Guadalest Spain

Have you ever wondered how to make a painting feel like you are standing on the edge of a cliff? This view of Guadalest in Spain was the perfect chance for me to use three point perspective. Usually, we just think about lines going to the left or the right. But when you are looking down from a high place, you also have lines that go down towards the ground. This adds a lot of drama to the scene and makes the buildings look like they are really perched on the rocks.

The village is famous for its bright white bell tower and the old castle ruins. In my painting, I wanted to show how these structures sit right on the edge of the mountain. I used a lot of yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the rooftops to give them a warm feel against the cool greens of the valley below. The white of the bell tower is actually just the paper showing through in some places. Leaving the white paper is a great way to show bright sunlight hitting a building.

The mountain side is very steep here. To show this, I used my brush to create vertical strokes that lead the eye down. This is where the three point perspective really helps. The walls of the houses are not perfectly straight up and down. They tilt slightly inwards as they go towards the bottom of the paper. This trick makes the viewer feel like they are looking down from a great height. It is a simple way to add a lot of excitement to a landscape.

I spent some time thinking about the colours for the shadows. Instead of using black, I mixed ultramarine blue with a little bit of alizarin crimson. This creates a lovely deep purple that feels much more natural for a sunny day. I also used some viridian green mixed with neutral tint for the dark trees tucked into the rocks. These dark areas help the white tower stand out even more. Contrast is your best friend when you want to show a strong focal point.

Many people ask me how to keep the painting looking fresh when there is so much detail in the rocks. The secret is to work quickly and not overwork the paint. I let the colours bleed into each other on the paper. For example, the greens of the mountain blend into the blues of the distant hills. This creates a soft look that makes the hard edges of the buildings look even sharper. It is all about balancing the soft and the hard edges.

The light in this part of the world is very special. I used a tiny bit of cadmium yellow in the sky area to show the heat of the sun. Even though the village is high up, it still feels very warm. The shadows on the white walls are painted with a light wash of cerulean blue. This keeps the buildings looking clean and bright. If you use too much grey, the buildings will start to look dirty, so I always prefer to use a bit of blue or lavender for my shadows.

This original painting is for sale at the moment. If you would like to own this piece of Guadalest or want to see more photos of it, please contact me for more information. I always enjoy hearing from fellow painters who share a love for these mountain scenes. It was a real challenge to get the angles right, but I am very happy with how the perspective brings the whole village to life on the page.