Where soft haze meets afternoon light over the Rock

Artist’s Notes

Here’s another commissioned work, similar in spirit to “View of Gibraltar from Sotogrande”, but painted from a different location: a higher, closer viewpoint from Alcaidesa, and at a slightly different hour of the day.

Unlike the more minimalist scene in Sotogrande, this composition includes urban elements—specifically the distant silhouettes of La Línea’s buildings. What caught my attention was the hazy light bathing the landscape, an atmospheric veil that softens the sharpness of the city and enhances the feeling of distance.

This piece became an interesting exercise in interpreting urban detail from afar, while maintaining clarity in structure and tone. The objective was to preserve that early afternoon quietude, where the skyline of Gibraltar rises slowly through the mist.

Despite the complexity of layered urban forms and vegetation in the foreground, the process was smooth and enjoyable. A smaller format allowed for a quicker execution, which kept the overall gesture fresh and fluid.

Materials and Technical Details

🎨 Medium: Schmincke Horadam watercolors
📄 Paper: Saunders Waterford, 300g fine-grain cotton paper
📐 Size: 30 x 40 cm
📅 Date: February 2025
🔲 Format: Landscape
🎨 Palette: Gentle blues, olive greens, warm earth tones and atmospheric greys—capturing the softness of early light and urban haze

If you enjoy these quiet landscapes with a story behind the light, feel free to explore the rest of my watercolor collection through the link below.

My watercolor portfolio