Written by I’ve always been scared of spiders, but since it’s Halloween month, I decided to try my first attempt to doodlewash one. As I was finishing it, I started to get really creeped out so I think that was a good sign that I was getting the likeness across. Spiders are just about the spookiest creatures on the planet.
I saw a fake spider today that made me think of drawing one when Philippe and I went to one of those pop-up Halloween shops. We didn’t intend to buy anything as we don’t intend to do anything special for Halloween, but we wanted to see what was trending. The store was conveniently set up in rows so moving across the store you could shop, sweet kids, bad kids, unoriginal adults, creepy goth adults, cosplay lovers, can’t-get-a-date geeks, and party sluts.
I’m always amazed by the vast array of products at these stores and never disappointed by the selection. My favorite are the “clever” couple costumes. It’s all there, whether you want to be bacon and eggs, peanut butter and jelly, or a plug and socket. You’re sure to find that perfect costume that’s just so “us.”
Next to these amazing finds were the large fake butts, fake boobs, and the ever clever “endowment in a cast,” enlarged to comic portions to ensure you’re the life of the party (assuming other equally clever party goers didn’t shop the same store) The only thing I ever found fun about going to large Halloween costume parties was watching the people who had waited all year to show off their most juvenile sexual fantasies.
For my costume, I always used the same black cape my mother had made me my senior year of high school when I sang “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera for a show choir performance. I didn’t go as the Phantom, but would simply powder my face, add some eyeliner, and say I was Dracula. It was my easy go-to costume and I just stuck with it. I had to watch the amount of eyeliner, as one year I’m pretty sure it was a bit too feminine. It was too late to fix it, so I just spent the evening introducing myself as Dragula.
The only time I ever strayed from my standby was the last party I attended a few years ago. It was the day of the party and a couple of other friends and I were out shopping for last minute costumes. We decided we should all go as sailors under a “Fleet Week” theme, so we went to a military surplus store. Once we had donned our costumes, we looked less like sexy sailors and more like a relatively redundant version of the Village People. It was at this point I decided to simply give up and stop going to these.
So this Halloween, I’ll be comfortably at home, and doing my people watching from a safe distance via Facebook. I find this far more enjoyable, because I can leave the party whenever I like. For those of you who love these parties, I say party on friends! I love that you do! But for me, I’m going to once again honor my fears by avoiding all the spooky spiders this year and putting poor Dragula back in the closet.
Nooooo… I love your Dragula already! Can we have a doodlewash of what it looked like?! Your spider is terrifying by the way, it made me shiver as it popped up in my feed. x
Yay! Then I drew it right! Sorry to terrify you though…they creep me out so much it was difficult to paint! 😳 Hehe… I haven’t even tried s regular self portrait, but perhaps jumping right to Dragula would take some of the pressure off. Lol
Well, Dragula is inspired. So so hilarious – all of it.
Love the spider – though not sure I’d say the same if it were real! I remember seeing a remote-controlled one just like that in a joke shop once – hilarious! While I don’t like spiders, I can tolerate them as long as they’re not too big and stay where I can see them. I get a lot of house spiders in here; there’s one on the ceiling now! They’re basically my housemates. Indeed there was another in here, the other day, which had just given birth to about ten thousand babies… that was an unpleasant eviction for all involved.
Watching a spider build a web out in the garden though is one of the most mesmerising things!
Thanks Jacob! ❤️😃Agreed…spiders from a same distance are very intriguing. Especially when web building. Spiders like this one though always freak me out because they’re the size of a small rat and have hair. And oh no! That’s too many at once to bear, they definitely needed to be evicted! 😱😳
Oh yes – it’s finding the big fat ones in the house that has me jumping out of my skin/going to stay elsewhere for the day/night/month.
I felt quite bad about that, because the mother was quite desperate to cling onto the space with her (actually about ten or twelve) babies. But I didn’t fancy being overrun by Shelobs.
Can’t look at your spider but I’m sure it’s quite good. 😬 Hubby and I threw a costume party each Halloween for many years and some of our friends were very creative. My favorite was the year my brother in law and his wife came as a giant stink bug and an exterminator!
Not THAT is an inspired couples costume!! Love it!! But you’d never see it commercialized…too clever for the masses I think. Lol 😉
Your hairy spider does look creepy! Great job on the shading too! 🎃 enjoyed your story, Dragula! Hehe! 😆👻
Yay! Thanks Jill! ❤️😃Happy you liked him…or at least thought it was a good rendering of something super creepy!! I don’t even want to look at it! Lol 😳Hehe…and I’m realizing in a few months I’ll have revealed more than I ever thought to! And will likely gain even more nicknames!! 😊Haha
Yikes! Had to quickly look away. Great job!
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Yay!! Then it worked!! I can’t look at it now at all! 😳 Thanks for commenting! 😃
Great looking spider, love the colors and shadows. Beautifully painted with high marks on the “surprise” and “eek!” meters. ;D Wonderful story, (now I have “Music of the Night” stuck in my head) ;D…Happy people watching!
I don’t know which I feel worse about…scaring you with a spider or jamming an 80’s musical standard into your head. Shame on me! Lol 😉Glad you liked the doodlewash! ❤️😃
Oh no, no worries Charlie. I don’t mind spiders, there is the initial surprise sometimes, followed by nervous laughter and complex maneuvering to transport them out of the house without injury to either party. As for the music, Phantom of the Opera is a favorite with good memories associated with singing the songs…so, your spider has brought a good laugh, and well loved music…of the night. (Had to add that…;D)
Hehe…I was just teasing as I’m always prone to do, Haunani! Lol I love that you knew the song! I haven’t sung it in years though. 😊 hehe
The first thing I thought when I saw your spider doodlewash, before reading the post, was ewwww CREEPY! Well done!! I actually had to kill a similar spider when my husband was not home….. NOT FUN!!!
Ewwwwww!! That doesn’t sound fun at at, Nicole!! Yikes!! Yeah…spiders are best left to doodlewash so they stay imaginary! Hehe
Dragula and relatively redundant version of the Village People…OMG…you are such a riot!! Yer killin’ me! I almost forgive you the big tarantula (it’s a beautiful specimen of a creepy crawlie)!
First.. The spider is totally amazing! Wow! I think the shadows are done brilliantly! Your art is getting better and better with each drawing! Go Charlie!
I’m not much into costumes for me. Every year, I wear my bat headband and my black sweater and leggings.. Not very creative. But for my kids.. I used to work overtime.. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell… Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2.. One year I made a prisoner outfits for my son and my dog.. Now, they want nothing to do with my creativity.. Lol. I would love to see Dragula!!
Thank you so much Kari for seeing improvement!! I’m so close to it that I can’t tell! Thrilled that you think I’m getting better!! ❤️😃 your creativity sounds awesome! If you made me a costume I would totally wear it! Has to be better than Dragula! And your bat headband looked great when I saw it drawn by Jenny! 😉 You rocked that thing! ❤️
Cool and creepie Spider!
Thanks Sharon! ❤️😃 He was fun and scary to doodlewash!
I HATE spiders! Yes, this one was WAY to real-looking and creepy to me as well. Oh, and I prefer to skip the parties, too, for much the same reasons. I just feel too ridiculous to bother. 🙂
Hehe…thanks Jill! Glad you agree! Not sure I’m I’ll try doodlewashing another one of these….they really really creep me out!! 😳
Brilliant! <3 😀
Thanks!! Hehe…but I still prefer Spidey over this guy! He’s too creepy!!
Don’t be silly! This one is marvellous! 😀
Hehe…thanks friend!! But this one scares crap out of me and Spidey is cute! 😉
Duuude, it looks like it’s sitting on the paper!!!
Hehe…thanks!! It’s soooooo creepy!! I almost didn’t finish it! Lol
GreaaAAAt spider Charlie O!!!
Thanks Jodi!! ❤️😃Not sure when I’ll ever try another. It’s was creepy! Lol
When I saw this I thought wow so realistic and then I felt very uncomfortable. I’m having a love hate relationship with this painting Charlie. All I can think is how would I react to this guy if I found him in my house…!!!
Haha! I have the same relationship with this one…it creeps me out. I won’t lie. I really don’t know what possessed me to paint one! 😳
The hugeness of this spider adds to the creepiness…but normal size spiders I like. They keep the insects at bay. (also, face it, I have a thing for those who work in fiber). (K)
Haha! Yeah I guess you would have a penchant for these little fiber artists Kerfe!! 😉👍🏻
I wanted to like this because I think you did a great job, but I can´t click on like because this looks actually quite awful to me… The spider, not your painting!!! It looks so real, great shadowing, btw!!! 😊 Ooooh, I have goose bumps…
Hahaha!! Sorry…I got some similar complaints on Google+!! I hate it too!! Lol It freaks me out! Guess I was trying to conquer my fears…next up would be a clown!! 😳😳
LOL 😄 Shock treatment! 😉