The Bright Colours of Camogli Harbour

The light in Italy is something every painter should try to capture at least once. Last Saturday, I travelled down to Winchester to give a live demonstration to the local art club. I always like to let the group choose the subject so they feel part of the process. They wanted a coastal scene, and they picked out a beautiful photo of Camogli, which is a charming fishing village on the Italian Riviera. It is a fantastic spot for a watercolourist because of the tall, warm-coloured buildings and the deep blue of the Mediterranean sea.

How do you make those bright buildings look like they are glowing in the sun? That was a question I was asked during the demo. The secret is in the contrast. I used a lot of Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna for the walls of the houses. By placing these warm tones next to a very dark, cool blue like Ultramarine, the buildings really pop out. I kept the brushwork quite loose on the harbour walls to make sure the painting felt full of energy and light rather than being too stiff.

Water is always a challenge, but the trick is to think about the reflections. In this painting, I mirrored the shapes of the boats and the buildings in the foreground. I used some Cobalt Blue and Cerulean Blue for the water, leaving plenty of white paper to show the sparkle on the waves. A few touches of white paint at the very end helped to define the masts and the little splashes around the boat hulls. It is all about letting the colours run into each other while they are still wet.