INVASIVE WALLEYE

View the online story, “How we pushed the Columbia, the great river of the West, to its limit,” written by Lynda Mapes, published on A1 Sunday, May 25, 2025, in The Seattle Times. Video journalist Lauren Frohne and staff photographer Erika Schultz also contributed.

My illustration of an invasive walleye shows some of the ecological costs of hydropower damming on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Walleye (Sander vitreus) are an invasive species, originally from the Great Lakes, with an appetite for juvenile fish. They love the warm slackwater basins behind the dams. It would have been difficult to photograph a walleye angling for juvenile salmon, so this was a good opportunity to do an illustration. The water appears warm—heated by intense afternoon sun—and eutrophic, with a greenish cast and algae growing on the rocks below.

Illustration of walleye by artist Fiona Martin. The predatory fish lunges toward salmon fry with an open mouth filled with tiny, sharp teeth. — This illustration shows a walleye feasting on baby salmon. Introduced from the Great Lakes, walleye love warm slack water reservoirs created by dams along the Columbia and Snake rivers. They are also a prize catch for fishermen. (Illustration by Fiona Martin / The Seattle Times)

Process

To build an accurate initial sketch, I studied many reference photos. After being pulled from great depths, fresh-caught fish can show signs of barotrauma, such as bulging eyes and gills. Thus it was important to compare photos of fishing catches to photos of live, swimming fish.

To capture the lighting in the scene, I gathered inspiration from other artists, such as James Julier’s underwater scenes in Procreate and Matt Doyle’s wildlife art in oils. The ripples on the surface and reflections on the sandy bottom took some trial and error.

An illustration of a walleye fish with its mouth open, preparing to feast on a group of small salmon swimming nearby, set against a light underwater background.

Walleye really do have a toothy grin, don’t they? Here’s some feedback received from reporters:

Close-up of a walleye fish with its mouth wide open, showcasing its teeth, set against a blurred background.

I rendered the final art in Procreate on the iPad with an Apple pencil. The digital painting method retains editable layers for production needs, but captures the expressiveness of traditional acrylic or oil painting. I only use a few brushes, laying down midtones first, followed by shadows, highlights, and textures.