Strange Behavior (Illustration) Entry: King

#1

King is entered in the “Strange Behavior Challenge” update: View Challenge Page

Latest Update: Line Art or Model: Just Married

#2

So this is the initial sketch of my painting. It is a story about love~~ What can I say? I am a sensitive man… Anyhow, there’s obviously something very wrong about the odd couple that I have. I want to get the viewer to think about this image, and give them enough to piece together their own story. While drawing this basic setup, I couldn’t quite decide on what their expressions should be? I want it to be a little ambigiuous, to go along with the whole ying and yang thing that’s happening. Does the mermaid really love the cat? Or is she trying to drown it? does the cat know where he’s heading? Is he clueless? or is he forced? or does he have a master plan of having a big fish meal? what’s gonna happen? who’s pull their full little tube ride?
Anyhow, this is a bit of the thought process that was going through my mind as I gathered my brainstorming ideas…

#3

it looks good, though the eyes of the cat are a bid to wide open (i think) further it sounds like a good story, especially the big fish meal :wink: good luck

#4

So I slapped on some textures and started to rough out her form. I’ve decided that it was a little bit a tragedy, just cause happiness of this couple is uncertain, so I wanted to keep the colors grey.

I’m not so sure what to do with her skin right now, cause she’s looking a little too brown and orange. I think I want her nationality to be ambigiuous. Just like her expression, you could sort of get the sense that she’s thinking about something, but you’re not quite sure what it is. I’ve had some ppl critique it earlier today, and I’ve had mixed interpretation of what the inner emotions and motive is for the 2 characters. Some thought she looked like she’s really digging the cat and is more like a nurturing mother, whereas some is saying that she’s is playful, and then there are ppl like me who is a little nervous about her, she seems like a bad girl waiting to cause some trouble in the neighborhood. All in all though, it finalized my idea that their expressions should be ambiguous and can swing either way.

Design wise, I’ve decided to make her tail into more a whale type tail instead of the scaly bright tropical tail that we usually see, and set them in a colder setting. I tried to break away from the conventions a little.

I’m thinking of adding ‘just married’ to the back of the tube, as well as adding a little more turbulance to the water, and i think i’m gonna try to finish her up to try out for exotique… I wonder if I’ll have enough time…

#5

I uploaded an earlier one before by accident…
There’s approximately 2 hours of procrastination =P
1 hour for drawing and making sense of my idea, and
2 hours of painting at this point

#6

Oh, wow! This is beautiful!

Welcome to the challenge, King!
Good luck!

#7

This is cool. Initially I didn’t see the ‘Just married’ on the ring and thought it was a great idea having a mermaid needing a flotation aid. The cat is just even stranger. Nice colouring.

Q

#8

she already looks beautiful… the concept is very calm yet strange… love it…

#9

Yeah a nice image overall, the concept is very strong and they have good characters

But the cat only wants her for her body. Sorry :smiley:

#10

it works. girls + swim suits… even though its fishy like =good times. :slight_smile:

i really like how you approached the idea of cat fish relationship, best of luck.

#11

oohh i love a little mermaid!

#12

Thanks for welcoming me with some very positive comments, I like how everyone is catching on to different part of this painting. I especially like the comment about how the cat only wants her body… hahaha that’s very funny, and maybe very true. Though I hadn’t really thought about it that way…

Any bashing and critiques are continue to be welcomed!

Thanks

#13

Really nice work so far - i like the subdued colors and the texture in your painting. It feels cropped awfully tight to the characters on all sides - have you consinderred opening up the page a bit more by adding some space all around? Just a suggestion… good luck with it!

#14

I’m really enjoying the concept here, especially with the number of possible interpretations. Well done! A thought – if you’re concerned about keeping nationality vague, perhaps you could do the piece in black and white (it would certainly add to the feeling of cold). Alternately, you could pick a fish that you’d like to base her on and color her skin in the pattern of the fish’s coloring.

#15

I like the look of the mermaid and the expression on her face is great. Keep at it

#16

Hi King, I enjoy your idea a lot, I like the concept of the relationship and the simplicity of the beauty and the strange, best of luck and hope to see more,:thumbsup:

#17

Walrus: I’m glad you like the colors! and I have felt the same way and got similar reactions from others as well. So I have played with it some more, and I’ll have it up in jiffy!

iconoplast: Thank you! Thanks for you suggestions, I think it’s a good idea to get some insprirations from some fish coloring, and I have tried actually to make it more like a whale mermaid, instead of a tropical, colorful scaly mermaid. I’ll try to bring that out a little more in the next iteration.

eclipse: Thanks a bunch, I’ll keep at it, what is the expression on her face like to you?

AxelAlonso: Thank you! I’m glad you like the idea, and I’ll get some new stuff up soon!

Thanks everyone!

#18

Hi Everyone,
here’s an update of my painting. I’ve spent some time and blocked out everything, though I’m still a little unsure of the background. I played with some mountains and things, but never found anything that particular liked. I was playing with the idea in mind of having a shoreline on the left in order to get a sense of them leaving to shore for something unforeseen… Actually just as I was typing that, I think it’s not a bad idea at all… haha I try that next…

Anyhow, I felt that the background was starting to overcrowd our odd couple, so I have tried some different cropping now, and I think it’s working better. Though I’m not sure this is the best one quite yet. This is a few iterations in already. I think I’m near the end of this painting in the sense that I feel I’ve pushed and worked out the idea through…

so please… if there’s anything that I could improve upon before I try to really finish it off, it would be great appreciated!

#19

Hi King,
I like the idea of the life saver with the “just married” words, its funny and scandalous haha!! :scream: I like that someone its pulling them makes sence!
For your Back ground maybe the perspective it’s making it a bit difficult to play with, you got lots of time so don’t rush it. And my guess its that your are going for something strange /slash romantic, so maybe some boats with pretty lights, and some sea creatures that are amazed for the behavior or better yet birds? but it just a suggestion of what it play on my mind.

Very nice concept very well performed for the felling it’s going across. Keep such good work coming:thumbsup:

#20

Good job king!! I love the whole idea of a fish falling in love with a cat.

I think the golden marriage ring that you added gives an extra taste to the entire picture. Good job. Love it.