Traditional watercolor painting one of best known streets of Gibraltar.

Bringing Light and Depth to a Quiet Gibraltar Street.

This is one of Gibraltar’s most charismatic streets — and one I had been meaning to paint for quite some time. I took several reference photos on a cloudy, low-light day, which made the process more challenging than expected. From the start, I had to reinterpret the lighting, adding contrast and shadow that didn’t exist in the original image, just to give it more atmosphere.

It was one of those works that resists you — a painting that fights back during every phase. I wasn’t entirely satisfied when I finished it, but looking back now, I’m glad I pushed through and brought it to completion.

The piece is built on a strong sense of perspective, carefully constructed to draw the viewer’s eye into the depth of the street. I used broken colors and gave particular attention to the figures, as they bring energy and life to the otherwise quiet scene.

Materials and Technical Details

Paper: Hahnemühle Satin 600g paper.
Watercolor: Schmincke Horadam watercolors.
Technique: Mainly «wet on wet» and «wet on dry»  
Format/Size: Portrait; 30 x 40 cm.
Completed: February 2022.

Final Notes / Artist’s Reflection

Not every painting flows easily — and this one certainly didn’t. But sometimes, finishing a difficult piece teaches you more than the perfect ones. It reminded me that creating atmosphere doesn’t always require perfect conditions, just imagination and the will to reimagine light where it isn’t.

Further Exploration

To check out the rest of my watercolor painting collection, click on this link. https://juananelo.wordpress.com/porfolio/

Artists exhibited in Gibraltar. https://www.culture.gi/art-galleries/

Have you ever struggled with a creative project that didn’t turn out as expected — but still taught you something? Share your thoughts or send this post to a fellow artist.