The photo that inspired a beast this weekend:

Perhaps you remember this photo as one from my post Big Are the Noses. Which is slightly ridiculous because only like three people read that. (Incidentally, is that bad blogging form?  To continually remind the [nonexistent] audience that they are part of a practically nonexistent audience?  Would someone kindly forward a pdf copy of the manual?)

Anyway, I ordered a boatload of deviantART photos with close-ups of mostly farmyard-type-animal noses (you can purchase the fellow above here!), and I started using them as a guide to some brightly-colored, not-quite-farmyard-anymore beasts. Like the following, who appeared this weekend, and was modeled on the above photo:

Green and Blue Alpaca Original Ink Art

Strange but colorful alpaca beast. Possibly a llama. And less likely but still feasible – a camel. He wouldn’t tell me. I asked several times. Once I brought a sugar cube and once a lovely, fresh carrot. He took both very politely but still refused to speak.

Then it occurred to me! Maybe he doesn’t speak English. I have both a Dutch and a Portuguese translator on the way in. If that doesn’t work, one of my neighbors speaks a little Korean and a little Japanese. (For sale in my shop.)  :o)

He looks totally emo*, right?  It wasn’t intentional. I think mainly it’s the hair. And the eyes are a bit.. human. As soon as we overcome this language barrier, I will ask him about his ancestry.

8″ x 10″ drawing using Copic pens, Copic markers and Prismacolor markers, on a heavy board with Bristol finish.  Took about 5 hours.  Maybe less. Hmm, I really don’t know!  I will have to time one.

Anyway, the eyes could be improved and the ears aren’t quite screwed on correctly, but mostly I like him.  I need to experiment more with shapes that are not swirls.  Also, need to consider doing a whole farmyard-beast body one of these days.

Thanks for stopping in. ;)

*Emo – “Like a Goth, only much less dark and much more Harry Potter.” (Thank you,  Urban Dictionary.)