Tips for painting waves in watercolor:

• Determine what direction the light is coming from
• Create the waves with dark and light areas.
• Where is the detail in the painting? And therefore where is the eye drawn to? Contrasts also draw the eye.
• Keep slivers of white (the paper) which suggests waves in the distance. Add dark areas in front of these.
• Blotting with a tissue can create the spray of a wave
• Dark edges makes the foam look thicker
• Wet sand has blue in it
• Horizontal strokes in your painting make things look flatter – use a flat brush
• Use other colors in the sky, not just blue
• There is a reflection in things that are wet and shiny – like wet sand
• The position of the horizon line effects the vantage point of the painting (where you are standing on the beach)
• The water is greener closer to the shore
• Colors in a painting – use the same colors throughout your whole painting
• Use white gouache to add foam areas, spray, waves in the distance, etc.

I share my process in the pdf “Waterscape Seascape Painting Tutorial,” which you can download in my Etsy shop.

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