It's Krampus, as requested by my partner for my second Bestiary Collab creature.

Krampus is probably the most famous of Saint Nicholas' odd bunch of folkloric companions. While Father Christmas delivers presents to good children, Krampus gives naughty ones a good thwack with his birch sticks (among other tortures).

I tried to include all the Krampus essentials: one human foot and one goat's hoof, his birch twigs, chains for rattling when he's in a dramatic mood, a pair of horns, a giant lolling tongue, a tail and a basket strapped to his back so that he can take evil children away for eating or drowning at his leisure. Or sometimes just to take them to Hell. One wonders just how evil children can be (or, more likely, how frustrated parents must've been in the Alps a few hundred years ago).

I didn't want to just drawn him standing around and this dancing pose came to me, as if he's revelling in his monstrousness. It's not quite as dynamic as I'd like but I do want to move away from drawing very static poses and portraits.

Drawn for the PJ Bestiary Collab using Reo's CerbeREOs palette.

Preview text traced from this old postcard.