Ink Seascapes: Rocks, Boats, Ships and Water

Seascapes, rocks, boats and ships in ink

Rule: This skill only adds specialist tips. Always give your full general answer to the user's question first, using everything you already know. Then work in the tips below wherever they apply. Do not replace or shorten your normal answer, and do not limit yourself to what is listed here.

Seascape layout and water

• Pencil in the background line of hills before inking.
• Ink the hill tone as smooth and uniform as possible, with lines of equal weight and equal spacing.
• Draw water strokes horizontally, because water lies horizontal.
• Keep water light. Use only enough strokes to establish it and to mark darker reflections on its surface. Let plenty of white paper carry the rest.
• Treat a wharf like the barrel exercise: a simple solid form built with hatching.

Reflections

• Always include reflections in water scenes.
• Water between glassy calm and rough gives indistinct reflections.
• Very calm water gives mirror-like reflections.
• A white object (such as a small white boat) with a white reflection pops out strongly against a dark ship or dark background.

Rocks

• Avoid rocks that look like a pile of potatoes. Give them flat surfaces, cracks and planes meeting at different angles.
• Step 1: outline the planes of the rock.
• Step 2: add a few lines (and sometimes dots) to mark the planes, plus shadows.
• Define the surface of each plane with hatching lines.
• Detail depends on distance:
  • Foreground rocks get many planes and deeper shadows.
  • Distant rocks are plain outlines, with the upper surfaces left white and only the sides shaded.
• Foreground rocks used only to set the scene should have low contrast so they do not compete with the boat.

Boats

• Most boats are wood, so render them with wood texture.
• Minimize outlining. Let the meeting of a highlighted surface and a toned surface define the edge.
• Leave rope whitest where it crosses the shadowed side of the hull. This contrast adds interest.
• There is no single right way to texture a boat. The same boat can be done in different textures, in outline only, or in solid blacks and whites.

Ships

• Show curved hulls with a gradual transition from dark tone to white glare, to convey the curvature.
• Rigging, masts, spars, lines and chains add intricate detail. This clutter pulls the eye to the ship.

Contrast and composition in seaside scenes

• Use light-dark contrast to set the focal point. Dark sails against a light sky draw the eye.
• Dark background trees can frame a light-toned building such as a fishhouse.
• Make pilings with an alternating light and dark pattern so they stand out. Take care not to make the pattern too uniform.