How to Paint Ocean Waves and Cliffs

In this blog post I will show you how to paint ocean waves and cliffs in this painting inspired by a place called Houghton Bay, New Zealand.

I have painted this art work in oils but you can also use acrylics as well.

Reference Photo

Here is a reference photo I took and used in this painting. Please feel free to use or copy this photo if you would like to have a go at painting this art work.

Colours

I painted this artwork using oil paint and the colours I used in this painting are as follows:

1. Titanium white
2. Burnt sienna
3. Yellow oxide (you can also use yellow ochre instead)
4. Cadmium yellow
5. Cadmium orange
6. Quinacridone crimson (you can also use alizarin crimson instead)
7. Ultramarine blue
8. Phthalo green

Brushes

Here is a list of the brushes I used in this painting:

• No.6 flat
• No.3 flat
• No.2 flat 
• No.3 filbert
• No.1 round 
• No.0 round

Composition

The breaking waves and white water are the main focal areas in this painting. The seagulls are a secondary area of interest.

I have implied rhythm in the painting with the direction of the cliffs and the clouds which leads the eye back towards to the headland.

Things to be Avoided in Composition

• Never have your focal area in the middle of the painting, avoid centred objects
• Never have your horizon line in the middle of the painting, either go for a lower or higher horizon
• Avoid repeating objects, equal masses, repeating lines and vectors and aberrations in general.
• Avoid having too much detail as this could spoil the composition.

Stage 1 – Blocking in the Painting

I am painting on a 10” x 12” linen panel. The panel is pre made with a medium weave linen that is oil primed.

I sketch out the composition using a No.1 round brush with burnt sienna mixed with Liquin Original (Liquin). I am using Liquin as a medium to thin the paint, it also has the advantage of speeding up the drying time.

I start marking in the colour by first identifying where all my shadows and dark values are first. Value refers to how light or dark a subject is and we’ll find our darkest darks in the foreground however as landforms recede dark values become lighter. Darks are not as dark and lights are not as light.

I paint the sky with a mix of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, quinacridone crimson and titanium white. I can use the same colour combinations for the rock shadows but I use very little titanium white to make the value darker.

For the shadows in the white water I use a mix of ultramarine blue, a little quinacridone crimson and titanium white.

The shadows in the vegetation on the cliffs are a mix of ultramarine blue and a little yellow oxide. These shadows are the darkest values in the painting.

I paint the areas of the rocks that are in the sunlight with a mix of yellow oxide, burnt sienna and titanium white. I mix in ultramarine blue to desaturate the colour. I have used varying amounts of each colour to create different textures in the rocks and cliffs.

I paint the vegetation on the headland with a mix of ultramarine blue, yellow oxide, cadmium yellow and titanium white. I create some olive tones within the vegetation by mixing in some cadmium orange which also harmonises the green making it look more natural.

I paint the ocean with a mix of ultramarine blue, a little yellow oxide and titanium white. For the darker values such as the breaking waves I have used more ultramarine blue in my mix and less titanium white.

For the areas of water on the sand where the waves have washed up on the shore I have used a mix of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, quinacridone crimson and titanium white. As this area of water is mainly reflecting the sky I have used the same colours.

The sand is dark and is also in shadow so I have used a mix of yellow oxide, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and titanium white. If the mix is looking a little green I add more burnt sienna.

The rocks in the foreground are a varying mix of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and a little titanium white.

I paint the sky with a mix of ultramarine blue, titanium white and a little phthalo green. I use a lot of titanium white in the mix to create a light value colour.

The soft highlights on the breaking waves and white water are a mix of titanium white and burnt sienna. I am keeping the value of the colour a little darker so that when I paint my lightest values at the end of the painting the breaking waves will look much more realistic and three dimensional.

At this point I let the painting dry so I can add some finer details.

Stage 2 – Adding Details

Now the painting is dry I add more details in the cliffs, rocks and vegetation. I am essentially using the same colours that I used during the block-in stage but adding lighter layers of paint on top of the previous layers. I am also using smaller brushes including No.3 and No.2 flats and No.3 filberts.

I add more details to the waves including the reflected light within the troughs and I use a mix of ultramarine blue, a little yellow oxide and more titanium white. I also paint some foam patterns which adds to the drama of the breaking waves.

I paint more highlights within the breaking waves and white water with the same colours I used before but with more titanium white added. I also mix in a little yellow oxide.

Stage 3 – Completing the Painting

I complete the painting by adding some final highlights to the rocks with a mix of yellow oxide, burnt sienna and titanium white. I also add my final highlights to the waves and white water with a mix of titanium white and a little yellow oxide.

I paint some seagulls a secondary focal area.

Overall I have kept the colour mixes simple in this painting and I have been conscious to use similar colours throughout in order to achieve colour harmony and a painting that reads well.

Thank you for reading 😊