Quiet Ocean · Plate 5 of 45

Copperband butterflyfish color reference

Chelmon rostratus

The copperband butterflyfish lives on reefs in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. Its long, thin snout lets it pick small animals out of cracks in the coral. A dark eyespot near the tail may help to confuse predators about which end is the head.

Colors to reach for

Color the body pearly white with copper-orange vertical bands edged in black, and paint the eyespot black with a thin pale ring around it.

• copper orange
• black
• white
• yellow
• silver

How to color the copperband butterflyfish, step by step

1. Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the copperband butterflyfish is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
2. Lay a light first layer of copper orange and black over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
3. Build depth with white and yellow, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
4. Finish with silver 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 copperband butterflyfish?

Start with copper orange, black, white, yellow and silver. Color the body pearly white with copper-orange vertical bands edged in black, and paint the eyespot black with a thin pale ring around it.

Where is the copperband butterflyfish in Quiet Ocean?

It is plate 5 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 copperband butterflyfish 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.

More from Quiet Ocean

• Clownfish and anemoneQuiet Ocean, plate 7
• PufferfishQuiet Ocean, plate 8
• AnglerfishQuiet Ocean, plate 9
• Fish shoalQuiet Ocean, plate 10

See all