Find out more about your acrylics as you practise a variety of techniques to paint a sea turtle, with Elena Parashko

The finished painting Sea Turtle, acrylic on canvas, 16x20in. (40x51cm

After having lots of close encounters with sea turtles while snorkelling, I was inspired to capture that magical moment of connection with a creature of nature in an acrylic painting. Turtles are so graceful while swimming and have a sense of serenity about them. The artist in me is also fascinated by their intricate scale and shell patterns, with no two turtles being alike.

Step 1

1 Use willow charcoal to draw the basic outline of the turtle and position the sea floor about one third from the bottom of the canvas. I like using willow charcoal to draw on canvas as its loose and powdery consistency allows me to dust off lines that need correcting easily.