Megalopus Atlanticus is a prized game fish (they don’t taste very good) for its size and tremendous aerial displays. The tarpon, aptly named “bucket mouth”, sits high on the bucket-list of many conventional and fly anglers.

Tarpons have been swimming our oceans since prehistoric times. While they’re not at the top of the oceanic food chain, at their adult size (they can reach 8ft long and 280 pounds), with possible lifespans over 50 years and females releasing 4 to 20 million eggs a year, tarpons are not in any danger of disappearing.

Did I mention they don’t taste very good?

Most will recognize the tarpon’s quintessential huge opened-box like mouth. This being my first gravenfish, I opted to focus on drawing the defining lines that make up the head with engraving-like shapes and leave the contorted facial shapes for an action series.

Medium –
Graphite and paper

Dimensions –
14″ x 17″

Progress shots:

Initial outline of defining lines.

Working in some secondary shapes.

Initial bottom jaw detail and more stylizing of the upper jaw/cheek.

Playing with contrast and an eye reminiscent of common engraving pattern used to define a shotgun’s hinge pin.

Decided against the previous eye and went with a natural one. More definition in modeling shapes.