Buffeting Buffet

Three seagulls wait for each wave crash to bring a buffet of little fishies to eat. I am not sure I have ever painted a wave before. Not up close and personal like this. Let's see how it goes. This painting is on canvas, 24w x 12h. I combined two images I borrowed from Pixabay.

Step One

Here is the way my palette was set up. From top left: Cad Yellow Light, Alizarin Crimson, Pthalo Blue, Manganese Blue, Pthalo Green, Mix of Aliz/Pth Green, mix Pth Blue/B Umber. I added Sap Green toward the end just to give a little green variety and warmth. Along the bottom from left are Titanium White, and Zinc White

Step Two

I drew the main players drawn in with charcoal. I then used a thin wash of oil color over the entire canvas. I am using a mixure of Liquin and Mineral Spirits to thin and speed drying. This will dry in just a few hours and I can begin the next layer.

Step Three

Second session the next day. I added a lot of color, again using a transparent medium of Liquin, Min Spirits and a little oil so it doesn't dry quite as fast as the first layer so I can maintain the fat over lean factor.
The white looking areas are actually grays.

Step Four

Continuing with the grays and a small flat brush, using the brush sideways so it makes thin lines. I scribble flat lines over where the foam follows the contours of the rocks and the energy of the waves.

Step Five

This is detail of the water before blending. I will use a small soft brush to soften most of the foam edgesThe lower waters are softened, then I went back and added some of the lines back. I also put a little paint on the birds so wouldn't lose them. The whole thing needs to dry a bit then I can glaze some shadows then add white foam without it getting muddy from the lower layers being wet.

Step Six

The lower waters are softened, then I went back and added some of the lines back. I also put a little paint on the birds so wouldn't lose them. The whole thing needs to dry a bit then I can glaze some shadows then add white foam without it getting muddy from the lower layers being wet.

Step Seven

There is a lot going in this painting. It even feels loud to me. I have refined almost everything using a script liner brush. Very tedious but worth it. It may actually be done here. I need to let it dry completely then see what I think. Knowing me, I will work on it a little bit more...

Step Eight

Detail of the seagulls.

Step Nine

Detail of some of the more interesting area of waves. The texture of the canvas may be hampering the detail a bit. This painting probably would have been better had it been done on a smooth board surface instead of canvas. Maybe the next one!