The Boatman

[jacktar51]

I wasn't very happy with the River Styx painting, so I had another go. I was going to put some background in but got this far and left a huge expanse of water, had to crop down a lot to keep some detail on the boatman, I liked the feel of the massive painting but at 5000 pixel toooo big to post and looses too much detail on the boat and man, still get some of the expanse feel by leaving out background plus it gives a feeling of being lost to this world which I wanted to keep, must google River Styx again, I keep forgetting boatmans name....Hope you like the painting....Jack.

[jacktar51]

P. S. Forgot to say ,left click on picture to get larger size, then you can see better what I mean( hopefully)....Jack.

[HwyStar]

Nice detail work on the side of the boat Jacktar! When you make the image full size you can see how you had the detail active at the bow and the midship but turned it down at the stern. That really helps us to focus on the great parts of the picture. Nice work!

[Caesar]

Another excellent version of the sinister boatman. As for his name, he was know as Charon in our ancient times ....

[D Akey]

She's ridin' 'igh. . . must be the return trip, I'll reckon. . .

Good one, Jack! Excellent stuff as always. Would be kinda fun to jazz it up with some stuff in the water. . . something to make the passage only made through this excellent punter. Reeds and rushes. . . aquatic denizens with glowing reptilian eyes. . . A hint of some jagged cliffs on the far side maybe? Or maybe it's wiser to not contemplate this fellow too closely. . . Yar. . . I know we spoke of simplifying and sticking to the story, but there could be a couple more details perhaps just for interest, not to outshine him.

Go man go!!!!!

[Caesar]

As for D Akey suggestion about populating the waters, I remind of Gustave Doré superlative engravings on Dante's Divina Commedia. I think You may add coinless, unloaded souls heading crowding towards Charon's boat, trying to vainly climb on it to reach the afterlife place.

[jacktar51]

I have taken on board some of my friends suggestions, and I have re-worked the painting to their requirements( hopefully), I will always listen to my friends advice even if I don't immediately include all of it in my very next painting, it will turn up at some point, thanks for the advice.......Jack.

[D Akey]

Ooooohhhh so much more interesting. You did it really well!!!!! Love the castle and the "damsel overboard". . . super.

I had a similar thought to what Caesar suggested with Doré. The spectral woman really gets that vibe! You should be really pleased with this one. Well done. Story telling is happening now, Jack.

[jacktar51]

Mr D Akey,
Hello D, I am posting the castle ruin I used in the background so you can see where it came from... Was going to do a stand alone for this too but your ideas have made me re-think regarding picture content, Dante's inferno has loads of content, and thereby added interest, thanks for that.....Need to do more interesting paintings with more content,. Castle below... Jack.

[D Akey]

Oh definitely. The Italians know Hell and the circles therein, sure enough. Was Doré French? He sure ran with Danté's imagery and then took it to amazing heights. Almost required studying their work for the Gothic story tellers such as yourself. Never hurts to put someone overboard without a paddle as it were. Ask Caesar, who knows that lore backwards and forward.

I tried to work my way through Danté, but never could get too far. It was always far easier for me to look at the pictures, hahaha.

And yea, that Castle through the mist could have many applications. It's a great prop. Nicely painted too. Spooky as hell.