Painting Brook Trout

For me, painting the brookie is like fishing for them.  Catching one just isn't enough.  You continue to go after them time and time again.  Going farther out of the way in pursuit of these colorful fish.

I believe that I have painted about thirty pieces that feature the Brook Trout over the last five years and yet I feel compelled to go after them again.  For some reason I am also drawn to the darker colors of the species.  Maybe it is the stark contrasts of brilliant oranges and deep green present in the striation of the fins and back that draw me ever forward in my quest to paint the Brook Trout.  Whatever it is, here is yet another Brookie Char for you.  As with most of my posts I will add a little disclaimer on the quality of the pictures.  Even with the advances in cell phone cameras, they just can not capture the true color of this painting.  later on I'll add a quality image as well a print available for purchase.

I started this piece as I always do, with a rough sketch of the subject.  Then  I lay down a bit of color and gradually build up layers until the form of a finished Brook Trout appears.  Then it is all about the details.  Adding fins, slight changes in tone and color until finally I am pleased with the finished product.
I would like to say that most of my time is spent painting, but truth be told I spend a whole lot of time watching paint dry and analyzing what to do next and then waiting for the right moment to do it.  Sometimes I pull it off and, well... sometimes I don't.  But as Bob Ross  (a prolific oil painter) once said, "There is no such thing as mistakes, just happy accidents."

In every painting there are these small imperfection, or as I like to call them, nuances, that make the piece a unique work of art.  The key is making these little nuance work in your favor.
The biggest mistake in this work.... well, this one also has a bit of morning coffee mixed with the paint.  Word of advise while painting, don't put your mug of brew next to your brush water.  MMMmmmmm, nothing like a bit of Brook Trout Red pigment with a hint of hazelnut.  My little boy got a real kick out of that as he sat across from me and watch me drink my tainted coffee.

For individuality sake I will call this brookie -
"Brook Trout #1211"
13"x 6"
Watercolor On Paper
Original Available - Prints coming soon

And on a completely separate topic; I believe that I found the perfect wine glass for my home made wine, beer, mead, and what ever us southerners make that resembles alcohol.   That is right, the redneck wine glass, for those sophisticated southern folk that are not satisfied with the plain old mason jar.
I saw this and said, "Oh yeah, This is mine."
The inventor of this product got every thing right here except one thing.  No true redneck is ever going to pay $22 for a fancy mason jar.  Looks like its back to sipping my brew from dollar store wine glasses I've had for a coons age.  That mason jar is just to highfalutin for me.
I bet he sells a lot of them anyway.  And I walked away thinking..."Why didn't I think of that?"