Swamp Thing

Watercolor works well to depict an  Elemental.

As I was growing up, Bernie Wrightson and Len Wein's Swamp Thing TM DC Comics, was an enormous influence on my work. Many comics fans comment on that when they see some of my horror sketches. I love Wrightson's art and artist's like Franklin Boothe, Jack Davis, and Roy Krenkel who influenced him greatly.

This miniature sketch of Swamp Thing was painted very loosely for an image only 1.5"x 2". Working loose, tight, large, small, with an airbrush, in oils, watercolor or whatever medium ...it's all stimulating and beautiful.  

 Two enlarged details below show some interesting and painterly suggestions from the subject at left.

A 1/2" Flat, a #5 Pointed Round and only four colors were used to paint the tiny portrait of  the Mossy Mammoth .

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Creature Skull Sketches

A couple of unused rough skulls for a video game concept [near actual size.]

I like to begin with nothing but imagination and design shapes that are interesting. It's faster. Taken to the next level, animal or human skull reference would be used to enhance authenticity. I picked up the idea of consulting references afterwards, while briefly working with some exceptional storyboard artists at a small studio in Chicago.

Video Game Concept Skulls © 2011 Tom Hicke.

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