Beach Sand Ripples, Holywell Bay, Cornwall #2

Many people ask me how to paint wet beach sand without making it look flat and boring. The secret is to look for the textures and shapes left behind when the tide goes out. On this day at Holywell Bay in Cornwall, I chose to look inland rather than out towards the sea. The low tide revealed amazing ridges and pools in the sand. These shapes create a wonderful lead-in line for the viewer, guiding your eyes right into the middle of the picture where the dark rocks stand tall.

To capture the feeling of the bright day, I started with a lively sky using cobalt blue and cerulean blue. I left plenty of white paper for the clouds. For the sand ripples, I used a mix of yellow ochre and burnt sienna. While the paper was still damp, I painted the dark shadows in the ridges using neutral tint and ultramarine blue. This wet-in-wet technique gives a soft edge to the shadows, which makes the sand look real and three-dimensional.

The big dark rock in the centre is the main focus of the painting. I used a strong mix of burnt umber and cobalt blue to make it stand out against the bright sand. If you look closely, you can see two small figures walking near the rocks. Adding simple figures like this gives a sense of scale to the landscape. It shows just how grand the Cornish coast really is. On the right, I added a pop of bright spring green on the cliff top to contrast with the deep blues and earthy browns.

This original watercolour painting is for sale. If you would like to have this view of Cornwall on your wall, please contact me for more information.