Creature Parade #8

Another Creature Parade has arrived!!  This first creature I call Equis Arcona.  It's a mix of bird and horse along with a few rat-like characteristics.  I originally meant for the feet to be more along the lines of prehistoric horses (toes), but I settled on hooves instead.  I suppose I was afraid if I used toes that I would simply come across as a griffon.  I haven't decided if the creatures are bird or horse in size.  But I like the idea of tiny bird horses running around and leaping through tall grasses catching locust and other small insects.

This second creature I named the Nether Worm.  It spends most of it's life underground; digging through the earth and feeding off organic matter.  It has a curious ability to wind itself up using specialized muscle groupings that resemble a spring or accordion bellow.  Once wound, the creature can spin at great speed and "drill" into the earth using its spiny front.  This allows them to dig down further than other worms. 

This next creature comes mostly from my fascination with the birds of paradise.  If you've never seen footage of the birds of paradise, check them out.  They are among the most colorful, strange, and flamboyant of avian animals.  I think only the males in each species are decorated in this way to help them attract the attention of a mate.  I might call some of the species artistic because they will perform elaborate dances to attract a mate.  They also diligently clean and maintain the area where they come to dance.  And they have to impress when they perform because the females are very picky.  This "bird of paradise" I've name the Exquisite Palomar Eropa. 

Next we have a creature that dwells in the ocean.  But more specifically in areas where coral is abundant.  For now I'm simply calling it the Coral Shrimp.  This species spends a majority of its life hiding among the coral.  It can perch itself upon large bodies of coral, upon surrounding rocks, or hide in holes with its head sticking out.  It's flexible mouth parts gather small organisms and ocean detritus that float by.  As a defensive measure the animals furry tail contains a toxic stinger.

Finally we have a creature that shares both avian and reptilian qualities.  I recently re-read a short essay about disputes over whether Archaeopteryx evolved as a tree bound reptile, or a reptile that ran on the ground and used its arms to help it gain speed.  My interest here isn't so much about the dispute, but rather about the Archaeopteryx itself and it's importance to paleontology and biology.  It is one, if not thee, holy grail of species evolution.  I have created here a distant cousin to Archaeopteryx, yet one that had more talent for hopping that for flight.  It also wears a brilliant crown of feathers.  I call it Arcyopteryx Tripudio in honor of the curious creature Archaeopteryx.

Creature Parade #7

Hello friends!  I guess it's about time for some more creatures.  These are a few I've finished somewhat recently.  I wanted to start thinking more outside the box with some of these.  I can only hope that they continue to get more obtuse while remaining interesting.  Perhaps more obtuse simply equals interesting, but I suppose that's up to the eye of the beholder.

This first I've named Noxia Luna.  It tends to be a rather noctural creature.  I was thinking about photosynthesis and wondered if moonlight could also be a source of energy.  I suppose the light we see from the moon comes from the sun anyway, yet its easy for one to think that the light is radiating from the moon.  I decided that it might live near the ocean where it can sense changes in the tides ergo the cycles of the moon.  It uses its tongue and antennae to sense these changes in the tides.  They float in the air and as they absorb energy it causes them to emit a blue glow like a lightning bug at night (only its a constant rather than a flicker).  Needless to say it can be a beautiful sight to see a few together at night.

Next we have Avia Lymantriidae.  This one came from considering the camouflage that some caterpillars rely on for protection.  In this case the caterpillar has completely taken this decoration to another level.  Yet I haven't abandoned the idea that this creature could also be a blend of both bird and caterpillar.  I didn't really consider that it might eventually become a butterfly or moth, but I will imagine that later.  Maybe it doesn't go through a change, I don't know.  It spends much of its time up in trees eating leaves.

Another idea I was pondering was the merging of nature with technology.  Technology after all mimics nature in many ways, so perhaps at some point the reverse might happen.  Biomechanical creatures are nothing new but this is my first take on that notion.  I decided that the most "mechanical" of creature in nature probably come from the insect world (ants, bees, locust, etc...).  The creature above I've simply named Locusta Mecha at this point.  It moves in a hopping fashion similar to a locust.  Inside the lip of the head are rows of teeth that it uses to punctures the side of a tree or other plants.  That is how it feeds. And it's feet help it cling to most surfaces.

Next is a creature that is perhaps a little more simple in terms of concept, but maybe not.  I actually saw something like this in a dream.  I was dying in the dream, and lying on the ground.  As I was lying there scared and alone I saw a few of these Spirit Worms approach.  They move like a worm might but while floating in the air.  They had human faces with gentle expressions.  They also glowed.    It was comforting and they calmed my fear.  Then they covered me in a cocoon and that's all I can remember.  I suppose this creature is more celestial in nature.  Moving between worlds.  Gathering the dead and preparing them for transport.

The final creature in this collection is perhaps the strangest yet.  I call it Tachliomera Omega.  I started wanting to create a creature that is a combination of creatures-a chimera.  In this case it would be a creature that appears fairly straight forward (the hooved creature at the base), but when it wanted to feed it would spew out a collection of other creatures.  I had an idea that the creatures were determined by what was in the mothers stomach during the first months of gestation, the DNA being absorbed by the fetus.  But I thought that could get really complicated, so for now its just what you see here.

Well, that's it for now.  I hope to post another soon.  Thank you for being interested and I hope you continue to enjoy. 

Learning How to Draw Mickey Mouse

 

My nephew, Caden, watches me draw every now and then.  As he watches he also asks me to draw a variety of things.  A couple weeks ago he saw me drawing in my sketchbook and asked if I knew how to draw Mickey Mouse.  I said something like, "I don't know, let's see."  Almost immediately he replied, "I show you how."  Then he walked over to the printer and grabbed a piece of paper.  I gave him a pencil and he started drawing.  The first drawing above was the outcome (the line above Mickey's ears is his hat).  Then he turned the piece of paper over and drew Mickey again.  Throughout the process he spoke all the different body parts as he drew them.  When he was finished he said, "now you do it."  I said, "okay, I'll try but you might have to help me."  The third drawing was the result.  One direction I remember that Caden gave me was that I was coloring in the ears incorrectly.  I started with the left ear and he told me I was doing it wrong. The right ear, according to Caden, is the correct way to color in the ear.  It doesn't look exactly like Mickey, but I like the drawings.  I just had fun drawing with Caden.  These were all drawn first in pencil and I went over them carefully with ink.  I tried my best to preserve all of Cadens marks, no matter how minute. 

Sorry for being gone for so long.  More is coming.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Thank you for the encouragement and support.  I hope all your dreams are coming true.

Torsos au gratin

 

 A few new images for you to taste.  I had a good time drawing them and learned a few new things.  These drawings represent work that I had been stuck on at one point or another in my sketchbook and recently returned to finish.  One was just a head, another only a horn, and finally just a face.  I decided at some point that they would be a trilogy of torsos.  For some reason, while I was drawing them I couldn't stop thinking about Masters of the Universe action figures.  If you grew up with the toys, as I did, you might understand this looking at them again.  It's nothing obvious.  It's just more of a feeling really.  Anyway, I'm thinking about the middle drawing as the cover image for my book of creatures. 

Well, thank you for watching!  Look forward to more soon, I hope. 

Creature Parade #6

Hello friends!  Here's another set of the creatures I've been imagining.

First up is a creature I'm calling serra phignia.  This is an aquatic mammal that relies on its fins (evolved from wings) to speed through the water, and also provide minimal gliding through the air as it walks on water in a similar fashion to the basilisk lizard.  It hunts with it's hook-like arms which are elongated forefingers.

Next, we have a palm fly.  This flying insect makes its nest among the leaves of palm trees (hence the name) and is roughly the size of a common honey bee.  I haven't decided whether it feeds on blood or nectar, but either way you understand the function of the mouth.  I meant for it's stomach to be decorative or contain pigmented cells that the creature can change at will.  I suppose this feature is found primarily in the males of the species and used as a decorative palette to attract a mate.

The next, rather large, creature I have named tonako archouix.  It's basically a mixture of a mammoth and a walrus which makes it's home in the plains.  A herbivore that lives in packs and also happens to be an excellent swimmer.

Here we have a much smaller creature known as a devil snail.  This snail 's body is more solid than it's slimy cousins and has a tendency to feed on small insects and animals more than plant life.  It will wrap up it's prey in the numerous toxic barbs that adorn the front portion of its foot.

The final creature for today is the fungi pangolin.  This animal has a body adorned with fungus of various species.  Another result of evolution, it uses this as camouflage among fallen leaves and decaying wood of a forest floor.  It feeds mainly on ants, termites and other small insects, sifting through leaves and breaking apart old wood with its claws and horns.
Perhaps I will create something with all this one day...a book of some shape?

Creature Parade #5

Here be some new creatures to ponderr!

 

Up first we have what I am calling a wooden soul for the time being.  I find it difficult to separate this creature from the Ents of J.R.R. Tolkiens's Middle-Earth or the transfigured and twisted human trees from Dante Alighieri's Wood of suicides but I am happy to express their inspiration.

 

Here we have a creature I call phrexis, and it's only about the size of one of the leaves on the wooden soul or smaller.  This creature acts much like an airborn jelly fish floating through the atmosphere gathering small animals, bacteria and other particles in its noodle-like tentacles.

The next creature I named hemiptera leontopithecus sol (hemiptera=order of insects that contain cicadas and leaf hoppers, leontopithecus=lion tamarins, sol=sun).  This creature spends most of its life up in trees, perched at the canopy, where it's head and tail end absorb energy from sunlight and turn it into food.  Much like a plant, this animal receives most of its nourishment in this manner through chloroplasts that adorn its cells in those areas.

 

Here is an ugi flunara.  The shape of this creatures body is used as camouflage and was a direct result of all of the hedge apples I have seen placed around my home.  This is a burrowing creature that feeds mainly on insects and grubs it finds in the earth.

 

Finally we have a thorny toad.  I meant for this creature to be a light mixture of a toad and a turtle with its beak mouth, clawed feet, and a mildly hardened back.  The antennae on its head are used to lure in prey and the horns or thorns which appear all over its body are a defensive measure, and while the thory toad is a docile creature it can produce a toxic sting.     

Comfy Grey Cloud

thinking about the rain and the wild colors of a rainbow. the waves of light set free; a mysterious road of color.

Creature Parade #4

creatures from left to right: humtenali, cephlapod arachnidae, polar imp, and a costal-sand whisp. I was thinking of a klipspringer while I was drawing humtenali and decided to give it a human head. While I drew the cephlapod arachnidae I was going through a fear of being bitten by a black widow or brown recluse, but I suppose that fear is more of the unknown than it is of spiders. I have a great respect for both arachnids and cephlapods. The creature is my vision of how a spider mixed with an octupus might appear. In regards to the polar imp I just wanted to create a creature from a cold environment. I was thinking about heavy winter coats when I drew it. The coastal-sand whisp is the third whisp I have drawn. A whisp is like a carrier pigeon that delivers messages. This whisp is a mix of a crab, dragon, and a clay pot. It buries itself in the sand so that only the clay pot is visible. Once a message is placed inside the pot the whisp wakes from slumber to take message out to sea or a short distance inland.

Some art that found a new home

The artwork here all became a gift one way or another. The first two were mixtape covers I created for two of my friends, Rachel and Gina, along with the mixtapes inside. The third and fourth pieces were covers for birthday cards I made for my parents, who I have to thank for giving me life and the chance to pursue art. And finally is the cover to a birthday gift I decorated for my friend Laura, who I shared a train throughout Europe (along with my friends Alex and Ian) over 8 years ago - one of the highlights of my life so far.

"Outdoor Families" certificate design

A little while ago my friend Emily asked me to design a certificate for an event she had been organizing. An event where kids get the chance to do different activities involving nature with their families. The certificate above would be given to each child upon completion of all the activities, along with a stamp of completion that would go into the empty square at the bottom right. That is about the extent that I know about the event. It was a fun challenge and I'm happy that Emily considered me for this creative endeavor.

With Love and Blades

Creature Parade #3

From left to right: geeblish, squid boy, tumble teeth, treaz-tranoria, mollusk tick, and occuli bog mouth. Try tapping on the glass because it makes them grow. I don't know what to tell you next, just enjoy!

Creature Parade #2

Here is another collection of fine specimens. From left to right we have: whisp, lunar weevil, bison diptera, and a carpet angler.

Creature Parade

I guess there isn't much else to say except this is certainly one of many "creature parades" you will see on this blog. From left to right here we have a satyr, humanoid anemone, face-arms, and clevox. Some names are boring and I will have to come up with more interesting (perhaps scientific-esque) names later on. Be careful, some of them bite.

To Mr. Maurice Sendak

Here is a drawing. A Character from Where the Wild Things Are, created by Maurice Sendak. His work has inspired me as it has many children and adults around the world for a couple generations now. I think his work affected me more than I knew. I see the inspiration coming through in my creatures, and some of the people that I draw. Maybe you do too, or with another childrens book illustrator. Whenever I look back at Where the Wild Things Are, I am reminded that I never really let go of that precious childhood imagination. That is a comforting thought and perhaps one of the only ones I have left.

a couple pencil drawings

Not to give a false impression, but these pencil drawings were darkened using photoshop (just a change in the levels). The original drawings came out too light as scans. Here it looks as though I was using a softer pencil than I actually was. Just being honest. Regardless, I'm happy with the result.

A collaboration with my nephew

I wanted to make some art with my nephew since I moved back to Nebraska. A few days ago I thought of this portrait collaboration we could try. I drew a portrait of my 2 year old nephew, Caden. After it was finished I gave the portrait to Caden and let him color the picture with his sweet crayon skills. I decided the coloring would be finished once he got bored or quit drawing on the portrait. I feel Caden's contribution gave the portrait life and made it extra special.

Sounds like...

Pinkasaurus Electricity Bill Posters

This is my last series of drawings before the poetry illustrations. I made them when I was living at the Pinkasaurus/Awesome house in Portland, OR. I was in charge of the electricity and netflix bills and towards the end of our stay I decided to get creative with asking for shares from my wonderful roomates. This is dedicated to friends and all the other beautiful people and animals that were a part of that house.