How to Paint an Ocean Scene

You can set up your easel by the oceanside and paint the wonderous things you see.

Ocean scenes continue to inspire artists around the planet, and paintings of the world's great bodies of water are frequently found in museums and art galleries. The vastness of oceans, the beauty of light reflected off the water and the rugged, often colorful coastlines are all elements that have undoubtedly attracted painters for generations. You can get started painting ocean scenes of your own, no matter what kind of paint you choose, be it oil, acrylic, watercolor or tempera. Each has been used effectively by artists to convey the ocean's hypnotic charm.

Things You'll Need

• Easel
• Paints
• Brushes
• Stretched canvas, or art paper
• Rags
• No. 2 pencil
• Drawing paper

Instructions

1. Place your easel in a spot that offers you a dramatic view of the ocean and coastline. If you are painting in an area with craggy rocks, be sure to include them in your composition --- details such as rocks, a pier, sea birds and boats can add colorful details to your painting. Establish the sun's position --- this will indicate the direction and length of any shadows you paint as well as the sun's reflection off the water.

2. Sketch the scene you intend to paint with a pencil or charcoal on drawing paper. Use your drawing to frame your composition. You will decide how much of the painting will be devoted to the water, how much to the coastline and what portion of your painting will be taken up by the sky. Draw the details that you see on the landscape as well as on the water. Sketch the waves and any whitecaps that might be skittering across the water's surface.

3. Squeeze out your paints onto your palette and arrange them by temperature --- earth tones, such as raw sienna and burnt umber as well as red are warm colors, and blues and greens are cool colors. Grouping the colors accordingly will make it easier to find the color you're looking for and will streamline the process of mixing colors on your palette --- you will most often mix warm colors with other warm colors, cool colors with other cool tones.

4. Paint a thin wash of earth tones onto your canvas or paper to begin establishing the contours of your composition. Apply thinner layers of paint to areas that are lighter in tone, and cover darker areas with a slightly more dense concentration of pigment. You can thin acrylic, watercolor and tempera with water. Oil paint must be thinned with artist's oil medium, which can be purchased in an art supply store. Once you've established your composition, begin mixing colors on your palette and apply them on top of the single-toned painting you've already laid out. Allow the undercoat of paint to dry before applying another, or paint on top of wet paint --- either technique is valid.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that you are protected from the sun by placing a beach umbrella over your work area, if possible.

References

• "How to Paint Seascapes in Watercolor"; E. John Robinson; 1982
• "How to Paint Successful Seascapes: Techniques in Oil"; Roger William Curtis; 1975