Living in the coastal city of Brisbane, Australia, artist Bethany Moffat was always fascinated and inspired by the ocean — even though she had a fear of deep water. Ultimately, this influenced her art. And at first glance, Bethany’s seascape artworks might look like photographs, but they’re actually a series of hyper-realistic coloured pencil drawings.

“Growing up by the sea I experienced both a fear of deep water yet also admired the beauty of its creation,” says the artist. “There is healing power in the salty ocean air. I will forever be fascinated by how the sea can be so terrifying and tumultuous, yet calm at the same time.”

Bethany might spend several weeks on each piece, sketching the silk-like ocean surface, one pencil stroke at a time. Each hyper-realistic ocean wave is beautifully rendered with layers of deep tones and realistic shading. Therefore, it’s no surprise that she requires a lot of colouring pencils to achieve this. In fact, for her latest drawing called Moonlight, the talented artist used nearly 70 pencils.

After drawing seascapes for the past several years — and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback — Bethany decided to quit her day job to become a full-time artist. It turned out to be a good decision. Her works quickly gained attention from art enthusiasts and collectors all over the world, and she’s been “making waves” ever since.

Bethany’s meticulous process is a testament to her incredible patience. It also mirrors the powerful, never-ending flow of the ocean itself. Take a look at more of her portfolio below celebrating the tranquil beauty of soft waves and ripples in deep blue hues. You can also follow her on Instagram or see more on her website.

Source: https://mymodernmet.com/ocean-colored-pencil-drawings/