20,001 Leagues Under the Sea
As the nucleus painting began to take form, I felt it was best to move on to the next to make sure all of the paintings get a fair level of attention. Then, when they are all at a similar level, I can go back in and make final adjustments.
Next up, from the Commonplace Book:
"#27 Life and Death Death—its desolation and horror—bleak spaces—sea-bottom—dead cities. But Life—the greater horror! Vast unheard-of reptiles and levia-thans—hideous beasts of prehistoric jungle—rank slimy vegetation—evil in-stincts of primal man—Life is more horrible than death. "
For those of you not familiar with Lovecraft, he was quite Xenophobic. One of his biggest fears, to my knowledge, was fish. So, the ideas of the Great Cthulhu and the fish-like Deep Ones is a little more easily understood as sources of horror. Likewise, a chaotic seascape of writhing and alien species seems like a rather disturbing concept for him as well. So, this is what I have set out to do...
Still in a relatively dark phase of the process, I hope you can somewhat make out the direction I have taken. Various exotic sealife, writhing eels, jellyfish, crustaceans, strange fungal growths and a looming raylike creature looming overhead. Here and there are vague remnants of crumbling brickwork, suggesting it was perhaps once inhabited by men.
~Paul
Next up, from the Commonplace Book:
"#27 Life and Death Death—its desolation and horror—bleak spaces—sea-bottom—dead cities. But Life—the greater horror! Vast unheard-of reptiles and levia-thans—hideous beasts of prehistoric jungle—rank slimy vegetation—evil in-stincts of primal man—Life is more horrible than death. "
For those of you not familiar with Lovecraft, he was quite Xenophobic. One of his biggest fears, to my knowledge, was fish. So, the ideas of the Great Cthulhu and the fish-like Deep Ones is a little more easily understood as sources of horror. Likewise, a chaotic seascape of writhing and alien species seems like a rather disturbing concept for him as well. So, this is what I have set out to do...
Still in a relatively dark phase of the process, I hope you can somewhat make out the direction I have taken. Various exotic sealife, writhing eels, jellyfish, crustaceans, strange fungal growths and a looming raylike creature looming overhead. Here and there are vague remnants of crumbling brickwork, suggesting it was perhaps once inhabited by men.
~Paul
I love this one!
The Wicked Viper Fish!
xxx
Reply to this
Thanks, X!
Reply to this
This reminds me I need to pick up more tartar sauce.
A great start, Paul. It is looks suitably spooky and aquatic.
Reply to this
Thanks, Duffy! When I create a pai n ting, I often first think of the three primaries that will help set the mood: something in the red, blue and yellow family. Blue was pretty easy here, but it took me a while to figure out what a good yellow and red should be in order to keep the underwater feel. I ended with Ochre Yellow (sort of a mustardy color) and burnt umber for the red (though it much more a brown).
Watch out for the indigestion!
Reply to this
You know, you could save time with the red and blue and just use purple.
Reply to this
D'oh!!! you're right. Silly me. Better yet, I could mix all three primaries into a gross grey brown and save myself mountains of time. Live and learn.
Reply to this
I cannot wait to see this one finished... looks amazing!
Reply to this
Thanks, Jason! I'm curious to see how it will end, too, it will almost be as much of a surpise for me as well.
Reply to this
I don't know if you've read Terry Pratchett's "Jingo", but this reminds me of his descriptions of the lost city of Leshp. It's on an island that every few hundred years surfaces for a couple of weeks, then sinks again. While it's underwater it's inhabited by Curious Squid, who actually built the city in the first place by crudely piling rocks on top of each other. Every time it surfaces humans try to make it a human city, adding arches and pillars and other human flourishes, but it's a distinctly inhuman place.
(If the above sounds slightly ludicrous then that's because it's from a comedy book.
Reply to this
This probably won't surprise you, but I haven't read it... though I am familiar with the writer. This is making me notice that I don't read a lot within my art's genre, which is interesting. Perhaps it is because I am drawing from outside sources?
Leshp sounds like a milder version of R'lyeh, the sunken city where Cthulhu sleeps, and the city does eventually rise back to the surface. Though, no one would dare try to build on R'lyeh. 'Curious Squid' has got to be an reference to the octopid-headed Cthulhu, no??
~Paul
Reply to this
Oh, it's most definitely a pastiche of Lovecraft. I've not read any Lovecraft myself, but I recognise the hallmarks.
Reply to this
Heh, thanks! What's fun about this one is that, to my knowledge, it was never fully realized into a story. So, the challenge is making it look Lovecraft, though it in one way never was.
Maybe you should try reading some??
~Paul
Reply to this