FMP Greek Mythology

Already being knowledgeable on the subject of greek mythology, I decided to cover it as part of my research to be able to learn more about it and simply because of the huge roster of creatures and legends at my disposal to draw. Many of these creatures have become iconic and are very recognizable because of their unique looks.



MEDUSA


CHIMERA


CHARYBDIS


CERBERUS


CENTAUR


NEMEAN LION


MINOTAUR


HYDRA

FMP Hyakkai Zukan - Sawaki Suushi (artist research)

In the sophisticated popular culture of the Edo period (1603-1868), much attention was devoted to Japan's rich variety of traditional monsters and apparitions, known as yokai. Sometimes frightening, sometimes humorous, these compelling Japanese folk creatures were the subject of numerous artistic and literary works. One such work was Hyakkai Zukan, a collection of picture scrolls completed in 1737 by Sawaki Suushi, a relatively unknown artist. Hyakkai Zukan's colorful depictions of Japan's most notorious creatures inspired yokai artists for generations. Here are some of Sawaki Suushi's paintings and my own study of the Ushi-Oni (cow devil) at the top -

 
 

 

FMP Odilon Redon (artist research)

                                           
Odilon Redon, (born April 20, 1840, died July 6, 1916) was a French symbolist painter, lithographer, and etcher of poetic sensitivity and imagination. His prints explore haunted, fantastic, often macabre themes and foreshadowed the Surrealist and Dadaist movements. His oils and pastels, mainly still life drawings of flowers, won him the admiration of Henri Matisse and other painters as an important colourist. Redon produced nearly 200 prints beginning in 1879 with the lithographs collectively titled In the Dream. He completed another series (1882) dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, whose poems had been translated into French. Though there is a relationship between his work and that of the Impressionist painters, he opposed both Impressionism and Realism as wholly perceptual. Here is my own study of his work along with other examples.


 

 

 

FMP Tanuki (Japanese Folklore)

Many of the monsters I found in Japanese folklore caught my eye because of how strange they are, and a good example of this would be the tanuki. A tanuki is a Japanese species of animal sometimes called a raccoon dog, having an appearance similar to that of an American raccoon. The legends surrounding the creature however are much more unusual and have been significant in Japanese folklore since ancient times.
The legendary tanuki is supernatural, and is said to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise that has the power to shape-shift, but is also gullible and absentminded. They are classed as yokai (ghosts) and can change their appearance into anything, even having the power to possess people. Their appearance in literature and art however is very bizarre. They are depicted to have absurdly over-sized testicles that they use for gliding, carrying water, as sleeping bags and even drums. It was the pure insanity of this idea that convinced me to include it as part of my research and to show how weird Japanese mythology can be.

 

FMP Namazu the giant catfish (Japanese Folklore)

Throughout ancient history when science and society were much more underdeveloped, natural occurances were explained through myths and tall tales. One such myth in Japanese culture is that a giant catfish living underneath the earth would cause earthquakes with the shake of his tail. The catfish, called Namazu, was restrained by a giant stone tablet placed on his head by the god, Kashima. When Kashima was distracted, it was then that Namazu broke free and would wreak havok on the human world. Although it may sound like Namazu was meant to be feared because of his huge size and disregard for humankind, he was used in stories to help lift the morale of people who had just suffered from an earthquake. It was said that he caused of the earthquake of Edo (now Tokyo) in 1855 as a punishment of human greed, and writers and scholars took this as a sign saying the rich must redistribute their wealth to the people. Giant catfish have always been sacred to the Japanese, thought to be river deities who could cause flooding and rainfall.

FMP Japanese Folklore

Japanese mythology and the creatures from folklore have always intrigued me, so I decided to start my research looking at them first. Most of their folklore involves spirits and demons, so called Onis/Obake, which tells me that Japanese people throughout history have had a superstitious attitude and fear what they cannot control (ghosts/spirits are known to be invincible and vengeful upon the living). This has affected how the creatures they believed in were imagined and drawn. Death is an important part of their beliefs and many of the mythical creatures I researched are created after death; for instance a Kappa, a humanoid turtle that dwells in rivers, was said to have been a drowned soul that has turned into a water demon.
Here are some of the creatures I researched;


KIRIN



KAPPA


TENGU

ONI

SHIRIME


AKANAME


KITSUNE


KASA OBAKE

FMP The Great Red Dragon (artist research)

The "Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun" is a painting by the poet, William Blake as part of a series that started 1805-1810. It is haunting and disturbing and is very powerful in its detail and vibrant colours, this iconic look convinced me to include it as a part of my project. Although the painting is of a dragon, it can be identified as Satan. The painting was inspired by The Book of Revelation where the devil tried to take the son of the virgin Mary, Mary being the woman in yellow. It is said that William Blake painted from visions he had that had scared him and an urban legend surrounds the dragon where if one gazes at it for a long time, they will become obsessed with it as if possessed. It is an iconic representation of evil, the intense muscular back and large writhing tail make up a threatening and very powerful beast. The human like legs and neck imply intelligence in the creature and make the dragon seem disturbingly human. Rather than being bright and prominent, the subtle red on the dragon coloured on the wings and muscles make it haunting and eerie.