Swamp Man

I have a book of cajun folk tales, most of which seem to have been invented in order to scare kids into obedience. As you'd expect, a lot of them are swamp-based. One of my favourites is a character called Half-Man, who is a man cut in half length-ways, therefore having only one leg and one arm. He gets about by bending backwards and holding his leg to make himself into a wheel (a lot like the yoga position of the same name, only with less limbs). In the version I read he accompanied this by the words 'Ooga booga, I'm gonna gitcha!' which adds a bit of comedy to what is actually a pretty horrific image. Anyway, this isn't half man, this is just some kind of swamp-dwelling aberration with which I wouldn't dream of scaring any kids. Not that it would. Kids today are tough.

Horse

I took this about as far as I wanted to. Always a bit difficult to know when to stop. I usually regret making something that looks too smooth; I like to see the brush marks (even if they are digital). So, my initial intention was to do a horse and rider. I lived in America for a year and I was impressed and awed -even a little cowed- by the magnitude of the land. I visited Joshua Tree and Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks, and I thought a lot about the settlers. I'm also a big Cormac McCarthy fan and I enjoyed the Lonesome Dove books by Larry McMurphy. I wanted to do a character dwarfed by a vast hostile environment, who might be surviving or might be fading.
I've included that version here... But I actually prefer the one with just the horse. I could probably have done a better job painting the man, but I also think the picture is more interesting without him- I prefer the horse as the protagonist! But I think its interesting to see both.

Riderless

With Rider

 

 

Southern Gothic

I've had to have a bit of a break from artistic endeavour, as I've been trapped in the land of D.I.Y for the past month and a bit. I now know far more than I want to about plumbing/ electrics/ grout. And yet somehow... Not enough.
I'd explain more about this, but its incredibly boring. The main thing is that I'm done now, and I have time to draw again. Sweet relsease and hallelujah.
Lately I've been inspired by Southern Gothic. I've been reading lots and lots of James Lee Burke, some William Faulkner, and am just finishing a second reading of Donna Tart's 'The Little Friend'. Been listening to a combination if the blues and Gothic Western... Playlist to follow.

So, from this immersion in all things morally ambiguous and draped in melancholy, I present... Some characters that might be from these books and songs