It’s a six-week long course exploring a variety alternative techniques, processes and creating concepts and methods done in water-based media on different surfaces including paper, wood and canvas. The course is structured to develop a vocabulary of new shapes and creative mixed media techniques. Each module is dedicated to a specific colour combination linked to a specific theme and creating methods. The projects are pre recorded, edited and delivered in easy to digest packages five times per week. The videos are between 25 and 45 minutes long, with up to an hour for the module assignment videos on the weekends, and more complicated projects. The videos can be viewed as many times as you like, and used to guide your own processes.
Coastal Painting Techniques: How to Achieve a Realistic Seascape
Coastal painting has always been a popular subject among artists and art enthusiasts. The ever-changing sea, with its endless movement and endless beauty, has always been a source of inspiration for painters. However, capturing the beauty and movement of the sea in a painting can be a challenging task.
In this blog post, we will be discussing different techniques for achieving a realistic seascape and how you can use them to create a beautiful coastal painting.
Understanding the Sea and Its Movements
The first step in creating a realistic seascap
e is to study the sea and its movements. The sea is constantly changing, and it’s essential to understand the different types of waves and tides and their effects on the sea. To capture the essence of the sea in your painting, it’s crucial to observe and sketch the sea in different weather conditions, times of day, and seasons. This will help you understand the sea’s movements and how to best depict them in your painting.
For example, observing the sea during a storm can help you understand how the sea behaves in rough conditions and how to depict the waves in a more dramatic way. On the other hand, observing the sea during a calm day can help you understand how the sea behaves in calm conditions and how to depict the sea in a more peaceful way. Sketching the sea in different weather conditions and times of day can also help you understand how light and color affect the sea.
Choosing the Right Colors and Brushes
Color is an essential element in coastal painting. The right colors can be used to convey different moods and atmospheres. For a realistic seascape, it’s essential to use colors that accurately depict the sea’s natural tones. In general, cool blues, greens, and grays are the best colors to use for the sea.
Additionally, it’s essential to choose the right brushes. For coastal painting, it’s recommended to use a variety of brushes, including round, flat, and fan brushes. These brushes will allow you to create different textures and effects in your painting.
For example, using a round brush with a small tip can help you create small details and texture in your painting. Using a flat brush can help you create broad strokes and cover large areas quickly. Using a fan brush can help you create a sense of movement and texture in your painting. Experimenting with different brushes can help you find the right brush for the right area of your painting.
Creating a Sense of Movement
To create a sense of movement in your coastal painting, it’s essential to use loose brushstrokes and layer colors. This technique will help you convey the movement of the sea and create a sense of depth in your painting. Famous coastal paintings such as ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai and ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ by Turner are excellent examples of how movement can be depicted in a painting. Experiment with different techniques and find the style that works best for you.
For example, using loose brushstrokes can help you create a sense of movement in your painting. Using a variety of colors and layering them can also help you create a sense of depth in your painting. Experimenting with different techniques can help you find the style that works best for you.
Incorporating Other Elements of the Coast
A coastal painting is not only about the sea, it’s also about the other elements of the coast. Elements such as rocks, cliffs, and buildings can add depth and interest to your painting. Incorporating these elements in a way that complements the sea and creates a cohesive composition is essential. When painting these elements, pay attention to their shape, texture, and color. Use a variety of brushstrokes to create different textures and add interest to your painting.
For example, when painting rocks, pay attention to their shape and texture. Use different brushstrokes to create a sense of texture and depth. When painting cliffs, pay attention to their shape and color. Use different colors and brushstrokes to create a sense of depth and texture. When painting buildings, pay attention to their shape and color. Use different colors and brushstrokes to create a sense of depth and texture.
When incorporating these elements into your painting, it’s essential to keep in mind the overall composition of your painting. The sea should be the focal point of your painting, and the other elements should complement it. For example, if you’re painting a seascape during a storm, the waves should be the focal point of your painting, and the rocks and cliffs should complement the waves.
In conclusion, painting a realistic seascape can be a challenging task, but with the right techniques and understanding of the sea and its movements, you can create a beautiful coastal painting.
We hope this blog post has provided you with valuable information on how to achieve a realistic seascape. At Carolyn Johnson Gallery , we have a wide range of coastal paintings that you can explore. Feel free to visit our website and take a look at our collection. Happy painting!
Why Is It Necessary to Learn Painting Brush Strokes?
Painting is one of the various forms of art. If you are interested in brushes and they are not just tools to fill the shapes for you, it is called painting. An artist is a person who knows how to use painting techniques properly and transfer your imagination onto the canvas in the best way.
It is possible only by mastering the techniques of brush stroking. So, you should learn and try to incorporate your skills to become an aspiring painter. Brushstroke generates not only a painting but also prints out your ideas directly on the composition. Therefore, you must learn to draw brush strokes to achieve your dream of painting.
Types of Brush Strokes
Many painting brush strokes are necessary to master as an artist. But, it is quite challenging to master all of them. The five best brush strokes are given below that can help beginners to improve their skills.
This method of brush stroke is used to present the feathery stroke to your painting. It will help you in creating a specific texture for your ideas. You can use any type of brush for this brush stroke technique. Under this method, you need to dip the tip of your brush into the paint and lightly apply the colour on your canvas. Draw the strokes brisk and firm.
Double load and triple load techniques:
Using a double-loaded or triple-loaded brush to draw strokes can also give beautiful effects to your painting. You do not require to mix the colours in this method. Just dip one corner of the brush in one colour and another side in another colour. This method is best used in painting dark skies, sunsets, or oceans.
In this method, strokes are created overlapping from different directions. You can add texture to your strokes using vertical and horizontal cross-hatching. If you create the strokes in ‘X’ fashion, it will be called X cross-hatching. The use of one or more colours applies to the cross-hatching method.
What will I learn?
Loads! I am known for my layered paintings, and am always exploring new techniques and creative processes. I love to share these in my courses. Acrylic paints have developed in so many ways in the last few decades, this dynamic medium has so many more options available including printing, stamping and painting by means of subtractive techniques. In this course you will be combining fluid, watery techniques with solid, chalky surfaces and expressive mark making. There is a big emphasis on playing and experimenting with a wider selection of materials. The course’s projects are structured in a way to expand creativity by exploring traditional and alternative techniques in a variety of water-based media on paper, wood and canvas. Over six weeks you will develop a broad vocabulary of new shapes, learn a variety of new techniques in acrylics and mixed media, become more colour confident and knowledgeable about ways to mix colour intuitively. You will expand your knowledge of abstraction, composition and ways to make more expressive paintings.
In the first module you will learn about different paints, art materials, colour mixing techniques and ways to incorporate other components linked to mark making and layering. The daily projects will build towards a bigger assignment at the end of the each module. Different art styles and genres will be incorporated, with specific colour combinations and techniques unique to each module. By doing the various exercises in this course you will build your own authentic vocabulary of shapes, forms, expressive textures and new painting techniques . Drawing is at the heart of this course, we’ll take inspiration from nature with organic forms found in plants, seeds and land formations. Asemic drawings incorporating handwriting and letter forms as per the Creative leap method will also be used in this course. The combination of a variety of art materials with innovative ‘outside the box’ thinking will inadvertently lead to new directions to be explored.
Can I share what I do on the course?
Yes, please do. Please use the hashtags #exploreabstracts1 and #estemacleodclass on social media posts. I respectfully request for the processes not be shared in video format. Do not use any project ‘as is’ in your own workshops or courses, either online or in person. The course material is copyrighted, if you have queries about this please email me.
The course runs from 18 September to 30 October 2023. Projects are released daily at from Monday to Thursday at 9am BST. The weekend assignments will build upon the week’s projects and conclude that module, these are also released on Saturdays at 9am BST
How do I access Explore Abstracts I?
Once registered you’ll setup your own password to access the course on my learning platform. Everything is automated and you can change and reset your password yourself.
Closer to the starting date you’ll get an email inviting you to join the course’s exclusive Facebook group. This is completely optional, but it’s a great way to share outcomes and get direct feedback.
