Project Description

INKTOBER 52 2023 Day #50: FOREST.

“Many pens died in the completion of this piece. Okay, not really, but there was certainly a lot of ink involved, and it was pretty time consuming. I’m pretty sure ‘Princess Mononoke’ was one of the first Studio Ghibli films I saw. As with all Hayao Miyazaki’s animated epics, it was visually gorgeous with a deep, nuanced story and believable, fascinating characters. It’s a supernatural tale about the struggle between the gods and the humans that are destroying the environment as civilization grows and advances. It’s a layered, environmentalist story displaying the themes of development and progress contrasted with preservation and conservation, among others. It shows the perspectives and motivations of both sides, with the main character caught in the middle.
There are some great characters in the film, but some of the more memorable ones are the various nature spirits. The Kodama are children of old trees. They are a little spooky with their rattling bobble heads when they show up and follow the characters through the forest, but they are also undeniably adorable. Plunger Monkey is just trying to give them some fashion advice, hoping that will aid them in the defense of their homes. Or something. I don’t know. I like the woods and the outdoors, therefore so does PMD. ‘Princess Mononoke’ was one of those movies that really resonated with me, and this was a fun way to pay homage to it.”

Are you enjoying all these Plunger Monkey pen and ink illustrations? Would you like to see a whole lot more of them, all nicely packaged in book form? Then you’re in luck! You can get a copy of my art book Inklings, which collects 3 years of these pen and ink illustrations! Just follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733734716?ref_=ast_author_dp