HOME | DD
taibossigai — Tengu
by-nc-nd
Published: 2013-07-23 02:54:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 568; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
Inspired by an old Japanese print of a tengu in flight. I liked the idea of them having a beak rather than the long bulbous nose that's become part of their usual representation, so here's my version. I am rather pleased with his expression, it's just so horrid, and somehow it reminds me of a teacher I had in junior highschool, maybe it's the moustache.
Some additional info on tengus: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
Watercolour pencil crayon on 9x12" (about A4 size) watercolour paper.
Related content
Comments: 27
You've done a very nice job on this. Having the beak for a nose is both ingenious and creepy and I really like how you've painted the skin. Great job, keep it up!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you very much!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Initial Impressions: I saw the Asian influence, but i had no idea what I was looking at. so I looked at your link you provided. this group of beasts has a long and interesting history. [but enough about my learning or need for education] I was encouraged to see many different art traditions represented in your gallery.
Use of Color: The red skin is one of the traditional identifying characteristics of your subject, lightening up from the highly saturated traditional color is a great idea because it allows you to work with the close point of view and still make detail in your work. Use of blues to accent white wings keeps them from totally getting lost in the cloud structure. [curious to know if the yellow/orange drift onto his wing bones was intentional or not?]
Composition: with the clouds, close angle, and you comment about your teacher; I'm guessing you chose the harbinger aspect of this guy rather than the protector phase of its history.
The line down the side of the face is a nice nod to the Japanese theater/ temple masks. In his case I have to wonder, "If it is a Mask, I bet the visage beneath is the same as the mask. I like the fact you chose to allow the eye to articulate toward the viewer [unlike the masks]
Impact: you succeeded in a challenging piece of art. a large traditional work of a subject that has deep cultural roots, and as The-MAd_Cat said, on that has been hi-jacked by pop-culture. any time you put me close enough to a monster-god that I can smell his breath, you have created impact.
Vision: any attempt to rescue traditional characters from pop culture is worthy in its own right for me.
What I might improve: This is som minor I have to ask your forgiveness in writing this, but the cheek and brow lines of the masks and the older reference drawings seem to have very deep groves where the flash is pulled by the grimace of the creature, a little shading, cross hatch or light ink wash might really make those pop
Final Thoughts: The anatomy is quite solid based on the links you gave us
Well Done !
#projectcomment
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you very much for your comments! It's great to know that some people appreciate the traditional style.
Unfortunately, the cloudy background once covered the entire page, so I did my best to cover it up & make the tengu as solid as possible. (the darker one on his cheek and beak is another one) Some of the lines still show through though. Ah...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow
Knowing you worked from a patterned paper, interesting choice.
I keep thinking about incorporating these papers into some of my work, but, I'm a little un-courageous when I do traditional media.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I guess patterned in a way - I had actually painted on it first, with an entirely different painting in mind (pinky-orange clouds with some line-art butterflies). I gave up on the butterflies, and the background sat around until the Tengu showed up.
Yeah, sometimes I find myself being timid about things as well. I have to remind myself that it's just paint, and acrylics can always cover watercolor.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You just mentioned one of my major nerd points, I have 3 sketch books that are too important to put drawings in, but I carry one of them with me [or more] and I almost never write on the first page of a regular spiral notebook. like i'm waiting for something big.
MEntally I subscribe to Edison's philosophy that to have a good idea you should have a lot of ideas; but I can sit and stare at a blank piece of newsprint for hours waiting for a worthy inspiration. This drawing fav.me/d9p1vwp
was the first sheet off a new pad, and I erased 3 different sets of perspective lines [one was going to be a locomotive engine]
I think I'm going to get the color pencils and finish that one next week while I am on vacation.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Oh, I have trouble with my 'sketch' books - they're more like 'second or third draft' books rather than sketch books! My sketches go on scrap paper, and if the idea is good enough it gets copied into the book using pencil, and made permanent with ink pen. Sketches that might be interesting get put on the shelf, and I find them years later to either re-sketch, or toss.
I think I'd end up sitting in front of a blank paper or canvas as well...I tend to wait for some sort of inspiration to happen (usually as I drive to work), or dream, or imaginary thing, and then sketch it down on scrap paper. I enjoy pads of paper and bound books, but putting that first note or drawing in them is really tough. It's almost oddly sacrilegious, and I need to be really really sure that I'm using the book for the right thing. (does that even make sense?)
Good plan with the sketch. Wow, it was going to be a locomotive at one point? Looks like you have some good comments on it - I just added my own 2 cents.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
YEs; this is the same thought about the "sacred opportunity" of a new paper, or a new day and with my day I am forced to mark on it through my actions or in inaction, with the paper or canvas I can preserve it in the pristine state.
I have come to understand some things about the power of ideas and now I look wonder if any of the mare good enough.
I worked through the concepts of"Me or I" having certian rights because I exist but the privilege of an idea to find time and expression at least from me is still somethign I have to work on.
I understand your thought perfectly, I think.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Don't wanna run into this guy in a dark alley.
...or a light alley...
...or at all....... lol
Good work! I've seen many representations of the Tengu before. This one takes the cake.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
And thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
finally some realistic Tengu!
My Comment is due to the fact that too many japan-fans are ddecieved by the good looking tengu from mangas and massmedia culture, a representation that is very far from the reality of the Tengu myth.
I really like the way you enhanced the outline, and it's pretty stunning the way you colored it. The background clearly recalls Japanese paintings of ancient times.
You respected perfectly tengu's traditional anatomy and even made him that eye, that gives a hint of madness.
You did a great job!
(oh the behalf of :iconProjectComment)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks very much! I have to admit, I don't really like the anime versions out there either, and I had done a fair bit of research into the "traditional" styles of Tengu. I like the ones with the beaks much better than the ones with the giant noses though. And yes, he does look quite crazy! 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
You've managed to combine a creature that some probably regard as grotesque and the beauty of art all into one 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Tengus are very interesting. An interesting thought, putting prints onto him or the background. I had difficulty with his skin, as originally the whole thing was a pink background of clouds, so there is a pretty strong line across his cheek which I tried to hide by painting over. I had been thinking when I was painting it I wanted to do a second version, with a cute & innocent young girl in kimono reaching out to touch his nose! (I think I'd use the other version of tengu - one with the big red bulbous nose instead for that)
Thank you for the kind compliments and suggestions!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
OHhh this is stunning 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I think it very much suits your style.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Awww thank you so much! You're so kind.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
