Watercolour-Demonstration-Boats-In-The-Beck-Staithes

Robert Brindley R.S.M.A. Artist & painter in watercolour, oil & pastel

Step By Step Demonstration

Watercolour: Boats In The Beck, Staithes

This painting is of a fishing Coble at low tide, in the beck at Staithes, on a glorious sunny April morning.

The colours I used for this painting were:

Cobalt Blue Burnt Sienna

Cerulean Blue Cadmium Red

Ultramarine Blue Cobalt Violet

Raw Sienna Permanent Magenta

Step One:

The subject was drawn out on Arches 'Not' paper with a 2b pencil.

To enable soft washes to be placed over the whole painting surface, all the 'lights' were masked out with Masking Fluid.

Step Two:

Colour pools were mixed in the following colours:

Raw Sienna, Cobalt Blue & Permanent Magenta

Cobalt Blue, Raw Sienna & Permanent Magenta

Cobalt Violet Burnt Sienna & Raw Sienna

These washes were applied to the pre-wetted paper, allowing the colours to diffuse naturally.

After the paper had dried completely, the Masking Fluid was removed, using a clean dry finger.

Step Three:

The distant beach was developed further to add texture & strengthen the shadows using the following mixes:

Cobalt Blue & Permanent Magenta

Permanent Magenta & Raw Sienna

The pure white paper in this area was tinted where necessary with the following:

Raw Sienna

Cobalt Violet

Cerulean Blue

The boats were developed using the following mixes:

Cobalt Blue Ultramarine Blue

Cerulean Blue Burnt Sienna

Raw Sienna

Step Four:

The foreground beach was then progressed using the same mixes as above.

Some were strengthened.

The final details & 'darks' were then added to all areas of the painting

Step Five:

The painting was completed by adding final touches & details to the boats, such as Mooring Ropes, Floats etc.

Boats in the Beck, Staithes

Watercolour

9" x 13.5" (230mm x 345mm)