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Sailfish Painting Instructions
with Rebecca Watkins and the Dare Arts Gallery
Step 1: Put on your disposable apron just to be safe. Dip your large brush in water and gently pat it dry on your paper towel. Dip the brush into the blue paint and paint in the ocean water up to the horizon line. You’ll use gentle brush strokes to go around the sailfish's tail and finish up by using side to side brush strokes. Don't foget to go around the sides and bottom of the canvas.
Step 2: Rinse your big brush and pat it dry. Use that same big brush to scoop a small blob of white paint onto your mixing plate and then add a tiny dot of blue paint. Mix with your large brush to make a sky-blue color. Paint the sky area. Be careful to paint around your clouds. You can use some of the remaining sky-blue color to create waves in your ocean and paint your canvas edges. You can orient your large brush sideways and create long thin lines in the water using the flat edge of the brush.
Step 3: It’s time to start painting the sailfish! Leave your big brush in the water to soak and select either of the two small brushes...whichever you prefer. Dip your small brush in your water and pat dry on your paper towel. Dip it in the black paint and carefully paint all the fins black. Paint the top of the sailfish's bill black and the opening of the mouth black. Outline the sailfish in black but leave the two stripes on his body in pencil. Go slow. You CAN rotate your canvas on the easel if it's easier to reach places. Use the flat side of your small flat brush to make the straight lines on the bill.
​Step 4: Clean your brushes. Leave brushes you are not using in your cup of water. Mix a light grey using a small blob of white and a tiny dot of black paint. Paint the belly of your sailfish, leaving space for the pink and blue body stripes in step 5. (If you are an more experienced painter, try blending some white in to create a rounded belly with more light grey and white...keeping the darker grey on the belly and that lighter grey on his side).
Step 5: Clean your brush and add a pink stripe to his body. Decide if you want white clouds or you want to add some pink to your clouds. I chose to outline my clouds in pink, and I added a light pink to the horizon by mixing in some white. OR, you can leave the clouds white if you prefer. It’s your masterpiece!
Step 6: Time to add details! Add blue stripes to the sail and a blue strip to define the curve of his spine. You can use any shades of blue you want! Mix a light blue shade and add the dotted stripes on the sides of your fish. Try to follow the rounded contour of the fish to create that round belly shape…we are looking for a meaty fish!
Add white swooshes for a splash under his tail…just go for it!
Finally, use a small brush to add the pelvic fins and clean up any messy edges. You may need to reoutline his gills and touch up his fins at this point.
Sign your name or initials in the corner. Woot! You just painted a sailfish!
Thanks for painting with me, Abbie, Leigh, and Tiffany! Check out my "Tight Lines" exhibit online or in person at the Dare Arts Gallery in downtown Manteo. Tiffany will be at the Dare Arts table and she can assist you today.
- Rebecca Watkins
Clean Up - Please leave your paint brushes in your cup of water and take your painting with you.
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