Mermaid progression 7/22/10

I just scanned this in so I can get started on the painting this girl.

This is the tight pencil on Crescent illustration board.

Right now I am planning on painting her as an Aboriginal Mermaid.

Dark skin and hair and white markings on her skin.

Her hair will be a dark reddish brown with some strong highlights.

I want her and the turtle to be the focal point so I believe everything else will get lighter as it gets farther away from them.

I had been planning on doing it the complete opposite way by painting the girl pale skinned with flowing red hair, but I like the aboriginal aspect for it's uniqueness.

If I was working smart I would print this out small on paper and do some color studies.

But, the original intention of this image was to experiment and have some fun, so I'm just going to "dive in"" and start painting.

I will search out some paintings by other artists of mermaids and give them a look for inspiration.

Water we do now?

I was able to get back to my mermaid art the other day.
I looked up some reference on the net for the sea turtle and various fishes.
I did some sketching in my sketch book of the reference materials and then put them away and drew the fishes so that they will have individual personalities. I don't think I'll be trying to depict specific species of fish. I'd like to just make them up and see what I end up with.
I'll go back to my reference for the markings on the turtle.
The mermaid is starting to look like she's going to be a "girl of color." Not your typical pale skinned mermaid. What color I don't just yet.
Here's where I'm at so far...

The basic idea is that she is ripping the net that is keeping the turtle and fish from having free access to the other side of the ocean. That ropy thing she is holding is the edge of the net. It's weave will make the left half of the painting darker than the right half. Her hair will fill the upper right corner of the page.
The bottom right corner will have a brain coral who's patterning will mimic the patterning of the net.
I don't have any idea what the color pallet will be yet.
I know there will be an overall color wash that will be built up to establish the modeling.
If you see anything that is glaringly wrong let me know.
I still have to figure of what kind of "top" the mermaid will be wearing.
As I am typing this I am thinking that I need to look up some reference of the indigenous peoples of Australia. She's starting to look like one of them to me.
I have transfered this to illustration board and I'm doing the tight pencils that will go under the under painting.
I'll show the tight pencil stage before I move on.