Creating A Shark's Ocean With Paint

Painting an ocean with a shark's mouth is a fun and unique way to spice up any ocean-themed event or party. This guide will teach you how to paint a shark in a beautiful underwater scene, including the ocean floor, a school of fish, seaweed, coral, and, of course, the shark as the main character. You'll learn how to mix colours to create the varying colours of the water, from the ocean bottom to the surface, and how to paint the shark's distinctive features, including its fierce teeth and reflections on its body. By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to create a sparkling ocean scene with a lifelike shark that's sure to make a splash!

Painting the shark's mouth

Preparing the Shark's Mouth

Start by mixing a medium grey colour on your palette. To achieve this, you can combine Mars black and white paint, using approximately one part black to three parts white. Ensure that you mix enough paint to complete the desired area, as colour consistency is crucial.

Painting the Mouth

The mouth of the shark is triangular in shape. Using a #4 round brush, outline and then fill in the triangular shape of the mouth with the medium grey paint. For the small details of the mouth, such as the teeth, you can use a tiny round brush, a toothpick, or a black paint pen. Create sharp, triangular teeth to give your shark a menacing appearance.

Final Details

After painting the mouth, you can add the finishing touches to your shark. Use Mars black on the tip of your #4 round brush to paint the eye solid black. Then, add small white highlight marks on the top right part of the dorsal fin to represent the reflecting water on the shark's back. You can also highlight the back to the left of the dorsal fin and the top part of the tail fin. Finally, use your #4 round brush to paint the gills, adding four squiggly or vertical lines to the right of the pectoral fin.

Tips and Troubleshooting

If you make a mistake or want to adjust the appearance of the mouth, simply wait for the paint to dry and then paint over it with the background colour. You can then retrace the shark's outline and make the necessary adjustments. Additionally, ensure that you allow each layer of paint to dry before moving on to the next step to avoid smudging and colour mixing.

Creating the ocean's hues

Start by selecting a range of blues, such as French ultramarine blue, Prussian blue, cobalt blue, phthalo blue, and cerulean blue. Having a variety of blues will help you create a sense of depth and tonal range in your painting. You can also add white to these blues to create lighter shades and gradually transition from dark to light, mimicking the way sunlight filters through the water.

For the deepest parts of the ocean, use a darker shade of blue, such as ultramarine blue straight out of the tube. This will create a sense of depth and mystery. As you move upwards, gradually add more white to your blue, lightening the shade and representing the way light reflects off the water's surface. This technique will give your painting a sense of depth and perspective.

You can also add small hints of other colours to the ocean to make it more vibrant and realistic. A touch of orange or yellow can represent the sun's rays penetrating the water's surface, while subtle hints of green can suggest seaweed or the reflection of plants along the shore.

Remember to use broad, sweeping brushstrokes to capture the fluidity and movement of the water. You can also use a paint knife to blend colours and create a range of tonal effects, from calm, tranquil blues to turbulent, crashing waves. Take your time and experiment with different shades and techniques to create a captivating and lifelike ocean scene for your shark to inhabit.

Using the right brushes

To paint an ocean with a shark's mouth, you'll need a variety of brushes for different purposes. For the shark, you'll be working on finer details, so a detail brush is ideal for this. A thin brush will be needed for the shark's teeth and gills. A round brush, specifically a #4 round brush, is used for the shark's dorsal fin, tail, and gills. A flat brush is useful for broader strokes.

For the ocean, you'll be working on a larger surface, so a large brush is suitable for covering more area. When painting the ocean, you'll need to create a tonal range, blending lighter and darker shades of blue. A paint knife can be used to blend these shades together to create a tonal range. A smaller brush is then needed to carefully fill in the ocean up to the edge of the shark, ensuring all brush strokes are horizontal.

It's important to clean your brushes when switching between colours, especially when working with lights, to avoid any unwanted colour mixing. You may also need to rinse and dry your brushes when painting the shark, as you'll be using different shades of grey and white, which can easily become muddied if not carefully managed.

For face painting, it's essential to use high-quality, skin-safe paints and brushes. You'll need to be extra careful when painting around the eyes and mouth, so a detail brush is necessary for precision in these areas.

Painting the shark's body

Using your preferred method, transfer the shape of the shark to your canvas. Begin by painting the dark gilled area and the dark ridge over the mouth. With your second darkest colour and a soft filbert brush, fill in the area to the left of the mouth, blending to create a rounding effect. Move on to the lightest patches on the top of the shark, blending them roughly together.

Next, work on the nose area, following the same technique back to the eye. Use a fine liner brush to paint the nostril and the various tones around it. Lightly paint the tonal ranges around and below the mouth, and use the same technique to paint the tones beyond the eye area, blending as you go.

Now, start blocking in the underside of the shark, beginning with the lightest colour and adding a light patch over the mouth. Refer to your reference photo for the correct application of darks and lights. Use your second darkest colour and a soft filbert brush to paint the top of the shark, creating the illusion of rounding away to the other side.

Finally, mix a small amount of Phthalo blue into your medium grey colour. Outline the left part of the dorsal fin, the left part of the tail, and the left line of the pectoral fin with Mars black. Blend some black just under the dorsal fin to create shadows. Load the tip of your brush into titanium white and paint the underside of the shark, following the direction of the shape. Add small amounts of grey to the white areas, but be careful not to make it too dark. Blend the division between the white and dark grey areas so that they mesh together.

Adding the finishing touches

Now that you've painted the shark and the ocean, it's time to add the finishing touches. These final details will bring your painting to life, giving it depth and realism.

First, consider the lighting in your painting and where the sunlight hits the water. Use a lighter shade of blue or white to add highlights to these areas. You can also add small white marks to the top right of the shark's dorsal fin to represent the reflecting water on its back. For the shadows, use darker tones of blue or grey in the deeper parts of the water or below the waves. Remember to add shadows and highlights to any boats or marine life in your painting, too.

Next, you can create a rippled effect in the water by making random squiggly marks with your brush. You can also use your finger or a brush to lift out patches of paint to create movement in the water. Use neat ultramarine blue or white with a touch of ultramarine to create darker patches.

Finally, don't forget to sign your name and date your work! This is a tradition among artists and serves as your stamp of approval.

Frequently asked questions