I saw a small seahorse shape in the coral and painted it in using cadmium red. Using cadmium yellow, I put in the under paint on a Yellow Tang.
I washed cobalt blue into the top of the painting and set it aside to dry while I decided which kinds of fish to put throughout the coral.
I started by putting in a small school of five French grunts among the top of the plants. This was followed by adding in a rock beauty, a squirrelfish, another yellow tang and a small starfish.
From there using various mixtures of cadmium red, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, new gamboge, lemon yellow and French ultramarine blue, I put in various tube sponges, elk horn coral, sea fans and seaweed throughout the reef.
With a pale wash of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I dulled down the bright white areas.
Using raw sienna, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna I put in some of the coral and vegetation on the sea floor.
If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.
The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 90lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.
