The Heavenly Dog-- Tengu

Tengu by Toriyama Sekien in The Illustrated Procession of Hundred Demons

Tengu featured in many animation series and is one of well know mythical creature in Japan (also among Japanese animation fans). It is usually recognised in bird-like form. Most Tengu presented in animation series adopted the feature of raven, called Karasu-Tengu. And again, like other demons, Tengu also have derived into many versions of story and roles. Some said Tengu is the protector of mountain but is dangerous because natural disasters happened on the mountain were believed to be the wrath of Tengu. Ukiyo-e that narrate the legend of Ushiwaka Maru, Tengu act as his mentor on martial arts. Interestingly, Tengu also posed in the image of red face and long nose, which believed to be the master of raven Tengu.    

Ushiwaka Maru (Yoshitsune) learns the martial arts from Sojobo, King of the Tengu
(Yoshitoshi, T., 1865)

(Mask of) Yamabushi Tengu

notes on characteristic of Tengu [sketchbook]

To summed up all the legendary story of Tengu, they are classified with the idea of human likeness and beast likeness. The red face Tengu has higher social rank than raven Tengu and act as leader in the group. So I took the idea of 'class' in my design and bounded the class within military function, like the royal court in historical period. I have visualised 5 characters at start: The king, prince, general (shogun), commander (daimyo) and soldier (ronin). 

notes on class [sketchbook]

reproduction of Sekien's Tengu [sketchbook]

The King (bottom) and the arrogant prince

Since raven Tengu is posed in the form of birds, I used the representation of cannibalism and size to illustrate the rank of general, commander and soldier Tengu. One version of the legend of Tengu had mentioned that it took kids who hiked in the mountain, and people call this mysterious disappearance kamikakushi (literally means hidden by god). This remind me of the news that happened in couple years ago in China or Tibet, that a vulture was tried to snatch away an infant lying in the pram. So I try to use the wings and body shapes, size, colour of vulture, eagle and raven to indicate the power of general, commander and soldier. 

Hooded Vulture (MarnixR, 2012)

design of Tengu with the idea of vulture [sketchbook]

Tengu design 2 and study of raven [sketchbook]

study of eagle [sketchbook]

design of Ronin-- soldier class Tengu [sketchbook]

design of Daimyo-- commander rank Tengu [sketchbook]

design of Shogun-- general rank Tengu: back, front and battlefield view [sketchbook]

sketches of the composition of image for Shogun [sketchbook]

sketches of the composition of image for Shogun 2 [sketchbook]

Then I found myself really weak in composing image, so I reference from a few pose that used to present the subject of warrior in ukiyo-e. 

佐藤四郎忠信 (Utagawa, K., 1838-1841)

和漢準源氏　匂ふ宮　妻鹿孫三郎　三井寺合戦 (Utagawa, K., 1855)

sketches of pose [sketchbook]

sketches of pose 2 [sketchbook]

sketches of pose 3 [sketchbook]

Image of Ronin [sketchbook]

Image of Daimyo [sketchbook]

Image of Shogun [sketchbook]

Reference:

Utagawa, K. (1838-1841) 佐藤四郎忠信 [woodblock print]. Retrieved from: http://morimiya.net/online/ukiyoe-syousai/U1053.html

Utagawa, K, (1855) 和漢準源氏　匂ふ宮　妻鹿孫三郎　三井寺合戦 [woodblock print]. Retrieved from: http://www.morimiya.net/online/ukiyoe-syousai/U854.html

Yoshitoshi, T. (1865) Ushiwaka Maru (Yoshitsune) learns the martial arts from Sojobo, King of the Tengu. [Woodblock print]. Retrieved from: http://ukiyo-e.org/image/artofjapan/06113256

(Mask of) Yamabushi Tengu. [Wikipedia image]. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu#/media/File:Tengu.jpg

[MarnixR] (2012). Hooded Vulture [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_vulture#/media/File:Hooded_Vulture.JPG