SciFi and Fantasy Art: Got One!

Nice perspective work, though I do feel a bit bad for the poor creature. Is there a story behind this? The scene seems quite believeable to me, but then I have no understanding of boats or harpoons

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "Thank you, Jennifer! There's no real story behind this. Just the same overall bad feeling about human behaviour that's behind a lot of my pictures like "The Last Unicorn" or "The Hunter". "

Why? Poor merman!

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "I think "Why?" is the wrong question. The question we are confronted with every day, every time we do something like this is: "Why not?" Ask whale hunters, butterfly collectors or just all the people who eat meat (including me)! "

I like the tail of the one that (hopefully) got away in the foreground! It adds a nice story element.

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "Thank you! I mainly thought about the composition of the picture when I drew that one but you're right, it leaves at least the hope that one will remain free and unharmed..."

This is in very much a similar content style to 'The Hunter', the picture that introduced me to your work. I love the idea of the intelligent fantasy creatures being hunted down... I have seen it before, but not as powerfully as in your work, and it does seem very original. I don't like this picture as much as the other, artistically, but I think that is because it is only a line drawing. It is still excellent, good job.

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "Thank you very much, Mr. Milburn! I feel flattered by your comments. Now, I actually have a good mind to draw or paint something of the dark fantasy theme again, after having read your comments. Maybe I'll pick this one or the death metal picture to redraw them. It's encouraging to hear, that there lies a certain power in them. "

I...don't like this picture. It just reminds me of how cruel the human race really is. If there is something that is different and no one understands that thing that is different, they try to catch it to put it on display so the whole world can see it, completely degrading it, and frightening it to the point of instanity. And if they kill it in the process of capturing it, they'll cut it open and do an autopsie on it.
I'm sorry, I went a little too far in to that. This picture does have a lot of good detail on it and I do give you credit for that.

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "Thank you, anonymous commenter. This is exactly the feeling that picture was meant to provoke. I'm glad I succeeded. "

This picture shows the truth of the human race and the cruelty of us barbarians. I personally like the emotion and truth poured into this picture as well as the beauty of the art itself. The moral to this story: You never know what's in the tuna.

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "*lol* You're right! You never know ..."

So I know other people have put better stories behind this, but I'm commenting and you can't stop me! Err... sorry 'bout that... I'm demented at times.

My Story:

The merman swam to the whale pod. "Swim away, swim away!" he shouted in whale song. The whales thanked him and left. The merman then saw a calf. A harpoon was in his fin. He cried for his mother. "I can't breathe!" The merman came to him, pushing him up as fast as he possibly could. The cow came and took her calf, and they left.
"He's makin' them whales go away!" shouted the captain. The last of the merpeople was killed that day, but there spirit will remain in the oceans forever...

Do you like it? =)

Esther S. Brendel (Maiden name: Esther S. Wetzel) replies: "Thank you very much for your version of a story behind this picture. I like the idea of the last merman getting killed while trying to save whales from the human hunters. Very tragic. "