6 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on found paper
September 30, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
MOBY-DICK, Page 393
Title: By this time their destined victim appeared from his cabin. He was a small and dark, but rather delicate looking man for a sea-captain, with large whiskers and moustache, however; and wore a red cotton velvet vest with watch-seals at his side.
6 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on found paper
September 30, 2010
6 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on found paper
September 30, 2010
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That's gorgeous. The red and blue together!
ReplyDeleteA bit of a story behind how I came up with this one. Nearly all of the seamen and captains I've drawn so far have looked very similar - huge, hulking, metallic and almost robotic beings. Early on my wife remarked, and very accurately so, that they all looked kind of like ships themselves. That likeness was intentional, although also largely subconscious. This French captain here though, as Melville explains in the chapter, is on his first voyage. He was a former cologne maker and is not only completely inexperienced at whaling, he is utterly unsuited to being at sea. Therefore, I reasoned, he wouldn't looked the seasoned old salts I had already painted many times before, and would perhaps more closely resemble Dough-Boy, Fleece, and the other non-sailors aboard the Pequod. Also, the text describes him as small, dark and delicate looking which was at first very hard for me to visualize. I tend to favor the huge and the hulking. Slowly it all came together, and although I acknowledge a strong Dr. Seuss influence, especially in the mustache, I'm happy with this useless and stupid little French captain.
ReplyDeleteoh i love that little guy! soooo french ;) & so many-eyed! he has something also of a mad scientist. maybe the cologne? forward on!
ReplyDeleteLizzy, yes, French indeed! I am so glad you pointed that out! The color choices and placement were very very deliberate, so I am glad it came through. He is a bizarre little man, isn't he? I agree with you...perhaps all that cologne he'd been sniffing before heading out to sea...
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