Art & Process

How to Paint Carshalton Ponds: A Plein Air Watercolour Guide

Carshalton Ponds offers everything a plein air watercolour artist could want: historic architecture, reflective water, dappled light, and peaceful atmosphere. Here's how to capture this South London gem on paper.

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Why Carshalton Ponds is Perfect for Plein Air Painting

Carshalton Ponds is one of South London's hidden treasures—and one of the best locations for plein air watercolour painting in Surrey. Located in the heart of historic Carshalton village, the ponds offer:

  • Reflective water surfaces — perfect for practicing watercolour reflections
  • Historic architecture — All Saints Church spire provides a striking focal point
  • Varied lighting — dappled shade from mature trees, golden hour opportunities
  • Peaceful atmosphere — usually quiet early morning or weekday afternoons
  • Accessible location — benches, flat surfaces, nearby facilities

As a Carshalton-based artist who has painted these ponds dozens of times, I've learned what works and what doesn't. This guide shares those lessons.

Best Times to Paint Carshalton Ponds

Early Morning (7-9 AM)

Best for: Reflections, calm water, soft light

This is my favourite time. The ponds are still, the light is gentle, and you'll have the place mostly to yourself. Morning mist sometimes lingers—magical for atmospheric paintings.

What to capture: Perfect mirror-like reflections of All Saints Church, golden sunrise light warming the water, morning stillness.

Late Afternoon (4-6 PM)

Best for: Golden light, long shadows, warm tones

The setting sun creates beautiful warm light on the church spire and casts long shadows across the water. More people around, but also more life and movement to capture.

What to capture: Golden hour glow on historic buildings, silhouettes, dramatic sky reflections.

Overcast Days

Best for: Learning, subtle tones, no harsh shadows

Don't dismiss grey days! Overcast light is actually easier for beginners—no harsh shadows or squinting into bright reflections. Colours appear more saturated.

What to capture: Moody atmosphere, rich greens, architectural details without harsh contrast.

Best Viewpoints Around the Ponds

1. Bridge View Looking North

What you see: All Saints Church spire framing through trees, full pond reflection

Good for: Classic Carshalton view, balanced composition, iconic shot

Challenges: Can be backlit in afternoon, trees may obscure church

2. South Bank Near Ecology Centre

What you see: Across water to historic buildings, good tree canopy

Good for: Dappled light effects, foreground interest, sheltered spot

Challenges: Less clear view of church spire

3. Anne Boleyn Well End

What you see: Looking through foliage toward St Mary Church tower

Good for: Intimate, enclosed feeling, heritage connection

Challenges: More foliage to navigate, narrower view

Essential Supplies for Plein Air Painting

My Minimal Kit

  • Portable watercolour palette — I use 6-8 colours maximum
  • Water-soluble sketchbook — 140lb/300gsm paper, A5 or A4 size
  • Two water containers — one for rinsing, one for clean mixing
  • 3-4 brushes — round sizes 4, 8, 12, plus one flat for washes
  • Folding stool or cushion — benches are available but not always ideal angles
  • Paper towel or rag — for lifting, cleaning, drying brushes
  • Viewfinder — cardboard frame helps compose scenes
  • Sunscreen and hat — especially for afternoon sessions

What I Don't Bring

  • Heavy easel (benches work fine, or painting on lap)
  • More than 8 colours (simplicity = better paintings)
  • Expensive materials (accidents happen outdoors)

Painting Technique: Capturing Carshalton Ponds

Step 1: Quick Compositional Sketch (5 minutes)

Before touching watercolour, do a pencil thumbnail sketch. This helps you:

  • Simplify the scene (don't paint every leaf!)
  • Establish focal point (usually church spire or tree reflection)
  • Plan value contrasts (darks vs lights)
  • Identify what to leave out (less is more)

Step 2: Block in Sky and Water (10 minutes)

Work wet-on-wet for soft transitions

Wet the entire sky and water areas with clean water, then drop in colours while still wet. This creates those beautiful soft transitions watercolour is famous for.

Pro tip: Paint sky and its reflection in one go—mirror the colours and values.

Step 3: Mid-ground Buildings and Trees (15 minutes)

Work from light to dark, background to foreground

All Saints Church spire is your focal point. Keep it relatively crisp compared to surrounding foliage. Use lost edges where trees meet sky—don't outline everything.

Pro tip: Let some background wash show through foliage—don't make trees solid blocks of green.

Step 4: Reflections (10 minutes)

Reflections are darker and less detailed than the objects they reflect

Paint reflections using vertical brushstrokes to suggest water surface. Leave some white paper gaps to show movement and light on water.

Pro tip: Reflections aren't perfect mirrors—they're simplified, darker versions.

Step 5: Foreground Details (10 minutes)

Add darkest darks, sharpest details, and final accents in the foreground. This is where you can be most specific.

Pro tip: Don't overwork it. Know when to stop.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Too Much Green

Solution: Vary your greens! Mix yellows, blues, and browns to create different green tones. Add purples and reds to shadows within foliage.

Challenge: Harsh Midday Light

Solution: Paint under trees for shade, or choose a cloudy day. Alternatively, focus on shadowed areas and let bright areas stay white paper.

Challenge: Changing Light

Solution: Work fast, or take photos for reference. Commit to painting the light as it was when you started, not chase it across the scene.

Challenge: People Walking Past

Solution: Embrace it! Quick silhouettes add life. Or paint early morning when it's quieter.

Challenge: Wind Blowing Pages

Solution: Use clips or elastic bands to hold pages down. Work in sheltered spots when windy.

Colour Palette for Carshalton Ponds

Here's my go-to palette for this location:

  • Ultramarine Blue — sky and water base
  • Cerulean Blue — bright sky highlights
  • Yellow Ochre — church stone, autumn leaves, warm light
  • Burnt Sienna — tree trunks, warm shadows, reflections
  • Sap Green — foliage base
  • Permanent Rose or Quinacridone Magenta — shadows, atmospheric effects

That's 6 colours. Everything else is mixed from these.

Learning from Mistakes

My Early Carshalton Pond Disasters:

  • Overworked reflections — made them too detailed, looked stiff
  • Painted every leaf — resulted in busy, unfocused paintings
  • Used too dark greens — shadows went muddy and dead
  • Centred church spire — static composition, boring
  • Forgot to leave whites — paintings felt heavy and flat

I learned more from these "failures" than from successful paintings. Don't be precious—experiment!

Beyond Technical: Capturing Feeling

Technique matters, but feeling matters more. What draws me back to Carshalton Ponds isn't just the architecture and reflections—it's the atmosphere.

When you paint here, you're not just recording shapes and colours. You're capturing:

  • The particular quality of light through oak leaves
  • The stillness of early morning before the village wakes
  • The sense of history held in old stones and quiet water
  • The feeling of being present in a place that's seen centuries pass

Let your painting be loose enough to hold these intangibles.

Practical Tips for Your First Session

  1. Go on a weekday morning if possible — quieter, better light
  2. Start with a small painting — postcard size, 30-minute session
  3. Focus on one element — just the church spire, just the reflections
  4. Take a photo before you start (for reference if light changes)
  5. Bring a friend — plein air painting is more fun (and less self-conscious) with company
  6. Accept imperfection — outdoor painting is about experience, not perfect results

Finding Your Own View

This guide gives you starting points, but the best Carshalton Ponds painting will be your interpretation. Walk around. Notice what catches your eye. Trust your instincts.

Maybe you're drawn to:

  • The play of light through trees more than the architecture
  • The abstract patterns in rippling water
  • A small detail—a swan, a lamppost, a single reflected window

Your unique perspective is what will make your painting interesting.

Join the Carshalton Painting Community

I'm Vice Chairman of Carshalton Artists, and we regularly paint at local sites including the ponds. If you'd like to paint with others or see more examples of Carshalton artwork, visit:

Final Thoughts: Paint What You Love

I keep returning to Carshalton Ponds not because I've perfected painting it (I haven't), but because I love being there. The paintings are a record of that love—of time spent in a place that matters to me.

Choose locations that move you. Technical skill develops with practice, but genuine connection with a place—that's what makes paintings resonate.

Pack your paints, head to the ponds, and see what happens. The first painting might be rough. The tenth might surprise you. By the twentieth, you'll understand this place in ways only painting can teach.

— Simon Robin Stephens, plein air watercolour artist painting Carshalton & South London since 2015

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CarshaltonPlein Air PaintingWatercolour TutorialSouth LondonLocal ArtPainting GuideHow To Paint
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