Creatuanary Day 01: Karkinos
My main inspiration was Giant spider crab mixed with some insect and spider DNA and the star constellation of cancer mixed in.
Research:
Karkinos, Cancer or simply crab is a giant crab from greek mythology. In the myth of the “12 labors of Heracles”, Hera sent Karkinos to attack Heracles while he is busy fighting the Hydra. Karkinos is killed by Heracles but gets turned into the constellation of Cancer by Hera for his efforts.
Creatuanary Day 02: Kitsune
My Kitsune is a young one, still a bit clumsy and learning. That is why he only has 2 of his up to 9 tails. I mixed Red and Desert Fox, gave it a bit longer fur and took some inspiration from cheetahs for the markings.
Research:
They are foxes that posses supernatural powers from japanese folklore. Their abilities increase as they get older. They can have up to 9 tails. The more tails a Kitsune has, the older and wiser it is. Kitsune is sometimes translated as “fox spirit” which is actually a bigger category from folklore. This does not mean that Kitsune are ghosts, the word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment.
Creatuanary Day 03: Tulkun
The Tulkun are a marina creature from the fourth Avatar Movie. This is my spin on it. I took the design from the film as a base, as well as humpback whale (which was one of the key references for the movie creature). I gave him some more sharp features, an extra eye, changed and added fins as well as a dash of alligator DNA.
Research:
At first glance they are very whale-like, but every detail and component was designed to be alien. A striking feature is their headcrests that protrude out of their snouts. In the early designs they resembled the appendage on the head of an angler fish. The armor plates body was designed closely with the animation team to keep the creatures flexibility.
Creatuanary Day 04: Cocollona
For my Cocolla I used the Indian Gharial as my main inspiration and mixed in dragonfly (felt better suited for the river than butterfly 😜) and Hypsognathus DNA.
Research:
The Cocollona is a river monster of Gironian mythology. The Legend says it was an unfaithful nun. She was imprisoned in the dungeon and could only leave to visit the river Onyar. Over the years she grew scales and changed into a crocodile like creature. In spite of the punishment, she was still kind of faithful. This manifested as a pair of butterfly wings. After her death her ghost started to hunt the river near the old bridges. Nowadays she can only be spotted during full moon from people that are attuned to such things.
Creatuanary Day 05: Caipora
So to make Caipora a creature, i mixed human with peccary and warthhog DNA. He got interrupted and is listening if he hears a hunter that is not playing by the rules.
Research:
Caipora is an entity of the Tupi-Guarani mythology in Brazil. The word “Caipora” comes from Tupi and means “inhabitant of the forest”. It is represented as a drak skinned, small native American, naked, with a long red mahne and smoking a cigar. In some regions it was believed the were afraid of the light. Some say it rides a great peccary holding a stick. It is known as a forest dweller and king of the animals of sorts. He’s very vengeful towards hunter that don’t play by the rules of “fair-play”. Then he scares away prey and deceives the hunters.
Creatuanary Day 06: Bake-Kujira
I mixed Blue Whale and Whale Shark sceletons. I’m still trying it what technique I like best on this paper… This one is pencil, coloured pencil and acryl.
Research:
Bake-kujira ghost-whale, is the skeletal spirit of a dead whale. He is a mythical Japanese ghost, phantom from Japan. It is supposedly a large ghostly skeleton whale and is said to be accompanied by strange birds and fish.
Other legends say that he brings a powerful curse with it. “The curse of the whale” is said to bring famine, plague, fires, and other kinds of disasters to the villages it hits. This the worst nightmare for the villages because it is the complete opposite of what finding a whale usually brings.
Creatuanary Day 07: Azathoth
I was a bit lost with this prompt at first, with Lovecraft my brain immediately went to tentacles… So I tried to do something different. I mixed leatherback turtle, a bit of fish, my fantasy and a lot to your imagination. I hope you like it!
Research:
Azathoth is a deity in the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories of writer H. P. Lovecraft and other authors. He is the ruler of the Outer Gods, and may be seen as a symbol for primordial chaos. There is not really a description of him, so here the first fiction by Lovecraft to mention Azathoth:
Outside the ordered universe is that amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the center of all infinity—the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time and space amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin monotonous whine of accursed flutes.
Creatuanary Day 08: Waterbull
As a starting point I was looking at bulls and water buffalo, mixed it with sea pigs and some Duck-DNA.
Research:
The waterbull comes from welsh folklore. They live in lakes or moorlands and are usually described as dangerous with shapeshifting abilities. Solitary walkers near the lakeside have been known to have been dragged into the water to their deaths. Some descriptions are with fiery Horns and hoofs as well as flames spouting from their nostrils.
According to some myths, the calves of water bulls and ordinary cows ought to be killed at birth by any method other than drowning – they cannot be killed by drowning – to avoid bringing disaster to the herd. Conversely, in northern areas the calves are considered to be of superior quality.
Creatuanary Day 09: Undead Smilodon
I looked at the prehistoric animal and a bunch of big cats for this one. Smilodon have a bigger upper Body and a short tail, this build is good to move around in trees. That’s how I came up with the pose.
Research:
Smilodon is a genus of an extinct subfamily of the felids. It was around the size of modern big cats, but was more robustly built. It had a reduced lumbar region, high scapula, short tail, and broad limbs with relatively short feet. Smilodon is most famous for its relatively long canine teeth, which are the longest found in the saber-toothed cats, at about 28 cm long in the largest species. They used to live in Americas during the Pleistocene epoch.
Creatuanary Day 10: Moth-Man
I mixed Human and Moth-DNA for this one, who would have guessed 🤣
I wanted to make him slender creepy, but imagine he would only be the size of a really big moth, would you be scared? 😜
Research:
The Mothman is a Humanoid creature in west Virgina Folklore. He was repeatedly seen between 1966 and 1967. The first Newspaper article stated “Couple see Man-sized Bird… creature… something…” The legend was further popularized with books and films. He is described as slender, muscular man with wings and hypnotic eyes.
Creatuanary Day 11: Nguruvilu
He’s a mix between fox and a watersnake and some more underwater features. He also has webbed feet if he spreads them apart.
Research:
Nguruvilu is a creature from Mapuche religion of the indigenous people inhabiting Chile. The Name is a mixture between the words fox and snake. It has the body of a fox, but long like a snake, and a long tail with fingernails that he can use like a claw. The creatures make the water shallow on either ford, to encourage people to try to cross it making it seem safe. However, the only safe way of crossing a river with a Nguruvilu is by boat.
Creatuanary Day 12: Mula sem cabeça
It means headless mule. I was fairly free with this creature since there are different descriptions. That it makes sense I thought it could still have the skull and the rest of it’s head could be like a burning, fiery ghost.
Research:
The Headless mule is actually a curse on a person. It can’t be transmitted, but is aquired through a willfully committed sin. This creature is a headless mule from brazilian folklore. Every region has it’ s own theory on how he looks. Mostly it is described as brown or black, has iron horseshoes that produce a trotting sound louder than any horse. Despite being headless, it still moans and has a brittle in it’ s mouth and spews fire. In some depictions it has a placeholder head made out of fire. It is a bit like the brazilian werewolf and transforms at a crossroad and is condemned to gallop over 7 perishes each night. By some accounts, its trip begins and ends at the parish where the sin was committed.
Creatuanary Day 13: Nine-headed Bird
My inspirations were greater blue-eared starling, greater Racket-taiked Drongo, a bit of volture and sandhill Crane.
Man it is difficult to fit nine heads 🙈
Research:
The nine-headed bird is also called the “Nine Phoenix”. It is one of the earliest forms of the fenghuang, worshiped by ancient natives in Hubei Province, which back then was part of Chu. Due to the hostile relationship between Chu and its former overlord, the creature, being the totem creature of the Chu people, was demonised as a result. According to the original description it had ten necks and nine human heads, however, over time the heads were more often depicted as bird-heads. The tenth head is said to have been shot off by a hunter, leaving the headless neck to bleed continuously. Since the character for nine sounded similar to the character for ghost in ancient Chinese, the bird was often referred to as the Ghost Bird. After the Han Dynasty, the Nine-Headed Bird gradually developed into a demon bird and was recorded in many later poems.
Creatuanary Day 14: Werehyena
I love this concept! I really like how dangerous hyeanas feel when they have their head down and walk all slowly before the hunt starts. Also things look more dangerous from below. Both true, however they don’t work particular well together as I learned with this one…
Research:
As their name suggests, they are similar to Werewolfes, but not quite the same. They are not limited in when they can transform, but they do prefer the shadows. According to legend a Werehyena was capable of taking three main forms: that of a human, that of a large hyena or a hybrid of the two. They like to call out peoples names in the dark, to lure them out to devour them.
Creatuanary Day 15: Rat King
I took the phenomena of the ratking and ran with it. By itself it’s pretty creepy. But imagine the tails were a brain and all the rats would work as one…
Research:
A rat king is a collection of rats whose tails are intertwined and bound together in some way. This may be a result of an entangling material like hair, a sticky substance such as sap or gum, or the tails being tied together. Historically, this phenomenon is particularly associated with Germany.
The Ratking is also a character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and and the Last of us Part 2.
Creatuanary Day 16: Leonopteryx
I took the creature from Avatar as a base and mixed a bit of bird, mosquito and spider in. I hope you like my take on him!
Research:
In Avatar the Leonopteryx is a large species of flying animal native to Pandora. There he is the apex Predator of the Sky. The Na’vi name for him is Toruk, which means last shadow. Because his shadow is the last thing his victim sees, before he kills it from above. His colours are usually red and yellow, with black stripes and a differently coloured crest. His head crest is razor sharp and can be used for fight or defense.
Creatuanary Day 17: Underwater panther
He is also called Mishipeshu which translates to “The Great Lynx”. I Decided to run with the lynx because his distinct fur on the neck lends itself perfectly to turn into fins. For his tail I looked at mantarays.
Research:
He is the most important waterbeeing and the most powerful underworld beeing for Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands and Great Lakes region. It has the head and paws of a giant cat but is covered in scales and has dagger-like spikes running along its back and tail. In some descriotions it also has horns.
Creatuanary Day 18: Lambeosaurus
Lambeosaurus is a duck-billed Dinosaur. He was bipedal/ quadrupedal and a Herbivore. About 9m long and 2.1 meters tall. They lived about 75 million years ago in north America. He is known for his distinctive hollow cranial crest.
Creatuanary Day 19: Roc
I mixed falcon and double chrested cormorant. He just snatched an elephant as dinner.
Those feathers took waaay too long… And I could have kept going….
Research:
In the mythology of the muddle east, roc is an enormous legendary bird of prey. He was described as a mountain hovering in the air and an eagle of enormous size.
Creatuanary Day 20: Bael
I mixed toad, cat and human. I would have never thought about this combination, but there are so many possibilities with it.
Research:
He is a demon described in the demonological grimoires. He is a king with the power to make men invisible and rules over 66 legions of demons. He is appearing in the form of a cat, toad, man, a combination or the three heads of this creatures
Creatuanary Day 21: Lobisomen
Since we all know Werewolfes, I decided to go with a Werepig. I mean how awesome is that? Pigs can be versy scary. I was looking at red river hogs for inspiration.
Research:
He is a creature from brazilian folklore. He is considered a werewolf variation but in some versions with a pig or a dog instead of a wolf. In human form he looks like a normal person but with slightly pointed ears and yellowish pale skin. They transform at midnight on fridays at a crossroad. Transformed he goes looking for blood, killing all that moves with a preference for unbaptized children.
Creatuanary Day 22: Leshen
I was a bit lost on this one, if I researched right a “leshen” is the same as a “Leshy”. My inspiration was trees and some bony elements.
Research:
In the Witcher novels and in Slavic folklore, leshen are actually called “leszy” or “leshy”. In terms of appearance, leshen seem to have drawn inspiration from popular depictions of “wendigos”, a spirit of the Algonquian people from the Great Lakes region of Canada and America. Based off of a mythological creature called a “Leshy”, comes from the Slavic term for “forest”
Creatuanary Day 23: Kalavinka
For the bird I looked at goldfinch, secreatary bird and for it’ s tail the blue craine. To put a little twist on the human face, I gave it a peak like nose.
Research:
It’s a fantastical creature from Buddism. It is described with a human head, A birds Torso and a long flowing tail. He is said to repute the Dharma with it’ s wonderful voice. It is said it’ s voice is more beautiful and melodious than that of any other bird. Is voice is also compared to the voice of the Buddah.
Creatuanary Day 24: Camazotz
I love the noses of leaf nosed bats! So of course I used that, played a bit with proportions and threw in some human and a bit of warthhog-DNA.
Research:
In Maya mythologhy it is a bat spirit at the service of the lords of the underworld. It is described as an anthropomorphized leaf nosed bat. They believed bats represent night, death and sacrifice. Probably because bats lived in caves, which were believed to be portals to the underworld and they drank blood.
Creatuanary Day 25: Flying Snail
I learned that the sea butterfly is “flying” through water with two fleshy wings. It propels itself through water with the same movements as fruit flies. So fascinating!
I mixed snails, sea butterflies and seaangels.
Research:
In mythology snails are associated with divination and rebirth. Their ability to disappear and reappear was compared with the moon.
Creatuanary Day 26: Simiot
I looked at Mandrill, bamboos and other monkeys. I took the Freedom of not only looking at apes. But man their teeth are scary, better don’t bug them 😜
Research:
Simiot is from Catalan Pyrenean mythology and can be translated to “King of apes” or “similar to apes”. There is not a lot known about the Simiot, but he was said to have terrorized villages around the tenth century. They are believed to be reminders of a pagan religion. He was said to frighten the villagers, attack peasants and steal the children to eat them.
Creatuanary Day 27: Saci pereré
With the flying snail prompt I learned that the only animal with one leg is a snail or slug. So to make him a creature, I mixed human with slug DNA.
Research:
Saci pereré is a character from Brazilian Folklore. He is a one legged, black man who smokes a pipe and wears a magical, red hat. This hat let’ s him disappear and reappear in a dirt Devil wherever he wants. In most parts of brazil he is considered as an annoying prankster, but in some even as a potentially dangerous and malicious creature. Either way he is said to grant wishes to anyone who manages to catch him and steal his red cap. He can be captured in a bottle when he is in his dirt devil form. But his hat is said to have an awful smell, that you can never wash away.
Creatuanary Day 28: Azeban
Raccoons are just too cute and they fit perfectly for a trickster! I also gave him goat horn because to me goats can also be very mischievous 😏
Research:
Azeban is a lower-level trickster spirit in Abenaki mythology. The traditional homeland of the Abenaki is Wobanakik, now called northern New England. Azeban (also spelled Azban, Asban or Azaban) is a raccoon, the Abenaki trickster figure. Pronounced ah-zuh-bahn. Azeban does many foolish and mischievous things in Abenaki folktales, but unlike animal tricksters in some other tribes, is not dangerous or malevolent.
Azeban deceives animals and other beings for food or other services.
Creatuanary Day 29: Keresh
I found this awesome pose of a deer. I was so mesmerized by it, i just had to draw it! I mixed Deer with greater Kudu.
Research:
Keresh is a Talmudic unicorn living in the forest of Bei Ila’ei. It is similar to a deer, but the length of its body is said to be very long. It has a single black horn in its forehead.
Creatuanary Day 30: Hercinia
Well I haven’t heard of Hercinia before, I might need to research some more when I have more time since Germany is so close 😜 I decided to go with a volture and bearded volture mix. I have some metallic coloured pencils I wanted to try so this seemed perfect.
Research:
Hercinia is a legendary bird with glowing feathers that inhabited the Hercynian Forest of ancient Germany. The hercinia is depicted in Medieval bestiaries and was recorded in the 1st century by Pliny the Elder, who wrote, “In the Hercynian Forest we hear of a singular kind of bird, the feathers of which shine at night like fire.”
Writing in the 7th century, Isidore of Sevillenotes, “Their feathers sparkle so much in the shade that, however dark the night is with thick shadows, these feathers, when placed on the ground, give off light that helps to mark the way, and the sign of the glittering feathers makes clear the direction of the path.
Creatuanary Day 31: Feliciano the Faun riding a Hippocampus
Last year there was already a Hippocampus in the challenge. First I wanted to redraw it, but I felt more like trying a new spin on it 😁
I mixed Seadragon with chameleon DNA.
Research:
The hippocampus or hippocamp, also hippokampos, often called a sea-horse in English, is a mythological creature shared by Phoenician, Etruscan, Pictish, Roman and Greek mythology, though its name has a Greek origin. The hippocampus has typically been depicted as having the upper body of a horse with the lower body of a fish. The “sea-horse” in medieval heraldry was a legendary creature that was part horse and part fish, not to be confused with the later heraldic hippocampus, which was a natural seahorse.