By Helen Huang, V Form

Cerberus: In Dramatic, Dark Lines for Studio Art

This pencil drawing is one of many pieces I am making for my concentration in Studio III. In my concentration, I am focusing on mythical creatures in the modern world. For this particular piece, I chose the idea of drawing the Greek mythological creature, Cerberus, but with a modern twist. I made the dog cute and fluffy and set him on a soft blanket with his toys near a fireplace. I wanted to make the whole composition seem cozy and welcoming, which is the opposite of what Cerberus in Greek mythology is like. The shadow of the dog, drawn with dramatic, harsh lines, is a reference to the true nature of Cerberus: scary and foreboding, which contrasts with the cuteness of the dog, drawn with soft, careful lines. I purposely chose this composition because I wanted to show that mythical creatures can evolve into what we want to see them as. Personally, I enjoy the idea of having a cute three-headed dog rather than a scary one, and therefore in my perspective, Cerberus looks like the dog in the piece.

Helen Huang is a V Form boarding student from Canton, MA. She likes puppies, ice-cream, and hot chocolate.