Textures and Colouration of Cliffs at Holywell Bay

I love painting scenes from Cornwall, and Holywell Bay is one of my favourites. The shapes and colours of the cliffs always catch my eye, so I wanted to really capture that in this painting. The cliffs here have amazing textures. I used a mix of greens and earth colours to show the mossy areas and the warm stone. You can see strong patches of burnt sienna and burnt umber, with touches of viridian and cobalt blue that bring out shadowy areas and make the rocks stand out. The water flowing through the sand picks up some of the sky’s blue, and I’ve added quick strokes of colour to suggest movement and reflections. I like how the figure walking between the rocks gives balance and a feeling of scale.

Painting coastal scenes in watercolour is one of the best ways to practise lively brushwork. For this scene, I kept things loose so the textures could show through. It’s all about letting water and pigment work together, sometimes leaving random marks and then adding stronger lines while the paper is still damp. The combination of greens, ochres and blues in this painting is typical for Cornwall, and it helps create that peaceful, fresh seaside look.

If you enjoy landscapes with bold shapes and colour, I think you’ll like this piece. The painting is for sale, so if you’re interested, just contact me for more details. I always welcome your questions and feedback. Come and see more of my artwork on my website www.timwilmotartist.com and join my friendly painting club and Patreon community at patreon/timwilmot. You can even start with a free trial!