Referring to your photographs and initial sketch, use a 4B pencil to draw out the scene. In terms of composition, I want to subdue the distant background and the large area of brickwork, while bringing the group of buildings on the right into focus.

I also want to introduce some figures to avoid the picture looking ghostly.

You’ll notice I have brought the lobster pots on the left-hand side more into the picture, in front of the left-hand building. I add the figures at the end, once the rest of the composition is in place, as they will always draw the eye to the focal point. When you come to the crow steps, describe a faint line to guide you, then draw in the steps. Apply the masking fluid in the areas shown, using the old rigger brush (see inset).

Use the large squirrel mop with clean water to wet the sky. Add in some nickel titanate yellow near the horizon, then add quinacridone gold to vary the sky. While the sky dries, prepare a dark bluegrey mix of sodalite genuine and French ultramarine. Once the sky is completely dry, paint along the ridge line. Working from left to right, use the side of the no. 8 brush to apply the blue-grey mix across the left-hand side. Change to the point of the brush for the buildings.

Working quickly, change to the no. 3 round and touch in the chimney pots while the paint remains wet. Add some quinacridone gold and yellow ochre wet into wet underneath the blue-grey area, working right the way across the painting. Use quinacridone gold particularly around the central figure on the steps – this will help draw the eye later.

Using the same blue-grey mix, develop a few areas on the closer background houses with the no. 6 brush. Avoid over-detailing the area, but add some visual interest. Use a lot of water on the brush to reduce the strength of the wash. Drop in a little yellow ochre on the right-hand background buildings for warmth.

Add dilute yellow ochre, using the side of the brush to create a slightly ragged edge behind the main buildings (see inset). This will create faint textural appearance to the area. Slightly warm the central area with dilute transparent red oxide, dropping it into the wet yellow ochre. If necessary, add further tonal touches, and refine the edges of the distant buildings once the paint has dried.

Still using the blue-grey mix of French ultramarine and sodalite genuine, begin to build up the houses in the midground with the no. 6 round brush. Drop in some transparent red oxide for warmth. Add the shadows of the central steps in the same way.

Change to the no. 10 round brush and add a variegated wash over the rocks on the left-hand side with the blue-grey mix and transparent red oxide. Leave some clean paper at the top of the wall, and emphasize the contrast by adding a little more blue-grey besides it. This gives the impression that the top of the wall is catching the sunlight.

With a spare piece of paper to protect the top part of the building, use a damp sponge to lift out some of the blue-grey paint on the left-hand side to bring in a little more light here.

Develop the area behind the main buildings, softening the dark area (if necessary) by lifting it with a damp brush; and darkening the area behind the chimneys with a dark mix made by combining a little of the blue-grey mix (French ultramarine and sodalite genuine) with transparent red oxide.

Make a deeper grey by adding just a touch of French ultramarine to sodalite genuine. Rewet the sky with clean water using the large squirrel mop, then add the deeper grey mix wet into wet. Leave a central area of light. Tip the paper up slightly to encourage the wash to drift downwards. Use the no. 10 round brush to prevent any lines forming, by breaking any pooling and drawing away excess wash.

Lay the painting flat again. Using the no. 6 brush, paint the rooftop of the main buildings with permanent orange. Add transparent red oxide wet into wet for shadow near the bottom.

Once the painting has dried completely, use the no. 1 rigger with a mix of burnt umber and French ultramarine to add a clothesline above the red rock area. Add some clothes on the line using simple shapes, and bright colours to help them stand out.

Using the no. 3 round brush, add tiny touches of the drab mixes on your palette on the foreground area of the red rocks and near the figure. Develop the wall with the same dull mixes, adding shadow, then drop in a hint of sunlight on the top with yellow ochre.

Still using the no. 3 brush, suggest the roof tiles with a mix of transparent red oxide and burnt umber. Work with the slope of the roof, adding parallel broken lines of colour. If any marks are too hard and obvious, touch them lightly with a finger to soften the effect. Allow to dry completely.

Use a clean finger to gently rub away the masking fluid (see inset), then dampen with the 6mm (¼in) flat synthetic brush, and gently agitate the crisp edges left by the masking fluid, softening them subtly into the painting.

Change to the no. 1 rigger and tidy any loose edges on the rooftop with the blue-grey mix of sodalite genuine and French ultramarine. Soften the colour into the surroundings to avoid a hard line on the background.

The light is coming in from left to right, so I want to add a subtle shadow to the roofs in the shade. Use the blue-grey mix, fairly dilute, to add the shadows. On the right-hand side, near the edge of the painting, use a slightly stronger mix. This will ensure that the colour is not too strident, which would lead the eye out of the painting.

Using the no. 1 round brush, paint the palm tree and greenery in front of the main building with green apatite genuine (see inset), then add dilute blue-grey mix behind the lobster pots on the left-hand side. Drop in touches of dilute yellow ochre and phthalocyanine blue to push some light into the area. Still leaving a white rim where the top of the wall is catching the sunlight, do the same on the central foreground area. Add some transparent red oxide wet into wet near the base of the wall.

Add shadow to the foreground buildings using the no. 6 brush and French ultramarine. Use the tip of the brush to work carefully around and into the details.

Use the no. 3 round to develop the lobster pots with the blue-grey mix (sodalite genuine and French ultramarine), and transparent red oxide. Add some striking impact with touches of cerulean blue.

Use the no. 1 round to paint the lifebuoy and front door with cadmium red medium hue; and sunlight on the chimney pots with nickel titanate yellow. Paint the central figure, using the same yellow for her hair, transparent red oxide for her coat, and moonglow for her legs. Work carefully, allowing the colours to mix a little wet into wet, but not so much as to become indistinguishable. Use a deep mix of French ultramarine and burnt umber to paint in the window panes on the main building. Add some shadow under the eaves, too.

Still using the no. 1 round brush, add tiny touches of French ultramarine to suggest the positions of the corners of the walls. Change to the no. 6 round brush and use dilute touches of blue-grey (French ultramarine and sodalite genuine) and yellow ochre to create a mottled effect on the wall and courtyard area.

Develop the rocks on the left-hand side, adding colour to the dark area around and behind them. Use the blue-grey mix of French ultramarine and sodalite genuine, and the no. 6 brush. Change to the no. 1 rigger and use the same mix to add some detritus near to the lobster pots, hinting at a few posts and similar shapes.

Still using the rigger and the blue-grey mix, add the trunk and main branches of a tree. Dilute the mix and use the side of the no. 3 brush to add foliage. Work along the foreground wall, using the tip of the same brush to add blue-grey touches that suggest stonework. Vary the effect by adding light red into the wet paint.

Paint the sea wall using a combination of yellow ochre and the blue-grey. Use the no. 10 brush with long horizontal strokes, working carefully around the boats. Add dilute light red wet into wet, followed by green apatite genuine. Use less water with the green.

Tighten up the green area by the focal buildings with the no. 1 round brush and a mix of French ultramarine and burnt umber. Develop and detail the street furniture (the lamppost, the life belt, rubbish bin and ladder) with the same colour. Using the rigger with burnt umber, paint the stonework. Vary the pressure you apply, and the amount of paint on the brush, to create variety. More pressure leads to stronger marks and wider lines; less pressure the opposite. Don’t try to paint every brick – instead focus on critical areas. You want to evoke the overall effect, rather than take up building as a second job!

Change to the no. 6 round brush and glaze the sea wall with a dilute grey-green mix (apatite genuine mixed with French ultramarine and sodalite genuine). Add touches of transparent red oxide and yellow ochre wet into wet. Add some powerful darks to the base of the wall to help push the rest of the painting backwards. Use a dark mix of French ultramarine and burnt umber, applying it with the no. 6 brush and softening it in to avoid hard lines.

Paint the central boat with phthalocyanine blue (see inset), and the windows with the dark mix using the no. 3 round. Once the central boat is dry, overlay the dark mix (French ultramarine and sodalite genuine), leaving a fine line of the lighter blue showing through.

The boats are an opportunity to introduce bold, bright colours in the foreground. Lift out some paint with the 6mm (¼in) synthetic flat brush to help suggest the shape of the hull (see inset). In addition to the dark mix, add phthalocyanine blue, cadmium red medium hue, and permanent orange to bring in some bold marks; and French ultramarine to subdue the white while keeping the shadows vibrant. Use the no. 1 rigger to paint the masts and other uprights with white gouache.

Use the tip of a scalpel to scratch out some ropes from the boats to the harbour.

Wet the sea area and apply a mix of French ultramarine with a little burnt umber, using the no. 10 round brush. Leave gaps to serve as reflections beneath the white-hulled boats, and soften the edges with a damp brush. Add a little subtle phthalocyanine blue beneath the blue boat and soften in the same way.

Finished painting