Tarpon Study Gone Wrong..and A Fly

 After a brief hiatus from the daily posts of 2010, I decided to pick up a brush again splash a bit of paint around in a study of a larger work I have had in mind for a few days.  It didn't turn out exactly the way I had planned but that is why I do a small work before beginning a larger one.  This one is a 10x14 watercolor.  My original purpose was to layer the fisherman over the Tarpon and give the work a collage type look.  What it looks like now is a monster fish and two Lilliputian anglers about to bet smashed. 
  What can I learn from messing this work up?  1.  I should have done pencil sketches first too set this up.  I opted not to this because I believed I had the perfect setup in mind.  Sometimes whats in the mind doesn't always translate to paper.  2. I should have used less watercolor.  The complete saturation of pigments on this work muddies the whole composition.  I should have kept the whites white.
   Oh well, Its all a learning process and at least its something to post so there you go.

 I had original planned on going fishing at the beginning of the month but unfortunately my Jeep is in the shop (actually my buddies garage) getting a complete coolant system replacement and a few extra stuff.  What I had thought was a small leak in the radiator turned out to be multiple leaks which now can only be cleaned up by replacing the entire system, taking the engine head off for cleaning and repair.  I am hoping to have my trout chasing jeep back by the end of the month but until then my fishing is curbed.  Thank goodness for friend with skills because with out his help this would have seriously killed my fishing budget.  It already is going to cost a load in parts but I cant imagine what a shop would charge. 
(Beside paying him for his time, dispite his protest, he is also getting a nice bottle of whiskey)
  Since my jeep is out of commission, I spent the last couple of days working on setting up my studio / fly tying bench / office.  It really is little more than a closet in the garage but it does have a enough room for my painting and fly tying. 

I also thought I would add this little fly I inked out last year but never posted.  I really enjoyed drawing flies with or without the color.  Each style has its own qualities and although the watercolored flies reflect the colors of the actual fly, the inked flies show a detail I find hard to duplicate with watercolor.