close-up of a seascape, oil on panel
As you’ve seen, I painted this small seascape a few years ago on site. I am now using it as a reference for a bigger piece.
What I love about the little one is the chaotic motion of the water - the surf is crashing in a bunch of places at once and the foam is swirling constantly.
What I love about the little one is the chaotic motion of the water - the surf is crashing in a bunch of places at once and the foam is swirling constantly.
There is also motion outside the foamy areas, but the water is quite dark because there are no air bubbles in it at all.
All that violent action against the steady calmness of the rocks - the little scene contains quite a lot. What would all that look like bigger?
Here is a little bit of it bigger. The new painting is more than 4 times the size of the sketch. The key is to not pack more into the larger space but to keep the same feeling of churning and swaying in the bigger painting.
Can a big brush stroke hold as much information as a small one?