#FISH ILLUSTRATOR SERIES#

Then I begin painting.Д¬reating a fish illustration is a multi-step processД¤. When I lift the printed prelim from the watercolor paper, a faint graphite outline is left behind. I cut out the printed prelim, tape it to the watercolor paper, and use a very hard pencil to trace the outline and important features of the subject. I then use a soft graphite pencil to вЂcarbon upвЂ™ the back of the printed preliminary. I scan the prelim, save it, and print it. I combine all of the available resources (written and photographic) and develop a preliminary drawing in pencil. Painting can take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours, depending upon the size and complexity of the subject. How many steps do you have to go through before you can complete a piece? How long does it take?

Val uses a diverse combination of resources to createДЈ. IвЂ™m always amazed at how generous fish folks can be! If I still canвЂ™t find what I need to complete an illustration, I send inquires to my large network of associates. If I canвЂ™t find the resources I need in my library, I go online. So, I often turn to my library which IвЂ™ve built for a long time. Obviously, no one can document every fish. I photograph every fish I come across, either by my own line or net, or someone elseвЂ™s. I try to go seining on grass flats when possible. I fish pylons, jetties, tide pools, oyster beds, inlets and channels for what I call the вЂoddballsвЂ™. Meaning, I donвЂ™t just go after big game fishes like Tarpon or Sailfish. IвЂ™m an obsessive, compulsive, and indiscriminate fisherman. How do you collect the specimens you illustrate? Long story short, I was able to combine both of my passions into a career.Дў. Instead, I stumbled upon Science Illustration and Communication.

#FISH ILLUSTRATOR SERIES#

Through a series of planned decisions and dumb luck, I found my way to UC Santa Cruz where I expected to complete my degree in Marine Biology.

I was expected to study art at university level, but switched majors at the last minute to Marine Biology.

I took every available art class in high school which I supplemented with classes at the local art center and at Parsons School of Design. IвЂ™d always shown an interest and inclination for art. What was your background that led you to fish illustration as a career? Illustration is a somewhat overlooked branch of ichthyology. I recently got to chat with Val about how she goes about her work and how it relates to the overall goals of fisheries science:ДЎ. Val has provided exhibit illustrations for aquaria around the world, some of which include Monterey Bay, Jersey State, South Carolina, the Norwalk Maritime Center, and Oceanario de Lisboa in Portugal. If you haven't seen any of her books, chances are you've seen her work if you've ever been to an aquarium. Val has illustrated field guide books for fishes of the Atlantic coast of the US and, more recently, the Chesapeake Bay. п»їп»їFor this installment of Q-n-A, I sat down with Val Kells, a renowned marine science illustrator with a passion for ichthyology. Ichthyology, the study of fishes, doesn't always mean sitting down in a stuffy lab with jars of preserved fish.

Fish illustrator