How to Paint Boat Scenes

Use watercolor paints to paint boat scenes.

Relax on an afternoon by painting a boat scene, while appreciating the tranquility of the environment. It is a great way to use your creative talents and get some fresh air. You could sit on the bank at a local lake, canal or river and paint from a real life image. Watercolors are best to paint boat scenes because the watery texture of the paint complements the image. Brush up on some basic techniques to execute this task.

Things You'll Need

• 300-gram paper
• Pencil
• Masking fluid
• Watercolor paints
• Two pots of water
• Palette
• Tissue paper

Instructions

1. Sketch the outline of the boat, water and additional background and foreground features on the 300-gram paper. This paper is especially suitable for watercolor work owing to its thicker texture.

2. Apply masking fluid to the area where you plan to paint the shape of the boat plus its reflection in the water. Masking fluid blocks off the area of paper below, so when it is removed the whiteness is still visible. Therefore, you can paint a wash over the entire page without covering the boat or its reflection. You can keep the colors crisp. Leave the masking fluid to dry.

3. MIx a shade of raw sienna paint but add lots of water so it is very pale. Do this by dipping a clean brush in a pot of water, then dab the tip in the sienna shade and mix it in a square on the palette. Add a touch more water to dilute it further. Apply a wash of sienna from the bottom of the horizon line towards the top of the page.

4. Prepare a shade of ultramarine blue paint. This is a bright, sky blue. Rinse the brush you used for the sienna shade in a different pot of water then dip it in the blue paint. Mix it in the palette and apply a wash approximately a third of the way down from the top of your page. Do not wait for the sienna to dry because the two shades will merge together more effectively.

5. Leave the sky to dry and then paint in the background features -- trees or buildings -- using a clean brush. Do not give them much detail because you want the viewer to focus on the boat in the foreground. Use darker shades of green to block out the areas of trees. Blend different shades of dark and light to create different tonal areas.

6. Paint the water using a blue wash and horizontal brush strokes to highlight the texture of the water. Add strokes of cobalt blue, across the water. Then fold a sheet of tissue paper in half so you have a straight edge. Then, blot the paint horizontally following the brush strokes. This creates a rippled effect on the water.

7. Leave the paint to dry and then rub off the masking fluid on the water and on the boat. You will see the white paper below and you can now start adding detail to the boat. First, use a thin brush and black paint to paint the rigging. Do not dilute the paint too much because you want the colors to be solid and striking.

8. Continue to fill in the details of the boat, following the outline you drew with your pencil in step two. Add the darkest colors first to define the shape of the boat and any wooden features.

9. Finish detailing the boat. Mix ultramarine and grey for the boat's hull. The tones of ultramarine will complement the sky and water expanse. Then, add burnt umber around the base of the boat to give it a dirty edge where it connects with the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Regularly rinse out your brushes and change them when you use a different color, or move between dark and light tones.

• Add more paint to make a color darker and denser. When adding definition to the boat this is useful to remember so the colors stand out.

• Use a large round brush to apply the background washes.

• If you are a beginner, use a cake paints and artificial brushes. This equipment is cheaper to practice with and is not significantly less quality than tube or natural products.

References

• Art Graphica: How To Paint A Boat
• Elfwood: Watercolor Technique

Resources

• Watercolor Painting: Watercolor Tutorials