Figures on the Beach, Sidmouth, Devon

For this latest tutorial, I am working from a photo I took a few years ago in Sidmouth, a small town on the Devon coast. The view is taken looking down on the composition from a cliff-top, which I think gives me a slightly unusual, more interesting aspect. However, the main attraction and indeed the focal point of the whole subject is the grouping of two walkers and a dog. These have the added interest of being on wet sand, creating both shadows and reflections. I’m working with a very limited palette, which helps to unify the whole scene, and there’s an interesting mix of wet-into-wet, big brush washes, followed by more detailed work to bring the whole thing together. A great little subject that I think you’ll find progresses quite quickly. Happy Painting, Geoff.