The beach at Beer

Dark clouds overhead can make a coastal scene full of drama. In this painting called Beer, the contrast between the dark sky and the bright light on the beach creates a strong focal point. Working with dark skies helps to bring out the bright light on white walls and colourful fishing boats.

For the boats on the shingle beach, I used strong mixtures of cadmium red and cobalt blue. These bold colours make the main boat jump out against the beach. For the steep background hills, I mixed viridian green with a touch of burnt sienna to keep the greens looking natural. The dark sky behind the village was created using ultramarine blue mixed with neutral tint for depth.

Notice how the winch lines on the beach guide your eyes right up into the picture. Simple lines like tracks or shadows on pebbles are great tools in watercolour painting. They lead the viewer across the foreground toward the figures and the white house above. I left the white paper showing for the bright building to capture that sharp sunlight.