Image 1: I used a mustard colour to do the basic sketch of my little character. The animals in the favourite animal series Vary in size and I always try to make them flow together, the child and animal.

Image 2: here I start to add the colour of the fish. It’s a kind of rust brown. My research revealed different dark tones that the angler fish has. I really liked this warmer colour. Once I know what colours I am using. It starts to create adventurous associate colours.

Image 3: for some reason a turquoise blue popped into my head. I tend to expand to the range of shades within a colour group. So in my next picture I add other blues to that particular section.

Image 4: I have added the skin tone. The rustic brown is also on the lower body area now and it’s all about tying it all together.

Image 5: the Finished artwork. I have tried to take on the persona of the boy in tandem with the expected awkwardness and ugliness of the Angler Fish.

This is a video of the process on YouTube.

We do have similarities, our subject is the female form, we both have alot of Black and White images, and we love to use ink, be it pen or printing techniques.

We both have a narrative within our images – in this area is were we diverge strongly. Beardsleys content have been recognised as being quite erotic. I aim to look for an innocence in my subjects. Even though my Empresses are sometimes adults, their focus is on the wisdoms they can gain to govern their countries well. So since being aware of Beardsley it has been with a pinch of salt that I take our comparism.

It gives me great comfort when someone actually asks me what my work is about and doesnt just base it on the visual connections of other artists.

Regardless of my rantings Beardsley’s skill as an artist, illustrator and storyteller are undeniable. To read of artists that made an income in the medium of ink in his days and compare with our modern times is intriging. Alot of viewers of my work always wish i worked in colour. Appreciation of my medium is not that great, which is amazing considering they usually like my work.

Beardsley likes his silhouette and dark backgrounds, which I tend to stay away from. I use the patterns and detail on my images to to show a richness possibly missing in not applying colour. My patterns are the colour.

Check out the link above in bold of Beardlsey’s name to look at his work. See if his or my work share similarities in your mind.