The process of moving two beta fish.

The process of moving two beta fish.

  Today, I drew two moving beta fish with watercolor paints. In general, beta fish should not be placed in one fish tank. They prefer to be alone and become aggressive when encountering other fish of the same species, especially male fish. Their character who enjoys loneliness is envious of the mental strength that does not feel lonely at all, but it makes me feel sorry for the feeling they will experience. So I put the two of them in the same tank, even in the picture, and let them play with each other. It is a fantasy that is impossible in reality.

  ​The place where I drew this painting today is the Port Jefferson Village Center. Every Thursday, there is the Night Heron meeting, a gathering of artists who love watercolor paintings. I attended today as a guest and drew a picture. The center has a beautiful view overlooking the sea.

  ​The $1 watercolor project made it easy to attend with simplified materials.  The pink pocket at the top is a wallet for my business cards. It is useful when meeting for the first time or when I need to introduce my work.

  ​I simply sketch with the HB pencil I brought. I took a moment to capture the two beta fish that pop into my head.

  ​Wet a lot of water and paint lightly with a watercolor brush size 12 at once. If the brush passes frequently, the painting becomes cloudy and messy, so be careful.

   ​Then, when holding the brush, reduce the force slightly to apply the color in the middle area.

  ​Then, with the thinnest brush in the $1 watercolor set, fill in the darkest areas.

  ​The part that looks empty as if the tail of the fish, which is spread out like a fan, is divided, is left blank because the paint has completely dried and I need to use the wet-on-dry technique. If I draw up to this point, I feel more at ease because I don't have to brush while wet anymore.

  ​After drying, fill in the space between the fins on top. This will help complete the transparent fins. And add accents where necessary.

  ​Slightly squeeze the white acrylic paint to complete the highlights.

  ​Below is the finished look. I drew red and blue fish by applying the Taegeuk principle of yin and yang. Taegeuk (太極) is a concept that was valued as the source of the universe that creates all things by combining with yin and yang ideas among ancient Eastern ideas. The Taegeuk pattern is currently used in the Taegeukgi, the national flag of Korea.