A few different ideas went through my head when it came to the “nightgaunt”, for my latest Alphabeast. For those that don’t know, a nightgaunt is a creature that is present during night terrors.
Now, night terrors are the worst thing in all the world. Frightening, to the point that getting a night terror affects you for many days after. If you haven’t had one, then good for you. If you have, you have my sympathies. I’ve endured them all of my life.
A night terror (also called “sleep paralysis”) is when you wake up, but you aren’t fully awake yet. Usually in the middle of the night, you are seemingly startled awake, with the horrifying feeling that someone or something is just outside of your vision, waiting there in the dark. On top of that, you are completely paralyzed, unable to defend yourself or anyone else until you are finally able to move again.
Simply terrifying.
So when it came to creating a nightgaunt, I didn’t want it show as much as some of the other Alphabeasts I’ve done. You never get to see what was waiting in the shadows when you get a night terror, so I wanted to keep it as just a hint of something evil here.
Let me know what you think, as always. This is, like the other Alphabeasts, 5″ x 7″ on 140 lb. Cold Press. It is ink with ink wash, and just click on the image for a larger version.
Here’s N is for Nightgaunt:
