Once the general outline had been drawn with a light-colored pastel pencil, I identified the two main characteristics of the painting: the vibrancy of the surf as it entered the inlet, and the striking regularity of the rocks. I then determined the tonal range I would use in the painting: the surf represented by a light turquoise and the rocks by the darkest brown.
Choosing the is an important step in creating a painting. Decide what you want the audience to be most taken with -- it's the part that you will inevitably spend most time on -- and which you expect a viewer to look at most intensely.
I liked the awkward juxtaposition of the straight lines of the rock outcrop and the curving wave fronts expressed by the boundaries of the turquoise block. I also decided that the main highlight would be the furthest line of surf, along the back of the block, which would be breaking quite dramatically.
