How to Color Beach Water: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

December 25, 2024

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to layer colors, blend smoothly, and add highlights to capture the movement and depth of beach water.

Materials Needed:

Alcohol markers (light blue, turquoise, deep blue, sand beige, and white)
White acrylic pen
White Gelly Roll pen

Step 1: Base Layer of the sand with beige or white sand color

Fill the beach sand area with a layer of beige.

Step 1: Base Layer with gradien from light blue to darker blue

Fill the water area with gradient of blue. This will be the foundation of your ocean coloring.

Step 3: Add Depth with Turquoise and Deep Blue

Use a turquoise marker to add depth to the middle sections of the water. Then, apply deep blue in the farthest areas to create the illusion of distance.

Step 4: Add Wave Texture with White Highlights

Use a white acrylic pen or a white Gelly Roll pen to draw small, curved lines where waves break near the shore. Lightly blend some of these lines to create soft foam effects.

Step 6: Create a Wet Sand Effect

Use sand beige and light blue markers near the shoreline to create a damp sand effect where the water meets the beach. Add some yellow by yellow pencil for more depth and hues.