Chefchaouen, Morocco

Many artists struggle to get a real sense of bright sunshine into their work. The secret to making a painting look hot and sunny is not actually about using bright paint. The secret lies in the dark shadows right next to the light. When you place a deep, dark shadow next to a pale area, the white paper instantly looks much brighter.

In my painting, Chefchaouen, Morocco, I wanted to show this dramatic difference between light and shade. I used plenty of rich blue paint, like cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, for the colourful walls. Then I mixed a dark neutral tint with blue for the deep shadows in the alleyway. This high contrast makes the white walls look like they are baking under a hot sun.

To balance all those cool blues, I turned to warm colours for the ground. I mixed burnt sienna and light red to create a warm earth colour for the street. This warm tone contrasts beautifully with the blue walls and makes the whole scene feel complete. I also added some simple figures of people to give the street some life and a sense of scale.

This original watercolour painting is for sale. If you would like to own Chefchaouen, Morocco, please contact me for more details.