On the Easel

I'm delighted to be working on a commission from an overseas customer, who has kindly requested a large scientific illustration of an Atlantic Mackerel. The mackerel is one of my favourite fish to paint, as they are one of the most elegantly shaped, and beautifully coloured. They are iridescent blue-green on the back, with a silvery-white underbelly and 20 to 30 wavy black bars that run across the top half of their body.

I'm using my own photos for reference, which I've taken over many years while sea fishing in Cornwall. Here's my initial work, on 300gsm Fabriano 5 watercolour paper, using Golden and Liquitex acrylic paints.