Description
Cloudy Day Wave | Acrylic Painting Lesson
This lesson comes out on October 13th, pre-order now and save $10
Colors Used: Teal, Raw Sienna, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber, Titanium White
Canvas Size: 10 X 20 inches
Learn how to paint a dramatic ocean wave on a cloudy day from start to finish in this complete acrylic painting lesson.
In this lesson, I’ll guide you through the entire painting process, showing you how to build the soft, overcast atmosphere of the sky and ocean while creating a realistic breaking wave with depth, movement, and transparency.
You’ll learn how to mix the cool blues, greens, grays, and subtle highlights that give the water its natural appearance. We’ll work through the wave step by step, from establishing the basic shape and darker shadow areas to adding the curling water, foam, spray, reflections, and final details that bring the scene to life.
In this lesson you’ll learn:
- How to mix colors for a cloudy, atmospheric seascape
- How to create depth and distance in the ocean
- How to build the shape and structure of a breaking wave
- Brush strokes for creating movement and flowing water
- How to paint transparent and translucent areas within a wave
- How to layer highlights, shadows, foam, and sea spray
- Techniques for painting reflections and movement across the foreground water
- How to use subtle value and color changes to create realism
This lesson is designed to help you understand why the wave looks the way it does, rather than simply copying brush strokes. By learning how to layer your colors, control your values, and place your highlights and shadows, you’ll be able to use these same techniques in your own ocean and seascape paintings.
Follow along at your own pace and learn how to turn a simple canvas into a beautiful, atmospheric ocean scene.