Coral reef of Yabiji, Miyako Island — Colored Example

Rich Blue Shades and Dynamic Sunbeams

If you color the lovely blue ocean shades and sunlight coming into the water, your picture will look super deep right away!

• Ocean Shades: Layer and mix light blues (cyan or light blue) with deep blues (cobalt blue or dark blue) to show how the sea changes with depth. Make it bright near the top. Make it darker blue near the ocean floor at the bottom. This makes it look really deep!

• Sunbeams Coming In: Use bright yellow or white colored pencils to draw rays of light coming down from the water surface. Draw straight light lines down at an angle from right under the boat. Leave little light spaces between these lines. The underwater scene will sparkle and shine!

• Wavy Water Surface: At the very top of the page, color wavy yellow light lines and light blue back and forth. This shows the water sparkling in the sunny light!

Bright Sea Life: Color Many Kinds of Coral

The Coral reef of Yabiji, Miyako Island is famous for lots of colorful corals! Use different colors for each kind to show a happy, healthy ocean.

• Branch and Fan Corals (Left and Right): Use mostly pink and purple here. Do not use just one color! Put a little purple over light pink. You can enjoy a pretty mix that only colored pencils can make.

• Table and Brain Corals (Near the Middle): Color the round brain corals in the middle with warm colors like peach or yellow. Use bright orange and pink for the sea anemones and soft corals below them!

• Coloring Different Textures: Color the branch corals neat and smooth. For round corals and sea anemones, tap your pencil lightly to add tiny dots of color. This makes each texture really stand out!

Natural Textures: Rocks and Sand

Rocks and sand hold up the corals. They are very important parts that bring the whole picture together!

• Bumpy Rocks: Color the rocks spreading from the center to the sides by layering gray and dark brown. Press softly in some spots and hard in others. Leave a rough feel to make them look like heavy, real rocks!

• Soft White Sand: For the sandy floor at the bottom, use light beige or yellow-ochre. Color gently and softly with a light touch. Make it nice and smooth to contrast with the bumpy rocks!

Sea Creature Details: Sea Turtles, Manta Rays, and Fish

Here is a trick for the main sea creatures! Color them a bit bolder so they pop out from the background.

• Sea Turtle: Carefully layer green, brown, and yellow-ochre on the shell. This recreates the cool turtle pattern! Use a brighter yellow-green on its belly and face to make it look 3D.

• Manta Ray: Color its back with dark gray or blue-gray. Make a clean line where it meets the white belly! Blend the colors softly to show its smooth skin.

• Colorful Tropical Fish: Use bright yellow for butterflyfish! Use your brightest, prettiest pencils like pink, sky blue, and emerald green for the other little fish. For the barracuda on the top right, use silver or light blue to make it look sharp and cool!