Step by Step - drawing and painting a seashore. By Manju Panchal

"When you start a painting, it is somewhat outside you. 

At the conclusion, you seem to move inside the painting." 

Fernando Botero

The scene below is from Bamboo island, five kilometers off the 

northern  tip of Koh Phi Phi Don, in the Krabi province of Thailand. 

The island has stunning beaches with beautiful rocks, white sand

 and limestone cliffs behind. In the painting below the beach

 is covered by the shadows cast by the tall cliffs behind. 

The source of light ie the sun is behind the cliffs and

 the beach is on the west side of the island.

Reaching the destination

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 6" X 8"

I titled the painting as "Reaching the destination" with reference

 to the beautiful waves which travel a long distance 

and finally reach the shore. It is a beautiful feeling

 to be at a place like this and to hear the sound of the waves 

splashing against the rocks, and then gently kissing 

the white sand and merging with the land.

The soft pastel painting on twilight Canson MT progressed 

in stages and the step by step images can be seen below.

Step 1. Creating the basic outline

using Camlin charcoal pencil.

Step 2. Blocking in the major shapes with respective colours

 keeping in mind the values. Using the soft pastels

from mixed brands.

Step 3. Adding details and final touch up.

At this stage I use pastel pencils at several places.


My paintings can be viewed on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK too.