(click for larger version)
Since it seems that essentially all variations on the archetypal creature known as dragon have already been illustrated at one point or another, I thought I’d base this one a bit heavily on an iguana. Not that I’m saying this hasn’t also been done before, but I’m fairly certain it has been done a bit less than some of the other types.
As Rachel was quick to point out regarding the problem with drawing trees (in the previous post), “Dead and/or leafless trees are easier and more interesting.” This is quite true, of course.
However, it also works as a general rule of thumb for other subjects. Cats, for instance.
I’ve come to realize that trees do not lend themselves well to accurate sketches (without spending an undue amount of time on them, that is). For even if you’re looking straight at the thing during the moments when you’re not bent over your sketch pad, the only mental notes you can ever take back to your drawing hand are things like: “The edge kind of gets really wiggly about here… and then there’s that lumpy darkish bit below the squiggly mottled lightish bit just to the right of that extension with the blots of leafiness at odd intervals.”
And so you sort of improvise within the confines of that general description, until you end up with something that does, in fact, look like a tree, and would probably even have a similar shape as the subject. Though if the tree ever managed to get a good look at its supposed portrait, it would probably give you a fairly condescending bit of glowering and stomp off in a huff.
Leaving you to wonder how in the world it had just done that.
This one’s just to make sure you guys don’t think I’m going soft since I haven’t really posted any disturbing pictures lately.
So here, folks, you can see what would probably work best as a bit of concept art for Revenge of the Velveteen Rabbit.
Besides being the perfect title for a children’s book, this also demonstrates that the only somewhat-appropriately named flying dragons are not the only lizards capable of a gliding flight. Tokay geckos are also known to indulge in the sport from time to time.
While searching through my overcrowded pictures folder to find the drawing I wanted to post this time (I couldn’t actually remember what I had named it.), I came accross this one, which was apparently a denizen of one of my school notebooks circa 2001.
Graduate school makes you remember how nice it is to not have homework. Well, not like I ever forgot, but we can at least say it’s a nice reminder. Or a not very nice reminder. Whatever.
So I figure being sick is maybe a good enough reason to slack off on one’s blog for a day or so, but much longer than that, and all my hundreds of loyal readers might start going into depressive withdrawal. Now I wouldn’t want that to happen, especiallly since any suicides would deplete my fan base. So I now present to you: Wadded-Up Kleenex!
Okay, so a while back I came up with this random image in my head, which, after a few iterations, became what you see above. I have to admit though, I didn’t really ever figure out what this particular barn owl might be doing with this specific wand.
So anyway, I thought this might be a good time to try a bit of reverse illustration, in which you get to give the “original” bit of story (a paragraph or two) in which the pictured event happens. I suppose you could think of it as concise fan fiction, but with less fawning over Sirius Black (or so one hopes).
And while we’re on the subject of wands, It’s interesting how precisely evil You-Know-Who’s looks. I wonder if Ollivander made one like that every once in a while just to keep from discriminating against certain types of wizards. I can just imagine Tom Riddle getting his wand…
Tom: Actually… er, I was wondering if I could take a look at your Artful Devilry™ and Brimming with Evilness™ collections…