Cats in Horror Illustration

Similar to the artist research for the Night Gaunts, I want to look at the ways in which cats can be represented in macabre settings - the representation of something so everyday needs to be changed into something that the audience are perhaps not as used to seeing, and in this post I want to look at the ways that different artists do this.

(The following artists can be sourced on http://behance.net)

Ben Rennen

This piece seems Halloween themed if anything, with the portrayal of a black cat in front of a carved pumpkin - however, the markings on its face set a strange tone as towards the mouth it seems like some very sharp and disfigured teeth. Something else to note is the size of the paws, ears and eyes - parts of the cat that work most well for them have been highlighted - especially their keen senses and sharp claws - in this image.I particularly like the use of colour - despite the cat being black, highlights are yellow-hued and the main body of fur seems to be a deep bottle green.

Paolo Pianu

This piece was created through the use of black ink and watercolour - though the smudged, rough edges make it appear more-charcoal like in its textures. The composition of the cat resembles a skull - with the low set jaw and teeth all on display - the most bizarre part of this piece being the missing right eye; upon closer inspection, impressions of the iris and pupil are visible suggesting that the eye was originally there and has been coloured over. It could have been for a multitude of reasons, a mistake, simply a dark eye, maybe it was never intended to have been there; but for whatever reason, it seems to make a nice effect, almost a battle wound.

Katherine Jackson

Largely a normal cat (though the markings of the fur appear to resemble a form of crown, maybe symbolism?), it is the posture and colour scheme that makes the subject of this image eerie. The blue/black fur sharply contrasts with the glowing yellow eyes, and the looming/overlooking form of the cat seems very sinister. The lighting makes a great effect too, the light of the moon brightening the atmosphere around it and creating some interesting tones on the cat.