My one and only reference pic I took as I tried to figure out how the head, back, and belly would line up. And in case you were wondering, no...I'm not nearly this good looking in person...and yes, I do have ducks on my pillow, I'm just not happy to see you.
I did make some changes from the original drawing as I went...part of that whole 'letting the work dictate some of what occurs' thing. While I tend to do a lot of planning I try not to be too rigid. I didn't change the composition but just the detail work. In the upper left hole there was originally going to be a bottle and a mutant centipede. But I had moved the centipede closer to the one mole's ear because it just seemed visually creepier to me. Who just doesn't love a bug about ready to latch on to your ear...or better yet, crawling inside and laying eggs. Then I wanted a bottle still so I put a vase on the outskirts. Talisman was the word for IF so I put a lizard and talisman where the bottle and centipede were going to be at.
In the upper right hand corner I was going to plant another mushroom but changed it to a caged rat...I did this because I just didn't want to draw another mushroom.
The only other real change I made was adding a chair and bookshelf to the back. Originally I was just going to have a wall...but I wanted the picture to feel a bit claustrophobic...since Doc Minceworm is a fraud I figured part of pushing his image of competency would be to have a lot of stuff...plus it would serve as a distraction for sick moles looking for someone to heal them...adding to the ambiance of someone wanting to 'buy into the game.' Having a smaller room (him being a rather large fellow himself) cluttered would give him perhaps an illusion of being more powerful than what he is and continue to help sell him for more than what he is...Remembering old westerns with snake oil salesmen...they seemed to be large (usually tall not so much fat) characters with small 'trailers' filled with junk. As they stood in front of their moving structure it would make them seem larger than life.
On the back right shelf is actually a mole skeleton...the head and front hidden...but a mole skull rests in front of the jar on the upper left.
8 comments:
Simply amazing Brian. It's as if you took a page from the books of the old masters.
Thanks sir...that is way too big of a compliment though...
I do believe the moleman piece has far surpassed the wiener dog illustration you did last year. I had a book when i was little, that was somewhat of an Ispy book, and it had a page with artwork with a similar theme to it. i dont belive it was a moleman though.
seeing this makes me miss all of the good old times and makes me really regret not doing better and putting forth all of my efforts. (yes i said it) a year out of school and its finally sinking in. but on the bright side after this summers escapades of working at camp obannon, i will be retaking my act, filling out my fafsa again and all that fun stuff. i'll probably end up at cotc, but hey i've got to start somewhere :S
ha hope this comment was as entertaining to read as it was to write.
keep up the amazing illustration (not that you wont) and crack the whip on the students you have now... so you don't end up with a bunch of bums like you did with our class.
ha after all of that writing.
i forgot to mention how hard i laughed seeing your reference picture.
if only one of the young'ns had walking in as you were taking the picture. i bet the look on their face's would have been priceless... i know i was a little shocked when i seen it. not something i would have ever pictured you doing. haha
okay im done now
Brian, I'm speechless!! This is phenomenal, really it is. I enlarged it and just devoured all the detail. Wow. I'm so impressed and happy that you finished him. You were a good model :)
Thanks a bunch for your advice on digital programs. I don't have a Mac and I'm not going to invest in one at this point in my life. I think between my PC and the laptop I ordered I should be able to do about as much as I'll want to do.
It would be helpful if you lived next door though!
My dream is to produce stuff like Neil Ornstein one day. That ain't gonna happen!
Word verif = nonster! Pretty cool considering your subject.
Brian, this is really incredible. All of your time, preparation, and skill really shine on this one. I envy the details in your work. I don't know if I have the patience for details on that level. All in all, I'm blown away.
By the way, my pillow used to have fish on it, until my wife banished the fish sheets to a storage bin in the garage.
WOW! VERY impressive. Great work.
this is a really cool piece :-)
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