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Description
“She’s out there somewhere. I just haven’t found her yet.”
This piece was made for a Valentine’s Day, Disney couples contest. I wanted to do a couple that’s a little less known or not as popular, but The Little Mermaid is a very special story for me. As a gay man from a traditional, Christian background, I also have a love that is not really “aloud.” A theory about the story of the Little Mermaid is that it is actually a depressing “love letter” from author Hans Christian Andersen to Edvard Collin. Perhaps that is why it has such a personal meaning for me. The feelings and emotions are very familiar to me. As far as Disney movies go, it’s my partner of seven year’s favorite film. (So this is YOUR Valentine baby!)
I wanted to show the secret longing of Ariel. Watching from a distance and desiring silently is something that I think every gay person has experienced at one or many points of their life.
I drew a kind of alternative first meeting scene of Ariel and Eric. I really wanted to emphasize two different worlds. I love working with light. So I used the light and color to show a definite difference between Ariel’s world and Eric’s. One is dark and dull, the other is bright and full of color. You can really see the difference when you look at her color changes from above to below the water.
I had a blast working on her hair and fin.
With the fish, I didn’t want to draw Flounder and Sebastian. I wanted to make this more of a “real” world. I pictured how smaller fish follow whales or larger fish. I thought that would be a unique way of showing Ariel’s “friends” rather than talking, characterized sea creatures. I still wanted to use a blue and yellow fish though, to reference Flounder. It also gave me a fun chance to incorporate other Disney characters. (Marlin and Nemo)

Description
“She’s out there somewhere. I just haven’t found her yet.”
This piece was made for a Valentine’s Day, Disney couples contest. I wanted to do a couple that’s a little less known or not as popular, but The Little Mermaid is a very special story for me. As a gay man from a traditional, Christian background, I also have a love that is not really “aloud.” A theory about the story of the Little Mermaid is that it is actually a depressing “love letter” from author Hans Christian Andersen to Edvard Collin. Perhaps that is why it has such a personal meaning for me. The feelings and emotions are very familiar to me. As far as Disney movies go, it’s my partner of seven year’s favorite film. (So this is YOUR Valentine baby!)
I wanted to show the secret longing of Ariel. Watching from a distance and desiring silently is something that I think every gay person has experienced at one or many points of their life.
I drew a kind of alternative first meeting scene of Ariel and Eric. I really wanted to emphasize two different worlds. I love working with light. So I used the light and color to show a definite difference between Ariel’s world and Eric’s. One is dark and dull, the other is bright and full of color. You can really see the difference when you look at her color changes from above to below the water.
I had a blast working on her hair and fin.
With the fish, I didn’t want to draw Flounder and Sebastian. I wanted to make this more of a “real” world. I pictured how smaller fish follow whales or larger fish. I thought that would be a unique way of showing Ariel’s “friends” rather than talking, characterized sea creatures. I still wanted to use a blue and yellow fish though, to reference Flounder. It also gave me a fun chance to incorporate other Disney characters. (Marlin and Nemo)