How to paint a BEACH with wet sand reflections ✶ WATERCOLOR tutorial, by Sarah Burns on YouTube. 20 min 42 s.
- Video length
- 20 min 42 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Tape your paper to a board and sketch the horizon line, the rock shapes and the curve of the shoreline in light pencil. Keep the lines simple and erase any heavy marks.
Wet the sky area with clean water, then drop in light blue and a touch of warm color near the horizon. Let the paper dry before moving on.
Paint the rocks with a first light wash of gray or brown, leaving gaps for highlights. Keep the edges soft where rock meets sky.
Lay a wash of blue across the water, leaving white paper for the breaking waves. Pull the color toward the shore so the water gets lighter near the sand.
Paint the wet sand with a pale sandy wash, then add a slightly darker band where the water meets the shore. While it is still damp, drop in soft blue-gray for reflections.
Go back over the rocks with a darker second layer to build shadow and texture. Keep the lightest areas untouched.
Add final reflections and details: thin white foam lines, darker ripples and small marks on the rocks. Let everything dry flat.
Tips and common mistakes
Let each layer dry fully before adding the next, or the colors will turn muddy.
Leave white paper for foam and highlights instead of painting white paint on top.
Test your colors on scrap paper first so the sand and water stay in the same light range.
Questions
Do I need special watercolor paper?
Yes, use watercolor paper rather than printer paper. It holds the water and lets you layer washes without the surface breaking down.
How do I keep the reflections from looking muddy?
Paint them while the sand is still damp and use a light hand. Too much water or too many colors mixed together will turn gray and flat.
Can I follow along if I am new to watercolor?
Yes, the scene is built in simple layers. Sketch lightly first and expect your first try to be loose rather than exact.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
