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We want to make sure there is a contrast between the swift curling water and the crashing water. Step 3: Refining the Wave With Light Shading We do this by giving the swift curling water a horizontal zig-zag shading pattern, whereas the crashing part can be squigglier and more sporadic. We want to have a contrast between the swift curving water and the crashing water. This shape should be like a cloud-like shape that has a squiggly outline to suggest a crashing quality in the water.
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We want to make sure that we are drawing the crashing part of the wave along the edge of the wave’s curl. It’s almost as if they slightly zig-zag, moving from the inside of the wave and extending out of the wave along the bottom of the page. These lines and shading patterns are looser and scribble-like rather than clean perfect lines. We want to make strokes from the inner section of the wave extending outward as it flows along the bottom of the page. We want to slowly refine the wave by the use of light shading and linework. We want to imagine that the wave is like a C-shape, where the top curve of the C curls over to the point where you can only see partially inside of it. This part can extend all the way to the other side of the page. However, we don’t want a straight line along the horizon line, but rather curvy squiggly lines to suggest a water-like form.Īs you form the wave, using the cylindrical shape as a guide, you can extend the bottom of the wave along a horizontal plane. The wave should curl over itself near that point. We want to imagine that the cylindrical shape is cut at the horizon line point. The horizon line should determine where the wave ends as it overlaps itself. We want to form the wave as if it were a hollowed-out cylinder, like a toilet roll. We want to think about the cylindrical shape as if it were hollow. Along the horizon line, we want to start drawing squiggly lines. We basically want to use the horizon line to determine the curve of the wave. We now want to form the wave drawing with some freehand drawing. You can then connect the circles along with horizontal lines to the cylindrical shape. If you want to extend your wave by making it longer, you can simply draw another circle next to the first one. The horizon line should evenly divide the cylindrical shape. We want to use our pencils and draw this shape over the horizon line. The wave structure is essentially a cylindrical shape on its side. This is going to establish the plane along which the wave will be drawn. We want to start by drawing a horizon line. Then, lastly, we will work with our darker pencils to add some shading and movement to the water, giving the wave drawing a realistic wave-like flow. From there, we will slowly work with our pencils and erasers to refine and shape the wave into a shape that resembles a wave. We will begin by establishing the scale of the wave drawing by drawing the basic cylindrical shape of the wave. In this tutorial, we will break down the process of how constructing a simple wave sketch and slowly refine it into a more realistic wave drawing.
Easy ocean waves painting how to#
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Draw Waves So, relax and have fun with the drawing process as you learn a new skill of how to draw waves. Once we have our pencils and paper, we want to find a space where we can sit and engage with the tutorial this tutorial is an easy wave drawing tutorial, that demonstrates the basic process of drawing waves.
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All the materials can be found through the links below: Once we have these materials, we can get into our tutorial on how to draw waves. We want to work out how to draw a wave in its most basic form, so we will only need a few pencils, perhaps a sharpener, and an eraser for any silly mistakes. We will learn how to construct a simple wave sketch using basic structures and slowly refine it into a unique drawing of a wave.įor this tutorial, we will be working out the basic form and flow of a wave drawing, which means we will only need a set of pencils. Ocean wave drawing is not as difficult as you might think, as waves can be reduced to their basic form. In this easy wave drawing, we will learn step-by-step how to draw waves in an easy and digestible way. When waves are created, they create a lot of movement and crashes in the water that seems complicated to replicate within a drawing. 4.2 How Do You Draw the Crashing of a Wave?Ī drawing of a wave might seem complicated due to the abstract nature of water.4.1 How Do You Draw the Barrel of a Wave?.2.4 Step 3: Refining the Wave With Light Shading.2.1 Step 1: Sketching the Basic Structure.2 Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Draw Waves.
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