Cadaques Fishing Boats

The bright sunlight in Spain creates some of the best shadows for a watercolour painter. In this painting of the fishing boats at Cadaqués, I wanted to show the strong contrast between the white hulls of the boats and the deep, cool shadows on the sand. I used a mix of Ultramarine Blue and a little Alizarin Crimson to get those rich purple tones in the shade. It is these dark areas that really make the sunlight feel warm and real on the paper.

Many of you ask me how to keep the water looking soft while the land looks solid. I find that using a big mop brush with lots of water helps. For the sea in the background, I used a very pale wash of Cerulean Blue. I made sure to leave some of the white paper showing through to look like the sun hitting the ripples. It is important not to overwork these areas or the painting can start to look a bit muddy.

The buildings on the left were fun to paint because of the warm colours. I mixed Yellow Ochre with some Cadmium Red to get that earthy, Mediterranean feel. While the paint was still damp, I dropped in some darker Cobalt Blue to show the windows and the weathered texture of the walls. This wet-on-wet technique is great for adding detail without making the edges look too sharp or hard.

To finish the scene, I added the two figures near the boats. They give the painting a sense of scale and life. I used a tiny bit of white paint at the very end to catch the light on the top of their hats and the edges of the boats. This little trick helps the main subjects pop out against the background. If you would like to own this original painting, please contact me for more information as it is currently for sale.