Eldritch Terrors Galour! (Now With 25% More Eeriness For Your Viewing Satisfaction.)

[Curt Chiarelli]

A while back, some of you expressed an interest in seeing some of my original Lovecraftian conceptual designs.

The following images are culled from one of my many sketchbooks that I keep at hand during the course of the day. These are my ideas of what Lovecraft's critters would look like if I actually encountered them in our day-to-day world.

One sketchbook is devoted solely to architectural and environmental elements (R'yleh, Innsmouth, Arkham, Miskatonic University, etc.), while others are geared towards organic (?) lifeforms. All the designs contained within are based upon a theme and variation foundation. What you see here are only one of dozens of designs for each particular character.

Scanning in and formatting these images are a bit labour intensive, so please excuse the fact that more aren't posted. As time allows I'll update and add more images to this thread. Until then, I hope all of you enjoy these dark profferings and perverse peregrinations:




The Dreaming God, Great Cthulhu.



A Deep One - Tertiary and Final Stage.



A Night Gaunt.

[pyan]

Three eyes, Curt? Do you have a source for that, or is it artistic licence?

[Curt Chiarelli]

Originally Posted by pyan

Three eyes, Curt? Do you have a source for that, or is it artistic licence?

Well, as you know, good old H.P. left a wide berth for visual interpretation in his works. Although there is no documentation to support me giving Cthulhu a set of three eyes, nor is there any to refute it either. Pure, plain and simple, this is a bit of creative license on my part to be certain . . . . but with a consistent and underlying logic to it.

In almost all cases, terrestrial morphology has appendages, limbs, fins, eyes, teeth, etc. grouped in even-numbered pairs. Since Lovecraft's creations were a distinct violation of the laws of nature as we know them, I thought asymmetry and uneven pairings were the right way to go in my interpretations to achieve the proper sense of strangeness and disruption of the natural order on this plane of existence.

[pyan]

I see where you're going there...and, of course, Slither the Shoggoth bears this out.........

[Curt Chiarelli]

What a, er . . . . cute little fellow! Can he be housebroken and, if so, can he be trained to fetch balls and small children without engulfing them?

But seriously though, is that your sketch?

[HardScienceFan]

brilliant ,Curt

[Curt Chiarelli]

Thanks Ben!

[Allegra]

Awesome sketches, Curt! I especially like The Dreaming God - gruesome and erotic. These images will no doubt provide valuable visual effect for my ambitious Lovecraft reading in the near future!

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Curt Chiarelli

But seriously though, is that your sketch?

Alas no, Curt, much as I'd like to take the credit....I'll try and find the artist's name for you.

[Talysia]

Those are absolutely brilliant, Curt. Nicely done!

[Allegra]

Py's cutie is really cute. I wouldn't mind to adopt one as long as it doesn't bark or mimic telephone ringing.

[HoopyFrood]

Wow, Curt, those are amazing! (Really puts to shame my lame attempts at drawings of Cthulhu ) I especially like the Deep One skulking along there. And that's a unusual but brilliant variation of Cthulhu; of all the many pictures of seen of the Dreaming One, I've never seen one quite like that! But as you say, there's a lot of room for individual interpretation in Lovecraft's stories. Awesome. I eagerly look forward to any other pictures that you post in the future!

[Curt Chiarelli]

Originally Posted by Allegra

Awesome sketches, Curt! I especially like The Dreaming God - gruesome and erotic. These images will no doubt provide valuable visual effect for my ambitious Lovecraft reading in the near future!

Thanks again Lily! The Freudian vagina dentata is a disturbing visual motiv in and of itself, but here it has a special significance as I'm keying off of Lovecraft's own Victorian sexual neurosis. The combination of that, the morphological asymmetry and those dead, obsidian orbs - eyes without any residual trace of empathy - seemed so correct for this character. Now imagine the owner of that face towering two hundred feet above you. The overall visual impact, its sheer gestalt, would be so overwhelming as to unhinge even the most calloused amongst us. And I believe that's how Lovecraft would have wanted it.

[Curt Chiarelli]

Talysia and Hoopy: Thanks so much for the kind words! Well, interpreting a beloved author's work is a dangerous affair - everyone has strong opinions about how the characters should look. So, when I posted these sketches it was not without some trepidation, but I'm relieved that they're finding acceptance here at the Chronic!

[j. d. worthington]

Well, as we've discussed some of your interpretations before, Curt, as a purist, I don't always agree with your interpretation, but that's simply me being a stick-in-the-mud..... They are impressive pieces, and really do deserve to be out there as valid interpretations... and preferably either available in book form themselves, or as the artwork in set of Lovecraftian graphic adaptations/original tales....