Dionysus is the Olympian god of wine, festivity and madness. He seems to encompass everything that has to do with having fun, getting drunk, and partying. He is often accompanied by Satyrs and Maenads (female followers of Dionysus).
He carries a staff with a pine-cone at its tip which is named or called "thyrsus". He rides upon a "panther". Although the panther he rides upon is depicted as a spotted great-cat (like a cheetah or leopard) on ancient vases. With some research, I deduced that the cat is actually a "leopard". It turns out that panthers and leopards are the same, but with a dark coat of fur for the panther. In broad daylight you can still see the leopards spots on a black panther.
This is the preliminary drawing for a full-color illustration. I'm looking forward to coloring it and I will put as much time into it as I did on this drawing. I have made many Greek Mythology illustrations over the years, mainly on more obscure topics and never on major gods. I'm hoping that my skills have built up enough by now to do honor for this great Olympians who has had so much influence on Western culture.
When I ask for feedback on my work, a primary comment is often "more detail". So I put a lot of effort into detail on this one... hopefully it shows :)
I'm looking forward to any feedback, tips, advice, and random comments on this work.
Thanks for your time!