A minimal landscape full of warmth and perspective

The Story Behind the Painting

This watercolor was a commissioned piece. While it wasn’t originally a subject I planned to paint, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the process once I got started. The Gibraltar skyline is a well-known motif in the region—picturesque and iconic—but what truly caught my attention in this specific reference photo was its striking minimalism.

More than the landmark itself, what captivated me here was the atmosphere: a warm sunset enveloping the entire scene in soft orange tones. My goal was to capture that exact feeling of stillness, warmth, and distance. To enhance the depth, I applied wet-on-wet techniques to the background, creating that soft haze so typical of late afternoons. I also added a small cabin near the center of the composition to reinforce a sense of scale and vastness.

This was one of those paintings where everything flowed smoothly—composition, color palette, techniques—all came together clearly and naturally. Interestingly enough, this also happens to be the fastest painting I’ve completed so far, taking only four to five hours from start to finish.

Materials and Technical Details

🎨 Medium: Schmincke Horadam watercolors
📄 Paper: Saunders Waterford, 300g fine-grain cotton paper
📐 Size: 30 x 40 cm
📅 Date: March 2025
🔲 Format: Landscape
🎨 Palette: Warm oranges, dusty purples, soft blues, and dry earth tones—evoking the golden haze of a Southern Spanish sunset.

Final Thoughts

Some paintings surprise you in the best way. This was one of them—simple in appearance, yet full of subtle atmosphere and emotion.

Would you like to commission a watercolor painting with a personal touch?
Click here to get in touch with me or explore more commissioned works in my portfolio.