July MOTM: Feathered serpent concept sketch + design commentary // sfw-ish

designing july's monster of the month was really fun and interesting, since he's more directly based on real-world mythology than any of the MOTMs i'd drawn before; so far they have usually simply been themed (shadow, ice, summer, coral reef) or i have already been really familiar with the type of monster (minotaur), so i didn't need to do any research for either of them--i could make it all up from scratch.

for this guy, however, that's exactly where i started: with the research. the winning poll option read "quetzalcoatl / feathered snake," and as you can see i've been putting just "feathered serpent" in the titles. this is because he's not supposed to be the quetzalcoatl, he's not the god, but he's definitely supposed to be a feathered serpent á la mesoamerican mythology. i wanted to draw inspiration from the relevant myths and imagery, so i read up on the feathered snake motif in general and on quetzalcoatl in particular. 

there's many mesoamerican depictions of zoomorphic feathered serpents, and also aztec images of quetzalcoatl in an anthropomorphic form; but i, of course, wanted to draw a naga-type monster. his anatomy is fairly 'standard naga'; a long snake's tail, human torso and (clawed) hands, a snake's head... it's the feathering (or feather-like scales?) that sets him apart. 

quetzalcoatl and feathered serpents, as the name implies, are primarily associated with quetzals. in the case of this design, his colour scheme is directly borrowed from this bird. it's not identical, i strayed from the reference especially with regards to his head and arms, and also looked to depictions of quetzalcoatl (both the snake and man forms) and mesoamerican art in general for colour scheme inspiration. i hadn't originally planned the bright red underbelly, but when i was looking at quetzal pictures i couldn't resist borrowing this feature, and the same goes for the way the feathers cling to his chest in a kind of rib-like manner. quetzals have long tail feathers, and feathered serpents are often depicted with a plume of feathers at the end of their tail, so i made sure to incorporate that feature; he's also got some longer feathers sprouting from his hips. his spine is covered with long, tapered feathers, in a pattern that's directly based on some statues of feathered serpents. the scales/feathers get gradually shorter along the sides of his tail, eventually blending into his smooth underbelly.

i also read that quetzalcoatl may also be associated with harpy eagles, so i looked to this bird for inspiration for the crest of feathers on his head--except i also added a few longer feathers, again reminiscent of those of a quetzal's tail. his face is inspired by various images and statues of feathered snakes, not least the statues of the temple of the feathered serpent. mesoamerican art have a certain aesthetic to it, with a kind of angular stylization; i chose to draw the character in my own style, but a few of the details are a nod to the mesoamerican aesthetic, such as his eyebrows, teeth, and the tail ornaments. his eyebrows end with longer feathers that blend into his crest, and his eyes are red simply because it looks neat.

i looked up mesoamerican (mostly aztec) jewellery too, and gave him a gold nose ornament and labret (lip piercing); on the concept sketch he's also wearing feathered bracelets, copper bells, and a conch shell necklace. the latter of which - "wind jewels" - seems to have been especially associated with quetzalcoatl as a god of wind and air. kind of a shame the necklace didn't make it into the final painting (because i kind of forgot to draw it...). the tail ornaments are based on depictions of feathered serpents, and i like to imagine that they make a rattling sound, like the rattlesnakes associated with quetzalcoatl.

ngl, tho, i mostly winged it with the jewellery. it's inspired by various depictions and archaeological artefacts, but aztec society had sumptuary laws regulating who could wear what, including who could wear ornaments of quetzal feathers, gold, and precious stone. i'd wager that an actual feathered serpent can wear whatever the heck he likes, but i still would have loved to sit down and do some more in-depth research about clothing and jewellery (not least so i could dress him like a warrior). for simplicity's sake i also opted to have his lady-friend simply wear her hair out instead of attempting one of the more elaborate hairstyles, and she's just wearing some flowers in her hair, and ear plugs. 

as for some comments on this guy as a person, i get the impression he's generally wild and free and un-tamed, roaming the lands as he pleases, nobody to command him ... but at the hands of an especially skilled snake-charmer he turns into a purring puddle of good boy-ness. no-one else can defeat him, no matter their weapons or numbers, but she alone can ruin him with a single touch; no-one else has ever gotten even near catching him, but he willingly lets her tie him up. i'm thinking about naming him Yaotl ("war/rior") and her Isel ("unique, only").

// art + characters © me.