Église Saint-Samson d'Ouistreham

Have you ever wondered how to capture the feel of a dark night without making your painting look muddy or dull? Many of my students ask me how to handle these deep shadows while still keeping the paper looking fresh. I usually tell them that the secret is not in the black paint, but in the contrast between the warm glows and the cool blues. This painting of the Église Saint-Samson d'Ouistreham was a special request from my monthly online workshop group. They wanted to see how to tackle a night scene, which is quite a rare subject for us watercolour painters.

I started this piece by focusing on the large shapes of the church and the building on the left. By using a mix of Ultramarine Blue and a little Neutral Tint, I could create those very dark sky areas that make the moon look so bright. It is important to leave that white paper for the moon and the highlights on the ground. If you paint over those bits, you lose the magic of the light. The reflection on the wet pavement helps to pull the viewer into the scene and adds a bit of life to the empty space.

For the buildings, I used warmer tones like Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna. These colours work so well against the cold blue of the night sky. I also added some Alizarin Crimson in the dark areas to give the shadows some heat. The small figure walking towards the church gives the painting a sense of scale and a bit of a story. I always like to add a person or two to show how big the buildings really are. It makes the whole scene feel much more real.

This original painting is currently for sale. If you would like to own this piece or if you have any questions about the techniques I used, please do contact me for more information. I find that night scenes are a wonderful way to practice your values and learn how to control your water. It was a great challenge for the workshop and I think we all learned a lot about how to make the darkness shine.