Gannet Colony at Muriwai Beach

The coastline at Muriwai in New Zealand is a truly dramatic place to paint. The white birds stand out so brightly against the dark rocks and the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. In this painting, I wanted to capture the busy energy of the colony. I used plenty of Ultramarine Blue and Cerulean Blue for the water, letting the colours mix on the paper to show the movement of the waves. The cliffs have a mix of Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber to give them a solid, earthy feel.

A student recently asked me how to make white birds look bright without using lots of white paint. The secret is often in the shadows. I used a touch of Lavender and Neutral Tint to paint the shaded sides of the gannets. By putting these cool colours next to the warm Yellow Ochre on their heads, the birds really start to pop off the page. It is all about the balance between the light and the dark areas.

For the birds in the foreground, I used two specific techniques to get the right look. First, I used negative painting. This means I painted the dark ground around the birds to create their shapes. This makes the white paper look like the bright feathers of the gannets. It is a great way to keep your whites clean and sharp. I also used a little bit of body painting. This involves using thicker paint, like white gouache, to add those final bright highlights on top of the darker washes.

I find that mixing these two methods gives the painting a lot of depth. The negative painting keeps the light transparent, while the body paint adds a bit of texture. I also added some Viridian Green and Cobalt Green for the sea spray near the rocks. This painting is currently for sale, so please do contact me if you would like more information or are interested in owning this piece.