Original Watercolours by Tim Wilmot

Tavira, Algarve, 10 - The challenge of painting with the light behind you.

Tavira, Portugal, 15" x 11".

I try to keep telling myself, never paint a scene with a strong light behind you and well here I go again.  It's difficult to get that light and shade contrast which is so much easier with light coming from the side or coming towards you.  Anyway in this one I have tried to put the white clothed gentleman against a dark shadow, so maybe I have got a bit of a focal point here.  The other difficulty is the shadow of a figure - it gets hidden somewhere round their feet and you try to slip it in there as best you can.

 

Vilamoura Marina 2, Algarve

Vilamoura Marina, 15" x 11".

The newish marina in Vilamoura.  A wide promenade around the perimeter of the marina and surrounded by lightly coloured buildings with warm terracotta roofs.  The actual marina and yachts on the left were given a very loose treatment as were the palm trees - this time a medium sized synthetic brush and starting from the crown, some quick radiating strokes for the leaves and then a quick downward stroke for the trunk.  I kept a few light coloured figures to contrast against darker background shadows.  I generally always make up my figures and rarely use a photo as reference.  I think this way for me, it tends to give them a bit more movement and not looking too static.

 

 

Beach Cafe Cala Mijas on the Costa del Sol

Cala Mijas, 22" x 15"

A beach cafe scene at Cala Mijas on the Costa del Sol.  I decided a different approach on the sky.  The whole area was whetted first - uniformly.  While still damp, I laid down the sky wash.  I think it allows for more even colour, but you need to watch out for the wash accumulating in dips in the paper if it's not stretched.  Getting a hair dryer on the job can prevent this.  Also while the sky was still damp, I laid down the sea wash and allowed a bit of bleeding between the two.  Resist the temptation to touch up the sky or go in again with more colour.  Many a time I've painted the sky with two washes and you do loose a bit of freshness.

 

St Tropez Harbour - Boats Moored Up

St Tropez, 22" x 15".

A larger half imperial painting of a similar scene I did a while back.  This picture is currently being exhibited at my local art society exhibition at Yate Heritage Centre together with other members' works.  I can remember trying to resist putting too much detail on the right hand side - loads of boats there and fiddly details to avoid.  It was a very dark and gloomy day, but warmed up with the red tones of the buildings.

 

Shady walk down Brook Street, Chipping Sodbury

Brook Street, Chipping Sodbury, 11" x 15".

My favourite paintable street in Chipping Sodbury.  I thought the scene lended itself to a portrait orientation this time.  Having the light coming in at that angle helps define the cottages and their window details.  Plus it helps having a few distant trees behind the roof to help the contour and add a bit of contrast.

 

Place aux Huiles, Marseille

Marseille, 15" x 11".

A fairly loose and quick sketch of a tree-lined square near the port area in Marseille.  Apart from waiting for the initial wash to dry, the whole picture was down all in one.  The roof tops went in first, then the front of the building.  This was merged into the left hand trees and the lower shadows.  Chimney shadows and figures were last to go in.  The foreground man had a bit of water dropped into the right leg and allowed to take it's path down the sloping paper.

 

Tavira, Algarve, 9 - Quiet Residential Square

Tavira, Algarve, 15" x 11".

A quiet residential square in Tavira.  Steps in this painting 1) initial wash starting of course with the sky then coming down warmer to the bottom.  Dropped in a bit of weak cobalt blue into the foreground while still damp.  Dry the 2) background buildings, darker of course and varied the tones as I came down.  Then 3) vehicles, figures and their dark shadows.  Last 4) very dark trees painted in loosely and a bit of random splattering for leaves.

 

Tavira, Algarve, 8 - Narrow street in shade

Tavira, Algarve, 15" x 11".

Another street scene of Tavira on the Algarve.  This time quite a bit of shade, which helps connect the figures up and were done almost in one go.  I was a bit careful painting round the smaller white figure - sometimes going too quick on a wash, I obliterate something I had wanted to leave.  On the initial pencil drawing, I might draw in some light hash lines around something to be left showing the paper.  Having a rough surface on the paper makes it easier to have that loose feel of the building on the right.

 

Rue Henri Seillon, St Tropez, France

Rue Henri Seillon, St Tropez, 15" x 11"

This is a location right next to the marina and looking up to the Hermes Shop in the centre.  This little square here is a popular outdoor cafe which I have 'removed' from the composition for simplification.  I took a bit more time than I usually do with the sky to get in some soft clouds, plus getting some definition on those shop blinds on the left.  Hopefully a feeling of a nice sunny afternoon.

 

Albufeira Old Town 7

Albufeira Old Town, Algarve, 15" x 11".

Perhaps an unusual thing to paint - a distribution centre with a couple of small lorries being loaded up.  But I was attracted to the bright cab tops against the dark background.  Maybe the picture could have done with a few more workers going about their tasks - must have been lunchtime.  The first wash was mainly yellow ochre, with a cooler tone in the shadows and base of buildings.  I tried to make sure the figure's joined to the background and going down the picture in a similar way the shadows of the lorries are also merging into the building behind.