Spooner's Cove, Montana De Oro State Park, California

The light in California has a special quality that really brings coastal scenes to life. When I looked at the dark, jagged rocks of Spooner's Cove, I knew I wanted to show the contrast between the heavy stone and the moving white foam of the sea. The cliffs here have these wonderful diagonal layers that lead your eye right into the centre of the painting. It is a great exercise in using different brush strokes to show the texture of the ancient earth against the soft spray of the Pacific Ocean.

Many of you often ask me how to paint white crashing waves without it looking messy. The secret is to leave the white of the paper for the brightest parts of the foam. I used a mix of Ultramarine Blue and a little Neutral Tint to paint the shadows within the water. By placing these cool, dark colours right next to the white paper, the waves look like they are really moving and splashing against the shore. It is all about that balance between the light and the dark.

For the rugged cliffs on the left, I used quite a thick mix of Burnt Umber and Ultramarine. I like to use a side-on brush stroke to let the paper texture show through, which creates the look of rough rock. On the right side, the cliffs have much more life and greenery. I brought in some Yellow Ochre and a bright Spring Green to show where the sun hits the grass on top of the hills. This touch of warmth helps to balance the cooler blues of the ocean and the shadows.

The beach in the foreground needs to look solid but also detailed. I used a very pale wash of Yellow Ochre and then added some small dots of darker paint while the paper was still a bit damp. This creates the look of pebbles and wet sand without having to paint every single stone. It keeps the painting feeling fresh and spontaneous. This original painting is currently for sale, so please do contact me if you would like more information about owning it.

If you enjoyed seeing how I put this scene together, please take a look at the rest of my website at www.timwilmotartist.com. You can also join my painting club and community at patreon.com/timwilmot. I would love to see you there, and you can even check it out with a free trial to see all my latest video demos and tips!