WIP - Black Dog

For those of you wondering where I've been, I've been working on my thesis for my Senior Portfolio and since its been taking up a majority of my time, I felt I should at least tease one of the works that will be apart of it.

My thesis is going to be 12-15 pieces of artwork showcasing some of my different styles while also examining and illustrating my interpretations of common themes in mythology, specifically using comparative mythology to modernize/reimagine some of the key figures that appear throughout a variety of cultures (Fun fact: I'm a huge mythology nerd!)

The Black Dog Mythos

Appearing thoughout many cultures, the Black Dog (AKA - Black Shuck, Hellhound, Death's Dog, the Grim, Barghest, Shag (my personal favorite because I'm immature as hell), etc.).  The Black Dog is often described as some sort of large ghost that is associated with death and appears primarily in Europe, though interestingly there are tales in Latin America of Black Dogs, most interestingly the Cadejo of Mexican Folklore, although the Cadejo can either be black or white and its nature depends on its color where black is evil and sometimes represents the devil and white is a more angelic guardian presence and are usually to said hooves like a bull.  Almost consistently are Black Dogs said to be unbelievably large, sometimes the size of a large mastiff and sometimes the size of an ox, often with shaggy hair and with fiery red eyes.  A couple tales will tell of a black hound with no head at all, in a couple others some claim that it was seen grinning like a cheshire cat (I liked this idea of its head having these skull characteristics and so incorporated it into the final design), and in a few others the specter was not black at all such as in the case of the Cu Sith who is noted for its strange light green pigmentation.  Their association with death, however, varies from culture to culture.  In some it is more of a calling card of death or a bad omen, in others it is the cause of death and a beast to be feared, whereas in a couple they actually act as vigilant guardians that would protect a lost traveler from danger.  Often they seem to be described as specters or some form of ghost that leave no trace of their presence, though some tell of having demonic origins and others seem to have obscure or unknown origin.

If I don't post anything else prior, Happy Halloween!