Coastal Light & Shadow - Atmospheric and Loose : Preview

Bold first washes, expressive brushwork and plenty of atmosphere!

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to capture the light, shadows and atmospheric depth of a coastal scene without getting caught up in unnecessary detail.

Working with rocks, headlands and water, we'll focus on creating a loose, expressive impression of the scene, whilst still keeping things accurate and believable where it matters.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:

• Use a simple 1, 2, 3 tonal approach – lights, mid-tones and darks – to bring structure to your painting.
• Balance big, bold washes with smaller, carefully placed marks.
• Simplify rocks, headlands and water without losing their character.
• Explore soft and hard edges to create distance, depth and atmosphere.
• Keep your painting loose and spontaneous, whilst still bringing everything together as a whole.

It's all about knowing where to be bold, where to be subtle and, perhaps most importantly, where to leave things alone!

A simple, enjoyable approach to creating coastal watercolours full of light, atmosphere and expression.