HOME | DD
MattWileyto — Elder Thing Hand Study
#natural_sciences #anatomy #anatomystudy #atthemountainsofmadness #biology #eldritch #hplovecraft #naturalhistory #oldones #sciencefiction #scifi #elderthings #hp_lovecraft #biologyanatomy
Published: 2018-11-22 20:26:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 1393; Favourites: 54; Downloads: 4
Redirect to original
Description
For a long time, I drew pictures of creatures by themselves, standing around without context. My parents often pointed that out... so I've been trying to do something about it.
For this particular image, I not only wanted to display what an Elder Thing limb looks like, but I also wanted to show the limb in action (much like images of human hands holding something). Personally, I find that by giving the Elder Thing hand something to do, the image actually has a "Natural Science Illustration" quality to it, as if the Elder Thing posed for the artist out in the field.
I will try to make more images like this for different creatures, both from Lovecraft's fiction, and my own. I will also do actual Natural Science illustrations.
Related content
Comments: 2
I like this - it is not often I see the details of the Mythos races in close up. It really gives me a lot to consider regarding their physical dexterity despite their size.
I once drew much the same way - figures without context, be they characters, creatures, mecha, structures, devices. I still do this when working up designs or model sheets and there is nothing wrong with it. I did get some very useful advice from a Comic Artist at a convention whom I had shown some of my works toward, and it was to work on backgrounds and settings. As someone who hated drawing still lives I did not like this advice, and regret it still took me many years to accept it and begin doing it. I don't know if this anecdote will help, but I share it for what it's worth.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That is pretty good advice. I have been told other things, like how much of my work is sketch rather than fully-fleshed drawing, or that I only draw half a creature (ex. my dinosaur pieces). I think, from that second part, the problem I have is that I don't plan things out. I just kind of start. It is part of the reason I end up with half an animal, and it also creates an issue with lighting. The Elder Thing hand, for instance, doesn't have an obvious light source shining down on it. Perhaps the basal tentacle and the ball show a main light source, but the radial tentacles seem kind of ambiguous.
I think the next thing that I must do is work on planning out my material, and reducing the heavy outlines. I've been good with that if the object itself is before me, but imagined objects, like the appendage above, were a bit "forced" onto the paper with heavy strokes.
I do appreciate this kind of feedback. Thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0