Beach Huts, Back Beach, Teignmouth, Devon

In my work titled Beach Huts, Back Beach, Teignmouth, Devon, I wanted to show the strong contrast between the dark buildings and the light boats. I used a mix of Neutral Tint and Burnt Umber for the huts to make them look very solid. This dark area helps the white boats stand out and look very bright against the sand.

A student recently asked me how to make white objects look better in watercolour. The secret is to paint very dark shapes next to them. In this painting, the dark shadows under the boats are just as important as the boats themselves. I used Ultramarine Blue and a bit of Burnt Sienna to create these deep shadows on the ground. This makes the boats look like they are really sitting on the beach.

For the sky, I wanted to show some movement and light. I used Cerulean Blue for the bright parts and some grey made from Neutral Tint for the clouds. I also added a tiny bit of Cadmium Yellow near the horizon to show where the sun is trying to break through. It is important to keep the sky soft so it does not take away from the main subject on the ground.

The ground in this scene has a very warm feel. I used Burnt Sienna and Alizarin Crimson to paint the wet sand and mud. I like to let these colours mix together on the paper while the wash is still wet. This creates a natural look that is perfect for a beach at low tide. I also added a small blue figure using Cobalt Blue to give the painting a bit of life.