The Monster Automatic
I was looking at first edition Dungeons and Dragons art and felt a bit inspired to draw stuff in that weird style. There's some very unique monster anatomy that came out from the original Monster Manual. I don't really plan these, they are just mindless doodles that keep my hands occupied during phone calls and meetings. Unlike anything else on this website, very little thought has gone into any of this.
All the descriptions are terribly vague and confused. Likely because I have no idea what the heck I was drawing either. This isn't meant to be a comprehensive manual anyway.So just enjoy this virtual zine of retro monster designs.
*Navigate with the left/right arrow keys or by scrolling sideways.
LONGLION
It's some sort of long necked feline creature. I don't see how it's any more dangerous than any other large feline. Looks kind of freaky.
ARTIST NOTES:
The head is inspired by how lions used to be depicted in some medieval art. I gave it a long neck just because.
EVER-GRANDE WRAITHS
A group of restless spirits. Are they entombed warriors? They move around conjoined in a dark cloud.
ARTIST NOTES:
I saw a picture in the news and this image came to my mind. I think it was actually a crane on a building and the headline was about Chinese real estate.
NOOT NOOT
It traverses dark dungeon corridors, blowing its snout(?). The force of its noot is lethal.
ARTIST NOTES:
I wasn't thinking when I was drawing this. I think I see bits of a fly and a human tailbone.
WIDE HEADED DRAGON
A flat headed dragon with a long fish eating snout. Is it a proper dragon? Or is it more of a wyvern?
ARTIST NOTES:
In some old Dungeons and Dragons art, dragons were often drawn with their eyes wide apart and their heads flat. It's a very 70's thing that you hardly see anymore. It kind of reminds me of a Gharial.
DEEP ORC
Bat. Orc. Creature. Thing.
ARTIST NOTES:
Orcs kind of had a pig like look to them in the original 1st ed of D&D. I tried a different animal.
JHOAL SNAPPER
Bony invertabrate creature? Maybe subterranean. I don't know man. The claws look dangerous though.
ARTIST NOTES:
This one was just a result of mindless drawing. I think I mixed up a bunch of invertebrate and bone shapes.
LOOONG LION
A large elongated lion. Is it a wizard's experiment gone wrong, or perhaps just an exotic freak of nature? Who knows?
ARTIST NOTES:
This is inspired by badly taxidermied lions and cats in photo stiched panoramic photos.
HIPAMASU
A wise creature that guards things and asks grade school level riddles. Always Lawful Neutral.
ARTIST NOTES:
I think I was influenced by the Lamasu, but it turned into this strange hipster creature.
VIOLENCE MONKEY
A very dangerous monkey. Or is it a goblin with a skin disease?
ARTIST NOTES:
I have no clue what inspired this I just drew it.