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Submitted: April 23, 2009
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Resolution: 1524×2180

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Yara-ma-ya-whoby ~Sphenacodon

Traditional Art / Paintings / Fantasy

Yara-ma-ya-what the hell?

Submishin for

's Draw the Yara-ma-ya-who monster gallery.

In case you don't know it, the Yara... is a mythical creature from Aboriginal folklore. In Scythemantis' own words:

"The Yara-ma-yha-who is a traditional boogieman thought to have been used by Aboriginal families to keep their children from wandering away unattended.

It was described as a small humanoid three to four feet high, with pure red skin or fur, octopus-like suckers on its fingers and toes, and a disproportionately huge head dominated by a toothless, frog-like mouth.

The Yara-ma-yha-who had a very specific, seemingly nonsensical multi-step attack method. First, it would hide in a tree and wait for a human to stop and rest under it. Then, it would drop down and drain blood through its suckers until the victim was too weak to even move. It would leave the prey helpless and alone for an unspecified amount of time, then come back and swallow the person whole. Afterwards, it would visit a river or pond for a drink of water, fall asleep, wake up, and *regurgitate* the victim completely unharmed...but a tiny little bit shorter. If the same person ever wandered alone into the wilderness again, it was warned that they were certain to be attacked by the same monster, and with every attack, they would be spat up a little less human. Anyone drained, swallowed and puked enough times by the Yara-ma-yha-who would eventually become one themselves, though it was never specified just how many attacks it would take."

See? A nasty sucker, to be sure.

Acrylics, with pointless Photoshop mangling tossed in. I really, really love critters with googly eyes and gaping mouths, and I kinda like the suction cups on its foot, but I'm otherwise convinced I could have done a way better job of this (the left leg bugs me more than anything else). Given my lack of time to do anything constructive... well, I'll do better next time. Honest, guv!

~cybernetichero May 13, 2010

Ever read any Patricia Wrightson? [link]

~Sphenacodon Mar 18, 2011

Nope. Sounds good though. Is there a yara-ma-ya-who in there?

~cybernetichero Mar 19, 2011

maybe, I haven't been able to find all her stuff yet but she wrote some really creepy (young adult) books based on aboriginal mythological creatures. Too bad she died last year.

~Sphenacodon Apr 3, 2011

Oh, okay.

~EliWhitney314 Mar 3, 2010

I love this. Great color, style, and you really captured a look.

~Sphenacodon Mar 5, 2010

Thanks! There are still some things I'd like to be able to correct, but it's too late now. Glad you like it!

~Lee-Sherman May 1, 2009

Great job with the gecko hands, the suckered feet, the velvety fur, and the frog throat. These are all great features that you've executed cleverly and skillfully. However I'm not crazy about its head. Just seems kind of bland to me. Still, your creature is quite good!

~Sphenacodon May 2, 2009

Thanks for the feedback!

That's funny, because not only do I totally agree, but I got the exact same response (well, reworded in blunter terminology) from my primary critics (my brother and sister). So, yeah, that's the main problem. One of those days I'm going to get it right.

~Lee-Sherman May 3, 2009

I'd like to know what you think of my Yara-ma-yha-who deviations.

~Sphenacodon May 5, 2009

Very nice. I like the distorted and skeletal anatomy, it gives the added, creepy impression of something being horribly wrong. And the multiple eyes are a nice touch.

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