The Daubenton

Hello Peeps! A late addition to the Dragon Challenge from a few moons back by myself!

20/07/13. PSCS5 via Wacom Bamboo A6. 3 hours (with iteration time)

A few quick notes about the genesis of this piece:

My rule of thumb when it comes to mythological creatures is that it's always best to use as much reference as you possibly can in conveying a sense of believably. In particular, when it came to the design of the Daubenton, I used a knowledge of both Bat and Bird anatomy to build its body.

#SQUEAK SQUEAK#

Its skin and facial textures were based upon the Mountain Horned Dragon. Its tail was based on something a little less natural - a crane hook. The idea was that a creature designed for flight would use its tail almost like a skyhook to pierce and pick-up large animals. Again, a sense of over thinking went into the Daubenton (its name in particular is a species of day hunting bat)

Who's the little cat on his back? It's Pusheen - the internet's favourite obese tabby. At least my favourite.

A true american hero.

And, as with all my pieces so far, here's a short breakdown of the layers and build-up that went into this picture.