Boats in a box
Part 2 of painting boats
It seems you liked last weekâs exercise of painting boats with just a brush. It was one of the more popular workouts this year. So Iâm doubling down and sharing a few more tips on drawing and painting boats.
Last week I told you to put the pencil away. This week Iâm bringing it back for construction: a few light lines that get the boatâs proportions right before you paint.
The schematic below shows how. From the side, almost every boat fits inside a shallow rectangle. Start with the stern in one of the top corners, decide how low the stern is and connect them with a curve. Then decide on the angles.
From the front, you start with a centre line and mirror each side. And for a boat shored up on the mud, you tilt the whole construction and build it exactly the same way. Just keep the ground horizontal.
The construction does the thinking about proportion so you can concentrate on painting.
Exercise
Use the box method to sketch some boats in pencil. Do it from memory or copy a reference if thatâs easier
Now move on to watercolour paper. Draw a boat, but only imagine the box.
Paint it with a limited palette, and add some gradation into the hull to create volume and depth.
The full video demo and reference photo are below in the premium section.
Why
Construction lines take the guesswork out of proportion, the number one reason boats go wrong
Painting from an imagined box is how construction becomes instinct. Youâre training your eye, not your eraser
Gradation inside a single shape is the fastest way to create volume
For paid subscribers:
Video demo of the sailboat painting
Link to video of sketching boats outdoors
Ideas for taking this exercise further
