Category: Art: Drawings

2010 Monster Month: Day 17 – The Gatorpine

Yesterday you were able to see a sample of a whole page from my sketchbook on which I was brainstorming monster heads with the promise that today I’d show you one of those heads fleshed out, so to speak. That spikey headed fella in the lower left corner was the one that captured my imagination.

So, Mr, Spikey Head – who are you? What is your profession? You obviously look like you are a bit of a tough guy, and yet you look like you enjoy your work. You also look like you have an imposing presence, yet can enjoy some ribbing from the guys (although I personally sure wouldn’t want to be the one to snap a towel on him in the locker room). You probably have enjoyed more than your share of fresh gorluck stew or whatever exotic name you call your favorite meal. Maybe you are more military in nature – an infantry soldier or something. See, all these types of questions come to mind and just from that little head drawing.

Visually, that head reminded me of both an alligator and a porcupine. So, considering the other character building questions, the military minded Gatorpine is born….

Monster Soldier
Don’t worry kids – that’s really just a big squirt gun. Although, he fills it with acid, so I’d duck if he points it at you.

Let’s just hope he really doesn’t reside in the Everglades.

Categories
Art: Colored Pencil Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters

2010 Monster Month: Day 9 – The Mouth

You know, yesterday’s monster probably has a pretty good time at her job, until a customer like this fella comes along.

The Mouth
Somebody hasn’t been keeping those bi-annual trips to the dentist. tsk tsk
Categories
Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles Sketchbook

2010 Monster Month: Day 8 – The Kissing Booth

Better keep an eye on this one. You may get kissed while just walking by whether you want one or not.

The Kissing Booth
The make-up ladies at Macy's must fight over each other to sell this one some merchandise.
Categories
Art: Colored Pencil Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters

2010 Monster Month: Day 6 – Boogie Monster

I think the title says it all today, don’t you?

The Boogie Monster
Saturday Nightmare Fever
Categories
Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters

2010 Monster Month: Day 4 – Angry Alien

Why are so many aliens angry looking? What do they really have to be angry about? They drive cool spaceships. They often have cool physical abilities. They get to invade other planets. They have the most advanced X Boxes around. Really, the only aliens that might be given a pass on the angry thing are Klingons, and simply because all their chicks are pretty ugly.

Well, regardless of their feelings of discontent, I drew my own angry alien on a piece of colored Canson paper (appropriately named “Moonstone”) using several shades of brown colored pencils, along with black and white.

Angry Alien
Maybe he’s not really angry, but is cheering for his favorite ball team instead.
Categories
Art: Colored Pencil Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters

2010 Monster Month: Day 3 – The Brat

You know, I often see other people’s children behaving badly in public places. One of my pet peeves is seeing little tykes kicking and screaming publicly while their parents just let them do it. Why do these parents seem so intent on not punishing their little ones while they are actually punishing the rest of us by letting the kid carry on? I may not fully understand the parental thinking on that since I do not have children of my own. However, as memory serves, my own youthful attempts at causing a commotion were often swiftly dealt with. What it all boils down to is if I couldn’t get away with it, why should these crybabies?

So, if I’m pushing my cart around the grocery store, and I see a little one red faced and very vocal while mama pretends to ignore them, I break out my very stern evil eye and stare the kid down. I would say 8 times out of 10 the kid shuts up from the sheer shock of this strange disapproving scary hairy adult. The other 2 out of 10 start crying again, but not from a place of selfish strong will. This time it is usually out of fear.

Having said all that, which creature in this drawing is truly the real monster?

The Brat
Well, there’s one thing to be said about that kid – he’s sure got moxie!
Categories
Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles Sketchbook

2010 Monster Month: Day 2 – The Falconer

When an evil villain requires someone else to carry out their nefarious plans, they turn towards a creature not as mentally blessed as they to do their evil bidding. Often they turn towards the practice of falconry by luring winged creatures into their schemes. Some falconers use ravens like Maleficent in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.  Others, like Nazi sympathizer Franz Liebkind from The Producers, depend on disposable carrier pigeons. Even the Wicked Witch of the West had her flying monkeys.

Well, today’s MONSTER MONTH creature from my sketchbook (graphite pencil) uses the ever-dreaded and fearfully malicious SONGBIRD. Yeah, you read that right. Don’t mess with this bad boy…

The Falconer
That little birdie may look cute, but beware –  its song can shatter the souls of men.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles Sketchbook

A Criminal Mind

…so to speak.

Last winter I had the opportunity to meet and chat with actor Joe Mantegna for a few minutes. I’ve always enjoyed him in various movies such as The Three Amigos , Baby’s Day Out, and one of my all-time favorites – Searching For Bobby Fischer. It was at that moment that I realized I had never seen his current TV show Criminal Minds.

Here in Los Angeles, Criminal Minds seems to run every night on the Ion Television channel, as well as periodically on A&E and CBS – sometimes all three at the same time! It’s ensemble cast works hard to capture the weekly criminal who can’t seem to play normal in society. As I was watching with my sketchbook in my lap, I started to doodle one of the show’s other headline stars, Thomas Gibson, who made himself known a few years back on the sit-com Dharma & Greg. While that was a comedy, somehow on Criminal Minds Thomas is continuously stoic in his demeanor, never cracking a smile. His uber-seriousness was something my pencil had to try to capture. I later finessed the drawing a bit at my desk adding color on the computer with these results….

Thomas Gibson with enough intensity in his gaze to crack open a walnut.
Thomas Gibson with enough intensity in his gaze to crack open a walnut.

One of these days, perhaps I’ll go back and sketch Joe Mantegna as well since he sort of got this whole ball rolling.

Categories
Art: Drawings Art: Photoshop Caricature Life Drawings Sketchbook