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This drawing showed great promise for exploitation, so I decided to take it to the next level and invest some time!

For this drawing, which features Figglewort the dwarf tracking an apple-laden witch through a woods, I had to make several test drawings. Full environments are still invigorating challenges for me, requiring more time. When looking at the backgrounds for animated films and other cartoons, I noticed that a strong foreground is used, accompanied by layers of decreasing detail for each subsequent backdrop. I started small and simple!

Composing a better picture:

Experimenting with layers:

The biggest changes I made was elongating the frame and putting the large tree towards the center of the frame. This is bold, but the tree on the far left, and the polarizing figures of Figglewort and the Witch will prevent the eye from getting stuck in the middle! I also added a thorn patch by the Witch, to divide the mood of the forrest!

And all inked up! Click on the image for a larger look!

Coloring this image will prove take some work, I will have to be careful to keep the image simple to look at, and avoid using too many contrasting colors.

Here is a new character Montage! The skin was enjoyable, an initial layer of placid pea-green with more greens, dark browns, followed by light yellow. The real challenge will be the texturing the vest, which will be maroon. Pants will be a dark khaki, and some brown loafers.

In my gallery I have a drawing titled “Monsters Never Cry.” Though I love this drawing, it still hasn’t quite rang with me as a decent final design.

He has soul, but he looked just a little too human, and childlike for my tastes, in addition drawing his mouth in different expressions could prove…an unrewarding challenge.

I enjoy this version a lot more! Most of his human qualities and features have been replaced by more beastal features. A beast performing human actions and expressing human emotions is more engrossing than beast man-child!

These versions are by no means final, I hope that every rendering of this character can express a loose, sketched style, but retaining the proportions of the full body rendering will need to be retained.

This is Grandpa Mole Rat, he is wise, and is passing his knowledge (and warnings) along to his grandchildren.

The original designs were lost (gasp) casualties of the long trek back from california. But with a little work and a few quick sketches, the look of these revolting creatures returned to me.

I enjoy the odd proportions of the old mole rat, a hoggish body and spindly arms, ending with Nicodemus-like hands (Secret of Nimh anyone?)

With his grandchildren, I wanted to create worthless turdish stubby creatures, who seem incapable of both fast movement and self-defense.