Before you do this exercise [painting the sea] spend some time researching the work of artists who have painted the sea in different ways and think about their approaches and techniques.
Winslow Homer (North America, 1836-1910)
It seems that Winslow Homer is becoming one of my most favourite watercolour artists… true that I really admire his work. Looking at how he paints the see, I recognize all the qualities I like in watercolour paintings. It’s so colourful and vivid, nothing overworked, and I love the subjects he paints.
Winslow Homer 1897 Canoe in the Rapids: Not actually the sea, but water looks as if it were the sea.
The sponge diver 1898-99: the sea from very close, shape of the body under water
https://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artwork.php?artworkid=31507
The coming storm 1901: very quiet water, darkened in the shade of a huge storm cloud
from http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/homerwc/homerwc-55578.html (with date)
Key West, Hauling Anchor, 1903, watercolor over graphite on paper
from http://www.nga.gov/feature/homer/homer26.htm
The Gulf Stream 1899: It’s oil on canvas and depicts a highly dramatic scene – the man on a small boat in the tormented sea, sharks lurking to get him. There are strong contrasts from very dark, almost black blue, to almost white foam on the wave tops. Looking from close, I can’t help thinking that compared to oil, watercolour is the better medium to capture the fluidity and transparency of actual water, and I find this confirmed in Homer Winslow’s watercolours. Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winslow_Homer
J.M.W. Turner (England, 1775‑1851)
I’m including four examples of watercolour seascapes. I find these very different in style from Winslow Homer. Turner apparently observed particular phenomena – waves, weather conditions – and captured them in a very light and loose style. At first I found these watercolours very unfinished but looking at them a little bit longer, I’m beginning to appreciate the correspondence between the style and the characteristics of the sea – fleeting, always changing, very undefined.
A stormy sea and sky by daylight, c. 1813 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-a-stormy-sea-and-sky-by-daylight-possibly-a-study-relating-to-the-eddystone-d10256
Running wave in a cross-tide, evening, c. 1820-30 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-running-wave-in-a-cross-tide-evening-d25433
Sunset over water, c 1825-7 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-sunset-over-water-d25332
Arch of clous over the sea, c. 1840 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-arch-of-clouds-over-the-sea-d33671
Other artists, not watercolour
I came across Egon Schiele’s Port of Trieste and was intrigued how the artist’s style of strangely distorted lines that characterize his drawings comes back here in the depiction of the reflections on the water. It really captures the wiggly movement of still water in a port.
Leonid Berman’s painting was interesting because of the viewpoint – a bird’s eye perspective, and I wondered how the artist took up the position. It looks as if it was painted from a balloon slowly moving through the air. What is also interesting are the colours – the blue that switches to turquoise and back to blue, with white foam in between.
Since these two paintings are not watercolours they can’t help on the technique for watercolour, but they are inspiring for their approach the subject and how the artist’s personality shines through.
Egon Schiele 1907 Port of Trieste, Oil & pencil on cardboard
Leonid Berman 1952 Faraduro, Portugal, Oil on canvas
Some more reflections
I will leave it at that for this research point, knowing that there’s a wealth to explore and study, but not being able to devote more time now because coursework has to continue. The water subject has increased my attention since I first read the course materials on it and I began looking out for depictions of water and sea. I guess this will continue and apparently water comes right next to my other favouriste subject, plants and flowers.