Wednesday, March 2, 2016

"Deep Blue Sea" – Cape Hatteras National Seashore


 

"Deep Blue Sea"  – Cape Hatteras National Seashore

The watercolor painting above was painted from one of the many beaches along the shore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the nation’s first national seashore, was established in 1937 to preserve significant segments of unspoiled barrier islands along North Carolina’s stretch of the Atlantic Coast.

 This painting is my Impressionist interpretation of a section of the ocean near the shore with waves breaking showing the turbulence of the water and the changing colors in the waves. 

Various colors, shades and intensities of blue and green are used in the water.  The use of various shades and intensities of color will make your painting more interesting and realistic.

 Materials Needed:
140 lb. watercolor paper* or watercolor journal
(I used a journal for these paintings, as I painted while on vacation.)
*Always prepare your paper by using masking tape to secure to a board.

Brushes:  Size of your choice
Round brush
½” flat brush
Liner or detail brush

Paint:
  • Cerulean blue
  • Windsor Blue
  • Ultramarine blue
  • Sap Green
  • Hooker Green

Pencil
Kneaded Eraser

Instructions:
The only sketching that I did on this painting to was sketch in the sections of water that I wanted to remain white.  Notice that I painted the waves at an angle moving across and down the sheet of paper from right down to left.   Do not paint the waves straight across the page.   Now, let’s get started painting!

I painted sections; one at a time above and below the large white wave using a wet on wet technique.  As with any watercolor, work from light to dark as you will be unable to cover up any darker paints with lighter ones.  Mix all of the paint that you feel you will need before you start painting.  You will need to work quickly allowing the paint to mix together with very little help from your brush. 

Using my painting as a reference, paint and drop in the greens and blues to add interest and movement to your waves. As the paint is starting to dry, use a spray bottle with clean water and mist some of the sections of your waves and allow them to bleed into your white sections of foam.    Allow to dry.

Using the tip of your round brush or liner brush, paint in a few lines of color on the crest of the waves using a deep blue. 

Do not overwork this painting, it is better when the paint mergers together and creates swirls without assistance.  Let the water do the work?

 
Tip:
If you have trouble painting around the waves and leaving areas of the waves white, masking fluid can be used to mask off the waves while painting the water and then removed after the paint has dried.  You will still need to go back and paint in some shadows in the waves to indicated movement.    This will not allow your painting to be as spontaneous and it will be less impressionistic.  I am an impressionistic painter so I prefer the look achieved when not using the masking fluid.

Check your painting for any details you may want to add.  When satisfied, sign your name!

Congratulations and Happy Painting!
Karen

 

 

 

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