Livorno Canal from Scali Luigi Bettarini, Italy

I recently finished this new watercolor of a canal in Livorno, Italy. I stood at Scali Luigi Bettarini to see this view. The first thing that caught my eye was that big yellow building. It had such a warm and friendly feel against the blue water. I really wanted to capture how the sun hits those old walls.

For the colors, I used a lot of yellow ochre and a touch of cadmium yellow for the buildings. The shadows on the walls are a mix of cobalt blue and a little bit of neutral tint. I like how the dark shadows make the sunny parts look even brighter. It is all about finding that balance between light and dark.

The row of boats at the bottom was also fun to paint. I used ultramarine blue and cerulean blue for the water. I left some white paper showing on the boats to look like bright highlights. Then I added some small details with burnt sienna to show the wooden parts of the boats. It makes the scene feel very busy and alive.

The reflections in the water are quite soft. I painted them while the paper was still a bit damp so the colors could run together. I used some viridian green and cobalt blue here. This helps the eye move from the top of the painting down into the foreground. It was a very relaxing process to sit and paint this peaceful Italian scene.