How to Paint Ocean Scenes

Seascape artists learn how to paint water, waves, sky, and light.

Ocean scenes make a wonderful subject for a painter. Artists use a variety of media, including acrylics, oils and watercolors, to represent the beauty of the ocean. With practice, you can learn how to paint water, waves and sky skillfully.

Things You'll Need

• Acrylic paint
• Gloss medium
• Small brush
• Medium size brush
• Large brush
• Palette knife
• Container
• Canvas
• Masking tape
• Cloth

Instructions

1. Draw a line with a pencil across the canvas where you want the horizon to be. Place a strip of masking tape along the bottom of the line, across the width of the canvas.

2. Mix the colors for your sky. For a blue sky, mix ultramarine blue, thalo blue and white. Thin with a small amount of water and gloss medium. Brush the paint all over the sky area with a large brush. Add a little more white to the paint and brush the lighter tone across the bottom of the horizon, about 1 inch high. Blend the paint with a wet rag, moving from right to left.

3. Allow the sky area to dry. Remove the tape. Place a fresh piece of tape across the canvas with the top edge along the bottom of the sky.

4. Mix ultramarine blue with a small amount of thalo blue and green for the sea. Set aside some of the paint and add a small amount of white to it for a lighter tone. Brush the darker color onto the canvas, leaving a couple of inches below the horizon uncovered. Paint with the lighter tone under the horizon line. Blend the paint with a wet rag, from side to side.

5. Mix white with a small amount of ultramarine blue. Apply some horizontal dabs with a small brush to suggest waves. Add small specks of pure white to the waves to suggest froth and bubbles. Remove the tape from the horizon line.

Tips & Warnings

• Test your color mixtures on small pieces of paper before applying them on the canvas. Make the colors lighter or darker, as needed.

• Use thin glazes of paint mixed with gloss medium and water to suggest the luminosity of the sky and the light shining on the water.

• Remember that there is more light along the horizon where the sky and water meet, so use lighter hues in that area.

• Make the sky lighter than the ocean.

• To vary the scene, add some clouds and a couple of seagulls. Use white mixed with a small amount of blue for the clouds, and pure white for the seagulls.

• If you want a sandy shoreline, mix a cream color using white and a small amount of yellow ocher.

• For a sunrise or sunset scene, add some pinks and lavender hues to the sky and water.

• Avoid painting details close to the horizon line, because the painting will lack depth.

References

• Designaculture.com: Acrylic Painting Techniques

Resources

• ArtGraphica: How to Paint a Breaking Ocean Wave, Oil Painting tutorial