Quiet Ocean · Plate 9 of 45

Anglerfish color reference

Deep-sea anglerfish live in the dark water far below the surface. A long spine on the head ends in a glowing lure, lit by bacteria, which draws prey close to the fish's wide mouth. Its sharp teeth point inward so that prey cannot escape.

Colors to reach for

Keep the body dark with deep brown and charcoal, and make the lure the brightest spot on the page with a pale glowing blue or yellow-green.

• dark brown
• charcoal
• black
• pale blue
• yellow green

How to color the anglerfish, step by step

1. Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the anglerfish is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
2. Lay a light first layer of dark brown and charcoal over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
3. Build depth with black and pale blue, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
4. Finish with yellow green for the smallest details and highlights, then step back and compare with the color reference above.

Questions about this page

What colors do I need to color the anglerfish?

Start with dark brown, charcoal, black, pale blue and yellow green. Keep the body dark with deep brown and charcoal, and make the lure the brightest spot on the page with a pale glowing blue or yellow-green.

Where is the anglerfish in Quiet Ocean?

It is plate 9 of 45 in Quiet Ocean. Like every Nibfern drawing it is printed on one side of the page, with a light gray shading guide under the lines and a dotted cut line at the spine.

Can I frame the anglerfish page?

Yes. Cut along the dotted line and trim to the corner marks for a 7 x 9 inch print that fits a standard 8 x 10 frame.

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• Sea turtleQuiet Ocean, plate 12
• DolphinQuiet Ocean, plate 13
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