"Harpy" by Ryan Bourret

This has to be one of my favorites here at Elfwood!! I just love how the whole picture fits together, but it also draws you back to her face..... I've always loved harpys(harpies?), maybe I should take a crack at it!
Anyways... love the position of the arms, and that detail throughout. I think you need a few more of these creatures!!! ^_^

Ryan Bourret replies: "Thank you for the kind comment on my work. It means a lot!"

I think your Harpy is fairly close to the original greek myth discription with the exception of the wings. In classic greek myth their wings were supposedly bat-like. The feet you gave this one are very acurate. In the myths I've read they had the feet of eagles. But they were far from mindless. On the contrary, they were notoriously clever and noted for stealing children. The word 'harpy' actually means 'to snatch'. Some scholars of greek mythology believe that the harpy legend is meant to explain some women's impulse to abduct children away from their true mothers. You gotta love those greeks, they had a myth to explain almost everything about human nature, both bad and good.

For the above comment on greek mythology;
So you would call abducting another woman's child intelligent?
The methods may be smart, but the act is still fundamentally mindless.
That's why i like this picture, it portrays a basic primal mindlessness for destruction we all have...wether it is brought on by tragedy or other...

i would like to agree with Steven, Harpys wings are said to be similar to bats wings, and also said to have talons on the wings as well. And before i continue i do want to say the drawing is very very good, but i do have to stand up for Harpys and say they are far from mindless also. Yes the name stands for snatching but that does not make them mindless. They are very clever and manipulative. Their roles in Greek myths were to punish the criminals. Mainly those who committed crimes on women. The stories on how they punished tend to be gruesome, but were not mindless. They had reasons behind what they did. They were doing what they were made to do.

Kind of humorous, I was looking at your 'Nature of the Beast' one a moment ago, then thought it would be awesome to see a creature who's arms turn into wings at the elbow.
Wow.. must read my mind.
But damn, this is really well done.
I've always imagined harpies with a sort of grungy, vulturish look, but you really pull this off. She's simply magnificant!

Absoloutely amazing. I love her expression. Is she screeching?

wow cool

thats so awsome. I always try to draw harpies but i don't no how.you rock. out of everything harpies are my favorite.

it takes my breath away its so good...AWSOME!!!!

are you familiar with gustave dore? divine!... well...