The Winter's Eternal Hunger
The Winter's Eternal Hunger is a digital illustration featuring a demon creature encircling a bleeding hare. The demon is comprised of a wolf skull with a long, furred body and lethal scaly talons. Blood drips from its jaws and from the hare's torn throat while the two creatures connect gazes. The demon's ribcage is exposed and reaches towards the hare while three full moons overlook the scene. This illustration represents systemic violence and cycles of abuse, focusing on how the perpetrators are larger and more powerful, while the victims are smaller and weaker.
Conceptual ideation
The Winter's Eternal Hunger is based on an engraving from 1470-1474 by German artist Martin Schongauer. His engraving is titled Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, and features St. Anthony surrounded by seven wild demonic creatures as they tear at his clothing and flesh. From my research, the engraving appears to have symbolized St. Anthony's inner temptations and spiritual warfare, but ultimately represents faith and prayer conquering despair and fear. I was impressed and captivated by Schongauer's realistic depictions of the demons, as well as the message, and it was clear he had taken much inspiration from features of existing animals. His engraving style and realistic depictions deeply inspired me to make my own illustration, which focuses on a similar concept but is different in execution, composition, and subject material.
Illustration process
The sketch process for this piece was fairly straightforward. After sketching my composition, I delved into the process for line-work. It was an extensive challenge to complete this piece with all of the detailed fur, totaling nearly 40 hours of total work time. The finished product, however, is impressively detailed, anatomically believable, and impactful, while being unique and bold.
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