Tutorial Step by Step:

Sunset over the beach in Watercolour

Step 1

Turn the paper sideways and wet the sky area with clean water before dropping and allowing the colours to flood down the paper.

Step 2

Using Indian Yellow, Chinese Orange, Alizarine Crimson, Ultramarine Violet and Cobalt Blue drop the colours in allowing them to range from the yellow near the horizon to the blue at the top of the picture.

Step 3

Once the paint has reached the point of almost dry (so as to avoid runs) turn the paper to its correct viewing position and lift out the area of white light with either a small piece of kitchen roll or a brush. Then drag a little of the surround colour over the sun burst.

Step 4

Using Cobalt Blue you start to develop the sea area.

Step 5

Mixing Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Violet and Chinese Orange you can make a grey to paint in the distant landline. As it reaches the point just prior to dry I have dropped in a little Indian Yellow on the top edges to reflect the lower sky colour

Step 6

The right hand cliffs are painted by laying down Chinese Orange, over painted whilst still wet with Ultramarine Violet and then Indigo Blue. Being brave with the dark Indigo Blue and not allowing any of the ashes to be too thin a mix makes this technique work.

Step 7

You must work quickly and whilst all the three wash colours are still wet drag out the shapes of cliffs with a piece of old credit card. At the bottom of the cliffs a shadow area can be easily created with a quick sideways drag of the dark excess of paint that accumulates as you work the cliffs from top to bottom. This technique is the reversal of normal watercolour theory where you work from light dark. In this technique once the three colours are applies you are scratching back to light from the dark top colour.

Step 8

Here you can see the effectiveness of this technique when handled correctly.

Step 9

The rock formation to the right of the work is developed by the same techniques and then the foreground beach area is washed in using all the previously used colours. Allowing the Ultramarine Violet to create shadow areas and slight touches of Alizarine Crimson in the foremost area giving depth.

Step 10

Starting with Cobalt Blue and with a dry brushing technique the sea is developed. Simple marks with the earlier used grey mixture sails and masts are painted and then developed with Chinese Orange for the nearest sails. The figures on the beach and rocks are painted with Indigo Blue without too much attention to details, and the figures on the beach are reflected across the sands by catching the bottom of the figures whilst still wet and dragging the colour.

Step 11

The final work shows a delightful glow of evening light over an unspoilt beach with yachts gliding across a quite sea whilst holidaymakers enjoy the evening glow.