WIP for Mermay (feedback welcomed)!

[StudioLooong]

For Mermay I am drawing an unconventional mer-granny and her cat-fish. I want to turn this into a little series where I have this piece and I draw a handful of catfish portraits like the ones behind her in the sketch as stand alone pieces. I'm not sure how I feel about the catfish I have on granny's lap. I feel like it's lacking the character that the other two have. I might re-draw it.

[StudioLooong]

I'm wondering if it helps if I just make the cat look at her instead of out?

[Tamisha]

@StudioLooong Love the drawing. I prefer having characters interact. So, I would keep the cat looking at her.

[Johanna Kim]

@StudioLooong YEssssss! I'm loving this drawing so far.

[ArtofAleksey]

Aw this is so cute. My mergrandma is definitely gonna look grumpier.

[MOO]

@Tamisha I agree with you

[Sara Hickman]

The looking out makes the cat seem like a stuffed animal. The sketch, the eyes seem more wide set and he has this “oh man she got me!” feel about him.

[shinjifujioka]

Such a great image! The wall of images will be really fun

[StudioLooong]

Thanks for all the feedback so far! Here's where I'm at with the line work. I tried to push the character interaction between the cats a little bit.

[chrisaakins]

@StudioLooong I think this is looking really good. The cat's eyes are much better looking at Granny.

[Laurasketches]

"Catfish!!" this is lovely work! What is the story? Also, maybe play with what cats do (tangle yarn, lap the tea/cream, etc)... or ask...what would catfish do that would make them endearing/annoying, but tolerated/beloved by granny? The line work is beautiful and the characters are so charming!

[StudioLooong]

@Laurasketches thanks! I don't really have a ton of story developed around her, I was thinking of this as more of an introduction image. Like, if this was a story book it would be the illustration on the first page accompanied by something like "Granny is crazy about her catfish."

I like the idea of having one of the cats somehow interacting with the tea. I think i'll try to introduce a teacup and have the cat on granny lap interacting with it. For the cat on top of the chair, I was going for the kind of grumpy, apathetic, loaf of a cat and I want the one under the table to look like he is about to start doing something mischievous with the string. I want them all to have their own personalities.

[theprairiefox]

@StudioLooong I love the level of details you have added to the picture. They really provide a lot of storytelling and fill the image out.

I would have only 1 piece of feedback, the arms and shoulders of the granny look uncanny... I am not sure what the issue is but they look like a young person's, not an old person's. I don't know how to fix but I thought I would throw it out there.

The picture is tons of fun though, just wonderful.

[StudioLooong]

@theprairiefox I'll have to add some granny wrinkles and liver spots

[Laurasketches]

@StudioLooong I think your idea about giving the "cat-fish" personalities IS the beginning of a story... you could probably get milage out of additional images showing the "cat-fish" being cat-fish....I mean, who doesn't like watching cats....AND mermaids? Golden.

[StudioLooong]

I changed the cat on granny's lap again and blocked in some colors, i'm not sure i'm in love with them yet, we'll see how I feel about it tomorrow.

[marine]

@StudioLooong Your piece is so funny, love it!
I think the cat drinking Granny's tea adds fun to the story.
Maybe the green cat would play with the yarn, ready to make the bowl of yarn fall? Maybe it's not with its paw but with its tail, so you could show a different angle of the cat as they all face the viewer right now? Just some ideas

[StudioLooong]

still working on color

[ArtofAleksey]

Ugh i love this picture it’s so good. I love your style too.

[MichaelaH]

@StudioLooong So great shafows and values and work, love it, great style. Maybe you could do the cat on her lap a bit lighter in color..I almost don't see her smiling. Love the cat pictures behind...so cutee