Santa Barbara Yacht Club

The light in California has a very special quality that creates deep, dark shadows against the pale sand. When I looked at these chairs by the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, I knew the shadows were the real story of the painting. I used a mix of Ultramarine Blue and a little Neutral Tint to get those strong, cool shapes on the ground. It is important to make the shadows bold because they help the white chairs look bright and sunny.

Many people ask me how to paint white objects without using too much white paint. The secret is actually in the colours you put around the object. By using a warm Yellow Ochre for the sand and very dark tones for the building behind, the white paper does most of the work for the chairs. I only added a few touches of white paint at the very end to show where the sun hits the top edges of the wood.

For the figures walking toward the sea, I wanted a splash of bright colour to draw your eye. I chose a bit of Cadmium Yellow and Cobalt Blue for their clothes. These small bits of colour make the beach feel alive. The sea itself is a simple wash of Cobalt Blue mixed with a tiny bit of Viridian Green to give it that coastal feel. I kept the water very calm so it did not take away from the interesting shapes of the furniture.

I always try to keep my brushwork loose when painting scenes like this. If you look closely at the chairs, they are just a few simple strokes. I find that if I paint every single detail, the painting feels too stiff. Instead, I let the colours run together a little bit on the paper. This creates a soft feeling that matches a relaxing day at the beach. It is much more fun to paint this way and it lets the viewer use their own imagination