Landscape Painting, Tips & Techniques, Watercolour

Painting Atmospheric Buildings In Watercolour

Watercolour is the perfect medium for capturing the essence of a scene quickly and spontaneously. Its fluidity allows you to convey atmosphere and light with ease, making it ideal for on-the-spot painting. Plus, it’s lightweight and requires minimal equipment, making it a great choice for artists on the go. In this post, I’ll be sharing my top tips for painting scenes in watercolour, along with a special excerpt from my new book, Atmospheric Buildings in Watercolour


Preparation is key

Nicholas Poullis - Moulin Faugeres 11 x 15 inches Millford 140 lb rough
Nicholas Poullis – Moulin Faugeres 11 x 15 inches Millford 140 lb rough

While watercolour is often the first people try, it is also the most difficult to master. Without a clear plan watercolour can go wrong very quickly.  We can vastly improve our chances of success by following a few simple practical steps.

Firstly it is important to set ourselves up properly in terms of materials, equipment and positioning in relation to the subject. Working on technical aspects, such as the order in which we place washes, drawing and, crucially, composition, can really improve our chances.

Composition

Composition is important and works hand in hand with drawing. There are a number of composition ‘rules’, however, I find it best to go on what ‘looks right’. 

Here are a few compositional tips: 

  • Look for natural compositions where there is some sort of lead into the area of interest. This is usually best placed just off centre.
  • Choose unobstructed views, it is potentially disastrous to try to paint what we know is there but cannot see.
  • A tonal sketch of your chosen view can help you develop a composition and see what could work. Try and identify areas of interest that should be placed well within the frame of the painting.
  • Chose a fairly compact subject, a group of buildings or area of interest. It makes it easier to place on the paper.

Painting Light

One of the most exciting aspects about working with watercolour on site is in trying to paint into the light. Whilst this can be a real challenge it can bring another dimension to your work.  In this extract from Atmospheric Buildings in Watercolour we explore painting light.

Lighting is a crucial aspect of painting atmosphere as it will determine all aspects of our picture. Lighting determines mood and affects the composition and balance of our painting. It determines how we see details, features, and the weight of the various elements of our chosen subject. In low level lighting, with less detail and less defined features, mood becomes more important.

Work with a sense of urgency

While capturing light, it is crucial to work with a sense of urgency. This is particularly important in the first stages of establishing the lights as the sun will obviously move in relation to your chosen subject. The change of lighting will be dramatic and, on some surfaces, rapid. For this reason, it is best to adapt the order of painting so I start painting what elements will change fastest first. On some surfaces, particularly architectural where the sunlight scrapes along the surface at the same or similar angle, the appearance will change the quickest and so should be dealt with first.

Conversely, other areas of the painting, due to the angle of light will change less quickly, or hardly at all and the painting of these areas is less urgent. It can really help to get to know the setting and where the sun will be at a certain time of day. The painting must make sense so to avoid this problem, it is best to draw in shadows in one go. If you draw one shadow in the right place, then an hour later draw another you run the risk of confusion. Often it is best to be aware of where the shadows and the potential use of those shapes in the design of your painting.

Nicholas Poullis - Colyton, Devon 7X11inches Saunders Waterford bright white surface 140lb rough
Nicholas Poullis – Colyton, Devon 7X11inches Saunders Waterford bright white surface 140lb rough

In the painting above, Colyton, the early morning light is coming low from the right. This helped simplify the form of the rooves that were cast into shadow. Early morning light is always fascinating where there are long shadows and much of the subject is in shade.

Paint the shade

Nicholas Poullis - Agde 11x15inches Saunders Waterford 140lb rough
Nicholas Poullis – Agde 11x15inches Saunders Waterford 140lb rough

This painting done at dawn in the winter is all about atmosphere and mood. The sun was low, which meant the group of buildings on the right were in deep shadow. These buildings could then be drastically simplified and do the job I wanted. The buildings on the left were illuminated by a diffused light and again were drastically simplified.

We paint light by painting shade. This means that in a painting we paint the effect of light on objects. The direction or height of the light source will be a key factor. In early morning or evening, the light is at a low angle. What this does, for example, is put roofs into shadow and when the sun rises enough, they will begin to catch the light and details will be revealed. The colour of the light is slightly different too at dawn and dusk and colours can become richer. The lighting can also be affected by water vapor seen sometimes when painting next to a river or a harbour. This will affect how light is diffused. A strong natural design is important when there is low lighting as contrast and colour range can be a problem.

Speed, sunlight and water

Nicholas Poullis - Feeding Time, Cordier 15 x22 inches Whatman 140lb not
Nicholas Poullis – Feeding Time, Cordier 15 x22 inches Whatman 140lb not

Sunlight on water can be an extremely attractive element in any subject. The painting must also have useful content. Interest is provided, in this instance, by the ducks and the reflection of the mill. In ‘Feeding Time’ the shadows are an important part of the composition and structure of the painting. This scene had a lot of movement in it and those things had to be drawn in quickly at the desired place. A few spare pieces of my lunch helped move the ducks into position. In ‘Feeding Time’, the sun is reflected in the water and the shadows cast by the shape of the mill help to add interest to the reflections. Sunlight on water will lighten reflected shapes. In contrast to this, light shapes tend to be reflected slightly darker.

Strength of light

Nicholas Poullis – Moulin St Thibery 10 x 12 inches Millford rough 140lb

Stronger lighting can reveal details and texture particularly when strafing the side of a building. The position of the sun perfectly suited this composition and subject. Natural compositions usually work the best. I used graduated washes to try to express the effect of the sun light on the view of the mill and express something about the effect of strong sun light.

Angle of light

Nicholas Poullis - Moulin Sun Rise 7x11inches Saunders Waterford 140lb rough
Nicholas Poullis – Moulin Sun Rise 7x11inches Saunders Waterford 140lb rough

In this view there was a lot of vapour in the air and the effect of defused lighting was an important aspect. In subject where the atmospheric effect is fast changing like this it is crucial to work quickly.

Contre-jour

Nicholas Poullis – Puissalicon Contre-Jour 11 x 15 Millford 140lb rough

When painting into the light, called contre-jour, the subject is mostly thrown into silhouette and shadow. In these instances, we are usually trying to give a sense of the experience as well as an idea about the intense nature of the light source. While painting directly into the light, there is an additional obstacle of how to see the subject and how to put that in picture form that makes sense within a design. In this view above painted contre-jour, contrast between the various shapes was useful in creating the light effect and depth.

Nicholas Poullis – Conas 15 x 22 inches Saunders Waterford 140 lb rough

Including the actual sun in a painting can create dramatic and exciting compositions and effects and is a challenging subject matter. In this complex painting, Conas, it was important to divide up the picture into manageable shapes. Graduated washes were used to create the effect of sunlight and darker areas of dry brush provided important contrast in tone and texture. The sun is placed central at the top of the painting. The positioning of the sun complements the composition of the painting and the form of the pine in front of it. As demonstrated here, intense light will profoundly affect the edges of objects. Lost and found edges can be highly effective when trying to represent an edge effected by strong lighting.

Lost and found edges

Nicholas Poullis – Pinet 10×12 inches Hanhemulhe 140 lb rough

Technically it is always a challenge to paint into the sun. In this picture, above, the sun is right on the edge of the building where the edges were lost. Lost and found edges can be created by placing a wash on paper that has wet patches on part of it. The ‘lost’ edge will appear on the wet surface and the ‘found’ on the dry. An edge can be softened or made ‘lost’ by lifting out. You should choose materials that allow you to carry out the techniques you want to use, so if you prefer to lift out it is best to use a heavier paper such as decent quality 140lb.

Strong contrasts

Nicholas Poullis – Moulin du Julian, Neffies 11 x 7 inches Saunders Waterford 140lb rough

Contrasts are extremely useful in expressing something about the lighting. Shaded sides of buildings provide a great opportunity to pick out colours and amplify the natural contrasts to create interesting shapes and effects. In painting the shaded side of a building, we are often painting reflected light. Surfaces in shadow can appear to be more reflective than lit sides and will often pick up tints from facing buildings, the sky or other objects. The building materials will dramatically affect this effect and reflected colours are particularly evident in buildings that have light stone or rendered surfaces or sometimes a wet surface. It helps to look for warm colours within the shaded areas; these can be extremely useful in portraying a lighting effect.

The scene above was painted in the spring, the lighting created quite a rich colour scheme in this subject. In strong lighting, for example the summer in south of France, the subject can take on a stark look. Contrary to what we might expect, colour is bleached out from lit sides and shaded areas are thrown into very deep shadow.

Interior lighting

Nicholas Poullis – Mosque Cordoba interior 15 x 22 Arches 140lb rough

Interior lighting is a different ball game altogether as it is mostly shade or reflected light. In this low-lit setting, I had to allow my eyes time to adjust before starting work. When working I chose a limited palette and constantly moved into a well lit area to mix the paint. When painting in an interior such as the Mosque of Cordoba where the lighting was poor, I used an extremely limited colour range so that it would be easier to judge. Even if I could not actually see the exact colour, I could judge tone.

Nicholas Poullis - Swimming Pool RAC 15 x22 140lb Millford rough hard sized
Nicholas Poullis – Swimming Pool RAC 15 x22 140lb Millford rough hard sized

In interior painting above, painted at the RAC, low lighting was not such a problem. The setting full off reflective surfaces, water and light made a unique subject for lighting. Like many interior subject matter, there were multiple sources of lighting. What was painted was really either reflected natural light or artificial light. In painting the swimming pool there was next to no natural lighting but the surfaces in the setting were extremely reflective making a fascinating subject.

Nicholas Poullis - Ladder in the Library RAC 15 x22 140lb Millford rough hard sized
Nicholas Poullis – Ladder in the Library RAC 15 x22 140lb Millford rough hard sized

One advantage of interior work is that lighting is consistent in strength and unchanging in direction – in effect like working in a studio. In this painting the lighting was reflected light from buildings on the opposite side of the street or artificial light.

My top tips

1. If you include the sun look for natural compositions where the sun fits nicely within the whole design.

2. Use the sun as the lightest point in the painting.

3. Work quickly and draw in shadows in one stage so they make sense.

4. Paint areas of the painting that will change the quickest first.

5. When strong sunlight shines on the palette or in our eyes, turn away or even step into the shade to judge better the colour you are mixing.

6. While looking at the work of watercolour masters will give examples of how they brilliantly deal with this difficult effect, it is important to find your own way of tackling it, so the picture is yours.

“I have been enjoying reading the book. I like the way Nicholas provides thorough explanations throughout the chapters and especially in the demonstration sections, telling the reader, for example, how best to place the easel, angle the board, choose the right view etc. Very helpful information, esp for beginners, and much needed before starting the painting. Normally, I am not a fan of too many photographs in a painting book but he has made their inclusion work very well and, in so doing, provided valuable advice for the reader. Well done! His attention to the kind of detail that the aspiring artist needs to know is thorough, comprehensive and usefully summed up so that the reader can see in a moment the main points covered in the chapter. I found myself reading the book more carefully so as not to miss any gems. I also liked very much that he showed the finished painting before the stages in the demonstrations, thus the reader knew exactly where he was going, that worked very well, making the book a good, clear guide to painting buildings and landscapes. I think it will also appeal to all watercolourists because the yummy atmospheric effects garnered from the granulating colours are so engaging. His style is refreshing and modern, embracing the importance of the abstract pattern underpinning the figurative content, so necessary to making paintings work but not always addressed.”

hazel soan

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Nicholas Poullis

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Nicholas Poullis is a previous Baker Tilly award winning artist at the RWS and an award winning illustrator. He has work in private collections worldwide and public collections in France. He has co-authored for Walter Foster and Winsor & Newton on various aspects of watercolour and working from life, which is his speciality. Nicholas is well established in the Languedoc where he has previously been an Official Painter to the Office de Tourism Val d’Hérault and has published several popular illustrated books on the region. Nicholas also runs painting holidays in the south of France, which are bookable through his website http://www.vineyardpaintingexperience.com
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