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PAINTING THE SEA IN ACRYLIC

Discover how to paint the sea in acrylic and learn to create relief effects with the acrylic modelling paste additive in our video tutorial with artist Diane Benoit du Rey.
seascapes, acrylic hero image

HOW TO PAINT THE SEA IN ACRYLIC?

add sienna to ivory black to increase the colour’s depth

PREPARING THE COLOURS

For the shore, add sienna to ivory black to increase the colour’s depth. For the sky, mix primary blue with ivory black and Veronese green. Add lightly some acrylic modeling paste additive to the mix until it lightens and gives the colour some density. For the sea, mix blue and primary red with Veronese green and ivory black.

seascape outline

THE OUTLINE

Paint the outline of the shore with a brush, then apply the colour with a slightly damp spalter, brushing well to blend the colours and spread it well over the surface of the canvas.

creating waves with a palette knife

APPLICATION WITH A KNIFE

To create waves with a knife, apply a large amount of the acrylic mixture with a marked gesture, creating variations in the texture. Work on the volume of the waves, gradually increasing emphasis from the horizon to the foreground. Apply the acrylic modelling paste additive directly to the canvas to create thicker strokes near the shore to give the effect of foam.

ACRYLIC MODELLING PASTE

This modelling paste is dense and opaque and can be used to create impastos or semi-thick backgrounds with a knife. Flexible, it doesn’t crack and has a matt white finish. It can be used on its own or mix to any ratio with acrylic and vinyl paints.

TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR WORK

Once your work is done and your canvas is drying, it is important to protect your work with a final varnish. We offer two types of liquid varnish for acrylic paint, with a matte or glossy finish. Choose the varnish that's right for your work: if you use matte finish additives, use a matte varnish but if you work in glazes or with glossy additives, pick a transparent glossy varnish.

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