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More from *RJDaae

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February 12, 2011
2.4 MB
1040×1265
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:iconrjdaae:
"Then there was the manticore. It was said they prowled the forests of the East, having originated in Persia and spread wherever they found food. Red, with a voice like a trumpet, and built like a massive lion, but with two key differences from that animal. Most obviously, the face: vaguely similar to a human's, but as one based on a description pulled out of a nightmare. The eyes wild and full of death, the lips perpetually curled back in a sneer that revealed the creature's three rows of teeth.

As horrible as it's countenance was, it was the other difference between this beast and a lion that warranted the most dread. For the manticore didn't have the harmless tufted tail of the king of cats... no, it had it's own manticore-sized version of the tail of one of nature's smallest predators, the scorpion, with matching manticore-strength poison. The creatures were of a very agitated nature, constantly flicking their tails back in forth in annoyance, which had the added bonus of hiding their unusual tail in a blur, and making them harder to distinguish from the back. If you somehow managed to sneak up behind a manticore without it noticing you first, you might not see the deadly sting until it was too late to run.

The only animal safe from the manticore's venom was said to be the elephant --though whether a whale would also be impervious was surely the topic of many fireside conversations. But the manticore's appetite couldn't be satisfied by just any meat... 'Manticore', if you hadn't guessed, meant 'man-eater' in the language of the Persians. "


This is my entry for #MythsandLegends Manticore contest: [link]

My scanner didn't like this one, unfortunately. :roll: The colours are much less rippled looking in real life. ETA: I rescanned the especially bad parts, so hopefully the ripples aren't as noticeable anymore.

I think it's kind of funny that within a week I've done a painting with one of the lightest palettes I've ever used, and now one with one of the darkest. :lol:

Horse and man detail: [link]
Manticore detail: [link]

Acrylic on Bristol board, 14 x 17 inches
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:iconmorleigh13:
~morleigh13 Feb 24, 2011
The bone work on the animal is amazing. Your attention to detail is always breathtaking.
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:iconrjdaae:
*RJDaae Feb 26, 2011
Thank you! :D
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:icongriswaldterrastone:
~GriswaldTerrastone Feb 23, 2011
Absolutely magnificent.

This is one heck of an illustration!
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:iconrjdaae:
*RJDaae Feb 23, 2011
Thank you! :D
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:iconwinglessfairy:
~WinglessFairy Feb 15, 2011  Student Digital Artist
the manticore is hungry....FOR THE TURKISH SANDWHICHES IN THE SADDLE BAG!

very super super cool! I like the tail =D it is bumpy and dinosaury
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:iconrjdaae:
*RJDaae Feb 16, 2011
Thanks! :D
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:iconsystemcat:
*systemcat Feb 13, 2011  Professional General Artist
Love the amount of detail in this :thumbsup:.
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:iconrjdaae:
*RJDaae Feb 13, 2011
Thank you! :)
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:iconbdunn1342:
*bdunn1342 Feb 13, 2011   General Artist
I hate it when a scan ripples. It looks very nice though. I love the horse's expression; the nervousness comes across nicely. The perspective feels a little off; I think it might be in regards to the road and how 'high' it is. Like you can see more of it than I expect to/it feels like it should be flatter? I'm not sure I'm explaining it well. If I'm not, let me know and I'll try to clarify. The horse's eyes are also a little too front-facing (since they sit on the sides of the skull). Over all, a beautiful composition. I love the detail work you put into it, especially the foliage in the foreground. Well done!
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:iconrjdaae:
*RJDaae Feb 13, 2011
Thanks for the comment, I really appreciate your input! :)
I might end up trying to rescan the worst parts of it or something. My scanner has big enough problems when really light/really dark things are involved, so the slightest ripple on the paper (and I paint on paper, with a ton of water, so...) can really throw things off. :shakefist:
Glad you like the plants, they took ages. :faint: Before I started detailing them, I thought the painting would be done within two hours. Nope. :lol:
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