Instruction: highlight the link, then right-click to go to the YouTube video

Seascape step-by-step:

The sea is painted first; otherwise, you have to wait for the sky to dry. Use a warm blue (ultramarine) of milk tea consistency and leave a few horizontal marks unpainted, which represent distant waves. Leave a white space below the blue, which represents the top of the big wave.

Next, have two brushes prepared, one LOADED with warm yellow (raw sienna or yellow ochre) of milk tea consistency, the other with a pale cool blue (cerulean blue) of herbal tea consistency. Paint the beach with the two colours next to each other without overmixing them, or they will turn green just in part, like here!

I then paint the shadow of the wave with a herbal tea light grey from right to left so that it gets lighter and smaller at the far end. Try to paint it in one go, pushing the tip of the brush from right to left without dabbing. Plan ahead and don’t try to correct any mistakes. Oftentimes, the result is better than fussing over it.

Paint the cool blue sky with big brush strokes in under 30 seconds without fussing. If you like, you can add some raw sienna and lavender below the cool blue to suggest cloud shadows.

While the beach is still moist, paint the reflection of the headland loosely. Use the same brush to add a few horizontal lines.

The headland (make it greener if you like) and lighthouse are painted wet on dry. Line them up with the reflection fairly closely.

Paint a strip of grey shadow where the white water meets the sand.

Then, add the figure, dog, and seagulls. Their reflections are created by using a dry finger to smudge a dot of dark paint vertically down.

Finally, pick up a bit of white gouache directly from the tube with a moist nylon fan brush or toothbrush and splatter it above the big wave. Paint a few horizontal lines on the reflections and under the feet of the figure, dog and seagulls.

NB.

It is not necessary to follow all these steps to the latter. Try to be creative and follow your instinct.

If you want to paint a simpler version, just omit all the reflections.

It is not expected, as a beginner, to achieve this on the first attempt. Expect to make many mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the better!

Another ‘secret’ in watercolour is to use 300gsm 100% cotton paper such as the cheapish Baohong brand, Academy (‘student’) grade or the more expensive Artist (professional) grade from Amazon. You can also buy Artist grade from Parker’s Art Supplies in Sydney. Woodpulp papers are not beginner-friendly. Pure cotton is best.

The above painting was primarily painted with K-Mart pigment. The white gouache is brought separately for about $10 a tube, which lasts me over a year.

Painting people - standing and walking - YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/COW_vfInc2U

Main Point: Every eye is on “eye line”.

Painting people - sitting - YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/o5bCLa81uwY

Main Point: Every eye is on “eye line”.

Painting people - beach cafe in perspective - YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/xIZ4TxNOWHc

Main Points: People at the near and far tables share the same Eye Line, except that the further they are, the smaller they are. Parasols and furniture also follow invisible perspective lines.

The clouds are produced with a bit of raw sienna and white. Cloud edges are softened with a moist brush here and there.

Foreground texture produced by small globules of water from an old Ajex spray bottle.

Distant headland is slightly cooler with a blue tint.

Painting a rainy scene - Rome cafe with reflection - YouTube link:

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/Zs_1gP8OdtI

Part 2 - https://youtu.be/k5B7ioCiLoY

Main points: the viewer’s attention is invariably drawn to an area with maximal contrast - the lightest light contrasts with the darkest dark.

The lightest is the untouched paper; the darkest is a thick mix of burnt umbra and ultramarine. While the paint is still wet, drag the thin edge of a moist, flat brush across to lift paint from the dark area and deposit it on the light area. You can also supplement with a bit of white gouache here and there.

Correct perspectives: pay attention to the eye levels of people who are sitting and standing, although it is better not to be 100%.

Below is a scene in The Blue Mountains. On the left is a partial view of a waterfall.

Version 1: 41 X 31 cm

Wet on Dry: Allow colours to mingle on the paper. Flick dark on moist paint, and more after it has dried.

Gaps of white paper left for warmer green later.

The focal point is darkened to allow maximum contrast with the white.

More splattering, wet on dry. Spray and allow colours to mingle while running down the paper inclined at 20 degrees.

Rock with raw Sienna, raw umber and ultramarine. Then add textures with wet-on-moist/dry techniques using burnt umber, ultramarine, and turquoise.

Paint tree trunks with gaps.

Rocks fashioned with a plastic card.

Fill gaps with warmer green. Reflection using the side of a Chinese calligraphy brush.

Spray white gouache with a nylon fan brush to suggest water droplets from the waterfall.

Version 2: 26 X 18 cm

First wash with herbal tea consistency.

Rock wirh raw Sienna. Then wet on moist with burnt umber, ultramarine and turquoise. Spray.

Right: a variation after a piece by JZ. A 2-inch flat brush is used for the building’s reflection.

Paint the background wet in wet with yellow, green and raw Sienna.

Load the belly of the calligraphy brush with warm green and the tip with ultramarine. Paint wet on dry with sidebrush.

Spray white gouache to suggest water droplets from the waterfall.