M is for Manticore Sketch
Okay, I asked and you delivered. The next monster up is M for Manticore. I’ve put together a quick sketch for feedback from my fellow illustrators and artists. Please have a look at this and give me some critical feedback.. what works of course, but also what doesn’t.
Let me try to explain my thinking. A Manticore is of Persian origin and has the body of a lion, the head of a person, the tail of a dragon or scorpion, then horns, wings, whatever else. It’s also got three rows of shark like teeth. (Wikipedia entry)
That was the base I was working from, but I wanted to make it distinctly my own creation. I thought the body of a lion was the most important thing.. but it’s not a lion, which is why I gave it more of a chinese lion mane. For the tail, I wanted something scorpionesque because, well, I like the look of it :) The face had me thinking.. the thing is I didn’t want to just go a human face because that didn’t seem right. I decided it made sense that it would have a human-like face.. something that, if you saw it (while fleeing for your life I assume), you would describe it as “human”.. but it is distinctly not. I wanted something a little bit cute, with a shark-like mouth.
I tried a variety of poses, but I preferred it just sitting comfortably. Just chilling. I don’t want these monsters to be scary or intimidating.. because monsters are your friend ;)
My current idea is to give it a red tinge, with fire in the mouth and nostrils.. I’ve always associated the Manticore with deserts and fire and the like. I’ll think a bit more about final colours when I get the initial sketch sorted though.
Oh, and sorry about the dodgy quality, I didn’t have access to a scanner so I just took a photo with my phone
myREVolution
the style is good but its a wee bit poodle like
the tail is rly good :)
Damien Mason
replied
Thanks. I was trying for something a bit more like this
I’ll have a bit more of a think about how best to do it :)
Paul McClintock
It looks a bit like a dog at this point.
It needs a big old moustache and beard, rather than just a mane. And see those fangs in the photo?
I don’t know about the scorpian tale, just because that would mean it’s not really a Manticore, right? But I like the idea anyhow.
Damien Mason
replied
No, some references to the Manticore have a scorpion tail. I can’t really go big fangs because it doesn’t match to the “shark-like” teeth.. but the mustache and beard could work. I planned on resketching the face to get a bit more refinement in there anyway. I don’t want the face to be lion-like.. that image is more for reference to the mane.
Damien Mason
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By the way sorry if it sounds like I’m arguing with you :) I am definitely considering your suggestions, I just want to explain my thinking a bit as well.
mikoto
This is a great sketch, get it on a T!
Damien Mason
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Heh, thanks Scotty. I’ll be “inking” the whole thing in Flash, so there’s no reason I couldn’t do a quick vector colour of it too for a tee before the full digital painting. Actually, that’d be a really good idea for working out colours :)
AnitaInverarity
I like the chinese mane and scorpion tail, looking good at this point- I really like Pauls idea of a Beard/Tache tho (maybe just a little underbite peeking out for those teeth). I would love to see a little quirk in there, like what you did with B (putting on the flip flops), I think something fun like that would tie the alphabet together (a little running theme).
Damien Mason
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Thanks anita, the underbite is a good idea.. mainly I think the face is a little flat right now, so I need to bring elements forward and move it around a bit to give it more interest.
Pip Gerard
Hi Damien,
Have you gone through the whole alphabet and know a monster you can do for each letter?
I read this the other day from the link Paul gave to the drawing board and wondered if you’d come across it.
Damien Mason
replied
Hmm.. that page isn’t loading for me. I don’t have anything set in stone just yet, I’ve got a few options for most letters but not something for all letters either. There are a couple that I definitely want to do but generally I’ll be going to the redbubble community for suggestions for the letters.
Rustyoldtown
It looks at the moment like a lion with a scorpions tail. I would loose the mane because that’s more to do with the head and at the moment it makes the head look like a lion,maybe give it quill like hair such as a porcupine and the beard is a good idea…maybe a goatee and some earings!
Damien Mason
replied
Heh, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll rework the head and hopefully that’ll make it look less lion-like. I did consider adding wings or horns to it.. that would certainly break up the lion look.
Simon Sherry
I’m digging this as a starting point Damien – can I offer the following suggestions?
1. I’d look at increasing the size of his head, and go a little Sendak on it – up the size of the mouth and show off those teeth. I understand that you don’t want to make him too scary, but taking a cue from Sendak, with the right touches you could keep him cute and make him fierce at the same time.
2. Love the suggestion of facial hair – perhaps if you could blend some of the mane into a curly ‘stache?
3. Digging the scorpion tail, and love the use of it as a cue to his desert origins, but I think it’s a tad chunky – perhaps if it tapered off a bit more?
Hope that helps :o)
3.
Damien Mason
replied
Thanks Simon. I’ll definitely keep reworking the head to get it a bit closer to something I’m happy with. I love the Sendak suggestion.. I’ve accidentally started in that direction anyway. The tail might be just a little bit gratuitous ;) I’ll ease it up a bit and see what I think. I must confess I was very focused on getting the lion body into the right pose.
Your comments are most appreciated.
Ushna Sardar
wicked Damien!
Joseph Osborne
nice work, try, rather than adding lots of teeth, adding maybe 2 top fangs. I would really consider using some facial hair, just something to break up the area, maybe take cues from the chinese lion, or foo dog. I think the tail works, it gives it a nice, oversized, cartoon-y feel, rather friendly. coloours on that are a tough one, i would just go traditional, brown/yellow for the body, black/blue/purple for the tail and maybe do some orangey/red highlights in the mane to make it stand out…
Damien Mason
replied
Thanks Joseph, for the comments and the image. Your colours are very much along the lines of what I was thinking, keeping it to dry, deserty reds and browns.. but I’ll have a play, it’s possible introducing a complimentary colour will also help the overall image.
Joseph Osborne
oh, this is cool, image from the forbidden city: http://djtravel.homestead.com/files/fc_16.jpg
could be good for cues…
Simon Sherry
This has always been a fave of mine – a little too nasty for your purposes, but I like the addition of wings (something to think about?).
Damien Mason
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Yeah, I had considered adding bat wings or something similar, but they really only have impact when they’re extended, and because the manticore (I’m going to call him “Manny”) is sitting, they’d kind of just be another distraction.. a bit of a large extra shape.
Rustyoldtown
Hope this won’t break your heart Beastiary Alphabet
Damien Mason
replied
Nah, there are no new ideas under the sun really.. I see mine less as an alphabet of monsters and more of an alphabet of my own illustrations.. It does highlight the importance to me to maintain my own style throughout, so it is presenting something more than just the various beasties.. but yeah, I’ve no doubt it’s been done many times before, there’s nothing new about monsters and there’s certainly nothing new about an abc.
Simon Sherry
Heh – Manny the Manticore – I dig it.
Nick Ford
Looks great Damien! My suggestions were going to be exactly what Si said earlier! More teeth (show those rows off! underbite sounds good), curly ‘stache, tapered tail. Can’t wait to see it finished!
Damien Mason
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Thanks Nick, I did a bit more sketching so I just need to get to a scanner :)
Stephanie Smith
I agree with most of the above, but right now he’s just the friendliest manticore ever! ...Hopefully adding beard/horns/wings or whatever else won’t make him too scary. :)
Making the head more human and less all caught up in the lion’s mane should help a lot. Also, they also sometimes have dragon-like feet, that might be another subtle way to make it more monsterous.
Great idea for a series, btw!