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Professor Moriarty
By LadyKylin
28 Favourites41 Comments6K Views
This was my attempt to replicate an illustration of Moriarty(From Sherlock holmes) that was done by Sidny Pagent who did many illustrations for Sherlock Holmes when it was orginally published in The Strand in England.
I feel like I half succeed, her hand is far lighter then mine, as a result his lines are far lighter, the background was of similar nature but far finder lines makeing the effect less dramatic.
I do however feel like this is quite possibly one of the better figure inkings I've done, if not the best. I love looking and working off of what old hands of this art have done.
I hope you appricate the quality of this upload becuase it took my internet a lot of stuggling to get it up
I feel like I half succeed, her hand is far lighter then mine, as a result his lines are far lighter, the background was of similar nature but far finder lines makeing the effect less dramatic.
I do however feel like this is quite possibly one of the better figure inkings I've done, if not the best. I love looking and working off of what old hands of this art have done.
I hope you appricate the quality of this upload becuase it took my internet a lot of stuggling to get it up
Image details
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© 2012 - 2021 LadyKylin
Comments41
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Thanks, I gave the proper attribution on the picture's page and also on the wiki's front page.
villains.wikia.com/wiki/Main_P…
villains.wikia.com/wiki/Main_P…

I think this is excellent. You've done as amazing job with the lines in the background. It really looks like a wood engraving, which I think the original did as well (although I guess it was just pen and ink). I like the face as well, and the way you used broken lines there. I think the darker areas look a little "scratchy", and could have benefited from a more structured shading style...either cross hatching or longer, more continuous lines. Franklin Booth was the absolute master of this. Look at this example:


The orgional would likely have actully been an engraving than used in a printing press as this illustration was orgionally in The Strand Magazine.
crosshatching has never been a strong point of mine, I think part of my problem with this work was I was using to small a tip for the darker areas than I propably should have.
And awesome exemple, I've seen some of his stuff around before. He's really good.
Also thank your for the detailed comment, I really do appreciate it.
crosshatching has never been a strong point of mine, I think part of my problem with this work was I was using to small a tip for the darker areas than I propably should have.
And awesome exemple, I've seen some of his stuff around before. He's really good.
Also thank your for the detailed comment, I really do appreciate it.


Having recently done the same pose myself ([link]), I then stumbled on your version. I very much like the linework you have here, particularly the background shade. And he is appropriately death-warmed-over (the illustration perfectly matches A.C. Doyle's text description of the man). Thanks!

Hi, LadyKylin. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, you might enjoy the smartphone game I was working on when I made my Prof. Moriarty drawing. It is called The Game is Afoot and you can download it for free from iTunes App Store (iphone/ipad) or Google Play (Android phones). It also features other Sidney Paget illustrations along with gameplay based on the original Sherlock stories.

he looks pretty grumpy to me!
you never draw women (in srs mode like this guy!)
i love the pen lines in the back- would make amazing hair if you drew a mermaid <<''
he looks stiff like wood (the texture) but i think it's rigid and goes with his face!? I'd try some back lighting or something sometime! (like secondary light) It would help with the depth i think and make them seem more alive. However, it would be tricky with pen- you'd have to keep your solids very solid and gradually do some 'grey' values. If you do it too similar like the areas in the light- it only looks like you didn't finish it or dont understand lighting altogether!
i think it'd be a nice challenge
do some dramatic lighting on faces too- how much fun that would be ot have solid blacks around the eyes and on the face and have streaky texture lines around the light areas
I picture it very dramatic and stylized!
you never draw women (in srs mode like this guy!)
i love the pen lines in the back- would make amazing hair if you drew a mermaid <<''
he looks stiff like wood (the texture) but i think it's rigid and goes with his face!? I'd try some back lighting or something sometime! (like secondary light) It would help with the depth i think and make them seem more alive. However, it would be tricky with pen- you'd have to keep your solids very solid and gradually do some 'grey' values. If you do it too similar like the areas in the light- it only looks like you didn't finish it or dont understand lighting altogether!
i think it'd be a nice challenge



He should look grumpy, Sherlock Holmes keeps screwing up his planes.
women have to many complicated curves, I don't like it. Plus I always make them look horrible.
He's supposed to look stiff and rigid, he's all bent out of shape becuase Sherlock screwed up his plans AGAIN.
Dramatic lighting is fun, I've actully been contemplateing doing that Ewan Macgregor picture in ink. I did it in pencil a while ago, but the shadeing was quite dramatic which I enjoy doing. Dramatic shadeing is fun. Not sure if I get what your saying with the grey areas. Ink deosn't really do grey.
I actully kind of despise the streaky look on faces. I've seen faces with dramtic lighting, and they don't look like that. But there are other things I could do. So many other things.
women have to many complicated curves, I don't like it. Plus I always make them look horrible.
He's supposed to look stiff and rigid, he's all bent out of shape becuase Sherlock screwed up his plans AGAIN.
Dramatic lighting is fun, I've actully been contemplateing doing that Ewan Macgregor picture in ink. I did it in pencil a while ago, but the shadeing was quite dramatic which I enjoy doing. Dramatic shadeing is fun. Not sure if I get what your saying with the grey areas. Ink deosn't really do grey.
I actully kind of despise the streaky look on faces. I've seen faces with dramtic lighting, and they don't look like that. But there are other things I could do. So many other things.
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