For me there is nothing better than finishing a project. It is a combination of time and hard work that leads to something that you’re hopefully very proud of. I recently finished a new illustration of the multi-headed naga.
The multi-headed Naga is a popular symbol used in Cambodian temples and artwork. They are most commonly seen as banisters or lintels, especially among the temples of Angkor Wat complex. I was inspired by the different sculptures and decided to show my own stylized version.
The naga, or mythical serpent, is frequently depicted as having multiple heads, always in odd numbers, arranged in a fan. Here are some examples from my time in Cambodia:
Nagas are present in a number of Khmer legends and stories. The union of an Indian Brahman and a serpent princess of Cambodia (a naga) is said to be the origin of the Khmer people.
Mythological creatures have always been one of my favorite things to draw, second only to animals, so I thought this would be a fun illustration to do. Here’s the result:
Like most of my illustrations this piece is made on smooth Arches hot press watercolor paper. I drew the naga with pen and ink. Then to finish it off I used watercolor for the color.
Have you ever created art from your travels? Share your art in the comments below and I’ll take a look! If you’ve ever created art from your travels, or that is something that interests you check out Artistic Friday Features where I feature traveling artists and/or art related to travel.
Resources: All of my information was info that I learned from pamphlets and the Angkor National Museum. I also read up on the naga and Khmer architecture on Wikipedia.
