Making Waves
Paint ocean waves with minimal effort
I just hosted a workshop on the Gold Coast last weekend and it's always a good reminder of how differently people see and interpret the same subject.
We covered seascapes on day two and added waves to give the ocean some movement.
I like to keep my waves simple, so I thought I’d share with you how to paint waves into an ocean scene. It’s a combination of preserving whites and dry brushing.
A wave is essentially a tube. The top surface catches the light, so that’s where we preserve the white paper, as well as one larger breaking area. The shadow sits just underneath the breaking lip either side of the foam.
We'll start with plain horizontal waves to practise the technique, then build up to a single wave as the focal point of a small seascape.
Exercise
Start with a horizon line high up on the paper.
Mix a medium wash of blue. Not too light
With a flat brush drag the ocean from side to side. Aim for a dry brush effect to leave some white caps.
As you move down the page increase the height of the white tops. Waves appear taller as they get closer.
Vary the space between the waves, or you’ll end up with a stripe pattern
As you come closer to the shore, lighten the blue and aim for some dry brushing for that bit of sea foam.
Once dry, add the shadows with a darker blue.
This is the basic technique: leaving white and adding shadows. This can be applied in many ways to create seascapes, like this little study:
As always, the step-by-step video demos are below in the premium section
Why
Waves follow the same three-value logic as most subjects in watercolour: light (white paper), mid-tone (the wash), and dark (the shadow under the lip)
Preserving the white is the only way to keep it.
Dry brushing gives you texture and movement
This exercise is as much about brush control as it is about waves. A confident, continuous stroke reads differently to a hesitant one
In the premium section:
Video demo of both examples
Master artist spotlight
Access to my Live Session recording (I painted a landscape based on the thumbnail post)
