been applied to the buttons near the cape, but the inner circles are placed closer towards the top left of the outer circle. The cape itself has been broadened upon by the use of short straight lines to add to the realism of the fabric. The curved square providing the grater has been given four long vertical rectangles, and note that by seeing through the empty space you can provide a small line near the top of the rectangles to define on the "collar" of his body suit slightly.
Going down towards the waist, the rectangular area going across his stomach has been expanded by the addition of a thinner rectangle tucked away inside it. The details for his emblem have also come together - a small pointed rectangle is shown on top of it, followed by the head itself - note that two curved "evil" eyes are shown underneath the ellipse, and that a chin-like shape has formed out of the guidelines - and a sequence of other shapes. They are a horizontal ellipse, an extended "frowning" curve with rounded "points" on either side, and a stretched upside-down trapezium.
The hip area has also been broadened upon. The square fabric has been added more realism by the use of vertical straight lines going inside it and the addition of four humps at the bottom, in a similar fashion to the cape. The trim has gone untouched, but the buckles going across them have been expanded by adding circles onto both ends of each individual one. Optionally you can add another circle inside the "buttons" to make them more rounded.

Step 5a
Let's move onto the legs. They may look complex to begin with, but they're not really that hard.
Underneath the trim and square fabric is a flap of clothing with two buttons and a small trim applied to it. They cover up the crotch area, which just as well adds to the appeal of the character. ^_^;
The main feature on his legs are a pair of giant boots which start from the toes and cover up to the kneecaps - the bottom parts of the thigh area. The soles on the shoes are as thick as the straps for his armor plates. Speaking of which, two more are tied onto both of the shoes - one at the top of the garment, and the other covering the "ceiling" of the foot area. Between the two plates of armor there is a fastening strap that curves down towards the heel - be sure to note the pointed buckle locked into place. There are also two trapezium-shaped armored tips onto them, each of them with two spikes curving upwards.
Between the boots and the clothing flap are the rest of his legs. Just draw the basic lines in to define the features more.

Step 5b
Now it's time to define the details. The buttons on the clothing flap have been given an additional circle to add to the 3D effect for them. The exposed portions of the legs between the flap and the boots have been expanded to form his pants - there should be some amount of fabric folds within there, but not to excess like the cape. The armor on his boots have been given an inner shape to round them off, but whatever you do, do not provide an inner shape to the spikes on the toe plate - that would just flatten them. It can be possible to provide a small buckle near the top armor on the right hand side boot if you want more detail recognition.

Step 6a/6b
You can't have the Baron without his trademark sword, can't you? He either uses it for fighting or keeps a hold of it by his sword strap, and for this drawing instance we'll follow the gesture for the latter scenario.
The handle for his sword is a sausage shape that's slightly longer than his face. Another sausage is positioned at a right angle underneath it - that shows the safety guard for the handle itself. Two ellipses are positioned underneath it to show the trim of the sword's pocket, which extends down between the tops of both of his boots. The end of the pocket is a rounded arrow shape.

Step 6c/6d
And now we can see to the details. The very top of the handle holds a cone with its point cut off, with a ring surrounding its base. Near the top are four small curved triangles, which in turn add some detail to the sword. At the bottom of the handle is another ring, which locks the two holdable parts of the sword together.
The bottom of the sword pocket shows a curve leading from both sides, and right down the middle of the pocket is a pointed triangle that overlaps that line but doesn't touch the outline.

Step 7
If you followed the instructions close enough, then you should get a sketch that closely resembles this one. Don't panic if you wanted to try drawing him in a different pose - the portions should still be the same.

Step 8
Now take out a pen and highlight the main details. That should soon bring you with enough room to rub out the guidelines and see the finished line art.

Step 9
Finally, color it in! For this case I used Crayola markers, but any coloring medium can be used.

And there you have it - you can now draw Baron Praxis like a pro! If you followed the instructions close enough, then you'll be one step closer to adding more to the character's art base. If you do choose to provide fan art for him, then be sure to remember the golden rule - have fun. ^_^

[This character drawing tutorial is © Rexy 2004. Baron Praxis is © Naughty Dog 2003-2004. All rights reserved.]

Description
I've slaved really hard on this for the past week - if this doesn't aid in increasing fanart for the Baron, then nothing will.
Anyhow, ever since I heard that he's a difficult character to draw for many, it's about time I started dishing out the secrets. I didn't necessarily use all the techniques at once for my own doodles, but they're all there if you want them.
I would have wanted to put in the tutorial text in the picture, just like I did with "Computer Drawing for Numskulls", but that would just exceed the site's bandwidth. Instead, I've put down the text you need underneath this description.

Anyhow, have fun getting into it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOW TO DRAW BARON PRAXIS
A character tutorial by Rexy
-------------------------------------

The cast of Jak II have always been seen as fun characters in their own right, and over time a strong fan base started to grow for the main characters within the game. Across DeviantArt, we have a strong collection of fan art of not only Jak and Daxter, but also for the newer characters like Torn, Sig, Erol, Ashelin et al.
Being one of the few supporters of the Baron, I often wondered why there was a lack of fan art for the game's main villain. Most of the reasons I heard was based upon the fact that he's "so hard to draw". But never fear - this guide will show all the tricks needed to create an accurate enough interpretation to match with Naughty Dog's artists.
All the steps in this guide refer to a section of the image above. Be sure to analyze the text and the picture carefully.

Step 1
As usually done in character designs, you start with a human wire frame to plot out the basic dimensions of where everything is. As his name implies, he's seen as a majestic figure, so this means having his body just over three times as long as his head and twice as wide. His hand proportions should be just as big as his head, and the limbs are basically two thick sausages leading down from his shoulders to the hip area (arms) or from the bottom of the body base towards near the bottom of your drawing space (legs). The feet here are generally shown as cuboid outlines, depending on the angle you place them. And as typically shown in Jak characters, he has a pair of ears that should point up slightly and end in parallel with the edges of the body base.

Step 2a
Now that we got the wire frame down, it's time we add in the details. Divide his headspace into three thirds - these thirds have been shown more clearly by the black pixels. The top third is where the detail for the top faceplates should go - just draw two lines from the top of his head curving down in parallel with the vertical guideline. The placement for the yellow gem on the plates should be shown as a roughly square space. Four humps should also be drawn onto the top of his head to show the four pipe connections leading onto him.
The second third down is the eye area. You can draw the right one naturally, starting with the skin areas that border the eye... or as much as I hate to call them, the eyelashes. The left side is a bit more tricky - 2 fifths of the picture are brought onto a rectangular portion near the ear (do note that it slightly overlaps the second horizontal guideline), and the other 3 fifths is basically a square area with its bottom corner cut off - that is practically the position of the wounded left eye. Draw a circle along the vertical guideline and the second horizontal guideline to show the area for his nose.
Going onto the final third, we see that his moustache has line connections from the sides of the nose area that slightly slope down over to the bottom right corner of the rectangle near the left eye (left) or to the right hand side of his face (right). The lines underneath it should almost run in parallel with those above, and begin from the bottom left corner of the rectangle area (left) and the same position on the face where the top right line ended (right). His goatee is basically a curved squashed V shape positioned at the bottom of the face area.
Finish off this section by looking into his ears. The right shows a line leading from the tip down to the top "eyelash". The left one has a similar line effect leading from the tip towards a place halfway up the rectangular section but also has placements for a metallic clip onto it. The section on the top leads up to halfway up the ear, where two smaller rectangles are shown to represent the clip area. Also, put down a rectangle the same size as the one above, but it leads two thirds up the inner ear section.

Step 2b
You can see that the detail's slowly coming together. Back on the top third, you see that the far left and right humps have been extended to have claw-like connections upon the head area. The middle two also have them, but are blocked by the positions of the plate running down towards the placement for the yellow gem - that in effect is a circle trapped by another circle. He also has a few dents upon the left hand side of this section - don't be afraid to slip them in. And right above the eye is another rectangle leading from the gem towards the right hand side of the face area. There's another to the left, but that's placed slightly lower.
The second third shows the eye in more detail - surely you know how to draw them yourself. The rectangular area close to the left ear has been broken down into two rectangles of the same size, but the left one is slightly longer than the other. And the metallic eye area shows another pipe connection - it starts off in parallel with the right eye, and as soon as it reaches the rectangle area it curves up and gets tucked behind the ear. Also add in a small line to show the claw-like connection for that part. His nose is also shown in more detail - it's a rectangle shape with two small curved squares placed to either side of it.
The final third has barely changed much - just draw a mouth between the moustache and the goatee. Also connect two lines from either side of the moustache sloping down towards the goatee, therefore defining his chin area.
You can also note down that I added his neck plate into here - the position from the front extend down from the goatee for two thirds of the length of his head. The tips curve up towards the top of the body area, and once there the lines go straight up for about a centimeter. The basic positions of the top part of the plate is shown in the shape of an ellipse.

Step 3a/3b
One body part down, a bunch to go. The next area of focus should be brought upon his arms. You can see a few basic shapes showing the individual areas on his top limbs - his shoulder pads are just a pair of squashed bread loafs which come in parallel from the neck plates. Note that on the right hand side there is a small rectangle with three humps - that represents a part of his red cape.
On his left arm there's a placement for a metallic plate - see how it's almost a trapezium in nature, but it looks more curved in nature and that there's a sharp claw-like point on the top left hand corner. Two curved rectangles are used to represent the straps that tie the plate into position.
Underneath the top left curved rectangle is a placement for the trim area, as showcased by a curved square. Note that on the left arm some of that area has been covered by the metallic plate, and on the right arm it shows a more trapezium-based formation and has a small rectangle underneath to show a hint of clothing sticking out.
And both sides hold the hand placements - the base of it is a squashed circle that takes up roughly a quarter of the hand's drawing space. And placed on top of them are five sausages onto either one - see that the shape representing the thumb is positioned higher up than the other four fingers, as represented by the remaining shapes.

Step 3c/3d
Once the basic shapes are shown, it's time to define the details. The shoulder pads have been given rounded "corners" to show the harsher structures on them - also note the positions of the white stripes on them and their proportions onto the pads. Added underneath the left pad is a thick curve for another part of the cave, complete with a few humps to the left to add to the folds.
The metallic plate has also been enhanced by adding in the same lines for it inside the shape, in a similar effect to the gem on his head.
The right hand side elbow has also been shown more clearly by the use of two fold lines - they do not connect onto the outline, but should add more clarity to his clothing.
The trim areas haven't been altered much, but on the right trim you can see a few slits to add more to the detail.
The hand placements have been broadened upon by adding more of an outline around the guidelines - not much detail has been shown here other than the possible shape of a fingernail on the right hand.

Step 4a
Now we should take a look into some room for the body. This is a more complex area than the others, so it helps to break this down into three sections - the chest (red), the waist (green) and the hip-area (blue).
Starting with the chest area, draw two circles - both of them between one shoulder pad and its corresponding side of the neck plate - to show the buckles for his cape. The main bulk of that fabric is a stretched U shape with humps to show their folds over to the other side of the body. Tucked inside the main fabrics of the neck plate is a curved square - that should hold a grate later on. Also tucked away inside it is two small lines that run on the same path as his moustache - that shows the depth of the neck plate itself. Then add two circles at either side of the cape to finish off this section.
The waist isn't as complex as it looks. There's a sash that leads from underneath the cape to the left hand side, which in turn has been placed over a large rectangular area that outstretches across the stomach. It should roughly be as wide as the head. Placed onto the sash itself is a stretched rounded octagon, which should represent his trademark symbol. That has been broken down into a few guidelines too - two vertical lines go down, making sure that the middle area is as wide as both ends put together. At the top of the badge is a circle that slightly overlaps both lines, with a smaller stretched ellipse to represent the red dot on the symbol's head.
The hip area can be a bit tricky, but should be paid close attention to if done right. Underneath the emblem area, there should be a small square to show the fabric that holds the ends of his clothing in place. They in turn fold down over his thighs - and slightly underneath his hands - before forming a split right behind him. Note the thickness of the trim gradually increasing as it gets further down. Towards the right hand side of the square fabric is a rounded rectangle sloping down - that's the strap holding his sword in place. You can also see that along the trim are three rectangles that show three more buckle areas to either side, each of which at an equal distance to one another. However, this little artist did the odd mistake and forgot to put in the buckles on the right. ^_^;

Step 4b
After adding in the basic areas, it's time to enhance them. Starting from the chest, the circular buckles have been given another circle inside them both to make them more rounded. This technique has also been applied to the buttons near the cape, but the inner circles are placed closer towards the top left of the outer circle. The cape itself has been broadened upon by the use of short straight lines to add to the realism of the fabric. The curved square providing the grater has been given four long vertical rectangles, and note that by seeing through the empty space you can provide a small line near the top of the rectangles to define on the "collar" of his body suit slightly.
Going down towards the waist, the rectangular area going across his stomach has been expanded by the addition of a thinner rectangle tucked away inside it. The details for his emblem have also come together - a small pointed rectangle is shown on top of it, followed by the head itself - note that two curved "evil" eyes are shown underneath the ellipse, and that a chin-like shape has formed out of the guidelines - and a sequence of other shapes. They are a horizontal ellipse, an extended "frowning" curve with rounded "points" on either side, and a stretched upside-down trapezium.
The hip area has also been broadened upon. The square fabric has been added more realism by the use of vertical straight lines going inside it and the addition of four humps at the bottom, in a similar fashion to the cape. The trim has gone untouched, but the buckles going across them have been expanded by adding circles onto both ends of each individual one. Optionally you can add another circle inside the "buttons" to make them more rounded.

Step 5a
Let's move onto the legs. They may look complex to begin with, but they're not really that hard.
Underneath the trim and square fabric is a flap of clothing with two buttons and a small trim applied to it. They cover up the crotch area, which just as well adds to the appeal of the character. ^_^;
The main feature on his legs are a pair of giant boots which start from the toes and cover up to the kneecaps - the bottom parts of the thigh area. The soles on the shoes are as thick as the straps for his armor plates. Speaking of which, two more are tied onto both of the shoes - one at the top of the garment, and the other covering the "ceiling" of the foot area. Between the two plates of armor there is a fastening strap that curves down towards the heel - be sure to note the pointed buckle locked into place. There are also two trapezium-shaped armored tips onto them, each of them with two spikes curving upwards.
Between the boots and the clothing flap are the rest of his legs. Just draw the basic lines in to define the features more.

Step 5b
Now it's time to define the details. The buttons on the clothing flap have been given an additional circle to add to the 3D effect for them. The exposed portions of the legs between the flap and the boots have been expanded to form his pants - there should be some amount of fabric folds within there, but not to excess like the cape. The armor on his boots have been given an inner shape to round them off, but whatever you do, do not provide an inner shape to the spikes on the toe plate - that would just flatten them. It can be possible to provide a small buckle near the top armor on the right hand side boot if you want more detail recognition.

Step 6a/6b
You can't have the Baron without his trademark sword, can't you? He either uses it for fighting or keeps a hold of it by his sword strap, and for this drawing instance we'll follow the gesture for the latter scenario.
The handle for his sword is a sausage shape that's slightly longer than his face. Another sausage is positioned at a right angle underneath it - that shows the safety guard for the handle itself. Two ellipses are positioned underneath it to show the trim of the sword's pocket, which extends down between the tops of both of his boots. The end of the pocket is a rounded arrow shape.

Step 6c/6d
And now we can see to the details. The very top of the handle holds a cone with its point cut off, with a ring surrounding its base. Near the top are four small curved triangles, which in turn add some detail to the sword. At the bottom of the handle is another ring, which locks the two holdable parts of the sword together.
The bottom of the sword pocket shows a curve leading from both sides, and right down the middle of the pocket is a pointed triangle that overlaps that line but doesn't touch the outline.

Step 7
If you followed the instructions close enough, then you should get a sketch that closely resembles this one. Don't panic if you wanted to try drawing him in a different pose - the portions should still be the same.

Step 8
Now take out a pen and highlight the main details. That should soon bring you with enough room to rub out the guidelines and see the finished line art.

Step 9
Finally, color it in! For this case I used Crayola markers, but any coloring medium can be used.

And there you have it - you can now draw Baron Praxis like a pro! If you followed the instructions close enough, then you'll be one step closer to adding more to the character's art base. If you do choose to provide fan art for him, then be sure to remember the golden rule - have fun. ^_^

[This character drawing tutorial is © Rexy 2004. Baron Praxis is © Naughty Dog 2003-2004. All rights reserved.]