Totnes High Street, Winter Sun

Winter light brings a wonderful contrast to street scenes, especially when the sun is low in the sky. I painted Totnes High Street, Winter Sun to show how bold shadows can transform a simple town view into a lively picture. The bright light hitting the sides of the tall buildings creates a sharp difference between the sunlit walls and the dark foreground street.

Working on a scene like this requires a careful choice of colours to keep the dark areas looking fresh and colourful rather than muddy. For the deep blue shadows across the road and up the side walls, I mixed cobalt blue with a hint of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. This blend helps to capture the cool atmosphere of a cold day while keeping the pigment clean and clear on the paper.

The structure of the buildings was painted with quick, loose brushstrokes to keep the energy of the town. I used yellow ochre mixed with white paint for the warm sunlight areas on the stone walls, which contrasts nicely with the dark blue shadows. A few touches of light red and burnt umber on the brickwork on the right hand side help to balance the composition.

Adding figures and cars brings life to a street scene without needing too much fine detail. I placed simple dark shapes for the walking figures and used white paint for the bright highlights on the top of the parked vehicles. These small details help lead the eye right up the hill along the road.