Seaside coloring pages

Seaside pictures place a sailboat on layered bands of water. The sea is made of several wave bands, each with a scalloped top edge, stacked so they seem to roll toward you. Above them are a sun and clouds, and the boat itself has a hull, a mast and two sails. In some variations a fish swims among the waves.

Two sails on one mast

Many small sailboats carry this arrangement: a larger mainsail behind the mast and a smaller headsail, often called a jib, in front of it. Each sail can be adjusted separately, which gives sailors more control over how the boat catches the wind. That simple outline of hull, mast and two triangles has become the classic shorthand for a sailboat in drawings.

Stylized waves

Rows of repeating curved crests are an old way of drawing water, found in decorative art from many places, including well-known Japanese woodblock prints. The scalloped bands here work the same way: each band is a clear shape, and together they suggest motion. Because the wave bands are wide and the boat parts are compact, these pictures are friendly at every difficulty. For help with the thinner pieces, such as the mast, read our guide to small areas.