Urban Light and Quiet Encounters

The streets of Gibraltar are always full of life, but there are moments of calm and subtlety worth capturing. For my first exhibition, I’ve been exploring the urban nature of this unique place, and I came across a photograph that immediately spoke to me. It showed exactly the light, structure, and emotion I was seeking.

The composition focuses on the greeting between two figures in the foreground, under the bright sunlight reflected on the façade. Yet, the real challenge was to create the right atmosphere and depth in the background, where Church Lane recedes into warm light. I worked with a very limited palette, using strong contrasts of color, line, and light. An interesting detail is the presence of the Theater Royal in the distance—a building recently demolished—making this view now impossible to witness again.

Materials and Technical Details

🎨 Medium: Schmincke Horadam watercolors

📄 Paper: Canson Heritage, cold-pressed 300g cotton paper

📐 Size: 30 x 40 cm

📅 Date: December 2022

🔲 Format: Portrait

Final Notes / Artist’s Reflection

Although this scene initially drew me in for its composition, I became even more invested in capturing a fleeting moment—the mood of that narrow, sunlit street and the dialogue between light and shadows. The process reminded me how light can transform the simplest of scenes into something meaningful. This painting now holds even more significance with the disappearance of the Theater Royal.

Further Exploration

🎨 Check out the rest of my watercolor painting collection
🏛️ Artists exhibited in Gibraltar

Have you ever visited a city that inspired you artistically? Let me know in the comments!
🧭 Stay tuned for more urban scenes from my watercolor journey.