In around four hours, you will create a beautiful watercolour showing an idyllic beach in the Mediterranean, where families are relaxing together in the summer sunshine.

Materials

Paper
Arches Rough 300gsm 18x 27cm. Any good quality paper will do.

Paint
Winsor and Newton artist quality watercolour tubes:
Winsor Yellow
Raw Sienna
Cadmium Orange
Permanent Rose (Alizarin Crimson will do)
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Winsor Violet
Cobalt Violet
Cerulean Blue
Winsor Blue (green shade)
French Ultramarine Blue
Cerulean Blue Cobalt Blue

Brushes
Large Squirrel Mop
Sable, size 8, 6,4
Pro Arte Series 007, size 12, 6
Pro Arte Sword Liner (small)
Sable Rigger size 2

Miscellaneous
Pencil 4B
Board
Kitchen roll/tissue
Palette with deep mixing wells
Large water container (child’s seaside bucket)
Masking fluid

  In between washes you may use a hair dryer to hasten the drying process for the next stage. Using a hair dryer can be useful. Without, it may take some time for a watercolour to dry sufficiently to be worked upon again.

  I use a palette with deep wells for mixing my watercolour paints with lots of water. I also use a big water container (like a child’s seaside bucket). I use, and need access to a lot of water.

  I prefer to work with my paper between a 30 and 40 degree angle. You should choose the angle that you are most comfortable with. In addition, be prepared to be flexible and adjust your angle to achieve an effect with a wash, or just for comfort. It is quite common to see a watercolour artist turn his board, even upside down, during the drying of a wash.

  When you paint, try to paint the light and not the objects you can see. Concentrate upon shapes, light and dark tones, and the beautiful lost and found edges where objects emerge then disappear again. Try to see shapes, colour and tone, not real world objects. Keep your work free and loose.

  I have used Arches watercolour paper, but you could use any watercolour paper. I have painted this quite small; feel free to work at the size you are most comfortable with.