Saturday Art Studio

Author notes

SWAMP ZOMBIE 1

ttyler

on Nov. 26, 2010

Saturday after dead turkey day!!! Here we are, with another Saturday Morning art studio. Because of a request, we will do a zombie and a gooey swamp creature. 2 of my favorite things!!!

I first sketch the two out quickly. Even tho I have taken the liberty to BASICALLY begin pencilling in early details and shapes, the basic rules for heads still apply.(until we change them up a bit later. Eyes still go midway on the face, mouth and nose , etc. On the zombie, I sketched in a basic skull and a few things I knew I would want like a neck wound, but thats all up to you. I usually do some kind of skull, because I like to think that when drawing a rotting corpse, that the skull, bone and muscle structure is where you want to begin, then, add to it. Too much, and you'll get a different feel.

I have marked in red a few tips on the zombie. The oval eye shapes, and the oval circle mouth, wont change much. Yeah, it looks like he's wearing lipstick, but it'll work out. I have noticed that many artist do the "circle mouth" on zombies. Once filled with teeth, it gives the impression of the lips pulling away, and the gums and teeth jutting out….but we'll do that in a bit.

I also have begun to sketch more detailed shapes on the swamp thingie. Roots will serve two purposes. One, to show he has tree like roots, and the other , to take the place of viens and the like.
I have also indicated a light source, which will help set the goo on his face, and give him weight.
I really can't teach on how to go about designing a swamp creature, because its all up to you and your personal influences. I try to think Berni wrightson, Mike Ploog and all the swamp creature type characters in comics….but its all up to you. Shadows add mystery/a sense of fear, so shadows will play a part in the overall appearance.
Since I do most of my work in the inking stage, I have went ahead and inked up the zombie. Now notice how the oval mouth, once filled with gums and teeth, looks pulled back and thin. The oval eyes, look receded and puffy, once shadow is placed over, under and in some cases, inside. If shaded on all sides and inside, it looks receded and dead. An eyeball can be used as well to give different character.
You notice that I have used a few of my initial shapes for wounds. The circle on the forehead in my original pencils, made a great place to put brains.
Next, we will shade the zombie in an even more extreme way, and begin to ink the swamp thingie.