Several of my paintings of Edinburgh feature different parts of the well trodden Royal Mile. The Tolbooth Edinburgh can be found on Canongate Tobooth.
I’m always captivated by the Royal Mile because it is full of fascinating architecture. The Tolbooth was built in 1591 and it was here that the tolls or public dues were collected. The Tolbooth also served as a council house, court room and a prison. The impressive clock that protrudes from its wall is dated 1820.
I recall being on the Royal Mile on a cold January afternoon. Bursts of low winter sunlight caught the old stone architecture so that the rest of the buildings were in shrouded in shadows. The Tolbooth Edinburgh grabbed my attention so I decided to make it the subject of my next painting.
I began with a background wash of Yellow Ochre and Cadmium Lemon to set the mood. The sky couldn’t be too simple, so I thought it through carefully. I painted a heavy cloud running from top left, allowing it to flow down towards the Tolbooth’s spire. This added a sense of mood and drama to the composition and emphasised the sunlight areas on the buildings. The figures also play an important part to this watercolour, providing movement, colour and added interest.