There used to be a time on this blog when I would do a new illustration every week (the post was creatively titled "Illustration of the Week.") Then, when I started doing a Monster of the Week (or "MOW"), I sort of combined the two endeavors into a single post, especially since each monster is illustrated by me to accompany the listing. (If you take a look at the labels on the MOW posts, you'll see that "original art" is part of every one.) That being said, sometimes I felt like I was rushed to create the illustration, or did an inferior job inking it, or whatever. And now that the Creature Compendium is numbering over 70 pages (and almost 170 monsters), there are some illustrations that have become real stand-outs to me (the good kind), and others that just feel damn inferior. So I'm re-doing some of them.
Yesterday, I had a couple of opportunities to re-work a couple of them. The first one I re-did was the monster pictured below (a "kala" - an elemental-like disease spirit, originally posted back in April as part of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge). The new one (below right) is based loosely on a nice public domain pulp image I found, and the new drawing was quick and fun, and works TONS better than the original (below left.) The other image I re-did was the jenglot (also posted on this blog back in April as part of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge, and picture top right.) The more I looked at that piece of crap illustration, the more it bugged me. To get started, I whipped out a new sketch (above right, below the original Jenglot drawing). Also, something I've been wanting to do for a long time, is a sort of Russ Nicholson inspired inkjob. Usually, I don't have the patience for this sort of intensive inking, but when you're watching the numbers slowly roll in all night for the election, you suddenly find yourself with that time. I think the new illustration (top left) is infinitely better.
Yesterday, I had a couple of opportunities to re-work a couple of them. The first one I re-did was the monster pictured below (a "kala" - an elemental-like disease spirit, originally posted back in April as part of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge). The new one (below right) is based loosely on a nice public domain pulp image I found, and the new drawing was quick and fun, and works TONS better than the original (below left.) The other image I re-did was the jenglot (also posted on this blog back in April as part of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge, and picture top right.) The more I looked at that piece of crap illustration, the more it bugged me. To get started, I whipped out a new sketch (above right, below the original Jenglot drawing). Also, something I've been wanting to do for a long time, is a sort of Russ Nicholson inspired inkjob. Usually, I don't have the patience for this sort of intensive inking, but when you're watching the numbers slowly roll in all night for the election, you suddenly find yourself with that time. I think the new illustration (top left) is infinitely better.
I really, really like the trees in the piece at the upper left. Very nicely done indeed. The victim-dude falling backwards really makes the piece dynamic. I really like this one.
ReplyDeleteYour revision of the Jenglot is quite dramatic and it does have a Nicholson-ian feel to it. Good stuff.
Looking forward to your bestiary--the more monsters the better!