Painting Gragnola Bridge: soft shadows on water and lively river texture

Here is my recent watercolour of Gragnola Bridge, looking north up the River Aulella from my 2023 trip to the Watermill at Posara in Tuscany. I love the quiet feel of this spot and the way the buildings catch the light while the river slides by in shade. I used my usual palette with neutral tint, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, light red, burnt sienna, burnt umber, yellow ochre, viridian and a touch of white for a few sparkle notes. The mood here is all about a cool cast shadow over the water and broken, moving textures across the surface. 

For the shadow across the river I work in layers. First I wet the water area and lay a light base wash, cooler near the foreground and lighter in the distance to suggest depth. When dry, I float a second, transparent glaze for the cast shadow, mixing ultramarine with a little burnt sienna and neutral tint so the scene underneath still shows through. Keep the shadow edges softer near the centre of the river and sharper where the bank blocks the light. Remember, cast shadows follow the surface, so let the shape bend with the gentle slope of the flow. Lift a few tiny shapes with a damp brush to break the shadow and add sparkle.

For lively river texture I like a damp surface and varied strokes. I re wet the mid water and paint ripples as interlocking horizontal marks, closer together as they go back, testing the dampness so edges stay soft and read as moving water. I then drag a nearly dry brush with light red plus ultramarine greys along the near bank for stones and weed, and lightly lift thin ripples with a clean flat brush when the sheen has just gone. A few darker flicks and small broken shapes suggest floating leaves and reflections, then I dot in bright greens for river plants and add tiny white touches for sparkle. Keep it simple and let granulation and blooms do some of the work.