For me, the mood and atmosphere of a painting is of far more importance than accurate topographic details. Crucial information is provided by on-the-spotsketches and colour studies. I also work from memory and imagination and photographs of coastal features, huge dramatic skies and turbulent seas. I use elements from my many photographs rather than slavishly following one, which enables me to experiment freely. It also helps to watch film footage of water and wild seas to understand how water ebbs and flows, the movement of waves and how light plays on and shines through the surface of water.
I usually try out a few simple thumbnail sketches to see which composition works. The rule of thirds creates strong, comfortable compositions, although I might deliberately flout this rule to obtain strong, edgy and slightly disturbing layouts. The layout also helps to lead the eye through the painting to the focal point, even if this is just a bright spot of light in an otherwise loose and atmospheric piece. The key here is to include enough information to keep the work convincing and expressive, whilst leaving out unnecessary detail.
Layering