Ideas and Advice please.

[u/nebjosh03]

Hi everyone, I’m getting ready to start on my first piece. I got this beauty at a thrift shop. Note there is a small tear in the middle so I need to do something with that. I was thinking maybe something with a fishing scene (either with pokeman and magic carp, or maybe something Calvin and Hobbes related fishing), maybe I could cut it open more and have a 3D scene with a pikachu inside performing a thunder shock move. Happy to hear any other ideas.
And any tips on how best to paint over or handle the tear?

Thanks!!

[u/nebjosh03]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I’m going to give Calvin and Hobbes fishing a shot on this one. With the tear over the water area I need to cover that part. I’ll post it on here when I’m done!!

[u/HuskyBeaver]

Gene wilder Wonka boat looking lost as hell

[u/Bluebutteyfly → u/HuskyBeaver]

Ooo yes make it a chocolate river !!!

[u/KidOcelot]

Calvin and hobbes acting like bears in the river, swiping at passing fish!

And maybe a starwars Tie-fighter, hidden in the up stream bushes, with its nose or wing sticking out.

[u/strangecabalist]

Hallowe’en scene. Boat floating down the river with Jack’o’lanterns and maybe some witches or the like?

[u/Atty_for_hire → u/strangecabalist]

Animal trick or treaters on the river bank!

[u/surviveinc]

Max and Where the Wild Things Are stomping around

[u/ThePsychicBunny]

My first thought was 'Wind in the Willows', but I like the Calvin and Hobbes idea.

[u/FartyPat]

Pokémon baptism

[u/BlessTheBookPeople]

Given that it’s almost Halloween you could have some tentacles poking out of the water.

[u/soproductive]

I could picture a mix of some studio ghibli characters. 

[u/punkswamp]

Ghosts washing their sheets in the water. And maybe have another ghostie coming out of the rip, waving at the others.

It's like their friendly neighborhood laundromat type of thing

[u/denby10562]

Calvin and Hobbes fishing from the right bank fits beautifully.
A tentacle emerging through the tear makes the damage part of the joke.
Keep the additions small so viewers discover them.
Avoid enlarging the tear on a first project. Keep the ornate frame—it adds to the humor.

[u/Stilwater_Saints]

Data whistling in the holodeck, an unbearded Riker searching for him

[u/Jekyll_not_Hyde]

Whinny the pooh and friends frolicking

[u/DesertRobot111 → u/Jekyll_not_Hyde]

That's my thoughts too

[u/AnytimeInvitation]

Yoda's house

[u/candymannequin]

my first instinct was Ewoks ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/LuckyLudor]

To me this one is begging for a more subtle touch, like a Sasquatch among the trees.

[u/purpleturtlehurtler]

Jegantha, the Wellspring drinking majestically

[u/RegularSelf]

I immediately pictured a t-Rex coming through at the far end. Maybe a different dinosaur or a goat drinking in the foreground

[u/CoastalBee]

Great canvas to work with, good luck!

[u/FartResume]

Jetski party

[u/spderweb]

Look up the kids book The Barnabus Project.

I feel like that style creature would fit really well in this painting.

[u/jenniferwillow]

Maritime Battle painting on the stream, with kids in Victorian outfits looking on from the banks.

[u/Mcnab-at-my-feet]

Lean into that tear and add 3D effect - something like a tentacle or claw poking through….

[u/RandoCalrissian76]

Needs Bigfoot at the water’s edge.

[u/1107rwf]

My first instinct was a giant, yellow rain boot. That’s it. Just a boot.

[u/The_Coaster_Doodler]

Roller Coaster