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girl and troll by swamp

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There was this Swedish artist who lived back in the late 18 hundreds named John Bauer. He drew lots of trolls and other stuff from Swedish folklore and his work is truly inspiring, so I made this based on one of his more famous paintings, this one:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/John_Bauer_-_Princess_Tuvstarr_gazing_down_into_the_dark_waters_of_the_forest_tarn._-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

And then I added a troll-like swamp monster in the background. It took me about three days and I'm pretty happy with it. Anyways, reviews are always appreciated, thanks!

Edit; Got up this morning to the sound of birds chirping, the sun shining trough my window and the shimmering precence of a front paged symbol next to this art post. Thanks guys!

Edit2; I lied earlier, I live in Finland, there's no sun here, nor are there any chirping birds. All our birds sound like crap.

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It's beautiful, I love the dark tone that it holds. Now I don't know how many people have said this before me, if any, but I kind of see a misunderstood guardian, watching over the girl not as a creep/threat, but more as something who's making sure any and all creeps/threats get their pay. I know that sounds a bit cliché, but it can work.
I understand if you find all of this as stupidity being spat out from someone who has no damn clue on what the fuck he's talking about, but I just wanted to get my opinion on the visuals out there, as well as my interpretation of it all. It's a very nice looking piece of work (and I'm not just saying that because of the tits)

min3ralWater responds:

I feel like telling people that their opinions on art are right or wrong kind of ruins the fun. As I said in an earlier response I love reading different interpretations of my art because it means I've made something that people can have opinions about. Anyways, I'm glad you like it, and thanks for the review!

All these fucking paragraphs of reviews. Nice work man.
But I'll say Iiiiiiiii'd never bathe in a swamp.

min3ralWater responds:

Thanks! Yeah I'm quite surprised as to how much love this piece has gotten.

Uh, Hentai? I guess you could draw that conclusion. But I don't really see it.

Something about vanity? It works, it fits, but it's not what I see.

My interpretation is that the woman, like the troll, is also a folk spirit/ creature of the woods. I believe the troll is slightly envious of the woman's majestic form, and has convinced himself (herself?) that the woman must be vain. In the troll's eyes, the woman could only be looking at her own reflection.

The truth is that the woman actually isn't looking at her reflection, but everything else. She's looking at the fish, the creatures all around her, and even the troll. These things make her feel one with the forest, since she's shaped like a humans. Humans can't coexist with nature like the troll and fish can, so in a way she envies them, but instead of responding negatively, she tries to revel in their ability to exist so senselessly with the forest. So the picture is actually just depicting the troll's view of the situation. who knows what he could learn if he actually chose to talk to her. Hmmm, That actually sounds like a good story, I might have to write that story... Oh my, did you just inspire me with your inspired work!?

As for the art itself, it's as any inspiration/homage should be. It borrows just enough from the source material to be recognizable, but is entirely in your own style. It draws the viewer in for very different reasons than the original.

Good job. I'll be watching for your future art.

min3ralWater responds:

I really love reading different peoples interpretations, I would never had thought of it this way but it makes a lot of sense.

You should definitely write a book, at least a short story, and notify me when you're finished, because I'd read the shit. Based on your review, it seems you have a creative mind, so go for it :)

And lastly, thanks for the kind words and the review! It was fun to read.

I see where people are coming from with the hentai-esque vibe - after all, much of it follows a story of a purely white, entirely naked woman and a hulking, dark, seemingly masculine man-beast. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that the troll has no genitals and really is hardly humanoid at all, minus the basic figure. In the end, I feel, based on the woman's visage (she could be a girl, the smoothness of her chin's curvature would suggest that) that she has a confident bond with the troll. It's as if you are right there in the woods, coming across this woman, and she smiles slyly because she knows you will never come near her as her giant guardian comes out of the shadows, like she's the queen of the forest, and in turn of the troll, or something of the like. If the troll were out to attack the woman, at that distance and with his length, surely his arm would be raised in preparation for a strike. Instead, the troll is pacing forward calmly, further implying both that it has a bond with the queen and the intelligence to recognize said bond. As for it's face, I see how people would think it's slobbering over this naked woman, but I think the troll's face just looks like that. If we could see the troll moving, I feel like its jaw would just dangle and swing side to side powerlessly, which would mean that its potential intelligence lies on the inside. Overall, this is the stuff of fantastic imaginations, I really enjoy it :3

min3ralWater responds:

Thank you! I didn't have hentei in mind when I drew this, it's kinda sad that I have to clarify that. You have an interesting perception of this piece since the story that John Bauer wrote and drew this for has a very similare idea. The girl escapes to the woods for some reason, and is accompanied by an elk who protects her from the dangers in the forest. After a while she finds a black lake in which she looses her crown, which she had because she was a princess (not queen but you were close). The elk warns her not to look for it since the lake has a curse or something, but she insists, and stays to look while the elk stands there and protects her, kind of like what you described with the troll. He also writes that she's still sitting there, looking for her lost crown, but she is all grown up now, that's how long it's been, and the elk still comes to visit sometimes. So in a way I guess you could even associate the troll with the elk from the original story. And lastly Thanks for the review!

birds sound sweet if you give them a chance, feel their melody

you took the idea from john bauer, but i cant say that you imitated him.

john bauer picture the girl is by the water in day time and looking in the water or she just washed her face; you on the other hand i would say is a warning from vanity

like what you did, hope to see more

min3ralWater responds:

Thank you! I responded to the same sort of thing in the previous comment, about the girl looking more vain and enticed by her own beauty rather than just looking curiously at her own face. And yeah, it's not supposed to be an exact imitation, if it was I wouldn't have drawn the monster :P

Credits & Info

Artist
Views
10,555
Faves:
86
Votes
187
Score
4.53 / 5.00

Uploaded
Dec 7, 2015
2:08 PM EST
Category
Illustration

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