As the brief said, we're going Halloween/Horror themed this month. I've put together a source board for inspo', based off my choices as well as a bit of general mood. I'm going for a preternatural being/beast companionship less harmonious and more subservient. Going off 'Ghost' and 'Spider' I've looked at the old or weeping woman myths, and ambush spider types like the Funnel Web and Trap Door spiders.
Mythological Inspo'
~Daurg Due
~Bean Nighe
~Banshee
~Phooka
~The Ballad of Alison Gross
You've got a spider lover here!
Cool sketches, well readable even at this rough stage.
Based on what I've seen in your SB, if you take it further you're going to rock this challenge!
Thanks Neo, I'm still working on thumbs for the spider - I don't want to just draw a giant scary spider. Hopefully these scribbles are as readable for the Banshee - still don't like digital drawing - but Banshees typically are either beautiful women or old crones. So far I think I've settled on something in between that looks transparent. Might go for an exaggerated form too.
Should remove that thumbnail - it's readable to me but only just.
I'm going to try and bash this out over the next couple of days and try not to view anyone else's work until it's done. Started to get that feeling where yes I know we're all doing the same brief but am worried there'd be too many similarities. End up doing nothing because you think it's already done.
Hungover-me prevails where drunk-me nearly ruined my faith in this.
I'm on the last couple of laps now but here's a prev of it so far:
The spider-crab turned into a centipede-grub thing and I'm second-guessing the transparency of the banshee, I'll get to it and try a few things out. It was something I couldn't render in pencil.
Also a first in using watersoluble graphite in some areas. Room for improvement but I can see its uses.
I like the composition you have going on that last image; the fruit basket thing doesn't really work for me though...
I had a hard time rationalizing it into the picture, in the end imagine she got it from the person she just trapped or something, but my brain keeps telling me she should just be nomming on the head of someone who strayed in the forest, and sharing it with his giant centipede-spider friend :P
Just something to consider, its your call on the end :)
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I like dragons, power metal and epic stuff :D
Centipede-grub is indeed creepy. I'd love to see some more overlapping between the major forms though-- seems like there are several tangents here and there.
Watch out for tangents, and maybe make some sort of background element , doesen't need to be anything special a few rocks or something to indicate its environment, keep up the good work!
Ok, gotta leave for work soon and I do the dreaded close-openings so I wanted to check adherence to the brief before diving into painting. So far I think I've covered the particulars. The topic of companions is straight forward enough, the themes and mood Halloween inspired. I'm not American so I don't typically think the commercial aspects of Halloween but more pagan All Hallow's Eve or Samhain, A celebration of the harvest and also a time where the veil between worlds weakened and supernatural beings crossed over. I also wanted to compare that there was at least some indication of Zapata's work being emulated. The background ambient but with a slight indication of habitat. The characters the only real subject of interest. Almost void of gravity, or possessing their own. Also webbing is getting fun to paint...
So here we have a start, a Banshee and her Beastly Companion enjoying the spoils of a Samhain Hunt.
I'll just repeat Hobitt's thing, the tangents forming from the bug's body and the edges of the painting feels uncomfortable.
Perhaps it is deliberately used to make the piece more eerie/discomforting?