A couple of years ago, I was working for Warner Bros. on the animated show Green Eggs & Ham that airs on Netflix. I was in that Seuss mode of drawing, and started wondering what a Dr. Seuss Cerebus might look like.
Now, Seuss was known to have drawn lots of inventive creatures in his books, so it is entirely possible that he has already drawn a three-headed beast that guards the gates of the underworld. I really don’t know if he did or not. Seems like he could have easily included it in Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
So, I decided to take a stab at it. This was the result:
Well, it’s Wednesday. Are you hitting that time in the week where your eyes are glazing over staring at the computer screen you are working on? Are you wondering when the weekend will finally get here? When you will feel the sweet release of freedom?
Hey, every job has its exciting and boring moments. Just imagine the guard standing at his post with nothing to do but keeping an eye out for intruders. But then a butterfly comes along to distract him, causing him to daydream about flitting off himself to a place of deeper personal fulfillment.
Well, technically the butterfly is an intruder.
Ink, watercolor, and gouache in a brown paper sketchbook.
Every time Monster Month comes along, I make sure to include at least one version of one of the most enduring and interesting movie monsters – the one Dr. Frankenstein cobbled together from used parts.
Last year I had just started a new sketchbook while sitting in an airport. The guy sitting next to me struck up a conversation, and after a while, he nodded towards the sketchbook and asked what I did. Told him I was an artist. He asked to see the book, into which I had only done about three rough pencil sketches so far. These variations on Frankenstein’s monster were the first page, but keep in mind, they were super rough pencil lines without much detail. They were not intended for anyone’s eyes but my own at that point. He took one look at them and kind of slowly said, “Oh.” Ha! I’m sure in his mind he was like, “suuuuure, this guy draws for a living.”
Later when sitting comfortably at a drafting table, I inked these up properly, and added a little hint of color digitally. Frankie’s monster really is just a misunderstood zombie, so it was fun to play around with head shapes and looks that weren’t entirely the stereotypical thing to find the soul of the creature, and to prove to that airport stranger that I really can draw.
Hey, if a dragon can have a pet dog as posted here a few days ago, why can’t a little girl have a pet monster?
Honestly, if this guy wanted to get away, he probably could, but sometimes certain creatures enjoy a little domesticity. What’s not to like? Three squares a day, maybe a little belly rub, and lots of naps.
He probably just looks tough to keep up appearances.
An inked drawing in a sketchbook, colored in Photoshop.
By the way, I have visited this idea before. Think of this as maybe an alternate version of this Monster Month entry from 2017 that was a colored pencil/watercolor paint piece.
Earlier this year, I wrapped up my time serving the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (SILA) as their Illustration West 59 Chair. Illustration West is an annual illustration contest SILA hold for professionals and students.
In my position, I was asked to create the art for the poster that advertised the show. Loving monsters as I do, I made an image inspired by creature features prominent back in the 1950s. I talked about the poster here on my blog in the past, including a step-by-step of that art’s creation. At the end of the contest, the judges chose what they felt was the best in each category, and those select few received a special certificate commemorating the judges’ decision.
While some of the recipients shared their certificates online this past spring, I never posted it before. So, without further ado, here is that certificate with a made up name on the recipient line serving as a place holder.
Needless to say, Joe did not blow. His work would have had to have been excellent to receive one of these!
I created the certificate completely in Photoshop with a new line drawing of the monster that appeared in my poster art. As Show Chair, my signature was printed on the certificates along with SILA’s President and terrific children’s book illustrator Joe Cepeda.
I’m not a pet guy, but I can see the appeal. After a full day of breathing fire on angry villagers or BBQing knights in shiny armor who are always trying to kill you first, it must be nice to come home to the unconditional love of a dog.
It’s all fun and games until he starts barking in the middle of the night.
When traveling the galaxy and you’re having engine trouble, hopefully there’s a planet nearby with a garage full of these little guys. They can fix just about anything that comes fluttering and sputtering into their repair docks.
This guy really knows his blarganches from his fleefborgs.
A traditional watercolor and colored pencil illustration. No computers necessary.
This one was fun to do. In my brown paper sketchbook, I let my pencil wonder what a monster in the time of Charles Dickens might look like.
I generally start with a light pencil line made with either red or blue pencil lead, then I inked it. Added some white gouache for a little dimension this time with the brown paper handling the midtones, and then a little brown paint for shadows and a hint of yellow in the eye. And before Jacob Marley can come calling with his chains, you’ve got yourself a Dickens monster!
Looks like Ebeneezer Scrooge could certainly make short work of a Christmas goose with those teeth.
