Paint Ocean Waves
From Scratch 🌊

Using your pencil, draw a smooth curved line sweeping from the lower left to the upper right of the canvas — this is the top edge of your wave. On the left side of this curve, draw a small circular curl to show the wave rolling over. Everything above this line is sky; everything below is the wave and ocean. Keep the lines loose and flowing.

Mix Cobalt Blue with a generous amount of Titanium White to create a soft, pale sky blue. Using your large flat brush, apply this color evenly across the sky area above the wave line. Use smooth horizontal strokes for a clean, calm sky. Let dry for 1–2 minutes.

Load your brush with Ultramarine and fill in the entire wave body below the curve. Use sweeping curved strokes that follow the arc of the wave — starting from the lower left and curving upward to the right. These curved brushstrokes are what make the water look like it's moving. Leave the curling foam area on the left unpainted for now. Fill in the flat ocean area at the bottom with horizontal strokes.

Load your brush generously with Titanium White — don't be shy with the paint! Paint the curling foam crest along the top of the wave. On the left, create a thick rounded curl shape. Then sweep the white foam in a long arc to the right, tapering as it goes. Apply the white thickly so it has texture and dimension — the impasto effect makes it look like real foamy water.

Using Cobalt Blue, add a few gentle curved horizontal strokes across the flat ocean area at the bottom to suggest the calm sea surface. Then use a fine brush and Titanium White to add a few thin wispy lines trailing from the foam crest to suggest sea spray. Step back and look at your painting — your ocean wave is complete! 🌊