Inch Beach - waves

We spent a couple of hours on Inch Beach, experiencing both the driving onto the beach, and the never-ending walk (we didn't get to the end), and also the little golden scarabs that constantly try to get under your towel!

There are plenty more beaches on the Dingle Peninsula, more secluded, less busy, but Inch is a classic. I was fascinated by the movement of the waves that keep rolling in. Expect lots of paintings of waves over the next few months. The thing though is that it's so hard to paint waves. In the two examples below, I've used Schmincke masking fluid, and then gone back to add very light shading onto the waves.

Here are the colours I decided to use, and the various mixes I think will work. I like to limit my palette, so there is a unity of colour that works throughout.

The two important elements I noticed from this reference photo are the shadow right under each wave, and the light reflection just under  the shadow. The one thing I loved about the waves at Inch beach is the last little wave - it looked to me like moving "noise" on a black and white TV screen. I'm still not sure how to translate that in my painting.

This one is on hot press paper (really smooth)

This one is on rough paper. Also, this paper is not as white. I think I prefer the first attempt

And in case you're interested, here is a picture of the scarab - pesky and relentless little things they are - one of them pinched me on the leg!