While painting a wave is just one piece in the puzzle of mastering digital water, it takes practice to do well. Unlike still or gently flowing water, waves typically entail much more drama, and capturing their movement through the medium of digital paint will be essential to your success. 

So whether you’re trying to depict a crashing wave against rocks, a small ripple in a lake, or a dispersed breaker on a sandy beach, here are six key steps you can follow to create a dynamic wave digitally:

1. Choose the Right Canvas Size

In order to replicate the dynamism of a wave, you’ll have to allow yourself a big enough canvas to focus on the smaller details, such as individual droplets in a crashing wave, or the foam of a waterfall. Choosing a high resolution and size can also help you add much finer details. It turns out that, in this case, starting off bigger is better than beginning small.

2. Begin with a Sketch

As with any type of digital artwork, beginning with a sketch is beneficial for many reasons, like perfecting compositional structure, brainstorming, and efficiency. Painting a wave is no different. In fact, capturing the movement aspects of a wave like direction, flow, and speed can all be described through just a few gestures on a blank canvas. 

Begin by sketching a loose and simplified outline using a light tool, such as a pencil or transparent brush. Don’t let the details distract you just yet— keep your mind on the general movement and let your stylus flow.

3. Color is Key

Next, you’ll want to spend some time choosing your color palette. While you can begin with a base layer using either a gradient tool or larger watercolor brush, you’ll also want to select a healthy amount of mid-tone, shadow, and highlight tones to help you achieve depth.

Also, consider environmental conditions like lighting and weather. If it’s a sunny day on the beach, stick with a slightly warmer palette to achieve all the reflective nuances. On the other hand, if you’re painting a ship on a stormy night in the middle of the ocean, you may need cooler and darker tones while also being wary of light sources like the moon or a lantern on board. 

By having control of the color palette from the start, your digital painting will look both subtle and cohesive when you’re figuring out how to paint a wave.

4. Shape Like a Sculpture

Shaping the wave itself is one of the biggest factors in determining the look and feel of your final piece. Here are a few tips to consider when doing so:

• Sculpt the wave. When shaping a wave for a digital painting, other digital art techniques such as sculpting can provide a useful method for achieving an organic form. Think of your stylus as a sculpting tool, and focus on the movements you’d like to create.
• Layers are your friend. Once you’ve laid down your base color, add a new layer to begin defining the shapes of the wave. Using layers allows you to modify opacity down the line when adding more detail. 
• Know your wave anatomy. Understanding the various elements of a wave, such as the crest (the uppermost section of the wave) and the trough (the lowest section) can help you define regions of shadows and highlights in preparation for the details. 

5. Follow the Curves

Now that you’ve defined the shape and zones of shading, you can begin to fill these in with lighter colored strokes depicting where the light hits the crest of the wave, and darker shadows for the trough. Adding larger details, such as additional splashes at the edges of the wave, will help you achieve the perception of speed and direction.

PRO TIP: Try experimenting with various blending modes such as “overlay” or “multiply” in order to add subtle shadows and nuanced hues to the underside of the wave.

6. Don’t Forget the Details

Whether analog or digital, painted waves can be brought to life through their details and textures, so be sure to save a good chunk of time for this final step. Using much finer or textured brushes, you can begin to add foam, bubbles, ripple lines, and sprayed droplets. By keeping the brush size consistent but playing around with opacity, you’ll begin creating an organically varied effect that’s essential in capturing the everchanging nature of a wave.

Whether it’s with experimental brush sets or eye-opening tutorials, let Cubebrush be your teacher when you’re learning how to paint a wave!