Painting Underwater: A New Series Inspired by Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is one of my favourite people on earth. If I ever get asked that dinner party question, you know the one, who would you invite if you could choose anyone, my answer is always David Attenborough. Without hesitation. I grew up watching his programmes and have been inspired by his work ever since. There is something about the way he sees the natural world that just makes you want to pick up a brush.

So when Helen, a lovely member of my Brush Flow community, messaged to say how wonderful it would be to paint some underwater scenes in celebration of his 100th birthday, I was on board straight away. What a fantastic idea. I took it and ran with it.

The underwater world has always felt special to me. I have done quite a bit of snorkelling over the years and some scuba diving too, and being beneath the surface is like stepping into another world entirely. So calm. So mesmerising. Colours shift in ways you just do not see on land and there is this beautiful stillness to it all.

For this first painting, a sea turtle, I started with a violet mix as my base. You can actually see it peeking through in places in the finished piece and I love that. It adds a warmth underneath all that blue and stops the whole thing feeling cold and flat. That warm undertone makes such a difference and when it shows through the layers it gives the painting a real glow.

The temptation with a subject like this is to get caught up in the detail, all those shell patterns and textures and the way the light moves through the water. The key is to resist that and keep things simple. Block in your colours first. Work the bigger shapes and areas before you even think about detail. Move your colour around the painting too, if you have mixed something beautiful, do not just leave it in one spot. Keep it loose and let the painting breathe.

I have to say I absolutely loved painting this piece. There is something about underwater scenes that just lends itself to expressive, flowing brushwork and I was completely lost in it from start to finish.

This is the first in what is going to be a full underwater series and I cannot wait to share more with you. If you would like to be part of the community where I share work like this, plus demos, workshops and so much more, you can join the Brush Flow waitlist here: michellegibbs.co.uk/brush-flow-waitlist

Let me know what you think. I really do love hearing from you.

Happy painting,

Michelle