Gryphon (2001)

Here's a drawing I made of a gryphon back in August 2001. Gryphons come in varying colors and styles, this one being of the "tuxedo" (or, as I should have called it, "swallowtail") breed.

The inspiration for this drawing came from a desire to draw out a gryphon in a way other than a winged lion or half-and-half eagle/lion. I mixed the key elements together to such a degree that you can't tell them apart. Are those feathers or a mane? Does it have a tail, or just tail feathers? Would you call this a bird or a feline?

I began sketching the gryphon during a family road trip to see relatives in Spokane, Washington. Reading books or newspapers in a car makes me carsick, but drawing? Heck no! I sketched the basics out while we cruised down the freeway at speeds of 70mph! Of course, coloring it in had to wait until we arrived at our destination..., but on a four-hour trip, it gave me something to do.

Medium: Colored & 0.7mm pencil
Time: About two hours
Scale: 75px/in