Killer Waves

[FHL FERG]

I'm trying to tackle a project for a client and I'm struggling. I'm trying to tool some realistic looking ocean waves, for a surfer boy.

Challenge One: The area to work in is about 1.75" wide and 5" long, I really need the measurements reversed for a landscape, but it is what it is.

Challenge Two: The white caps and spray- what I draw on paper looks more like flames than white caps. I can't seem to come up with an image that I feel I can bring to life. Should I let the coloring later deifne it? How should a I carve and tool the white caps?

Any thoughts or suggestions

[DoubleC]

Hi Ferg. I did a challenge here a while back and did my horse in her field with a little trout stream going by. It was a challenge on perspective with a theme in it. I was able to indicate deeper areas of the stream using my pear shader in places and I didn't use color, I mean in the sense of blue, white, things like that. It might work to carve your wave and then use a thin white wash over the blue for the whitecaps while using one of you matting tools to leave a burnish for the deeper parts of the wave. Also the top of the wave is naturally going to be closer to the sun and brighter while the bottom will be shadowed from the crest of the wave looming over top. I'm probably not being very clear but this is how I did a perspective picture without using the natural colors of the items.

There are more artistically inclined people here than me and I hope they can give you some more ideas. Cheryl

[Tree Reaper]

Color will define it, you can try sand paper for spray affect, rub it into the damp leather and touch it off with white paint.

http://www.lightstalking.com/waves

[LNLeather]

Hi Ferg: It might help if we could see a picture of what you are trying to do.

I have a simple way to depict waves and put it around the image of an island.

I use a V821 Craftool Veiner Stamp

You can use it straight on, or tip it

I hope this helps

[FHL FERG]

@DoubleC thanks forthe advice, I follow what you are saying.

@treereaper, I agree

@lnlleather I will post a pic momentarily of what I came up with....

[FHL FERG]

I was originally trying to tool it on a set of suspenders. That wasn't working since it was so narrow. So instead I made this backplate and things came together a lot better. Gotta lay down some color tomorrow and I think it will set it off....

Thoughts?

Edited November 15, 2012 by FHL FERG

[DoubleC]

Ferg, it looks good to me. Cheryl

[LNLeather]

Hey, that looks really good to me too!

[dirtclod]

Real waves !

[jayjay]

Those look good I might suggest that you mat down the background this will give you more depth. Just my 2 cents

[FHL FERG]

Thanks for the feedback.

Jayjay, what do you mean by "mat down"? with a backgrounder?

[jayjay]

Use a matting tool I don't have the number of the tool I use at the moment but everywhere in the background you push the leather down to create depth. The tool has a cross hatch pattern so it will create a different texture and the waves will really pop off the leather. An example is attached see in between the rays in the background and the space inside the cloak. This is what I'm talking about regarding matting.

Hope this helps I tend to ramble..