Whenever I plan on doing a large wave painting, I always do a small study first. To the left is a 6 x 12 that I did in about two hours.
For the larger painting I stretched an 18 x 32 canvas. I did a drawing on this one first because of the complexity of the shapes.
I like to go for walks on the beach in the morning. It's a great way to start the day, and I think it's important to look at and observe the ocean before I start painting it. Here is a picture of me hard at work - I love my job
Below is a shot of it as of last night. It has a long way to go!