The beach has been the backdrop of my life. It’s where I was born and raised, played, worked as a lifeguard…and now enjoy summer days with my family. I spend a lot of time learning and practicing capturing the ocean in watercolor. Download the full “Waterscape Seascape Painting Tutorial,” in my Etsy shop. How to PaintContinue reading “How to Paint the Ocean with Watercolor and Gouache”
Tag Archives: Ocean painting
Wave print on canvas!
I paint in watercolor and have only dabbled with acrylics on canvas. Seeing one of my watercolors blown up and printed on canvas is really exciting. It adds another layer of interest to the painting. A few steps away you see the ocean and the waves. When you step closer you see the brushstrokes. TheContinue reading “Wave print on canvas!”
It starts with mixing colors
After I use painter’s tape to mark the horizon, I mix the colors. I use a blue, this time Prussian Blue, and Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow. The color of the ocean, even in the same place, changes. So many things cause this including the weather, the light. It’s blue, it’s green, it’s brown, it’s grey.Continue reading “It starts with mixing colors”
A Cloudy Day at Surf Camp
The second day my son participated in surf camp was a cloudy day. When I saw my pictures I decided to try to paint the clouds, as many of my ocean paintings have clear blue skies. Close up of the sky: The start: Progress on the water: As much as I have developed a processContinue reading “A Cloudy Day at Surf Camp”
Jetty
The focus of this painting is the rocks – the jetty. I had fun creating the different shapes and shadows of the rocks. I’m especially proud of the wet look of the sand where the water has just receded. And of course this painting needed a seagull. The beaches in my hometown are delineated byContinue reading “Jetty”
Side Surfer
I primarily paint from my own photos. It’s nice to incorporate that into the process of a painting – capturing a moment that strikes me and later painting it. This painting is from a photo I took at my hometown beach of Long Beach, NY. It’s taken from the angle of one set of jetties,Continue reading “Side Surfer”
Blue Wave #11
This painting was a break through for me. It was the first painting where I used white gouache – more opaque than watercolor paint – to paint the foam and spray. Before this I relied on the white of the paper for those areas. Using gouache allowed me to create more depth in the foam and waves.Continue reading “Blue Wave #11”
Capturing the Ocean in Watercolor
I’ve aspired to capture the ocean in watercolor for years. In December I made “painting the beach” my New Year’s project. The snow was falling outside, but I was inside painting waves. With each painting I learned and improved. Some of my firsts in early January. I watched a few YouTube videos and learned fromContinue reading “Capturing the Ocean in Watercolor”
Parting with originals
Yesterday I finished this painting. It went through an ugly stage and was at risk of being abandoned, but I recently picked it up again and continued to work at it. I really like the big border I left – made easy by using thick tape on the edges. As I was finishing it, IContinue reading “Parting with originals”
