This scene of Princes Street, Edinburgh is taken from Calton Hill which boasts commanding views over the city. Often it is the inclusion of figures which can bring a cityscape to life, but in this instance it’s the traffic, in particular the buses nudging their way into the queues of cars, that bring a sense movement to the watercolour.
Even though the time of year is winter and the sun has almost set, there’s a strong feeling of warmth and light coming through because of the base washes of Cadmium Lemon and Rose Madder. This is contrasted by the cold shadows created by a quite bold application of Paynes Grey for the road and rooftops. Further interest has been achieved by the highlights on the cars and buses on Princes Street which have been very simply rendered.
Lifting out some of the colour has brought a feeling of mist and smokiness, giving the architecture an ethereal quality which has enhanced the depth and ariel perspective to Auld Reekie.
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A lively original watercolour capturing shoppers braving the elements in Edinburgh, Scotland as they go about their business on Princes Street.
Watch a short video showing close ups of the original watercolour painting.
I first painted this scene back in 1993, a painting that was reproduced as a limited edition print that quickly sold out.
This new lively watercolour of the Grassmarket in Edinburgh is loaded with contrasts. Bright warm sunlight catching the ancient stonework is creating dark cold shadows on the road, architecture and the foreground. figures.
Edinburgh Castle, although quite small in comparrison to the othere elements in the painting, nevertheless still looks imposing and impressive.
Over the years I have painted many bridges. Probably the most dramatic is the Forth Rail Bridge that spans the Firth of Forth. This spectacular view from North Queensferry looking south depicts the bridge rising majestically out of the haar like a Brontosaurus appearing out of some prehistoric swamp.
Mounted and Framed
A typical winters day in Edinburgh capturing shoppers darting across the road against the backdrop of Scott Monument and Princes Street Gardens.
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Watch a video showing more detail of the original painting
Original Available
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On 6th Oct 2010 It was a lovely sunny afternoon and I was able to do some quick line drawings and a small watercolour in my leather bound sketch book to capture some of the action of the Rugby players.
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The city of Edinburgh is set against the back drop of a big Scottish sky.
This view is painted from Salisbury Crag in Holyrood Park.
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With clouds being swept past Edinburgh Castle and the cyclist pressing on purposefully, there is a strong feeling of movement in this painting.
Many of my paintings of Edinburgh depict the castle almost as a backdrop to some other aspect of the city, as in this scene of street life in the Grassmarket.
The loose brush marks which I’ve used to render the sky, the figures moving in and out of the shadows and the dark, heavy foreground, all help to add drama and life to the overall composition titled “Castle from the Grassmarket Edinburgh”.
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A dark, threatening sky was always going to be a prerequisite to any painting of the architecture to ensure that the sunlit stone work above the colourful shop facades stood out to provide suitable weight to balance out the heavy shadow areas on the left of the painting.
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I received Victoria Street this afternoon and it’s just so perfect. My wee red car’s in it too!
I know “my” Alan will love it. It’s so good to know I have a wedding present for him that is just right and has such special meaning to us both.
Thank you so much for the Heriot’s print too. It resulted in a happy “awww” from my kids. They have many happy memories of being at that school. How kind of you. Your work is really beautiful……and the framing is just what I wanted.
Thank you again. A Chalmers – Edinburgh
The foreground shadow spilling over the street helps to emphasize the warmth of the summer sun bathing the stonework of the Beehive Pub in the Grassmarket.
Available in larger sizes please contact or telephone +44 (0) 1661 820626
