There's something fantastical about flying fish even before you add in any imagination. The bodies are torpedo shaped to streamline them in the water and air but its their fins that interest me.
They almost have a tattered look with transparent panels that look like holes in the fin. By sketching the fin it helps to lodge the image and details in my mind, more so that just by looking at the image, and hopefully will allow a stronger idea to develop in my imagination. That's the plan, and from experience it usually works!
So it seems fins are the attraction for me today!
I do like the overall shape of the Angelfish aside from their fins; it's a very geometrical shape, great for a starting point for creating something new. Another detail I picked up on was the eye. It was black and red with a black strip running down the centre of the eye, something I think I'll develop and incorporate.
Japanese Fighting fish have very dramatic fins, very elaborate, delicate-looking and flowing almost like silk, which belies their aggressiveness. I like the juxtaposition of visual qualities and the character of the fish, again something I want to incorporate, which will be a challenge to do in just on image.
I'm starting to get some ideas of how this fantasy fish may appear, hopefully my left-hand won't let me down and I'll be able to express my ideas clearly on the paper. The next step is sketching out some of the initial ideas and not being able to sketch quickly in my usual practice with my right hand will prove a real challenge!
