Sunrise, Bribie Island

Full Video

Key Takeaways: 

  • I drew inspiration from John Singer Sargent's Seascape, shown below. He was a master of simplifying all the "noise" into something so elegant and clear.
John Singer Sargent, Seascape, 1875
John Singer Sargent, Seascape, 1875
  • I painted this over two sessions and the paint dried slightly during the break. This meant I had to “fake” the wet-on-wet look for the end of the painting. I should have kept it to one session and painted it all wet-on-wet.
  • I improvised with a new technique to capture the subtle rays of light bearing down on the sea. I took a large, dry brush and gently dragged the colors down.
  • I stopped at a good time, whilst the painting still appears fresh and spontaneous.
  • The painting is a play between light and shadow. The grayscale below shows the play more clearly.
greyscaled_Dan Scott, Sunrise, Bribie Island, 2021, Reference Photo 700Web
  • There's a subtle ship in the distance, just on the horizon line. (Did you miss it?) This was a challenge to paint. I needed to make it both distinct, yet hidden to wandering eyes. A gray color just a touch darker than the surroundings did the trick.
  • I was constantly thinking about the ebbs and flow of the water. I let my brush follow this movement. Left, right, back, forth, over, under, around. Observation only takes you so far when painting water. You need to try and feel it.

Time-Lapse

Finished Painting

Dan Scott, Sunrise, Bribie Island, 2021
Dan Scott, Sunrise, Bribie Island, 2021

Reference Photo

Dan Scott, Sunrise, Bribie Island, 2021, Reference Photo 1200Web