Who doesn't love a good nighttime scene? Which is why in our 3-part discussion of sky usage in water, I had to visit this night ocean coloring tutorial. Overall, creating this look took me less than 7 minutes with a few supplies. 

My background with different artistic mediums is primarily in digital, with some watercolor, before I got into alcohol markers. I have dabbled in a lot of other mediums as well, which is why you see mixed media with my pages. Even as a watercolorist, I was mixing in markers, colored pencils, and acrylics. 

With that all said, let's dive into the last of the ocean vibes coloring tutorials. 

Night Ocean Coloring Tutorial

The first thing you might see is that MG100 and BGII05 are very similar, and you may be shocked that I used MG100 for most of it. 

BGII05 was used to help bring in a softer depth for the ocean when helping to define the waves. Using MG100 again would have been okay, too, but I was concerned about getting too dark right away. 

Tools Used

As a fast reminder, some of my markers being used for this are Ohuhu's old codes. I try to indicate this with (old) written next to it. I am also using Artistro white acrylic and Sakura Gel Pens. 

Ohuhu Colors: MG100 and BGII05
White Highlights: Artistro White Acrylic Medium Tip
Sakura Gel Pens: White, Yellow Glitter, Silver Glitter.

Night Ocean Coloring Tutorial Video

One takeaway I have from the video is that it is okay to apply color and not have it completely smooth at the start. It is not ruined, it allows to set a base that can be pushed. 

Please also note I am coloring on 120 GSM paper, which behaves a little differently than some of the paper my books are colored on. But sometimes the same things can happen. I hope that this helps in showing how to lean into it. 

Night Ocean Coloring Tutorial Step-By-Step

Step 1: Use MG100 to color horizontally across the square.
Step 2: Take a white gel pen and define the horizon
Step 3: Fill in the sky fully with the MG100
Step 4: Then, use MG100 to define horizontal darker patches of the waves.
Step 5: Take BGII05 and use it to help define more wave depth
Step 6: Use a white acrylic to add highlights on the water and splatter darker spots with some dots.
Step 7: Take MG100 and use it to dot and add depth on the splatter acrylic
Step 8: Use MG100 under the white acrylic highlights to add more depth and shadow
Step 9: Grab the white, yellow, and silver gel pens to create stars in the sky.

And that is everything in creating this base look. If you prefer a less watered look, I recommend using dark blue and purple colored pencils within the waves.

Overall, I hope that after the last few days in this 30-day coloring tutorial series, you can see how the colors of the sky can be used in water to create a more blended scene.