At rest

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

When I started this watercolor we were on vacation in Maine, in the middle of July. Well this is the finished version. It may not seem a lot different than the original post, but it definitely is. I have not painted many water scenes with choppy water, so this was a stretch for me. Actually I had never painted any white water before.

First, the vegetation in the background was made a darker blue-green, hopefully with some variation in the tree profiles and branching. The darker background and some minor modifications to the profile of the boat made the white of the vessel come forward, with a sharper profile. This is important because the boat is the focal point. Finer details such as the antenna on the roof of the boat, reflections in the windows and subtle shadows projecting from the watercraft became more apparent. 

I particularly like the way the buoy is floating in front of the viewer. To offer a little more realism, I added some letters on the side so it would sit in the water with a greater sense of authority. The ropes just disappear into the water suggesting some mystery and an element of depth to the ocean.

To develop the ocean, the waves, and the shadows on the water I used two different rigger brushes to mimic the patterns of the waves, larger for the foreground and smaller for the background to create perspective. In Portland, Maine I had purchased a new pigment called shadow green, manufactured by Holbein. I mixed this with various blues and Payne's gray to develop dark values for the ocean, which I think was effective. Last but not least, the white speckles of light on the surface of the ocean in the foreground were created by using a razor blade to remove a thin layer of the paper. I think it adds a nice touch. Gerard Doucette, my art mentor, suggested this. I wasn't sure how far to go with it, but I am pleased with the result. I have used a razor blade in the past to get light effects but really haven't been confident in its application. This small success has given me more confidence in the use of this technique.