Benalmadena Marina #2

I recently finished a new painting of the marina in Benalmadena. This is a very famous spot in Spain with some very unusual buildings. The architecture there is quite complex and has a lot of interesting shapes. I wanted to capture the feel of the place without getting lost in too much detail. It was a fun challenge to simplify those big building shapes while keeping their character.

The main thing I focused on was the contrast in this scene. I wanted the buildings to look very bright under the sun. To do this, I made the water in the front quite dark. I used a mix of neutral tint and ultramarine blue for the deep shadows in the water. When you put dark colours next to light colours, it makes the light parts really glow.

For the buildings, I used a little bit of yellow ochre and cobalt blue for the shadows. I also used some alizarin crimson to add warmth to the walls. The sky was kept simple with a wash of cerulean blue. I think the mix of warm building colours and cool water colours works very well together.

I also enjoyed painting the boats tucked in against the quay. I used some white paint at the very end to add highlights on the boat covers and the masts. These tiny bits of white really help to bring the painting to life. It was a lovely subject to paint and I am happy with how the reflections turned out in the ripples.