Today's a new day.

[elephantnose3334]

I'm back to the thread. Today's Tuesday. The tetras are doing fine. Finished school at 3:20pm and planning on doing an artwork of crimson-spot rainbowfish. @Colin_T, is this image from a YouTube video good for a large artwork of crimson-spots?

 

[Colin_T]

It's not the best image. You want the subject (fish) to contrast with the background, not blend in with it. A bit like the link below whereby the fish stands out against the background.

Melanotaenia duboulayi

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

 

[elephantnose3334]

It's not the best image. You want the subject (fish) to contrast with the background, not blend in with it. A bit like the link below whereby the fish stands out against the background.

Melanotaenia duboulayi

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

Well @Colin_T , I know the image is not a good one but the image depicts the fish is in their natural habitat in Queensland. The link you sent to me is an image of the rainbowfish in an aquarium setting. I want to depict fish that live IN the wild, not in captivity.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Well @Colin_T , I know the image is not a good one but the image depicts the fish is in their natural habitat in Queensland. The link you sent to me is an image of the rainbowfish in an aquarium setting. I want to depict fish that live IN the wild, not in captivity.

The clearer image like Colin linked allows you to see the details of the markings on the fish better, which helps when trying to draw it accurately.

So you could sketch the one in the wild, then use the aquarium photo to fill in details that aren't so visible on the photo of the fish in the wild. Or draw/paint the aquarium fish, then add the leaf litter and and natural background, if you prefer that way.

But if you just want to draw the fish itself, alone, then lots of different clear photos of the species will be more useful reference photos.

 

[Colin_T]

The fish aren't always found in areas with leaf litter and algae. They quite often swim in open water with sand or pebbles on the bottom. They might be found in areas with lots of plants and no algae, or lots of algae and no plants. Sometimes they are found in clear water (like the pic you provided) and other times they are found in black water (containing tannins). They tend to follow the food and might spend some time in an area with algae then move into a different area without algae. When in areas with algae they eat the algae and small aquatic crustaceans. When in open water they tend to feed of small insects that land on the surface or fly just above it.

If you want to depict them in a natural setting, then use the image from the video.

 

[elephantnose3334]

The fish aren't always found in areas with leaf litter and algae. They quite often swim in open water with sand or pebbles on the bottom. They might be found in areas with lots of plants and no algae, or lots of algae and no plants. Sometimes they are found in clear water (like the pic you provided) and other times they are found in black water (containing tannins). They tend to follow the food and might spend some time in an area with algae then move into a different area without algae. When in areas with algae they eat the algae and small aquatic crustaceans. When in open water they tend to feed of small insects that land on the surface or fly just above it.

If you want to depict them in a natural setting, then use the image from the video.

Okay, I will do the image from the video because crimson-spots are sometimes, but not always, found in these areas full of algae and lots of wood.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Today's Thursday. Fed the tetras today. Will do a water change on the weekend. I just need to figure out the canvas size for the crimson-spot rainbowfish painting.

 

[Colin_T]

Do a small canvas painting and if it's good, then do a bigger one if you like. But the fish only grow to 4 inches long so the painting doesn't need to be too big.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Do a small canvas painting and if it's good, then do a bigger one if you like. But the fish only grow to 4 inches long so the painting doesn't need to be too big.

Thanks for the advice @Colin_T! I will do a practice drawing then do a large painting. Large paintings equal more details.

 

[elephantnose3334]

A tetra died suddenly after I went home from school. I don't know how or why they died. I will make an emergency thread about it in a few hours.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I am being a good forum citizen, @GaryE. Also, I have a swimming carnival tomorrow. Like I'm a good school student, I am improving my behaviour on the forum. Can we talk about Killifish tomorrow night, about their natural habitat?

 

[elephantnose3334]

It's Friday. Not going to school due to the parents sending a message to the school that I'm not coming to the swimming carnival. I have a specific focus on fish and art. It's hard to get images of the freshwater fishes' natural habitat in the wild so sometimes YouTube screenshots are the best thing to do. The parents think my artwork is not good with the images of sunken algae on branches and leaf litter underwater. But that's where the crimson-spot rainbowfish sometimes live. Crimson-spots are pretty mid sized fish. It's a brand new day and I can't wait to do a big painting.

Aquariums (captive environments) are commonplace and it's very difficult to find images of fish in the wild on the internet. So @Colin_T is an expert of rainbowfish and other aquarium fish, and I might give the painting to the local ANGFA when it's good enough. But I need to know where the headquarters in Perth are. @Colin_T, did you write articles for ANGFA, including 'A Daytime View of a Nighttime Fish'? Can I join ANGFA like you did, once I'm an adult? I can follow your footsteps and try and keep rainbows. Do you go to ANGFA meetings still? Why don't LFS's sponsor ANGFA anymore compared to the 1990s' and early 2000s'?

The clearer image like Colin linked allows you to see the details of the markings on the fish better, which helps when trying to draw it accurately.

So you could sketch the one in the wild, then use the aquarium photo to fill in details that aren't so visible on the photo of the fish in the wild. Or draw/paint the aquarium fish, then add the leaf litter and and natural background, if you prefer that way.

But if you just want to draw the fish itself, alone, then lots of different clear photos of the species will be more useful reference photos.

I would do that.

 

[Colin_T]

I have no idea if ANGFA WA is still running. You can google it and see if anything turns up. There is ANGFA National, which is based over east but there was an ANGFA branch in each state. The last I heard was meetings were being held every second month and the alternate months were normal Aquarium Society of WA meetings. I think the meetings were held at the Sandgate Street community hall in South Perth.

Just did some googling then and it looks like the Sandgate St community hall has been removed and a new building set up further up the road. However, the ANGFA website says the ANGFA WA meetings are now being held at the Manning Community Centre, 2 Conochie Crescent, Manning. Details at the following link.

Western Australia

The Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association - ANGFA

www.angfa.org.au

You don't have to be an adult to join ANGFA, kids can join if they want to. I did write some articles for ANGFA. You don't want to keep rainbowfish unless you can get wild caught fish or fish that are free of Fish TB.

---------------------

Back in the 80s and 90s everyone in the pet industry knew everyone else in the pet industry. At one of the shops where I worked, we didn't carry many African Rift Lake cichlids so when we had customers come in looking for them, we would send them to Vebas where Chris and Harry had a lot of Rift Lake cichlids. In return they used to send marine customers to us because they didn't carry marine fish at that time and we did. We did this with other shops too. If someone needed something or a particular fish, one of the staff would know who had what and if we didn't know, we would call around and see who has what and send the customer there. It was nice and most of the shop workers would visit each other at their shops on a regular basis and a lot of us went to the different fish club meetings and interacted there too.

When I was in ANGFA WA I used to visit a few shops every month before the meetings and make a list of the native fishes being sold at those shops. I didn't put down the prices, just a list of the species that were available at that particular time. I put the list in the ANGFA WA newsletter so members could see what was available. A lot of the shops liked this because they were getting free advertising and many used to donate items to the raffle table, which was also advertising for them. I don't know if this still occurs but when covid19 hit, people didn't go out much and they stopped having fish club meetings for a while. The shops might still donate items, I don't know because I haven't been to a meeting for years. I can't remember why I stopped going to fish club meetings, I think it was around the time I lost my fish to TB.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I have no idea if ANGFA WA is still running. You can google it and see if anything turns up. There is ANGFA National, which is based over east but there was an ANGFA branch in each state. The last I heard was meetings were being held every second month and the alternate months were normal Aquarium Society of WA meetings. I think the meetings were held at the Sandgate Street community hall in South Perth.

Just did some googling then and it looks like the Sandgate St community hall has been removed and a new building set up further up the road. However, the ANGFA website says the ANGFA WA meetings are now being held at the Manning Community Centre, 2 Conochie Crescent, Manning. Details at the following link.

Western Australia

The Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association - ANGFA

www.angfa.org.au

You don't have to be an adult to join ANGFA, kids can join if they want to. I did write some articles for ANGFA. You don't want to keep rainbowfish unless you can get wild caught fish or fish that are free of Fish TB.

---------------------

Back in the 80s and 90s everyone in the pet industry knew everyone else in the pet industry. At one of the shops where I worked, we didn't carry many African Rift Lake cichlids so when we had customers come in looking for them, we would send them to Vebas where Chris and Harry had a lot of Rift Lake cichlids. In return they used to send marine customers to us because they didn't carry marine fish at that time and we did. We did this with other shops too. If someone needed something or a particular fish, one of the staff would know who had what and if we didn't know, we would call around and see who has what and send the customer there. It was nice and most of the shop workers would visit each other at their shops on a regular basis and a lot of us went to the different fish club meetings and interacted there too.

When I was in ANGFA WA I used to visit a few shops every month before the meetings and make a list of the native fishes being sold at those shops. I didn't put down the prices, just a list of the species that were available at that particular time. I put the list in the ANGFA WA newsletter so members could see what was available. A lot of the shops liked this because they were getting free advertising and many used to donate items to the raffle table, which was also advertising for them. I don't know if this still occurs but when covid19 hit, people didn't go out much and they stopped having fish club meetings for a while. The shops might still donate items, I don't know because I haven't been to a meeting for years. I can't remember why I stopped going to fish club meetings, I think it was around the time I lost my fish to TB.

Hmm... The next ANGFA WA meeting is on next Tuesday (every third tuesday), which is held in Manning, South Perth. I joined the Facebook ANGFA group a few months ago and seeing what people post on the page. I am scared about going into an ANGFA meeting. Seeing new ANGFA people and strangers hits different. But I need to ask the parents to go into such meetings first.

 

[elephantnose3334]

And @Colin_T, how many years did you become an ANGFA member? I usually go to one of the big two LFS's in my area to check on the fish to see they're coloured up a bit. Is it okay to give one of my rainbowfish paintings to you or a veteran ANGFA member once they're finished? I know I'm a 17 year old, but I want to help the fishkeeping hobby thrive. I know you very well, @Colin_T since we live in the same city, but different suburbs. I live 11km south of the CBD. Can we discuss about rainbowfish for a while please?