After the skies are painted, I filled in the background, making the Cape Lookout shore a bit muted to accentuate distance. Then, I sketched in the boats to see how they would be positioned in the water and against the sky.
One of the things I want to express is the translucense of color in the seas. At the same time, I also try to create weight and body. (It is often a balancing act!) First, I determine the outlines of the waves and then add layers and layers of thin gloss color which will provide the undercoat of the seas.
I want one to be able to look into the water and see color and transparency in the waves…
