Yellowtail Wreck

AVAILABLE (80cm x 60cm (31" x 24") Acrylic on board)
Please contact craig@wildlifeartist.co.za for enquiries
© Craig Bertram Smith

Yellowtail or yellowtail kingfish, closely related to amberjack, are powerful gamefish often found in deep water around reefs. Fishermen who target yellowtail explain their experiences when hooked as powerful and dogged as they swim for cover. 

I have always been intrigued by life in the deep, and yellowtail are naturally found in this habitat, capturing my imagination. Mentally sifting through different scenarios, I soon realized this was going to be quite a challenge to portray in a painting. The issue with the habitat at depth is that colour disappears, apart from blue light, making everything look monotone. With artistic license, I was able to manipulate the scene to enhance a few distinctive colours, making the characteristic yellow band and fins of the predators contrast against the background. To add more interest to the limited colour spectrum, I chose squid as the prey and gave them a slight tinge of red.