Painting the Light and Shadows of Polperro Harbour

Today I want to share my latest painting of Polperro harbour. It is a very famous and beautiful spot in Cornwall. I love visiting this place because the light is always so interesting. The way the sun hits the old white buildings creates some wonderful shapes for us to paint. I enjoyed looking for the simple patterns of light and dark across the scene.

In this painting, I focused on the geometric patterns of the buildings. I looked for the squares and triangles of light and shade on the houses. To paint the shadows, I used a lovely mix of Lavender and Ultramarine Blue. This makes the white walls of the cottages really stand out against the green hills in the background. I used some Viridian Green and Yellow Ochre for those soft green slopes.

The reflections in the water were the next part of the challenge. I wanted to show the movement of the sea. I used Cerulean Blue and a bit of Cobalt Green to get that coastal feel. The dark shapes of the boats and the harbour wall help to ground the whole picture. I always leave some white paper for the brightest highlights on the boats and the roofs.

This original painting of Polperro is currently for sale. If you would like to own this piece, please contact me for more information. I hope this gives you some ideas for your next painting session. Please visit the rest of my website at www.timwilmotartist.com to see more of my work. You can also join my painting club and community at patreon.com/timwilmot. Check it out for a free trial!