Scali S. Lorenzo, Livorno, Italy, view to Castle

The New Venice area of Livorno in Italy. It is a wonderful place for any artist to visit because there is water and old buildings everywhere. This painting shows a small bridge with the old castle walls sitting just behind it. The light was very bright that day and it made the red bricks look very warm.

The view is from a few metres above the canal. This means we have to look down at the boats. Painting boats from this angle can be tricky because they sit at different angles in the water. I tried to focus on the main shapes and not get lost in too much detail. It is all about getting the perspective right so the boats look like they are floating.

For the colours, I wanted to capture the warmth of the Italian sun. I used plenty of Burnt Sienna and some Light Red for the bridge and the walls. To make the water look natural, I mixed Cobalt Blue with a little bit of Yellow Ochre. This gave me a nice soft green colour that reflects the buildings and the sky.

In the dark shadows under the bridge, I used a mix of Ultramarine Blue and Neutral Tint. This makes the white boats stand out much more. I used a little bit of white paint at the very end to add the brightest highlights on the tops of the boats. It really helps to bring the whole scene to life.

This original watercolour painting is for sale. If you would like to own it, please contact me for more information.