IF FRIDAY! The Hauntingly Headless Gentleman
Yay! For Illustration Friday, or for Friday in general, really. This week's topic is MOUSTACHE. I wanted to participate, but I didn't really want to just draw something that doesn't have a mustache with a moustache, not anything that looks silly with a mustache... I'll be honest, I was really in the mood to do something with Halloween. I wasn't really sure what the topic for the rest of this month would be so I decided I would go Halloween a little early.
One of the most iconic specters from the Halloweens of my childhood was the Headless Horseman. I wasn't allowed to go trick or treating as a child, but during the month of October, my parents did allow us kids to watch the Halloween specials of, then, popular animated TV shows. I also can remember quite fondly of listening to a an audio recording on tape of a really fun ghost tale. My older sister used to receive them in the mail as part of her therapy for her cerebral palsy. Since she wasn't able to read for herself, we would either read for her or listen to one of these tapes. October was a fun month, because they would send classic literary ghost stories, one of which was, of course, the Legend of Sleep Hallow.
I grew up on Disney's classic animated version of the tale. It's really one of my personal favorites and I do watch it every October, even at my age. The true definition of a Classic, transcending time, age, nationality and gender. I think everyone has a soft spot for the Headless horseman. I'm even very fond of Tim Burton's homage to the Classic tale. I love his "nod" to Disney's version that he includes in his own version of the tale.
Though, instead of a Headless Horseman with a MOUSTACHE, which would, of course, be fun and silly, I wanted to do something else. A modified version of the Headless Horseman. If I was going to be silly with the icon, I should really BE SILLY with him. I thought how funny it might be IF the Headless Horseman was really a horseman, but a distinguished and refined English Gentleman.
Instead of taking off their heads, he's take off their coats and have guest over for tea and biscuits. I based his dress off Victorian period clothing, even though the book was published just shy of the beginning of the Victorian Times in England. I just took a bit of liberty with that.
In any case, I hope you enjoy the illustration and perhaps imagine a fun Halloween adventure of your own with the Headless Gentleman. No WIPs this week. was rushed to finish since they toll the deadline for IF Fridays at Midnight now :0)
As always enjoy the rest of your Friday and...
until next time,
Keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing and most important of all, keep making art.
Cheers,
LEWIS
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