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hibbary — Plague Doctors
Published: 2007-01-03 22:36:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 18393; Favourites: 430; Downloads: 357
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Also from last night. A page full of plague doctors, one of my recurring interests. There's something about a doctor in a long black coat with a freakish bird mask that is not just a little creepy. So I started designing my own (with a lot of creative license). There are three seperate pages made into one file, the left third being the first page, middle, second, and right, the third.These are like... modern or fantasy versions. The actual masks/outfits were far less detailed and... deranged. For those of you who don't know who they are, or are interested here is the wiki article. [link]
If you want to give me feedback, tell me any of the following:
What your initial feeling was in response to seeing the figures.
Which design you like best and why.
Whether or not you find them disconcerting. (if they were standing over you, would you be alarmed? XD )
Any other feedback in respect to the designs is appreciated as well :3
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Comments: 131
I like pretty much all of these, especially the big, feathery ruff on the coats.
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I like how you incorporated a little bird into their bodies as well as in their costume, as if wearing the mask for so long was beginning to change them.
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I really like the one hunched on the bird creature. The way he's hunched makes me think of the eeriness that people feel when they see a plague doctor.
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The clawed hands look so perfect and creepy
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very cool. 
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I hear these plague doctors wore bird like masks to scare off evil spirits and keep from getting illnesses.
And these design are great! Bird masks and humans make a good idea.
Good thing for all those odd ideas before us.
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HOMG!!!! I finally found you again! I've been meaning to watch you for ages! BTW, another weird thing is that recently I had an idea about a picture with a sort of plague doctor in it XD!
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XD I love these!
Hehe, I don't find plague doctors scary at all!
I quite enjoy the morbid and sinister style of them and yet these ones seem to have a bit of hmmm...royalty? Just by their poses and appearence ^^
Of course that's my opinion
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OHOHOHO Dr Schnabel is my heeeeroo 👍: 0 ⏩: 0
My favorite is the one on the far right. I like how you can see a bit of his face peering behind the mask
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I would imagine seeing these guys at your house is like seeing the doctor who's going to tell you the results of your AIDS test. Deep dread, and a sense of almost complete helplessness; there's a feeling that they hold your life in their hands. These days we know people don't have the god-like power to decide whether we're terminally ill or not, and that they're just messengers, but that doesn't make that feeling go away.
I could imagine a vulture-like quality, and that a person in that job would get easily affected by it all. He could go power mad, perhaps, from what I wrote above.
Which is why I like the idea of those creepy, talon like hands coupled with the attractive face. It gives off an eerie feeling of inevitable and utter corruption. Like the person he used to be is being slowly transformed.
From a design point of view, I really like the mask where the head is in complete profile and you can clearly see the belts around the head and beak part of the mask. I also like the full body design directly to the right of the profile.
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Standing over me... Depends on the context, of course! Do I know this guy, or is he prodding at me because my skin's exploding?
Overall, I absolutely ADORE the design, all of them! In truth, the design itself just made my heart leap with excitement, not fear. However, I read about these guys almost fanatically in elementary and middle school.
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Very cool, i like how you embelished the crow theme throughout. I actually just finished making a plague doctor mask, which i've yet to upload a picture of.
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I like the more skeletal designs along the bottom row best and I think the bird hands/gloves are a really good idea. The feathered collar gives an appropriate vulture kind of look.
I love these. I would not be too bothered by them in real life but maybe that is because I sculpt bird skulls all the time.
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Well, were I burning up with one hell of a fever, sleepless (according to House, insomnia is a lesser known symptom of the plague), sore and delirious with fright, one of these "doctors" would be the last thing I'd want to see. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if some poor bastards probably suffered heart failure from the terror of seeing these guys stepping into their rooms.
Er, anyhow, beautifully rendered drawings. The skeletal look is a great interpretation of an old style- it looks like something you'd see in Secret of NIMH or another Don Bluth style scary character
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Imagine if you're a child with the plague and one of those creatures showed up. They make me think of Pestilence or Death (of the 4 Horsemen).
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They're amazing. Seeing one of your first doctor pics actually brought me to your gallery in the first place. It was kinda like "Wow. Thats creepy, yet sort of dishevled and quirky at the same time."
(Btw, those clock-work-type wings were very interesting. I'd love to see them again. xD -random last comment-)
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I've always loved your version of the plague doctor, and he looks quite dishy behind the mask
I would die to draw hands like that, plus, he's a great inspiration to me.
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Incredible! I've always been fascinated with these masks. I think it's awesome how you have a little container for the, uhh, frankincense and myrrh! XD
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They are nice from the design point of view, but not as freaky as the regular ones, maybe due to that fur/feathers. Also instead of designing claws, you should try doing gloves instead. Im still favin it though 
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Also, your masks give me that post apocalyptic kind of feeling
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I've recently designed a Plague Doctor as well, and stuck him into my NaNoWriMo novel for this year. So I'm on a bit of a PD kick myself. I really like your design.
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At first sight I see little creepy! His hands looks great but I don't know if these are his gloves or are his true hands.
All his world turns into the crows, right?. Great character but I think needs a story to know more of him!
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My first response to these after getting over how amazingly creepy they are...was that these are really great and detailed designs! I know the originals weren't this detailed...but seeing these designs makes me think these would make more sense to wear. 👍: 0 ⏩: 0
My favorite design would have to be the middle one on the first page. With the feathers coming out from where a mans ear would be (and it's wearing a top-hat. ) It seems...I guess natural in a way...but not completely normal. Almost as if the Doctor would appear to be an actually bird-like man rather than just a human doctor.
It seems to be giving off that feeling that it appears to be and therefore is much wiser that most people.
And if I saw that thing standing over me I would be alarmed to the point of probably starting to cry...
Very cool, very cool indeed. Among my favorite things I've ever seen on DA. Please direct me to other peoples interpretations of Plague Doctor as well.
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I always thought it was mean of plague doctors to scare thir poor vulnerable (if not boily) patients with scary bird masks.
You've done a sinister yet beautiful spin on an old piece of history.
one of my character's incidentally used to be a plague doctor. 
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I love your take on plague doctors. Did you ever use these designs for a story or anything?
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My initial feelings for this are just... well... cool! I never heard of that, but I looked it up after seeing this, and I think it's great. Taking the more skull-like approach is just win here. I love skulls, and bird skulls in particular are fascinating.
Favorites are the uppermost left and the full-front one on the very bottom sortacenter (I actually just like how the crystalline eyespectacles look like they're glinting - even glowing - against the shaded skull). If I had to choose between the two, I'd say the latter. The round eyepieces just do it. They seem more sinister than the angry eyes to me, for some reason. But I also like the tophats a lot (they seem silly, but HEY! Personality thaar!). The one with the mask being removed strikes me the most, though (because of its unveiling the human component, showing that these aren't just creatures, even if those strange fingers may suggest otherwise), but from a design standpoint, the mask on that one doesn't seem to convey as much of a personality as the others.
I don't actually find this very disconcerting, but that's because I like animal skulls, and they don't usually frighten me when 'clean' (human skulls, on the other hand, are more likely to creep me out if presented in certain ways). If I were sick and I had one of these guys looking over/after me (without malicious intent, of course), I probably wouldn't freak out that much because I see animal skulls in a bit more of a serene, protective light. Sort of like a gargoyle effect. Hell, my self-appointed 'guardian angels' in my mind have animal-skull heads.
Now, if this were in the context of the historical plague, then, well, maybe my opinions would be different (if they weren't, I'd probably be burned XD). But as things stand now, I see them as cool, rather than outright scary and uncomfortable. :D Makes me wanna dress up as one for a Halloween one year.
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These are pretty much completely terrifying. That said... they would look absolutely fantastic if they were moving o_o with that big elegant sort of coat and the hat with that mask... gah.
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Kinda morbid, but I like the detailed ideas you have put in it
If I think about the origin why they looked like this, than I guess, you made a perfect job
I love the mount 
Nice
+ the head is really spectacular. At first, I thought, that this is an anthro vulture-man combo 
Anyway, amazing job !
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nice designs. i like the version with the tophat and cloak, and with spectacles over its eyes. the whole anonymity gives a chilling feeling.
when i first came across bullsik's [link] 
i find them all disturbing. your concept designs are intersting, i like the perspective.
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The goggle-eyed one just makes me laugh
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Those plague doctor suits scare the hell outta me.
Any feathers attached to the mask just isn't doing it for me. I also like the ones where the eyepieces are more inset (like the original design), like in the sketch next to the bird skull study and the one looking straight at you. The bigger, goggle-like eyepieces just give it a weird, bug-eyed look. I like the feathers on the cape, though. I think tweaking the hats to resemble more the original doctor hats would be a good idea.
The one at the top left reminds me of those monster-things that kept suddenly appearing in the new Omen.
~DL
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The feeling I get lookin' at 'em is the same one ya get when you scratch your head.
I dig the design on the left and to the top. Gives ya an eerie feeling and ya have no idea what he's concealin'.
As for disconcerting, not terribly. This is because I tend to act as opposed to registerin' emotion though.
An...nothin' else comes to mind. Hope ye have fun toyin' with the concept.
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woah, creepy & disturbing. in a cool, amazing sort of way, if that makes sense.
i remember watching a tv programme about these guys when i was little. freaked me out...
still, brilliant work
i like the idea of them having birdish steeds, too.
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I like the top middle the best (the profile head shot with the strap around the beak). He has an extra amount of creepyness I think.
It is amazing how many strange ideas came up during the black death... corse I wonder, centuries from now, when people look at the face masks we wear today in hospitals if they will laugh at them, think they are horribly creepy, and change them to look of their time
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I can't pick a favorite design, i think they're all great.
reminds me of a character i'm currently working on
As for seeing one...god knows what my reaction would be
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Sweet. I thought I was the only person in the world who doodled plague doctors, but I guess not.
Gotta love Doktor Schnabel von Rom.
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1They are pretty sweet! they are a bit creepy but interesting none the less
2the mask/face with the rose/flower on the side of it.. i like the shape of the beak and just the total thing best
3well yeah id be a bit freaked if i woke up and that gob of a face was stairing at me... and i look out the window and.. that big bird rideable thing was like tied out in my yard..
4they are all awesome very neat idea!
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I would be freaked if they came through my door. I like the mask with the tufts of feathers, 'cuse it adds to the whole outfit/personna
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Ok, that's freaky.
Gonna build one? = D
Can I? (No, it won't happen. Too much on my plate.
+fav!
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wow i love the way that looks. i like how it's historical with a lil twist in it. looks awesome!
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What was my initial reaction? ... "Oh my God!!!"
I mean, I REALLY like this. I'm very much into birds, and well, I like Oswald Cobblepot from Batman.. so that might be part of the reasons why I like this so much but.. gahh! They're wicked cool!
My favorite designs are.. gosh.. pretty much all of them. The very first one in the top left corner for sure.. and the head on staring view that's also beside the head looking down..
And of course, the one with the plaque doctor in his coat and top hat.. especially the harnessed bird.
Gosh, what can I say, I love them. And whereas I'm not sure I'd be so squeeful if the guy was standing over me in a threatening way.. I so have to favorite this. XD
[Ooh.. I love how you designed a rose in the bird mask as well.. wow. o_o]
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I like the hats, though I agree that they should be twicked a bit. The heave cloaks are cool too. My favourites are the masks along the botton. They have a creepy mechanical quality to them that's more disturbing than a purely skeletal appearance. The lens over the eyes and the straps add to that feel.
Also, love the hands. Very alien looking.
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