plate no. 8387

Morning on the Pacific

oilTonalismmarinaoceanwavesrocksskyseascape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to represent the movement of water with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in mixing subtle variations of blues and grays.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into sky, sea, and rocks.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the general placement of the rocks.
step 03
Apply a thin wash of diluted blue to the sky area, creating a gradient from lighter at the top to slightly darker near the horizon.
step 04
Block in the general color of the ocean with a mid-tone blue-gray.
step 05
Begin adding darker blues and grays to represent the shadows and depth of the waves.
step 06
Use thicker paint and lighter blues and whites to create the highlights on the waves and the foam.
step 07
Paint the rocks with dark browns and grays, adding highlights to suggest form.
step 08
Refine the details of the waves and rocks, paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes to convey movement and texture.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Titanium White · Payne's Gray

secondary · Burnt Umber · Yellow Ochre

Mix blues and white for the sky and highlights on the water. Add Payne's Gray to the blue for deeper shadows. Use Burnt Umber and Payne's Gray for the rocks.

techniques

·Dry brushing
·Scumbling
·Layering
·Atmospheric perspective
·Broken color

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, resulting in a flat and lifeless appearance.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough to create a sense of movement and texture.
→Making the values too uniform, failing to create depth and contrast.
→Ignoring the atmospheric perspective, making distant elements too sharp and defined.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (Prussian Blue, Titanium White, Payne's Gray, Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre)
·Assorted brushes (flat and round, sizes #2-#8)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags