Yokai are a class of supernatural monsters, spirits, & demons in Japanese folklore. I had to look it up and there were so many to choose from. I started drawing the woman with the super-long neck but it wasn’t working. A bunch of artists drew her and did an awesome job!
I picked a basan for its chicken-like qualities. Basan are very rare birds found only in the mountains of Ehime, on the island of Shikoku. They are roughly the size of a turkey, and shaped like a chicken. They are easily recognized by their brilliantly colored plumage and bright red comb, which appears like tongues of flame. Their most notable feature is their breath, which flows visibly from their mouth just as a dragon’s fire; however, the flame gives off no heat, nor does it ignite combustible material.
My second yokai sketch: 豆腐小僧 Little tofu boy. I started him earlier but wasn’t feeling it, then I went back and fixed him up.
Tōfu kozō are small yokai who closely resemble human children except for their large heads and clawed fingers and toes. They wear little boys’ kimonos and wide-brimmed hats — the typical outfit of a tōfu-selling young boy of the Edo period. They are usually depicted with two eyes, but in some illustrations they appear as having only one eye. They are usually found in urban areas in close proximity to people.