The Gorge at Ronda

Have you ever wondered how to make heavy rocks look natural in watercolour? The secret is all about contrast and simple brush strokes. When I looked at the deep El Tajo gorge in Ronda, Spain, I knew it would be a brilliant challenge. The white houses sit right on the edge of these massive cliffs, looking down into the deep valley below.

To paint the rocks, I used a mix of warm and cool colours. I used dark neutral tint and burnt umber for the deep shadows in the cliffs, and then I let the white paper show through for the bright parts where the sun hits. The cliffs have a lot of texture, so I used a dry brush technique. This means using less water on the brush so it skips over the paper, creating rough lines that look just like real stone.

For the houses and the sky, I wanted a strong contrast against the dark cliffs. I painted the Spanish houses with bright white and added some cobalt blue for the soft shadows on the walls. The rooftops are a warm light red, which really pops against the cool cerulean blue of the sky. Behind the town, I put some soft, distant hills using a light mix of ultramarine blue and yellow ochre to show how far away they are.