A Whale of a Tale

Sometimes we get an idea in our heads that makes sense in our heads but not so much when put on paper. This project was a not-so-shining example. I desperately wanted to do a whale. I was committed to it heart and soul! I got the idea in my head that once the pen work was completed, I could wash the whole thing in aqua to look like it was truly in its own habitat. I have worked with fine pens for years and found one that I particularly like. It is very fine, indeed! So I got down to work and drew this magnificent creature. Here is one of the first progress shots:

And here is one that was quite a bit further along:

Now I know my camera skills leave a lot to be desired but I think you can see the amount of fine detailed work put into this project and it is not a small one either! It takes up most of an 11x14 piece of cold press. 

So. Once it was completed, and I loved it at this point, I could hardly wait to get that aqua wash of watercolor across the whole thing. I had this idea - in my head - that would make him look like he was swimming in the depths. Well here is how it came out:

He lives in the murky depths and much of the mid-tones are lost. I lived with the disaster for a while and put it away for a while. Then decided something had to be done or I was going to "Deep Six" it - literally. So I decided that nothing ventured would be nothing gained and washed it, in the sink, in warm water and gently scrubbed as much of the watercolor off as I could. The paper is permanently stained and along with the blue came some of the ink. After he dried, I took some gray and white colored pencils to him to give him a little more dimension and though I will never be happy with it, I will allow it to be framed and place up for sale. This is the final result - does it look any different to you?

Detail:

I still love him, but I am not completely happy with the fact that what I had in my head could not be easily translated to paper. He's not quite as lost in the depths as before and he lives on despite my best efforts to kill him off. He has become my own personal Moby Dick.