Sphinx

This small illustration was completed recently for a private commission. The client wanted a mythological creature for a book plate for her personal library – she left what to illustrate and how wide open, simply saying that I should pick some creature from fantasy literature/gaming that didn’t get the attention it deserved.

After mulling it over and flipping through various books about monsters (including the original Monster Manual), I settled on the Sphinx. Not only do I like the story of the riddle of the Sphinx, but I also thought it was a very good creature for a bookplate – books are like riddles and we have to read them to figure them out.

The name of the client was superimposed over the dark area of the rock and ground to the right of the Sphinx’s right leg and above her tail.