Caen Hill Locks

I had such a great time last night giving a live painting demonstration to the Lawrence Art Society. It was a brilliant evening, and the topic was a watercolour of the very famous Caen Hill Locks in Devizes. It is a wonderful place to paint, with all that history and the lovely Wiltshire countryside around it. Thank you to everyone who came along. I hope you enjoyed watching my process and maybe picked up a few new tips.

When I started this painting, I always like to think about the light first. The water is the main subject here, reflecting the trees and the boat. The time of day was mid-afternoon, which means the colours on the water are quite deep and strong. I used some lovely cobalt blue mixed with a touch of burnt umber to get those rich, dark reflections on the water's surface.

For the greens in the trees and the grassy banks, I mostly relied on viridian green and spring green. These colours really help to make the summer light feel bright and fresh. I like to keep the greens loose and not too detailed at the start. It is all about letting the colours mix on the paper, which gives that lovely soft edge that watercolour is known for.

The little narrowboat in the painting is a strong focal point. I gave it a bold red hull using some cadmium red and a bit of neutral tint to darken it down where the shadows fall under the bridge. This bright red really pops against the softer greens and blues of the landscape around it.

One of the tricks to painting a scene like this is handling the water. I like to lay down the main wash of colour first. Then, when it is dry, I go back in with darker strokes for the ripples and reflections. It gives the water depth. The light area in the middle of the canal is where the light is hitting directly, and I made sure to leave some of the white paper showing through there.

I also spent some time on the buildings in the background. That little house with the red roof is painted with light red and burnt sienna. These warm, earthy colours are great for old bricks and roof tiles. It is important not to overwork the background, though. I want your eye to be drawn to the boat and the water, so the buildings stay a little soft and less detailed.

It was a real challenge to try and capture the whole scene in just one session. Watercolour requires you to work quite quickly, but that is part of the fun! It teaches you to be brave with your brushstrokes and not fuss over the small details too much. It is all about the feeling you get from the place.

The atmosphere in the room was great. I loved all the questions you asked about washes, lifting out colour, and how I manage to keep my whites. Remember, the key to watercolour is planning and learning when to stop. Do not try to fix everything. Sometimes, a happy accident makes the painting better!

This original painting of the Caen Hill Locks is for sale. If you would like to know more about it, please contact me directly. It is a lovely memory of a great evening and a beautiful part of England. I hope to see many of you at my next live event. Why not check out the rest of my website at www.timwilmotartist.com for more of my work. And, if you want to join a friendly community of watercolour painters, come over to my Patreon club at patreon/timwilmot. Check it out for a free trial!