[Art] The Sea Shepherd

[moonvoice]

This piece is currently unavailable for sale (or, anything, really), due to it being in a future exhibition.
Now to get a good frame for it. :)
As usual, I had a ton of fun planning it, and then heaps of fun doing the beginning linework.
And then I groaned a little at the cross-hatching in the clouds. And the spirals. And the dots in the squid legs that no one will notice anyway.
And then I was happy when I started the colouring. And then I hated the colouring. And then I loved it and enjoyed it again!

And thus, you now know my process. Lol.


The Sea Shepherd
38 x 51cm / 15 x 20 in
Crescent illustrator's board
technical pens, pencil and watercolour pencil, acrylic, metallic paint.










The giganamous version.





The tiniest boat (which is actually a pretty big boat, but you know, perspective.) I shoved a ton of fineliner detail into that boat.





The squidly.





The squidly's mechanics.

Comments

[bewylderbeast.livejournal.com]

I am amazed by the detail in this piece. He's wonderful.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D It's probably one of the more 'sparse' pictures I've ever drawn in terms of subject matter, but I love the colours in it.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is so magnificent I made my husband come and look at the pics.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Aw that's so awesome! Did he like them? :)

[alfrecht.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! I knew I'd like this one when you first mentioned it/posted a photo...

Though, I've wanted to ask for ages: what is the inspiration behind it? Can you say something about that? I look and see "SteamPunk cephalopod," and go "Cool!" but I'd love to hear more of your own thoughts on the matter...! ;)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Though, I've wanted to ask for ages: what is the inspiration behind it?

The basic concept for the exhibition is 'Future Imperfect,' or: ʻFuture Imperfect: Exploring the future from the pastʼ will explore the way people have historically imagined our present, bringing the past and the future together in new and interesting ways.

My concept, or premise, was to explore a future in which animals are only essentially kept alive if they can be used for human function in some way; which means augmentation, increased intelligence, hybridisation, ravens augmented to be flying solar panels and so on.

False ecosystems are established to deal with an essentially destroyed, and dystopic world, and so in this piece, the seas and storm are actually not an unusual event, but common, and as a result, in this piece, ships are shepherded across the seas to make sure they arrive safely.

I mean, condensed down to its frivolous aspect, it's 'steampunk animals,' (which actually aren't done that often, in this way, that I could see when I started researching to see if it had been done before); but I like and feed into the bleak nature of it as well, which is actually against the steampunk ethos (which is usually one of hope, and innovation). But this is an imperfect future, subverted, where there is survival first and foremost, and hope second.

/ramble.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

This is so stunning. I would totally buy a print of it.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Eeee! :D That is so cool.

[naamah-darling.livejournal.com]

I love the bubbles, and the heavy lines of the clouds pressing down, and then everything under the water has a weightless feel to it. I love the detail on the wee little boat!

My boxes go through phases like that. Love/hate/love/hate/love. There are identifiable points that this usually happens at, and I try not to allow myself to have an opinion of my work at those points, and just follow the plan until that part is past. I have one or two people I trust to tell me if something is going really wrong, and have had to just rely on them once in a while, knowing my own opinion is not, at that point, valid. I once thought I'd get over that the more art I did, but I haven't, and I don't think now that I ever will. Perhaps it is, in some way I don't fully understand, necessary.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I try not to allow myself to have an opinion of my work at those points, and just follow the plan until that part is past.

Yeah, this is how I tend to do it too, though sometimes I'll have a whinge. There's always those points where it's like 'ack, I've fucked this one,' but those points happen almost every single time now, so I know enough, at least, to just let it pass. Hee. :)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Amazingly AWESOME work!!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of a Jethro Tull song...

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I don't know any Jethro Tull. *blush*

[scarletwildfire.livejournal.com]

this is really cool. I like the concept and the delivery! :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[sabr.livejournal.com]

Oh I just ADOOOORE this piece. SO MUCH. I think what got me was the unexpected subject matter, the arch of the waves, the genius transition from the waves to the clouds, and the overall flow.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Eeee thank you!

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

If you do decide it's for sale at some point, I'd be interested.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

If it doesn't sell at the exhibition, it'll definitely go up here. :)

[firehauke.livejournal.com]

is the boat a paddle boat? That's what it looks like...

very cool!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

A paddle boat? What's that?

It's a steamer, like the oldschool Titanic was a steamer. :)

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

As incredibly cool as the steampunk squid is, for me this picture is about the sea and sky, and I love the colours and shading. Amazing stuff, and I can't wait to see what else you might come up with in this line.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to think of how to convey the other things I'm thinking of. The problem isn't ideas but... composition. Heh.

[shioneh.livejournal.com]

I knew I was going to like this from the linework but wow, this is so gorgeous *gazes open mouthed*.. steampunk! squid! incredible detail everywhere, the amazing clouds! So awesome. Really hope I can buy a print when/if there will be one :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Hee, steampunk squid ftw!!!

[anrui-ichido.livejournal.com]

This is RIDICULOUSLY cool. The colours, the contrast, the tiny boat that is in serious peril. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

And the cross hatchingOHMYGODS.

*brain asplode*

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[sotepetsenu.livejournal.com]

YOU WIN THE INTERNET

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[kehleyr.livejournal.com]

WOW the colours are amazing!! LOVE IT!!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[jkoyanagi.livejournal.com]

Absolutely gorgeous. I can't get over it.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

*dances happily*

[sheistheweather]

Seriously gorgeous, hon.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

This is gorgeous. Beautifully detailed. Also, I really love what you do with metallics. I really enjoy just looking at it.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

Crikey the detail! That's gorgeous!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[ariestess]

This really is fantastic work. I love the detail in the ship. I know someone who would probably commission something like this, to be completely honest...

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

That's cool. I'm glad you like it. :)

[shatterpath.livejournal.com]

I love how the colors and shades force the eye to look at everything in the picture!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[sonne-windsoul.livejournal.com]

It looks great, especially in the detail shots (that's a really, really big squid =O; and all those spirals and crosshatching). The 'story' behind it is also interesting and the color scheme is quite reflective of that theme. The image captures and conveys the mood very well.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[toeknuckles.livejournal.com]

Ack! So behind that it's taken me this long to find this!
AND HOLY SHIT IT'S AWESOME!!

I have NO IDEA how your creativity just keeps cracking at such an amazing pace, but geez, it sure has some awesome ideas.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Aw that's so cool that you like it! Glen really loves it toooo. *is happy*