Painting Through Prosek: Atlantic Salmon

On December 9, 2012, I painted the Arctic Char. It was my first painting since college. It was the first painting in the "Painting Through Prosek" series. At the time, I thought I might be able to paint every fish in the book. That didn't happen. That being said, I think I painted 31 different fish from the book Trout: An Illustrated History by James Prosek. I also painted a speckled trout, a couple brookies and brown trout, two red drum tails, and a quail.

This project ended with the Atlantic Salmon. It is such a powerful and beautiful fish. These amazing sea-run fish, return to home waters to spawn. Some make the trip more than once. Most do not.

Salmon have been an important species to may people for many reasons. Some salmon runs have long since disappeared from interruption of their path by dams. This is just as true for the Atlantic Salmon as it is for their West Coast cousins.

I chose to go outside my comfort zone and paint something other than the body colors. I drew some of the structure of Prosek's fish in pencil to help guide my brush. I think this was a great way to end this project. 

I'm not sure what comes next. I have Prosek's book, Trout of the World and Ocean Fishes. But I was thinking of something else.

This July, we are moving back to Southeast Minnesota for the year. I'll be at the edge of the Driftless Area. I might try to find representative flora and fauna and paint those in a Driftless series. Just a thought, for now.

Painting Through Prosek: Westlope Cutthroat Trout

What better to do while watching a good game this evening? While Wisconsin took their shot at Kentucky, I took my shot at the Western Cutthroat Trout. Again, I turned to a combination of James Prosek's version with some photos online and came up with a compromise. 

Look at Kaminsky go!

I added the highlights to give it that shiny-wet-fish appearance.

Painting Through Prosek: Arctic Grayling

The arctic grayling is an awesome fish. It used to be much more prevalent in the lower 48. Maybe someday it will make a comeback. 

Prosek doesn't have this in his trout books, but I still feel it falls in line with this series. 

Painting Through Prosek: Speckled Trout

Well, after a quick trip to fish harkers island, I thought it was time to look to Prosek's book Ocean Fishes for inspiration and tried my hand at the Speckled Trout, also known as weakfish or Sea Trout. This fish can look basically black and white at first glance, but with a closer look the iridescent blues, greens, and purples as well as the rose and buttercup yellows start to shine through. 

I'm not 100% satisfied with it, but that might be more a sign of my personal growth and desire to step outside the realm of the body design and start looking into fins and gill plates as opposed to the actual outcome. 

Regardless, I give you the Speckled Trout. 

Painting Through Prosek: Von Behr Brown Trout

No apologies for the decrease in posts, from me. I've been busy with an amazing 8-month old and traveling for interviews. This time next year, I'll be exploring new waters. 

On to the painting...

This one has been a long time coming. One of my first attempts at painting was of a brown trout, and, man, did I struggle. I've gotten a little better control of color now, and I'm much happier with this result. I went for the warm colors of the colorful, small-stream browns when they wear yellow bellies and are sprinkled with red and black berries. 

Now, here's a question for you…. Wouldn't it be cool if we could get some shirts with these on them?? 

Painting Through Prosek: Provo River Strain Bonneville Cutthroat

The cutties in Utah used to be big. Real big. We are talking 10lbs big. Long gone are those day, but there are some remaining strains of the ancestors of those big fish. I can just imagine James Prosek and his buddy, navigating the Utah landscape in an old pickup truck, searching for the unique strains of trout. 

With only a few paintings left in this project, we stop to admire the Provo River Strain of the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout - a strain native to Utah. 

I was a little too light on the par marks and could have gotten my red coloring of the lateral line better, but I'm happy with the fin. 

I think I have four more set aside to paint. Then it is either on to Trout of the World, or time to look at something other than trout. 

Have a great weekend!

The next stage of the Painting Through Prosek project?

I found a heap copy of James Prosek's book "Trout of the World" on amazon. At a quick glance, I see some fun new additions to the painting project. I suppose I have to finish getting through the first book. 

As a bonus, the used copy still had the free poster inside! Score!!

Painting Through Prosek - Greenback Cutthroat Trout

The colors on my rendition of James Prosek's Greenback Trout are as bright and bold as the fish's comeback from near extinction. I had to paint this one in a flurry during our little one's evening naps. Fortunately, he was gracious enough to even give me the time to post it. Sleep well, little David. 

Prosek's version is very colorful. 

Do you see that one little orange spot in the middle? Well, I went back and covered with a black spot like it is supposed to be. I guess that's what I get for rushing :)

Painting Through Prosek: Spawning Colorado River Cutthroat Trout

I've been looking forward to this fish ever since a I saw a photo posted by Ivan of Yukon Goes Fishing on his Instagram feed. 

photo by YGF... I think.

Now, I don't really know for sure if that is Colorado River Cutthroat or a Yellowfin Cutthroat. What really amazed me was the spot distribution and stark contrast of the yellow body. 

I have primarily been focusing on the broad side of the fish. As you can seen in James Prosek's depiction, it is rather spotless. That meant I had to get a little creative in how I added the spots in. I could have painted the entire fish or just the tail, but I decided to go a different direction.

There may still be time to put this book on your Christmas list. 

The cheap paint set I bought a while back has lasted.

As you can see below, I deiced to just let the spots run off the page. 

I also painted them to fade out a bit. 

Another look at the spots. 

The Instagram shot. 

Next up, the Greenback.

Painting Through Prosek: Volcano Creek Golden Trout

As I finish the section on the Rainbow, Redband and Golden Trout, it has begun to really sink in how much trout diversity there is in North America. This slow stroll through Prosek's book has given me the chance to daydream about one day seeking out some of the less common species. Who knows, I might find myself backpacking the High Sierras, just south of Mount Whitney, stalking the Kern River tributaries in search of the Volcano Creek Golden Trout. 

From here, we move on to the Cutthroat Trout. This is a, relatively, diverse group. I believe I have about 6 or 7 pages marked to paint. Slowly but surely, I'll make it through. 

Painting Through Prosek: Sheepheaven Redband Trout

As you may have noticed, James Prosek seems to enjoy painting several of his variety of trout in their juvenile garments. Losing your parr marks must be like shedding the jacket of immaturity for many fish. Though, like humans, I bet they still make poor decisions time after time, even after puberty.

The Sheepheaven Redband Trout: a Redband trout (one of the Rainbow variety). 

And now, a look at the Painting Through Prosek portfolio. Below isn't pictured the Brook Trout (that went to Owl Jones) and a brown trout painting that went to my Dad. 

You can also see the redfish tail in there. That is the second attempt at a redfish. 

The first went to a good friend for her birthday.

Painting Through Prosek: McCloud River Rainbow Trout

I don't know if I've ever seen a "generic rainbow," but according to Prosek, the McCloud River Rainbow was the strain that was moved from the East coast westward to introduce rainbows. The colors of the fish I find online vary greatly from each other and from Prosek's version. 

Painting Through Prosek: Steelhead

There are certain trout species that can't be ignored. I've never fished for steelhead, but I believe I understand their importance to the sport. For many anglers, there is nothing more exhilarating than feeling the tug of a running steelhead. 

As such, they are a fish of subtleties. Their patterns shift with their life cycles and age, but as exhibited by Prosek, a few well calculated strokes of with a watercolor brush can "get the gist." Still, the closer you look, the more you find each scale has its own personality. This is true with all fish, I suppose. 

I chose to use a "blotting" brush stroke in this case to add texture back into Prosek's image.  

I think I left the pink stripe a little too dorsal on the fish. 

I might add more black to the back to even it out.

Painting Through Prosek: Alaskan Rainbow Trout

On to the next section of Prosek's book (I've inserted an Amazon link here. I figure I owe Prosek that after photographing so many of his images and posting them here. The book is a great addition to any fish lover's collection.). The Rainbow and Redband have many subspecies. I don't think I'll be painting them all, but I'm planning on highlighting the ones that jump out at me for one reason or another.

We begin with the Alaskan Rainbow Trout: Oncorhynchus mykiss mykiss

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As Prosek writes in his book, everything is bigger in Alaska, including the trout and mosquitos. Based on the tone of his writing, he clearly had an amazing experience while in Alaska. 

I also used a couple pictures from the internet to guide me with the color choices. 

I really wanted to get the olive colored back right. I also used a little different technique with regard to brush strokes. I think this gave a more "scaled" appearance. 

I've been bouncing around the idea of making some blank cards out of these paintings. It might be a good way to raise some money for our local Trout Unlimited chapter here in Southeastern Virginia. 

Until the next time.

Painting Through Prosek: Mexican Golden Trout

After looking at the few online photos and illustrations of the Mexican Golden Trout that I could find, I've decided James Prosek painted a mix of the male during spawning colors and the female specimen. That being said, having never seen one of these little Mexican beauties, who am I to presume such things?

The Mexican Golden Trout is the last of the species in the chapter on Apaches, Gila and Rios. 

During spawning season, the male sports a bright orange belly. 

From what I can tell online, the par marks seem to be persist past the juvenile stages.

The par mark on the left is a bit darker than the rest, now that I look at it.

Next up, the book delves into the Rainbow, Redband, and Golden Trout. I've selected 7 of the 15 fish to paint. After that will be the Cutthroats. Now that is a big chapter.