'During the summer months, I take groups of students abroad,' says Wendy Jelbert. 'One of those special treats, which they seem to treasure the most, is painting a night scene. Done in the half-light under a lantern, torch or candle, this is quite a challenge. Some students exclaim that they can’t see anything, but continue to paint furiously anyway. Onlookers and locals find great amusement and enjoyment in watching us.

'The location for night scenes is crucial as water, the sea or a lake, needs to be close to capture the beautiful reflected explosions of light. The sparkling and glistening shafts from boats, restaurants or harbour lights are vital ingredients in portraying the immediate excitement of the scene.

'If you know where you will be painting in the evening, visit the location earlier in the day and draw the scene on 140lb watercolour paper. This will help familiarise you with the location, and give you more confidence to tackle the task in the more difficult light of the evening'.

Techniques for painting night scenes

Ideas for painting water and reflections in the dark

One - oil pastel and watercolour


1. Uisng oil pastels, draw the shapes using cream andorange oil pastels.
2. Paint a dark wash of Winsor blue watercolour over the oil pastel, allowing the colour to showthrough the wash.

Two - masking fluid and watercolour

1. Using masking fluid and your applicator, draw shapes with their corresponding reflections.


2. When the shapes are dry, apply a dark wash of Winsor blue watercolour.
3. Leave to dry then rub off to expose the light shapes

Three - mixed media

1. Use masking fluid and oil pastels for the main lighting effects.
2. Paint a graduated wash of yellow watercolour around the shapes to bring a glow to the scene.
3. Then add a wash of Winsor blue.

How to create simple effects

Boats on water

The boat shapes are painted in contrast to their corresponding backgrounds, allowing the tonal effects to have dramatic and attractive effects through the picture.

Paint boats at night
 
This illustrates a light shape against dark background and dark against light background.

Lights and reflection

This impression of glowing lights is made by painting a dark background of Winsor blue on top of which has been added an assortment of dots and shapes of pastel light.
 
Light reflections at night

Demonstration: Mountainside Nightlife

Put the techniquesabove into practice by following this simple demonstration.

You’ll need the same materials as you used for the techniques’ section.

Step one

1. Draw the mountain shapes behind the riverside town, using dots and lines of masking fluid.

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2. Add oil pastel shapes and shafts for the lights, pulling them well into the depths of the water.

Step two
 

1. Mix violet and a little burnt sienna and paint the darker mountain, dropping in areas of ochre for the lighter scenes.

2. While still wet, apply washes of orange and yellow from the light sources into the water areas.

Step three


Mountainside nightlife by Wendy Jelbert

Mountainside Nightlife, mixed media, (15x23cm)

1. Paint watery cobalt blue against the mountain shapes for the night sky, allowing some of the washes to run softly into each other.

2. Using violet and blue, paint the darker reflections, drawing a more solid base against the harbour’s edge and the water.

3. To complete the picture, apply additional lights and their reflections using oil pastels and white gouache or acrylics.

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