More work on the mermaid

It's been three weeks since I last worked on the mermaid, and I always find it a challenge to come back to a piece that's been left cold for more than a day or two. I decided to jump right in by developing a greater sense of contrast and depth. I added shadows and highlights to the scales and added another layer of torn patterned paper.

I gave her a serene face, added more paper to her fringe and had some fun adding curlicues to her hair. I like the contrast between the calligraphy-like detail of the curlicues and the roughness of the collaged bits.

Although the improvement in contrast doesn't show up well in the photo, I darkened the stone and added highlights to the crabs, starfish, and to her tail, and they improve the piece substantially - you can compare the difference by clicking here.

For the next step I will collage seashells into the bowl. Stay tuned ...