Mythical mermen are a natural subject for AI art creators. This fantasy by hongd542 shows one haunting an ancient city that has sunk into the sea. He has a magnificent physique, a beautiful swirling body line and, it would seem, a taste for adorning himself with precious artifacts salvaged from the ruins.
I normally ponder the secrets of merman reproduction in these images, but this one gives no clues in the below stairs department. That deflected my thoughts to wondering about those upper body muscles. Perfect for luring unwary sailors onto the rocks, but how did he develop them without access to an underwater gym or even legs with which to brace himself for heavy lifts?
Actually, as is the way with AI, the origins of his lower body are betrayed by the bend in his tail at about knee height and the suggestion of a flexed foot between his tail fins. That suggests he's actually a human who has been condemned by some sorcery to roam the seas, with his legs (and everything else, I suppose) trapped inside a fish's tail, like a sheath. Is there a hint of frustration in his facial expression?
This powerful image by the same artist seems to play on that predicament, with the merman seeming to be torn between his old life on dry land, and life in the sea, which is now the only place in which he can survive. A demonic glow lights his eyes, reflecting his state of enchantment and, perhaps, his anger and frustration, which he is doomed to inflict on innocent matelots (if there is such a thing!) from now on.
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hongd542's art has been featured at mitchmen blog
