Explore colored pencil technique with vibrant tropical fish. In this workshop, we will learn how to apply colored pencils for vibrant colors and crisp details. Read More
Category: Drawing Fish
Thar She Blows! How to Draw Whales in the Wild
When you encounter whales in nature, you will not see the entire body exposed at one time, except in a rare dramatic breach. The rest of the time you will see some portion of the back or tail exposed above the water’s surface. Draw what you see, Capture the dark form of the whale against Read More
Whale Illustration Basics
Understanding the “basic” whale will help you identify and sketch whales in the field. To help you do this, study the whale form below the water. Some portion of this form is exposed when the whale surfaces. To help you understand the whale structure, we will draw four baleen whales found of the California coast. Read More
How to Draw Waves and Whales (video workshop)
Learn to sketch marine mammals as you see them in the field. Whether you draw from shore or head out whale watching, this class will help you capture the moments on paper. Learn relevant anatomy for artists and field sketchers to help you draw whales, seals, sea lions, and otters. Understand the series of shapes Read More
Foreshortened Pike- step-by-step
Drawing foreshortened fish is challenging. Your brain knows the real proportions when viewed from the side. It is tough to force your brain to shorten one dimension and not the other. Trust what you see. Use your pencil to make proportional measurements rather than relying on your intuitive sense of how the fish “should” look. Click Read More
How to draw a foreshortened fish (sea bass)
Drawing a foreshortened object is not easy. Your brain must overcome it’s ability to understand that the shape of an object does not really change as you observe it from different angles. This object permanence allows you to understand that a frisbee flying toward you does not really change shape as the observed angle changes. When we draw Read More
How to Draw Fish part 2 (video workshop)
Learn how to draw and sketch fish and sharks in dynamic poses, breaking the mold of the static scientific illustration. Learn how a living fish looks under water and how this is different than what is drawn in classic fish illustration. This class will prepare you for sketching from live specimens in your fish tank Read More
How to Draw a Trout: step-by-step
Trout are beautiful and hearty fish. I grew up sharing Sierra lakes with these amazing creatures. In this step-by-step demonstration, we walk through the process of illustrating one of these fish. With watercolor, it works best to start with the lightest values and build up into the darkest layer by layer. Here I use the glazing Read More
Black-back Butterfly Fish step-by-step
Blocking in the posture, proportions, and negative space body angles are the first steps in drawing a fish. You may see a parallel here to drawing birds, mammals, and everything else- it is the same system, just a different subject. Before you add any detail, block in these elements. If you add color with watercolor Read More
Fish Anatomy for Artists
Uunderstanding fish structure and the functions of fish anatomy will help you see details of the animals you are trying to draw and train your eye to look for critical features. Study these drawings and then look for these features on live fish, specimens, or photos. You can view an amazing searchable database of fish photographs Read More