Quick beach painting in acrylic

If you don't have much time on your hands, this quick beach painting tutorial might be just what you're looking for! You only need around an hour for this one, so dive in and start creating.

Step 1. Tinting the canvas.

Paint the surface of the canvas with Turquoise paint. Let this dry.

Step 2. Painting the wave.

Paint the wave in with Titanium White. Lay the paint on in strokes and leave some of the turquoise to show in parts.

Step 3. Painting the Vegetation.

Create a dark green from Phthalo Blue and Olive Green. Paint this colour into the lower portion of the canvas. Let this dry. Next dab Sap Green with a touch of Olive Green over the darker green just laid down. Allow areas of the darker underlying tone come through in parts.

Step 4. Painting the sand.

Create a sand colour from Naples Yellow and Titanium White. Paint this colour into the area between the foam of the wave and the green vegetation. Try to vary the tone by adding more white to the sand in areas. Dry brush some of this tone into areas of the vegetation to suggest patches of sand between the trees.

Step 5. Painting the water.

Paint the area behind the wave with Cerulean Blue. While this is still wet blend some Phthalo Blue into the Monasteral Cerulean in areas. Add some blue in little dashes into the foam as well.

Step 6. Painting the palm trees.

To create the palm trees, first draw in the fronds with Titanium White. To get a nice sharp mark use the brush on its edge. Let this dry and then glaze over the top of the fronds with Sap Green with a touch of Lemon Yellow and water added. Make sure that there is enough water in the paint so that it is translucent enough so the white can be seen through the coat.

If you would like to try this project it is very important to watch the accompanying video to familiarize yourself with the steps as it is very hard to clarify some of them with words. Get into the habit of viewing the work from a distance to see how the colours are working together. Note: all paints used are Dimension Acrylics.