Window Reflections, Bradford on Avon

I recently spent some time in the lovely town of Bradford on Avon. It is such a great place for an artist because of the narrow streets and old stone buildings. I found this wonderful view of a shop called Strawberry Blue. What really caught my eye were the reflections in the large glass windows on the left. Reflections are a brilliant way to add life and depth to a watercolor painting. They let you show what is happening behind the painter as well as what is in front.

For this painting, I wanted to capture the bright light at the end of the street. I used plenty of yellow ochre for the warm stone walls and some burnt sienna for the darker shadows. The sky is a very simple wash of cerulean blue which helps the buildings stand out. I made sure to leave some white paper for the brightest highlights on the shop front. This helps create that feeling of a crisp and sunny day in a busy English town.

The windows were the most fun part to paint. I used a mix of cobalt blue and neutral tint to get those deep, dark shapes inside the shop. By adding some splashes of alizarin crimson and cadmium red, I could show the items for sale inside without painting every single detail. The trick with reflections is to keep them loose. If you paint them too perfectly, they can look a bit stiff and lose that watery magic.

The street itself has a lot of texture. I used a dry brush technique with some burnt umber to show the paving stones. I also added a few figures sitting at tables to give the scene a bit of a story. It makes the painting feel more like a real moment in time.