Balance provides careful consideration to the placement of objects according to their weight. The elements of line, form, color and texture all help determine an object's visual weight, which is the amount of space it appears to occupy. Balance also refers to how and where you place the elements (line, form, color and texture). Symmetry creates a mirror image effect, as seen with Wyland’s kissing dolphins.
Learn about vanishing points, horizon lines, and linear perspective. Linear perspective is a mathematical system for creating the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface.
Drawing from photography – Drawing is the depiction of shapes and forms on a surface by means of lines, colors and shading. Drawing is the basis of all pictorial representation and an early step in most paintings. Wyland will explore how to draw and paint what you see, not what you think you see.
Learn a working knowledge of color theory, including: primary and secondary colors, complementary colors, warm and cool colors. Color Theory is a set of basic rules for mixing colors to achieve a desired result.
Learn about paint consistency: the level of thickness or smoothness of a paint mixture and how it translates to color, texture and overall composition. By using primary colors (red, yellow and blue) while painting this classic seascape, Wyland will demonstrate how water dilution levels and various color and paint mixing techniques work together to create proper paint consistency.
Texture is the way in which an artist depicts the quality or appearance of a surface. In this painting, Wyland will explore painting the various textures of the Sea Otters and their surrounding habitat. Blending is the ability to gradate from one color to another without obvious transitions and boundaries. By using appropriate blending techniques the colors pass imperceptibly from one shade or degree of intensity to another. Wyland will demonstrate how mixing and blending techniques can work together to create a textured look.
Rhythm supplies the discipline that controls the eye as it moves around a painting. Rhythm helps the eye to move easily from one object to another and creates a harmony that tells the eye everything belongs to a unified whole. Wyland demonstrates how rhythm is visually communicated in his turtle composition.
Emphasis is the focal point of the painting. The focal point should be obvious as you look at the painting; it is the area to which your eye is attracted.
Wyland will introduce form. Helping artists to understand the nature, structure, or essence of a thing, considered apart from it’s content, color, texture, or composition. In this example, Wyland’s depiction of a fluking whale tail almost appears to be a separate object in and of itself. The form of the tail in the water sets itself aside from the whole. The identifiable fluking tail is an artistic representation of form.
Size relationships are defined by proportion and scale. Proportion refers to how the elements within an object relate to the object as a whole. Scale relates to the size of an object when compared with the size of the space in which it is located.
Asymmetry is used in art to describe a relation between two things where the first has a relation to the second, but the second cannot have the same relation to the first. Wyland depicts asymmetry in his emperor penguin painting.
Contrast is an effect created by placing or arranging very different things (for example colors, shades, or textures) next to each other. In this painting, Wyland creates different colors and textures between the sky and water providing a special contrast.
Learn about tints, shading and use of monochromatic colors. Wyland will demonstrate how to paint using 1-2 colors. Monochromatic coloring is the process in which an artist will use a series of tints and shades of one color. Analogous colors are a palette of compatible color combinations that blend well together, usually located next to each other on the color wheel. Mixing white to a hue creates tints.
Simple shapes and forms from the undersea world.
Using light, shadow, and hues to create three-dimensional effects.
Playful dolphins emphasize motion and character.
A vibrant sunset and background imagery.
A mountain river scene.
Using minimal colors to paint a simple, yet detailed, scene.
Painting transparent and textured water in a open-ocean scene.
Big surf wave is difficult to re-create.
Drawing and painting in the same motion to create a kelp forest.
Vibrant colors and movement bring out the beauty of the Hawaiian islands.
The tropical evening sun hangs behind a silhouette of palm trees.
A tropical nighttime scene features a brilliant moon and swaying palms.
Color and contrast help create the clear, pristine ocean.
Color, shading and light are used to create a monk seal.
Using composition and perspective to connect science and art.
Drawing shapes and forms to create the simplicity of nature.
A morning sunrise.
The vibrant moorish idols move through the ocean.
Light and shadows create three-dimensional effects.
Creating a mood with light, color and motion.
Using color to express the warmth of the sea.
Creating a reef by drawing and painting in the same motion.
Painting patterns in the ocean.
Drawing a clear, pristine ocean using special painting techniques.
Using color and contrast to paint the albatross sun.
Vibrant colors and perspective bring out the dynamics of the Hawaiian volcano.
Dolphins are among the most intelligent and animated creatures on earth. Found in most of the oceans, these playful animals remind us of our connection to the sea. In his painting, "Dolphin Laugh," Wyland captures the curiosity and playfulness of Kibby, a young dolphin he met years ago at the famed Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys.
In the painting, "Full Moon Seascape," Wyland shows viewers how to create a stunning image of a serene tropical beach, as a beautiful moon rises above the horizon.
In this episode, Wyland uses the interplay of shading to establish the power and size of an elephant against a deep, dark green forest.
In this episode, Wyland creates a stunning image of a lighthouse overlooking a foggy coastline, with step-by-step instructions for new artists to follow along at home. "Lighthouses are great subjects for marine art," Wyland says. "They remind us that there is always a guiding light available to us if we look hard enough."
The octopus is one of the most fascinating and intelligent creates of the sea. In this episode, Wyland encourages viewers to paint along with him as he employs impressionistic colors to create a shimmering effect.
Paint application and brushwork are the key lessons in this episode featuring Wyland's depiction of a bald eagle.
"Mahi Mahi may be best known to fishermen," Wyland says, "but for an artist they are in a category all by themself with golden bodies dotted with shimmering greens and blues."
The Moorish Idol got its name from the Moors of Africa, who purportedly believed the fish to be a bringer of happiness. In this tropical underwater scene, Wyland showcases complementary colors and glazing techniques to celebrate the Moorish Idol and many other animals that live among the coral reefs.
In this episode, Wyland invites viewers to follow along with him as he paints a beautiful Tropical Island.
Sailfish are incredibly impressive animals," Wyland says. "Clocking in at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, they're almost impossible to track up close. But in a painting like this I can freeze time for a moment to enjoy nature at its best. In this episode, Wyland uses blending techniques to create a flowing underwater scene.
In this painting lesson on light, shade, and tone, Wyland recreates a memory from one of his dives at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands.
Wyland renders his years of travel and adventure - from scuba diving below the Antarctic ice to journeys down the Mississippi River - into works of art. Negative space, a key element of artistic composition, proves an ideal technique for this touching depiction of a panda.
Polar bears are one of the earth's most iconic animals. These powerful predators roam the arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal water and have been sighted hundreds of miles from land. The bear's stark white coat and powerful stature make them a favorite subject for nature artists.
Contrasting shades are used in painting a bengal tiger.
Using linear perspective in a painting of Oregon's Mount Hood.
Chiaroscuro, juxtaposition of light and shade, enhances the dramatic aspects of a painting of a lion.
Elements of composition include unity, balance and movement.
Shades of paints are applied in distinct layers in a painting of a mother and baby koala bear.
An abstract tropical sunset painting.
Creating a sense of depth in a painting of Hawaii's Na Pali Coast.
Using tone for dramatic effect in a painting of a river hidden within the Rocky Mountains.
Using negative space to enhance a fluking whale tail.
Contrasting shades create a vivid painting of a mermaid.
Achieving harmony in an image of a sea turtle.
Mixing and blending work together to create a textured look.
The effective placement or arrangement of visual elements.
Broken color and the effect of keeping colors separate.
Components of good composition include unity, balance and movement.
Assessing how much paint is needed for a thick or thin application of color.
Utilizing negative space.
Blending with oil paint.
A lesson on light, shade and tone focuses on the natural gray shades of a stingray.
Contrasting shades to create a painting featuring dolphins off the California coast.
Color mixing and glazing create vibrant colors in a tropical underwater scene.
Demonstrating two interpretations of form through a depiction of a bottlenose dolphin in blue water; highlights and shadows enhance the three-dimensional form.
Juxtaposition of light and shade enhances the dramatic aspects of a painting.
A painting of a seahorse demonstrates a harmony of color and pattern.