Making Final Adjustments to Ocean Wave Oil Painting

After looking at my oil painting of an ocean wave seascape I decided to make a few value and color changes. The foreground wave skimming along the sand appeared too dark so I lightened that area. I added a greenish color to the light area of the crashing wave. This is closer to the actually color of the wave itself.

These are all steps I take when finishing up a painting. Taking a few days or weeks to view the painting and deciding if I can make improvements.

Finishing Ocean Wave Oil Painting - 6th Step Is Adding Final Details

In the final stage of this oil painting of an ocean wave and a sandy beach I am putting in the final details. I have worked on the foam of the crashing wave and the foreground foam in this beach scene. Sometimes I work on other paintings and then come back and look at the first painting to see if it needs anything else. As with any landscape painting it is good to step away from a painting and then look at it with fresh eyes. I will then look for an appropriate picture frame to accent the painting.

Looking back at the previous posts of this oil painting you can see how the painting started from a simple pencil sketch to a detailed seascape oil painting. Thanks for following along and check back to see the final finished beach scene. Thanks, P.J. Cook

Seascape Oil Painting - Next Step In Painting Ocean Wave in Oil

I am continuing to refine and improve the details in this oil painting of a beach and wave. When you compare the previous posts in this painting demonstration you can see how I have worked from a pencil sketch to a detailed painting. The overall colors of this shoreline scene change as I work towards finishing the painting.

This painting is 16" x 20" and is painted on a Gessobord by Ampersand. This product has a nice smooth finish and that was what I decided to use for this ocean wave painting. Check back to see how the oil painting looks as I finish up this seascape.

4th Step In Painting a Breaking Ocean Wave In Oil Paint

Well I'm continuing my oil painting of an ocean wave breaking along a sandy beach. You can see below the different stages of the oil painting from my pencil sketch to where I am now. I have been working on the wave and the foreground water. Then I worked on more of the sand texture, This will take some time and I will be adding small shells and seaweed if I think it will help by leading the eye into the painting. I will be adding more foam in the foreground water too. The size of this original oil painting is 16" x 20". Check back to see how I finish up this seascape painting of a breaking ocean wave.

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

Latest Shoreline Painting by P.J. Cook and Watercolor Lessons Starting Wednesday

Shore View

New original painting offered with a beautiful gold frame. Inspiration for this painting is from the beautiful shoreline along Long Island Sound in Connecticut. There are still some undeveloped areas where the beaches are untouched. This is an original acrylic painting 20 inch by 20 inch with a overall size of 26 inches with the frame. Painting can be viewed and purchased at Aritsans Harbor, 188 Main St. in Old Saybrook, CT. Wed - Sat from noon to 5pm and Sundays 10:30- 2pm.

New Watercolor Lessons starting this Wednesday May 16, 2012 from 2:30 - 4:30. Watercolor classes are held at Artisans Harbor, in Saybrook, CT. All levels of artists are welcome. There will be 6 classes held once a week on Wednesdays. Various techniques, tips and tricks will be taught as the students follow along as I demonstrate a new technique each week.

If you have any questions please email at pj@pjcookartist.com
Thank you

Cape Cod Light Watercolor With Seashell Display Stand

Cape Cod Light Watercolor on Seashell Display

Original watercolor ready to display on your table for a unique beach cottage look. Cape Cod's Highland Light watercolor suspended over a base of real seashells. A great way to display this original seascape painting.

Cape Cod's Highland Lighthouse Original Watercolor

This is a closeup of the 5" by 7" watercolor of the Highland Light. Paintings slide in the wire holder easily so they can be changed to a new painting at any time. Approximate height 16 inches. Any painting can be ordered of your favorite scene or vacation spot.

Closeup of Seashell Display Stand

The base is made of real seashells complemented with white beads as you can see in this closeup view of the display base. These are priced at $65. and makes a great gift. To order go to beachcottageart.com for purchasing and shipping info.

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.

New Seascape Oil Painting Underway-View Each Step

The canvas size is 18"x 24" for this oil painting of a rocky shoreline. My first step was to tone the entire canvas. I did this with a dark muted red oil paint. While it was still wet I used a rag to rub out some of the color. The first photo shows what it looked like when I finished this step. As you can see I have my composition and basic values on the canvas at this point.

The next day I was satisfied with the overall composition so I started painting the sky and background. As I moved forward in the painting I used warmer and darker and or more intense color.

Next I painted the water, some of the bacground color still shows through at this point. Notice how I changed the color and value of the shallow water in the foreground. I then started working on the rocky cliff. My next post will be a continuation of this seascape oil painting of a rocky shoreline.

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.

"Seagulls Resting After Storm" Oil Painting Finished!

Here is the finished seascape oil painting of 2 seagulls resting after a storm. One seagull has his beak tucked in under his wing and seems to be resting. I came across these 2 birds on a beach along Long Island Sound after a strong storm had just passed through.

The canvas size is 18" x 24" and I have a nice white washed wood frame with the same tone as the painting that complements the subject nicely. If you would like to purchase this original oil painting contact me at pj@pjcookartist.com. This painting can be seen at Artisans Harbor, 188 Main St. Old Saybrook, CT along with many other paintings and cottage furniture.

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.

New Watercolor Painting of Ocean Wave With Wind Blown Spray

Seven by twelve inch watercolor.

Here is a small watercolor I did recently of an ocean wave from Rhode Island's Beavertail State Park. I painted this as a small study for a possible larger painting in oil. The wind was blowing the spray off the tops of the breaking waves and I tried to show that here in this watercolor. The painting is 12 inches by 7 inches.

"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

Creating Texture In Acrylic Painting - Guaranteed to Improve Your Paintings

Two ways to create texture in acrylic painting is to spatter paint and the other is to mix modeling paste with the paint. In the example above I spattered many different colors of paint onto the canvas.  I used a large brush loaded with paint and tapped the brush against my hand, dropping and spattering drops of paint. I used cobalt blue, raw sienna, yellow ochre, burnt umber and white.

Once that had dried I mixed modeling paste with yellow ochre and applied it with a palette knife, you can see the rough texture that created over the spattering. This technique is being used for a beach scene that I am painting and the section shown here is sand and pebbles, rocks and a log. My next post will show my progress with this seascape painting.

Experiment with different techniques like adding texture in your paintings and I guarantee it will improve your paintings.

Seascape "The Shore Path" - Final Step was adding a Great Egret Wading In the Water

Here is the finished seascape painting The Shore Path and if you compare this to the previous post from Monday you can see that I continued refining the details in the painting. It is hard to see in this photo of the painting that I added a great egret wading in the water. There is also reflections of the clouds in the water.

This painting is on a 1.5 inch gallery wrap canvas so the painting continues on the sides of the canvas. With the canvas size of thirty by thirty inch it is a good sized painting. This painting is on display at Artisans Harbor 188 Main Street in Old Saybrook, CT. If you have any questions send me an email at pj@pjcookartist.com

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.

Painting of Sandpiper Birds Running On the Beach - First Step In Painting A Seascape On a Sofa Table

Painting of Sandpiper Birds Running On the Beach - The first step in painting on a wood sofa table is to layout the drawing on the table. I started the drawing in pencil on the table top. When I was satisfied with the composition I painted a thin layer of paint on the table using the pencil sketch as a guide. I am painting over the textured surface on the table and I have decided to leave that texture under my painting.  I'm using acrylic paints because they are durable and they dry quickly. The painting will be a vignette on the table top so I will fade the edges of the painting into the original white textured background. The size of the table is 16" by 44" long with a height of 29 inches. I will describe the next step in painting of sandpiper birds on the beach in my next post in a couple days so check back to follow along.

Hand Painted Sandpiper Birds Running on the Sand - Beach Scene On Sofa Table

I am going to paint a seascape of sandpiper birds that can often be seen running along the beach. I will paint this on a long table often called a sofa table. This sofa table has a white crackle finish and will look great in your coastal or beach theme rooms. I have done a black and white sketch of the birds in a long narrow format like the size of the tabletop. I will hand paint the birds running on the sand in acrylic paint and then put a protective finish over the painting. I like to watch these birds running along the shore when I am at the beach, they are quite entertaining. I will be posting each step of this painting project so check back to follow along. Thanks

This sofa table will be for sale on my decorative furniture website Beach Cottage Art