Painting Tips 1
"The Wave"

The first step I begin with in painting one of my pictures is the thought process. I think of my main focal point ( in this case the Wave) and go from there. I can see the finished painting in my mind give or take a few birds, or whatever it is I'm painting.

The next step I do is to sketch the design onto the canvas. This helps me determine positioning of the main focal points to the other points in the painting.

Next, I paint in the background with the base color. I used 
Brilliant Blue with a touch of Titanium White. By adding the
White I can achieve variations of color and not a solid mass
 of Blue. This I do with my 2" brush using a horizontal stroke.

Then I start mixing colors to achieve depth and movement in the water.
In this painting I used Cerulean Blue, Bright Aqua Green and Mars Black.
By blending the colors and creating patterns the eye perceives movement.
I use a 1/4 angle cut brush with a scrubbing motion.

Next, I apply White with the tip of my 1" brush using a dabbing motion
to create the wave. We need to give the wave some dimension so I mix
a little Mars Black in, and add it to the bottom of the wave. I use a little
 Brilliant Blue on top of that to add motion.

Continued More Tips