Mermaid with wounded Merman - WIP

[Kevin Longueil]

Here is what i've got so far - Still have a Lot of work to do - have not really nailed down the poses for the mermaid and merman - went through many variations but i like the feel of this one - so the idea is the mermaid is rescuing the merman from the giant eel with the snapping turtle head I know there is some confusing anatomy but my idea is that the merman was once a man and that he chose to become a merman for his beloved....and now she is in danger of losing him - need to sort out many other things but i am liking this composition - the eel was originally facing the two but there seemed to be no way they could possibly escape - turning the eel away really helped the story i think - anyways - thanks for looking - any feedback is alway much appreciated

[Chip Valecek]

That is awesome! Love the eel, I can't wait to see how the others look. I think the composition works well. Do you plan on coloring it? All that coral would really pop.

[Laurie]

Love the unique storyline for this subject matter - looks intriguing!!

[aska]

looks amazing! Very dynamic!

[Kevin Longueil]

@Chip-Valecek @Chip-Valecek Thank you Chip! Really appreciate your feedback - I plan on painting this when i'm done with the black and white for sure - i tried to compose this piece as a though it were a book jacket so the front and back would read well and have room for text - years ago i used to collect old paperback fantasy and sci-fi books because i loved the covers - (paid my rent one year in art school selling them back to Powell's...kinda depressing to think about really..but i Did pay the rent anyways ...book covers were really what i wanted to do way back when - so i thought i'd try to do one for myself (25 years later)

[Kevin Longueil]

@Laurie @aska Thank you both!!

[Dulcie]

I love this @Kevin-Longueil! The storytelling is great, it works so well already - love the merman with his flipper feet and the extra story you've told us in the comments - very poignant - I want to know more, and how it ends!

And - drawing is fantastic. Can't wait to see the end results!

[Kevin Longueil]

@Dulcie Thank you so much Dulcie! I really appreciate the feedback! (I'm glad you mentioned the flipper feet - i was thinking that they would not go over too well with folks - happy that you approve

[oliviahales]

Hey, Kevin. I'm a great fan of this piece! It's looking really good so far. My only suggestion is to put the background fish at diagonals so it looks like they are speeding away from the creature. I think that would heighten the drama.

[MOO]

@Kevin-Longueil Really interesting composition. I can't wait to see it colored in! Very dramatic too. It might be weird but, it makes me think of the Johnny Weismiller Tarzan and Jane shows from when I was a kid

[Kevin Longueil]

@oliviahales @oliviahales Thank you Olivia - i've been eyeing those fish too! I have not really worked on them at all - just place holders at the moment.... I'm not sure which way to go with them at the moment...my thought was to have them being peaceful and unattached to the action and not be related in any way except to say "this is just an ordinary day in the ocean for us" ...that is my thought anyway - i will try diagonals as you say though - .....maybe peaceful fish in the background and a few darting diagonal fish in the foreground?.....that might be good - really appreciate you taking the time to give feedback! Thanks again

@Marsha-Kay-Ottum-Owen Thank you for the feedback Marsha! I used to love the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan when i was a kid! I'm glad that this evokes that feeling

[Sarah LuAnn]

This looks awesome! What a great start. I think there is a whole lot of potential here, I'm excited to see what you do with it!

[smceccarelli]

Wonderful piece, as usual from you Your sense of volume and composition and dramatic storytelling is great. The composition works perfectly, it is very dynamic. It reminds me a bit of some of Frazetta's paintings - maybe you could look up his monster pieces. I have always loved the way he left some parts unfinished and detailed only the focus point - this approach could work very well here.
The only thing I would reconsider are the fishes - they are spaced too evenly, like a pattern, and their straight horizontal arrangement kills the action a bit. I do think you need something there, so maybe just group them differently and add a slight angle?

[WhiteboardJim]

Very engaging and dramatic. I am not sure if I like the merman's legs being separated, not sure if it too far away from the norm, but it does cause some questions in my brain which could be great for a cover if your wanting to draw people to the book to read it. It is tough to find the balance between drawing the viewer into the image and not shocking them so much they are repulsed from even picking it up. I think this one is right there at the precipice, could go either way. It's always good to cause a discussion!

[Kevin Longueil]

@Sarah-LuAnn Thank you Sarah LuAnn! I'm hoping i can have some degree of success when i get to painting it
@smceccarelli Thank you Simona! I will look at Frazetta as you suggest - - in my posted reply to Chip i mention the books that i used to collect...they were nearly all Frazetta covers. Have not looked at him in years though (maybe he can help me break away from my blue/orange color scheme i seem to go to) The fish are really place holders at the moment but you and Olivia both mention them as distracting so i did a quick edit until i can sort them out - they are still just place holders but maybe less distractingly wrong Thanks again for the feedback!
@WhiteboardJim Thank you Jim! I thought the flipper legs might be off putting - my idea is that he was human once - there is another mermaid piece on my portfolio site ....i am wondering if this merman may once have been the diver in that scene. Not sure - i really appreciate your honest feedback and thoughtful perspective!