HOME | DD
MPFitzpatrick β Kappa
#japan #kappa #legend #lotus #lotusflower #monkey #myth #turtle #digitalpainting #monster
Published: 2015-09-29 03:15:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 5396; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
Digital painting (Photoshop)Kappa are a creature from Japanese folklore, and I've wanted to paint one for ages. I pushed this one a lot, did some things artistically that were a little out of my comfort zone; I deliberately dropped out some detail in favor of contrast and drama, I tried extreme perspective and size exaggeration with the outreached hand, I made my highlights much sharper than I usually do, and made the beams of moonlight very pronounced. I think it came out nice and creepy.
Related content
Comments: 14
There are actually Kappas in "Heroes of Might and Magic 7". I was really surprised to find Japanese Folklore mixed into a whirlpool of random Fantasy. ^^
You took this design from them or is there other scources depicturing them with this wierd open waterbowl head?
π: 0 β©: 1
The bowl on the head is a part of the original Japanese mythology. If a Kappa is away from it's home pond or river, and the bowl dries out, it can die. If one threatens you, and you can get it to spill the water from it's head, it is powerless, and may even grant you a favor.
They also really, really like cucumbers.
π: 0 β©: 1
I heard storys about Samurais bowing in front of them to make them return the politeness and used that to kill them cause when they bowed their heads
(and obviously spilled the "beans" while being at it 
That sounded very cowardly to me and I always doubt the "real" existence of Youkai alltough I know how it works...
But I heard this with the water for the first time now and now things make more sense.
π: 0 β©: 0
When I was little two of my favorite childrens books were Kap the Kappa,
and Kap and the Wicked Monkey by Betty Jean Lifton (you can find them on Amazon.com)
That was how I pictured Kappas ever since, cute and mischievous.
Its always interesting to see different interpretations of them.
I like the luminous effect by the way.
π: 0 β©: 1
You know, I didn't think I'd heard of those books, but when I looked it up, the cover looked really familiar. Weird.
π: 0 β©: 1
I've thought of kappas as looking like that ever since!
π: 0 β©: 0
Don't forget to bow, first, and run like hell, second. Β Great sense of menace.
π: 0 β©: 1
That's right; one should always be polite.
Doesn't hurt to toss a few cucumbers around, either.
Thanks!!
π: 0 β©: 1
Bowing makes the water flow out of the cavity on their heads when they return the bow, which makes them submerge and gives you a chance to escape with your life. Β I love scary water monsters the tales of which keep children well away from dangerous watersides. Β Do you know... THIS ONE?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg6IVUβ¦
That'll keep you up of nights.
π: 0 β©: 1
I'd never seen that. Horrifying!
Hmmmm....Now I kind-of want to do a series of water "monsters". I've already got a sort of Jennie Greenteeth sketched-out, and I've been wanting to do a fossegrim or nokken, too.
π: 0 β©: 1
The neckan isn't ALWAYS evil, as isn't the Kelpie. Β Don't forget the Vodyanoi and his wife, the Rusalka.
π: 0 β©: 1
Ohh, yeah. I'm reading a novel now with a kind of eastern European flare, so those sound pretty darned good right now.
π: 0 β©: 0
huh, interesting interpretation. most depictions have kappas with beaks instead of ape-like muzzles.
π: 0 β©: 1
I made some personal tweaks to the structure of the creature just from personal preferences. I liked the idea of a recessed "bowl" in the head structure instead of the typical "plate" to hold the water, and I went with a sort of turtle-monkey, because I wanted it to have a hint of association with the "hot tub"Β macaquesΒ that everyone is familiar with, and that would give them a look that hints at speed that a more traditional kappa might not, as well as a creepy humanity to them so you know that you're looking at something clever and potentially dangerous.Β
π: 0 β©: 0