From Sketch to Surface: The Story Behind “Dark Seas”

Watch the magic unfold...

Sometimes it begins with a single scribble. A loose line in my sketchbook. A color I can’t stop thinking about—deep indigo, moody blues, a whisper of stormy grey.

Dark Seas was one of those pieces.
It began as a quiet idea during a season of unexpected change.

We had planned a big move to Northern California—an adventure I was both nervous and wildly excited about. Though the move didn’t end up happening, something about the coastline, the misty mornings, and the pull of the Pacific stayed with me. That longing found its way into my sketchbook.

I started sketching whales—majestic, gentle giants drifting through dark waters. From there, the piece evolved through delicate washes of digital watercolor, layer by layer, until it found its rhythm as a full surface pattern.

Here’s a peek at the journey—
from first pencil stroke to the final repeating design:

Every stage holds its own kind of beauty. The messiness of the early lines, the calm of the brushwork, the satisfaction of seeing it all come together—there’s a quiet kind of magic in the process. Unfortunately, I didn't take more photographs of the process. This colelction I whipped up pretty quickly.

Thanks for following along,
—Chulynda