The two ships are locked in an intense battle. The men on the deck of one of the ships are frantically loading and firing the cannons in an effort to stop the other ship. The roar of battle is deafening, and the soldiers are struggling to make their way through the thick smoke that is billowing from the cannons. Even though only seconds have passed since the last salvo, the men hurry to reload the weapons in preparation for the next attack.
In terms of colouring this scene, I would recommend using a range of light to dark shades of grey, blue and brown to denote the darkness of the sea and the smoke and gunpowder in the air. Contrastingly, the sails of the ships and the uniforms of the soldiers should be a much brighter combination of whites and blues. Finally, I would suggest using pops of colour to depict the vibrant and chaotic nature of the battle - think yellows, oranges and reds for the explosions and flashes from the cannons.