June MOTM: What lurks in the deep woods - concept sketch + design commentary // sfw

june's monster of the month design was based on the theme 'what lurks in the deep woods' which was suggested by coldau! 

i had three main sources of inspiration for this design (and for the painting and the Vibe in general): the art of john bauer, the photography book 'wilder mann' by charles freger, and the peaceful northern forests i grew up in.

the first thing that comes to mind when i hear 'deep woods' is the forests in the paintings of john bauer. many of them have backgrounds full of tall, plain pine trunks and moss-covered stones, the colours are often dark and murky but with contrasting pops of brightness (such as an ethereally pale figure), and since many of them literally illustrate swedish/scandinavian folktales they're just teeming with that eerie but beautiful folklory vibe. i wanted my wood lurker to look like he'd stepped out of a bauer painting, more or less. his faerie-like lover is a very direct reference to the fae folk and princesses of bauer's art; together they mirror another theme of his, namely the contrast between the big and monstrous on the one hand, and the elegant and ethereal on the other. if you're not familiar with john bauer, just google for his art and i'm sure you'll immediately see how this motm design and the resulting art is directly influenced by his work. 

'wilder mann,' on the other hand, is a coffee table photography book by charles freger, full of images of 'beast man' folk costumes from across europe. these costumes are absolutely gorgeous; many of them feature long fur, wool, leather, clothing made of plant materials, feathers, horns, antlers, masks, cattle bell belts, and interesting proportions. they're humanoid but look so otherwordly and inhuman in such a wondrous way, and i was going for a similar impression with my wood lurker. his long fur (on his arms, neck, and tail) is inspired by the outfits of 'wilder mann,' as is the incorporation of large cattle bells, the cape and skirt he wears (woven from flax fibre), not to mention the silhouette of his horns, mask-like head, and thick neck.

my wood lurker is a were-creature with long, strong arms, a long tail that kind of resembles a branch from a spruce tree in shape and bushyness, broad shoulders, a thinner waist, and narrow hips. his posture is a bit hunched, because, well, he's known to lurk, feet sinking into the moss without a sound, tail dragged behind him like a broom on the forest floor. his hands and feet feels kind of leathery, and he smells like the forest; like moss, rain, earth, and resin. the bells may make a low, unearthly chime as he moves, but curiously they can also be completely quiet, when he wishes to go unseen, stealthy and soundless. he keeps to the deepest forests where humans rarely venture--and if they do, they know to respect the woods. he's very gentle, and in his encounters with others--whether human, animal, or other--he prefers to be helpful and kind. he's the type of 'monster' that would help an animal stuck in a trap, bring gifts of food to the doorstep of a starving family, or guide a lost child back to their parents. he may look scary but he doesn't feel scary, if that makes sense?

i haven't yet decided if his lover is an elven princess, or if she was once a human woman who fell in love with the forest, leaving civilisation to become the wood lurker's wife. in any case she's just as kind as he, and blessed are those who ever encounter them.

as for the forests of my childhood they're dark woods indeed, with moss-covered stones, lichen-clad trees, tall straight pine trunks, bushy spruce trees, the softest moss, a forest floor covered with lingonberry or blueberry bushes, faint trails walked by wildlife and humans alike. there was the birdsong, sometimes you'd hear an animal from afar, other times you'd find a shed antler or some old whitened bones. in the words of robert frost, such woods are so lovely, dark, and deep; they're quiet, peaceful, you're alone but not lonely, and the scent remains one of my all-time favourite smells. in the summer the sunlight filters through the treetops; in the winter, snow blankets the ground, weighs the evergreen branches down, and makes it easy to see the tracks of hares, foxes, and moose.

i wanted my wood lurker to belong in such a forest--a gentle monster you might glimpse in the corner of your eye, a faint movement behind the trees and stones. perhaps he'd let you hear the way his fur rustles like leaves, his foot on the dry old pines, the scrape of claws on bark, a wooden creaking, like trees in the wind. every hue of his colour scheme draws on something you could find in such woods; the tan and grey bark of pine trees, the blue-ish grey of huge stone blocks, the pale, greenish grey of lichen, and so on. even the brass bells have the colour of the golden light of the evening sun.

...typing this, i realise how much this design was based on a Feeling, or a Memory, or a Mood. you know, that particular way you feel about some of your favourite places on earth, places that fill you with such a sense of magic and wonder. next time i find myself in one of my childhood forests i want to sit down, close my eyes, breathe in the smells, soak in the quiet, and imagine this wood lurker skulking through the woods, leaving no trace of himself except the faint chiming of a bell on the wind.

// art + characters © me.