Painting on the Beach with Brian Smith

Hang on Studio Wall

This demonstration is taken from the April 2020 issue of The Artist and is the second in a series of three articles on capturing figures by Brian

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Painting a beach scene in watercolour

The study (below) I used for Work and Play (see demonstration) presented the opportunity to develop this initial idea, but not to copy it. The study was made on a very hot day and I needed to work quickly: the distant buildings were a simple tone of wash, the figures suggested to imply movement. The heat meant that I could not linger when applying washes. I used a small travelling palette with tube colour squeezed out prior to arrival at the beach: cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, turquoise, cerulean blue and burnt sienna. A flick of a loaded brush implied the foreground texture.

Remember, the viewer does not normally see your starting point, they only view the finished image. As you develop your original idea you can take your idea in whichever way you feel will benefit your work. The sketchbook study is the skeleton on which you have to build. I wanted to imply heat, atmosphere and beach life. My first marks and decisions set the scene. A high eye-level line was established first to draw the viewer into the painting with implied marks to suggest sand.

I did not want a blue sky; the heat of the day was building, the heavy atmosphere set the scene with the distant city a collective general shape. I used my old butter knife to imply structure and lift out pigment to create variation and tried to avoid hard edges, which would attract attention.

I think it is important to know what you are trying to achieve with the bigger picture but allow yourself to adjust the minor decisions as you progress through the work. My main problem was how to link the big shapes. I was very aware of the need to have linked areas and was finding it difficult because I didn’t have any foreground buildings and cast shadows to work off. I set the light high and slightly to the right, which would create short shadows and make the tones dark because the people and objects would be in shadow. The light will hit top edges in places and flat surfaces that face upwards.

DEMONSTRATION - Brixham Trawlers at Sea

I used a 4B pencil to suggest the basic elements – the distant city, the water’s edge – and not much more. Whilst the paper was still damp I applied a yellow/brown diluted mix to indicate foliage.

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At this point I was not sure how the middle ground was going to evolve. I wanted to create interest and form using a beach structure, possibly a vehicle and people. Maybe even a canopy would help and be in keeping with the setting. A viewing platform for lifeguards would also help as I was moving through from background to foreground. A touch of colour into the foreground gave perspective, taking the viewer into the central area.

The sand is yellow ochre and the water cerulean blue with a touch of turquoise. I darkened the water’s edge as I wanted this to be wet sand with reflections established later on. I left the white paper as I hadn’t decided whether to have waves breaking – you are always making small decisions that will ultimately affect the overall look.

I needed the buildings to link the other shapes, so I used a truck and workmen in conjunction with sunbathers on the beach. I used burnt sienna with touches of pure pigment to represent clothing as I strove to capture proportion and gesture; angles of the body and head and collective shape helped to give the group movement. My figures were based on a scale of 71/2 to 8 heads high for a man, half a head less for a woman. A male figure is up to 3 heads wide, a female 2 to 21/2 heads high. A small gap between the legs helps definition and gives movement.

The left-hand side draws the attention – this area had to create mystery. I used the same colour for the canopy as I did for the truck and workmen. I wanted to suggest movement and did so with figures – standing, laying, sitting, light against dark and dark against light. The general tone of this area was made up with French ultramarine and alizarin crimson, with touches of pure pigment to hint at detail. The foreground group had to work collectively; the three standing women link with the middle ground and help the narrative, which I felt was very important to hold the work together. You need to have an area of focus and other areas of suggestion, allowing the eye to drift, linger then get absorbed into the narrative.

FINISHED PAINTING

Work and Play, watercolour, (35x55cm)

I began to work on small, collective areas. The beach vendor working his patch gestures to the two women walking in the surf. I adjusted the shadow, which was too long. I also gave him a white hat to accentuate his glance to the right. The middle-ground figures to the right of the vendor lead the eye across to the two foreground figures in the surf. Splashes and reflections in the damp sand ground the figures. I scratched back with my scalpel to create sparkle on the water. The flagpoles and lampposts create a vertical link. The open foreground with splashes of texture invite the viewer in. I tried to ensure that I did not overwork the painting and felt it was time to put my brush down.

Brian Smith runs classes for watercolour painters, demonstrates to art societies and tutors workshops at West Dean College and Higham Hall, among others. For more information visit: www.briansmithartist.com.