How to Paint Tropical Beaches

A tropical beach can be painted by following a few simple steps.

Painting a tropical beach scene is not difficult and can be accomplished with just a few supplies and a few simple steps. A tropical beach scene can be painted with oil paints, acrylic paints or even water colors. It may also help to have a picture of the beach you wish to paint for reference. With just a little bit of work and creativity, you will soon have a beautiful painting of your favorite beach.

Things You'll Need

• Canvas
• Various sized paint brushes
• Toothpicks
• Oil Paint, acrylic paint or water colors
• Pencils
• Beach photographs

Instructions

1. Sketch a drawing of the beach on your canvas first. It doesn't have to be involved; you just need a few lines to determine where the water meets the sky. This can be done with a horizontal line. Next, decide where you would like scenery to be placed, such as land, boats or palm trees, and pencil these in as well.

2. Paint in the sky and the clouds. Start with white paint and color the entire horizon down to your line. Next, take blue paint and start at the top of the canvas, blending down as you go. This gives the appearance of a sky that is darker at the top and fades into white where it meets the ocean. Paint over the pencil line you created, as this was just for reference. Let the sky completely dry before you paint in any clouds. Using light blue, make circular motions to create the clouds. Add a second layer over the first using white paint in the same circular motions. Keep the tops of the clouds distinct, but blend the bottom of the clouds.

3. Paint the sand on your beach using yellow, tan or sienna colored paint. Use a stiff paint brush or a toothpick to flick the color around on the canvas, creating the appearance of small rocks and pebbles. Have the sand color go deep into the area where you will paint the ocean. This creates a realistic looking seashore when you paint the water color over the top of the sand.

4. Start at the line of your horizon and add dark blue to create the ocean. Use even, horizontal strokes at the horizon. As you come forward, make uneven strokes to create the illusion of motion. You can add different shades of blue and green as you come down on the canvas. Add a few streaks of white in the ocean to look like white caps on the waves.

5. Add final details to your tropical beach, such as birds flying or shells scattered on the beach. Using a tiny paint brush, make tiny m-shaped designs in the sky for flying birds. Using a tiny brush, pink or coral paint and a circular motion, create shells on the sand.

References

• Wet Canvas: A Tropical Beach Scene