Refining Huwawa

I sketched the few different designs I mentioned in the last post, and have found that the body of a lion is the one I am most comfortable drawing. Lions also appear to be often used as a guardian figure in the art of Babylonia.

I also re-visited the Mesopotamian rooms in the British Museum, as well as the Assyrian rooms (which I didn't even realise existed before!) - I got much more from it this time. I sketched the designs I saw of jewellery that was depicted as being worn by Kings, mostly, but I thought it fitting for a mythical guardian beast. The jewellery from Mesopotamia is made mostly using gold and lapis lazuli, as well as carnelian, silver, green bloodstone and red limestone. Much of the jewellery is beaded.

I was particularly interested in how animals and monsters were portrayed. There was a monster being killed by a king in one piece which appeared to be part lion, part bird, and had long ears that pointed upright. I have tried sketching Huwawa with bird features such as the scaled legs and talons, but I find it very difficult.

There was also a statue titled "Colossal Guardian Lion" which had cuneiform engraved all over its body, mainly the sides - I considered having Huwawa's name written in Cuneiform on his body, but then thought that it might make him look a bit too "My Little Pony" - and while I love those toys, they are hardly terrifying to behold. I will likely have his name in cuneiform on an amulet worn on one leg instead.

There was a beautiful statue titled "Ram in a Thicket" which I hadn't noticed the first visit - it's horns and parts of its fleece were made from lapis lazuli, and the rest of it was mostly in gold. Many of the statues of bulls also had gold horns. I certainly am considering the beautiful dark blue for Huwawa's mane, and gold for his horns - or at least his fur shall be golden-blonde, in any case.

I then started looking at the skeleton structures of lions and bulls, as I think a combination of their features could work nicely for this character. I will probably take the lions mane, powerful jaws and front legs, and the horns, sloping back and hind legs of the bull - and the tail on both animals is much the same!