03-06-2024 |10 Minute Drawing

Watch MJ draw Grand Beast of Air version 2 in this 10 minute drawing session.

#artist #mjmunoz #fantasy #monster #storyovereverything

What do you think of the results?

Look out for a 10 Minute Writing video next!

Watch the process below!

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Blending Bird, Bat and Bug Anatomy to Design My Air Guardian Creature

Rewritten from transcript by Claude (https://www.anthropic.com)

As a fantasy artist, I’m always on the hunt for fresh ways to mix and match creature features into memorable character designs. In this 10-minute drawing session from February 6th, 2024, I took another crack at conceptualizing my Air Guardian beast by fusing elements from birds, bats, and insects into one fantastical chimera.

The key to making this guardian feel both grounded and otherworldly was finding the right balance of familiarity and strangeness. I started with a sturdy dragonfly body as the base, giving it an elongated, segmented form that immediately reads as “bug.” But then I added a touch of elegance with a sleek hummingbird beak, perfect for darting and hovering.

For the wings, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to mash up some iconic silhouettes. The leathery, veined texture of bat wings felt like a natural fit for an aerial entity, connoting that sense of nocturnal mystery. But I also wanted to incorporate the vibrant beauty of birds, so I grafted on a pair of sweeping parrot wings as well. In my first sketches, I had the placement reversed, but swapping the bird wings to the front and the bat wings to the back created a more striking visual flow.

Of course, no mystical being is complete without a memorable face. I opted for oversized, compound insect eyes to really sell that alien vibe, while still maintaining an expressive quality. The effect is both unsettling and intriguing, drawing the viewer in for a closer look.

Compared to my first pass at this guardian, I feel like this iteration really leveled up the dynamism and personality. The off-kilter angles of the wings and limbs suggest a constant state of motion, as if the creature is riding invisible currents. And the exaggerated proportions, with that spindly thorax and bulbous head, create an almost caricatured appearance that sticks in your mind.

What I love most about this design is how it demonstrates the power of creative synthesis. By borrowing and blending attributes from different animals, you can invent something that feels simultaneously grounded and impossible. It’s like solving a puzzle, finding just the right combination of pieces to click into a cohesive whole.

Of course, I’m still tinkering with the exact anatomy and posing. But that’s the beauty of these exploratory sketches – they give me room to play, to push and pull the shapes until I land on a composition that sings. Each iteration brings me one step closer to unlocking this air guardian’s true potential.

What do you think of this flying chimera so far? Which features are your favorite? I’m always eager to hear how other artists and creature design enthusiasts react to my experiments, so drop your thoughts in the comments! Swapping ideas and inspirations is half the fun.

And if you want to keep up with more of my fantasy art deep dives and works-in-progress, be sure to subscribe to my channel. I’ve got a bunch of new videos in the pipeline, delving into everything from character costuming to environment sketching to worldbuilding lore. Trust me, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Feeling extra curious? Come peruse my website for an even wider selection of art goodies, behind-the-scenes peeks, and storytelling musings. I guarantee you’ll find something to tickle your imagination. Until next time, happy drawing!