Ocean Art - Bold and Sinuous

Ukiyo-e is a genre of woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries in Japan. The word translated, literally means "pictures of the floating world"...and though not all Ukiyo-e prints involve water, those
that do often capture it's movement and tension stunningly.

Two of of the most famous Ukiyo-e artists were Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige. Below are examples of their treatment of ocean waves.

Navaro Rapids by Utagawa Hiroshige


Ocean Waves by Katsushika Hokusai by hokusais_hokusai


The Sea off Satta by Utagawa Hiroshige


The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

Anime is a style of animation originating in Japan (although it has come to also mean any style of art which mimics this form). In Anime I see the influence of the Ukiyo printmakers. It has the same bold lines, and the same powerful sense of motion...even when the Anime artwork is not in animated form. See an example below:


Blue Sea of White Waves Poster Print by pandapad_ap

Ocean art with a similar style to the Ukiyo printmakers can be found around the world, not just in Japan. English artist Arthur Rackham's illustration are an excellent example. His waves are very reminescent of Ukiyo-e prints.

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