I suppose I should put this in scraps, but I liked how this turned out. I drew this on the back of an assignment sheet in-between writing an essay about traditional marriage in India. I felt suddenly inspired to draw this quirky character, modeling him off of my favorite aspect of Vishnu: Hanuman.

Rather than drawing Hanuman, I decided to make a Guru under a different name. Swami Sanamar (Navparm) came to me, and I liked it. As one can tell, based on his tilak, he considers himself a disciple of Vishnu. I decided to keep his previous caste a secret. If he was a Brahmin, I have hidden his thread.

I used a Long-tailed (Crab-eating) Macaque as a reference, as well as the sitting Shiva for the lotus position. Other than that, I drew everything else without reference.

I realize that the head is disproportionate to the body, and his legs are a bit too muscular. That was a stylistic choice. I wanted to emphasize the mind through a large cranium; and the constitution to travel and walk through strong legs.

The chains around his neck...eh. I thought they looked rather coo. He is holding a walking stick. No symbolism there. Sorry.

(Ticonderoga Pencil (#2) on Loose-Leaf Paper)
(Time: 45 mins)