Today I’m showcasing one of my living creations. I didn’t really give it a name, I only knew that I was going for something bipedal when I started.
I feel like this monster’s about to read a poem in front of the mic, or get down on its knees during a performance.
I started making wiry hair that curved upwards, and told myself I really didn’t want to draw a medusa (she already exists and her image goes on fine without me!). Since I’m rarely interested in creating anything remotely realistic, I didn’t stop myself from turning its hair turned into arrows. It’s something fun that doesn’t technically belong there, but I couldn’t be happier with.
Gentle friends, I introduce to you a new member of the monster family! I’d like you to meet Mr Fangs.
I started his creation with the blobby shape of his eyes and face, but I did not complete his rounded jaw. Somehow, it became apparent that I was going to give this brother some teeth. And so I did! I went right for the mouth and everything else grew from there.
Mr Fangs is curious to meet you!
This drawing was definitely less intuitive and more planned. Well, more planned in my own way, which means not too planned but with some moments of clear thought and decision-making as I drew.
Did I want him to be realistic? I decided that the answer to that was a strong no. Thoughtful anatomy, then, was thrown out of the window. But did I want him to make some sort of sense, physically? Yes, because I wanted him to be a character one could relate to. So while he has two legs to stand on, they are ridiculously pointy like the toes of HIMfrom the Powerpuff Girls. And so on, and so forth.
Something about Mr Fangs is that I knew he was a kind soul. His character certainly dictated what he would look like. Before I knew it, his eyes were soft and welcoming, his hair tentacles warm and curious. He has the big teeth and all, but is he trying to menace you right now? Absolutely not. He even put on his friendliest collar to impress you.
In the end, I’m very pleased with this fellow and how he ended up. He really is exactly the type of monster I felt like creating.
Here’s a collection of doodles I particularly love that came out of experimenting with new coloured pens. I’ve been making great use of the pens ever since!
I posted a tweet on my art twitter account that showed a part of this page some time ago. I tend to share doodles there more often, but I am sure to share complete doodle pages from my sketchbook here every now and again.
Ienjoy drawingmonsters, indeed, but this drawing is different because it’s specifically an alien! More specifically, I drew its cavern with as much effort. For what is an alien without its intriguing homeworld?
The carpet bird is a new monster I created after remembering that I loved drawing birds as a child and teenager – even though I didn’t like actual birds very much (things are different now!).
Not being a fan of realism, I decided to decorate my abstract bird monster with a pattern that I remember from an old Persian-style rug we used to have. I can forget lots of things about my childhood, especially visual things, but I’ll remember a carpet we used to have when I was tiny.
I guess what I am trying to say is that this drawing is as much about a carpet as it is about a bird.
It’s been a while since I posted one of my monsters. This one is climbing over my hastily depicted wall, making his way towards whoever is looking at him.
The background is unfinished because what I really wanted to draw was the monster himself. I’m not the happiest with how he turned out; I’m missing movement in the upper body and arms (among a few other things). However, he’s still beloved as a concept and I couldn’t be happier to get him from my mind onto paper. Sometimes, you can’t ask for anything more.
Behold one of my more recent creations! She is the embodiment of the knowledge one gains through vigorous testing.
I kind of think of her as a monster. If I am to be honest, she’s more of a way for me to say “yes, I do love these aspects of existence” – the so-called ‘logical’; the blueprint we’re attempting to create for Life through experimentation.
She is like a net of concepts held together by both strong and weak connections. I really enjoyed drawing her.
Khadeja Ali draws 
