Category: Digital Paint

Shiloh’s Chomey Noy

After seeing the Hexwing I drew for Brielle, Shiloh asked if I’d draw her invented creature, Chomey Noy. She invented this word when she was four and it makes me smile! She says it’s like a dragon and a puppy, and can morph into any other animal, but it has a base form, which is what I’ve illustrated here.

I’m also posting the quick ink sketch I did in my journal, which I used as a reference on my iPad. This style is very much like a three color wood cut. My old printmaking degree comes in handy often…thanks Jim Jereb:)

The sketch out of my journal

Lethrblaka Concept from Christopher Paolini’s Book, Brisingr

I’m going through Christopher Paolinin’s Inheritance Cycle book series again, and couldn’t resist rendering his nightmarish beast, the Lethrblaka.

As far as the monster concept, I also feel it could be improved dramatically to be even more creepy. I wanted it to have an insect and vulture quality. I do like the “meat hook” appendages designed to snare and tear. I also like the thorny, venom laced spines on its tongue.

Stylistically, I’ve been studying Gustave Doré’s engravings. His masterful art is incredible. I decided to try to mimic engraving digitally and this was sort of my first shot. It has a LONG ways to go to even look like an engraving. Well, this is sort of my second or third shot after playing around with dozens of digital pens and tools. The realization that Doré’s engravings have a tonal quality under the line work was a breakthrough, which I employed here. The problem is that there’s too many stylistic directions going on to look like an engraving, not to mention that the single scribe does not mimic the parallel lines of an engraving tool (which, I’ve used in the upcoming posts).

Compositionally, I’d like to leverage more dramatic perspective in the future. This is sort of plopped in the center without much visual tension. The lighting and contrast turned out ok.