Continuing Seascape Oil Painting of Ocean Wave With Sandy Beach

As you compare the 3rd stage of this seascape with the previous stages, there is more detail to the entire surface of the oil painting. I started with the blue sky area by adding a few light clouds. The sky will be rather simple because the wave and beach surf in this seascape is where all the action will be.

After painting the sky I then I worked on the left side of the wave along with the background water. As I am working on each area I pay close attention to the values. The curling wave on the left side of the oil painting has 3 distinct values of that I blended together. Lastly I started painting the sandy beach area with the incoming wave with the foam edge. As you compare each of the previous stages I think this seascape of a breaking ocean wave is coming together.

Sandy Beach Seascape Oil Painting Underway

Pencil sketch of ocean wave seascape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting a new seascape oil painting of an ocean wave with a sandy beach. Above is the pencil sketch that I start with whenever I begin a new painting. This gives me an idea of the composition and values in the painting.  The value of a painting is the lightness or darkness of an area. This painting will be similar to a previous oil painting of mine shown below with a rocky shore. This original beach painting will have sand and foam instead of the rocks. I hope to show the next step in a few days so check back to follow along as I paint this seascape of a sandy beach.

"The Breaking Wave" Oil by PJ Cook

On the Easel - Pink Rose and Teacup Oil Painting Underway

On my easel right now is a 8" by 10" oil painting of a pink rose and a teacup. I am probably about 3/4 done with this original painting. This painting has nice contrast from the dark background to the lighter objects in front. There is texture from the brick shelf and then the contrasting white drapery that the objects are sitting on. The detail on the teacup has taken some time and I still have work to do on the rose.

Check back to see the finished oil painting. Hopefully in the next couple weeks.
Thanks, PJ Cook

Blue and Yellow Still Life With Daisies

This 12" by 16" oil painting on linen is a new still life that I am just finishing. Blue and yellow complement each other nicely as you can see in this flower still life. There are many different textures in this painting from the soft teddy bear to the ceramic blue pitcher. For more information on this daisy painting please contact me via email from the About Artist page. Thanks, P.J Cook

Oil Painting of Rocky Shore-Follow Along Step by Step As I Paint A Seascape

As you can see I have changed the entire mood of the oil painting of a rocky shoreline. When you compare this post with the previous posts you can see the difference. Now the seascape has a sunset or twilight time of day and I like the feel or mood of the oil painting as I am progressing. I will now be working on the whole foreground area of the rock cliff and shallow water area. This area needs to be toned down to match the twilight lighting.

Breaking Wave IV Oil Painting Finished!

For my Breaking Wave IV in the ocean wave series of seascapes I have continued painting on canvas with oil paint. The painting  is 10 inch by 20 inch stretched canvas. The first posting at the start of this painting was on June 7, 2011 and can be found here http://studio.pjcookartist.com/2011/06/starting-ocean-wave-iv-new-painting-in.html  .  Then again on June 18 there was an update as the painting was progressing.

As you can see in the photo I applied the paint quite heavy for the breaking wave by using a pallette knife. Below is a closeup of the 3 sandpiper birds running along the waters edge. By clicking on each photo a larger version of each image will appear if you would like to see it larger. Send me an email for more information on purchasing this oil painting.

Oil Painting of 2 Seagulls Resting On the Beach - Almost Finished

I am working on the oil painting of 2 seagulls resting on a beach. One of the seagulls is resting with his eyes closed while the other one is standing guard. At least that is what it looked like when I spotted these 2 gulls after a storm. They seemed to be resting after a strong, windy storm had gone through New England. Some seaweed had been wahed up with the waves during the storm.


I am still working on this oil painting. The painting has quite a bit of texture as you can see in the closeup of the seagull. I have more work to do with the water and the seagulls, and should be finishing this up in the next few days. The canvas size is 18" x 24" and I have a nice white washed wood frame that complements the subject. Check back in a few days to see this seascape oil painting finished.

Oil Painting of the Carousel and Napatree Point in Watch Hill, Rhode Island In Progress - Follow Along

My large sunset oil painting of the Historic Carousel and Napatree Point in Watch Hill, Rhode Island is coming along. I have continued refining the center of the painting, the area between the buildings on the right and the carousel. This is where the road curves past the carousel with the people in line and the arch overhead.

Image via Wikipedia

Napatree Point has an old fort at the end of the beach that you can walk out and see. In my painting Napatree Point is the penninsula going from the right side to the left just above the center of the canvas. The photo here on the left is the old fort.

To look at how this oil painting has progressed from the beginning look below at previous posts.

Continuing to Paint The Flying Horse Carousel from Watch Hill, Rhode Island

I have continued painting in the initial layer of oil paint over my sketch of the flying horse carousel at Watch Hill, RI. I have started adding more detail to the carousel area and the people around it. At this point I will be going back over each area with more paint and adding more detail as I go. Check back to see my progress of this large oil painting.

Next Step in Watch Hill Sunset - Painting the Sky and Water

The next step in painting this large canvas is to paint the background using my initial sketch as a guide. I started painting the sky and water and continued moving forward in the painting. The composition is already done from my previous step so I use that to lay in the color. I follow the values or the light and dark areas of the painting that are done with the burnt sienna paint. The color looks a little more blue than it really is. When photographing paintings it is difficult to get the same color as the painting. I will try and get a better photo in the next step. Check back to see how the carousel painting of the flying horses at Watch Hill, Rhode Island progresses.

Starting Watch Hill Sunset with Carousel Oil Painting On Canvas

This is the start of an oil painting from Watch Hill, Rhode Island with the famous flying horse carousel. This is a large painting, the size is 40 inch by 40 inch. I started by painting this burnt sienna color right on the the large canvas, laying out the compostion. This also helps with the values or the light and dark areas of the painting. I want to keep this a warm painting with yellows, oranges, and brown colors throughout the entire painting. I will be showing my progress here on my blog so check back for the next step of the Watch Hill Carousel on the big canvas. Thanks

Image via Wikipedia

"Crab'n On the Jetty" Oil Painting In Sept 5, 2010 Hartford Courant Newspaper

 

This past Sunday my seascape "Crab'n On the Jetty" oil painting was featured in the iTowns section of the Hartford Courant newspaper. The painting is of kids fishing for crabs at the beach. I enjoy painting beach scenes and including children playing along the shore is one of my favorite subjects. My latest painting of a similar subject is in my previous post of two girls playing at the beach and you can scroll down to read that article.

To read the newspaper article online click here to follow the link to the Hartford Courant  http://www.courant.com .

To see more P.J. Cook artwork go to http://pjcookartist.com/ and go to the paintings tab near the top of the page to view paintings by subject. To view decorative hand painted furniture go to http://beachcottageart.com . Thanks

Seascape of Block Island Beach Finished! Final Step In 8"x 10" Oil Painting

This scene is of the cliffs on Block Island, Rhode Island. It is a beautiful spot located near the Southeast Lighthouse on the island. There are stairs to get down to the beach, many many stairs. But it is worth the effort. I started this painting back in February and did not work on it until recently. I usually have several projects going at the same time so I have not worked on this painting for several months.

 This is the original sketch to start this painting. The original post on this project was on February 22 and this is the link seascape-of-block-island-beach-follow.html .

I started this painting with a sienna wash and if you look in the finished painting that wash still shows through in a few areas. This gives a glow to the painting. You can see some of this sienna wash in step 2 of the painting shown here on the right. The final step in this painting was to add the figures walking on the beach.

Contact pj@pjcookartist.com to purchase this 8" x 10" oil on canvas.

Seascape of Block Island Beach - Follow Along Step by Step

I have started  a small seascape of a rocky beach and cliffs. This is an oil painting on canvas and I started with a fast line drawing seen on the left. I liked the composition so I went ahead and started the painting. This scene is of the cliffs on Block Island, Rhode Island. It is a beautiful spot located near the Southeast Lighthouse on the island. There are stairs to get down to the beach, many many stairs. But it is worth effort.

The following picture is the actual painting with the areas blocked in, I did a line drawing with sienna paint and you can see some of that showing thru at the bottom. I painted quickly at this stage to cover the canvas. I step back and view this from a distance to see how it looks. Any adjustments can easily be made at this stage. What steps do you take when painting a small canvas?

Check back for the next stage of this 8" x 10" oil painting on canvas.  

Blue Moonlight Oil Painting Finished - Four Foot by Four Foot Seascape on Canvas

Blue Moonlight Oil Painting Finished - Four Foot by Four Foot Seascape on Canvas with a nice dark wood frame is for sale. I have just completed this large painting of the Black Hall River looking towards the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse and the Lynde Light in Old Saybrook.  The light is on in the lighthouses in Old Saybrook, Connecticut with the moon shining in the painting creates a marvelous mood. I have enjoyed painting this moonlight scene and this would look great on a large wall. This oil painting will be at the Hidden Gallery in Old Lyme today so stop by and take a look.
P.J.Cook
pj@pjcookartist.com

Blue Moonlight Seascape Oil Painting - almost finished

I have been working on my large 4 foot by 4 foot oil painting and have only small details left to finish. The scene is of the Black Hall River with the Lynde Light and the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse at the mouth of the Connecticut River. I take a few days to view a painting in different settings around my house. This is a good way to view your work with fresh eyes and make any adjustments to the painting. This small photo does not do the painting justice, this is a big painting. I hope I can fit the painting with the frame in my vehicle so I can put it on display at an art gallery. Contact me at pj@pjcookartist.com for further details on painting.
Thanks, PJ Cook

Finishing Ocean Wave Oil Painting

 

This is how my oil painting of the breaking wave painting is looking today. I like to view a painting for a few days even a week after I think it is completed. This lets me see it in a new way, by leaving it alone and not looking at it for a while sometimes you see it differently or with fresh eyes. Sometimes you decide it looks good, you are happy with it and the painting is done. The only thing I am going to do is add a few highlights in the wave and the foam. I am now thinking about the style of frame that will enhance the painting. A dark brown wood frame will look nice and complement the painting. I may try a few different colors and style frames before I decide on the final one.
P.J. Cook


Drop me an email at pj@pjcookartist.com if you have any questions about purchasing the painting or for any other info. Thanks.

Blue Seascape Oil Painting - final steps

My blue seascape oil painting is almost finished. I have not kept track of the total time spent on this painting because I work on other projects at the same time. But I have spent considerable time working on the detail in the water. The swirling water and foam in the bottom half of the canvas has taken the most time.

While working on the rocks in the foreground I paint cool color on the top surface that reflect from the sky along with local color. The water on the rocks also reflects the sky color. I have more detail to do on the rocks and finishing up the foreground water. It is important to step back often and look at your painting from a distance. Most paintings are viewed from several feet back not 1 foot away where the artist is working.

Seascape Painting In Oil - Step 4 of Ocean Wave Painting

 

I have painted highlights in the background waves and then continued painting the wave. The wave is painted with viridian green in the darkest area of the wave and I add white as the wave lightens.   The breaking wave is painted with white in the brightest areas. In the shadow the breaking foam is darkened with the sky color and a little alizarin crimson. 

The rocks are painted with cerulean blue and burnt sienna. The shadows on the rocks I used viridian with the burnt sienna.  For the lighter sections of the rock I add some of the white/cerulean blue mixture from the sky.

Following my photograph for reference I start to work on the swirling foam. I am using all white and some sky color mixed in for the lightest foam. Painting around the darker water patterns I try to make the foam look like it is moving. I will continue to work on the swirling foam, this will take some time to complete. I will hopefully have this part of the painting near completion for my next post. Meanwhile I will be painting!

Thanks, PJ Cook

Seascape Painting - Third Step Is Painting On the Canvas

Working from my color sketch and value sketch I started painting the composition using a #10 bristle brush. I am painting on an 18 x 24" stretched canvas. Using cerulean blue I paint the wave and rocks as seen in the first photo. I want the layout to be fairly accurate so I take time to be sure everything is correct. Using the cerulean blue I paint in the darker areas to create some value.

At this point I step back and look at the canvas to see if the compostion is pleasing. It looks good so I start painting the sky. Using the same cerulean blue with white I paint the sky. I add a little cadmium yellow light to the lightest mixture for the area closest to the horizon. Then working my way up I gradually darken the blue and white paint.

For the clouds I use the same mixture of cerulean blue and white and add a little alizarian crimson to darken the shadows of the clouds. I continue with the clouds adding white paint for the brightest areas.

I then darken the mixture using the same blue and white paint for the water. I carefully paint the horizon line with this color. I paint the rest of the water above the breaking wave adding rolling waves with different values. Paint the farthest waves closer together and as you move down the canvas paint the waves further apart. This will create perspective in the painting. That's it for now, check back for the next step in painting a seascape in oil. Thanks, PJ