Yellow boat at Cockwood Harbour in Devon

The tide was out when I looked at this scene in Cockwood. This small village sits on the west side of the Exe Estuary in South Devon. It is a very famous spot for artists because of the old stone walls and the way the boats sit on the mud when the water goes away. The harbour is very old and has a tiny entrance under a railway bridge which makes it feel very quiet and tucked away.

I wanted the yellow boat to be the star of this painting. I used a bright cadmium yellow for the hull to make it pop against the duller colours of the harbour floor. To balance that bright yellow, I used some deep ultramarine blue and neutral tint for the shadows under the boat. The contrast between the warm yellow and the cool dark shadows helps the boat look solid and heavy on the ground.

The background has some soft green hills which I painted with a mix of yellow ochre and viridian green. I kept the sky very simple with a light wash of cobalt blue so it did not take focus away from the harbour wall. The old red brick houses in the back were painted with light red and burnt sienna. I like how the red bricks look next to the green grass on the hills behind them.

I used some white paint at the very end to add some small highlights on the boat and the water puddles. It is important not to use too much white paint, just a few dots here and there to show where the light hits the wet mud. The man walking in the middle helps to show how big the boats and the walls are. I think he adds a bit of life to the quiet harbour scene.

This original watercolour painting is for sale. If you would like to own it or want more details about the size and price, please contact me for more information. I always enjoy painting these Devon scenes because the light changes so fast near the water. It was a fun challenge to capture the textures of the old stone and the messy harbour floor.