I recently challenged a fellow artist back on DA to draw Sweeney Todd in an anthropomorphic form, just for the heck of it. One catch however, I mentioned that I wouldn’t be doing a ‘Johnny Depp Sweeney’… Regardless of how much I like the new Tim Burton film, the Sweeney Todd that really sticks out in my mind is the one that features in the piece of literature written by Edward Lloyd, titled 'The String of Pearls'. His character in this most suits the way I personally view him; not as an emotionally motivated figure, but rather a cold, cunning, ruthless and downright scary fiend. Unfortunately, that element now seems to have been lost, and Sweeney is no longer seen as the diabolical ‘Jack the Ripper’ type character. I had way too much fun on this sketch… but I fear I could never draw him sideways with that mop!
(Artwork © Leona Preston 2008 / ‘The String of Pearls: A Romance’ © Edward Lloyd)
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Jake
The String of Pearls is a bit closer to the truth of Sweeney Todd (http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/todd/index_1.html) than Sondheim's take. I'm a true crime buff, so I for one appreciate a more accurate representation, though both stories are good.
I like the combs in his hair, it's like a prelude to the 'fro pick. XD
Leona Preston
A true crime buff? Neat! :D I'm so glad to find someone who has heard of The String of Pearls! A lot of people back on DeviantART thought this was a Burton/Sondheim inspired thing, but I guess what I was trying to say is that the fearful aspect of the Sweeney Todd legend (legend... curious word considering he might have been real) is now gone...
Lol, 'fro pick... btw, thank you, and there's a good chance that I may be taking this further in the future, so if you're interested, you might want to keep an eye on my DA account... and there are some really rough sketches already up here: http://leopreston.deviantart.com/art/Sweeney-Sketches-75462220