Fon. dei Arsenalotti, Venice

Many painters ask me how to paint water that looks real. It is a common question in my watercolour community. Today I want to show you my painting of canal at Fon. dei Arsenalotti, Venice. The secret to water is not to paint every ripple. You just need to show the reflection of the buildings and the light.

Look at the big bridge in the middle of Fon. dei Arsenalotti, Venice.jpg. Below it, I used cobalt blue and viridian green for the cold water. Then I put warm colours next to it. The big building on the left uses yellow ochre and burnt sienna. The bright red building behind the bridge uses cadmium red and alizarin crimson. These warm colours look great next to the cool blue water.

I like to use strong shadows to create drama. The dark shapes under the bridge are made with neutral tint and ultramarine blue. This makes the bright white highlights on the bridge railing really stand out. I used white paint at the end for these small highlights on the bridge and the little boat.

You can see two people walking on the right side. They help show the size of the buildings. I painted them quickly with simple shapes. Watercolour is best when you let the paint mix on the paper. Do not look for perfection, look for the feeling of the place.