Edinburgh Gouache
Edinburgh has had my heart forever since I first visited back in 2018. For me, it is one of those cities that have a mood, a soul that you can feel in every building, every turn of the street, every colourful door, every crooked stone. I love its bright watercolour skies in summer and just as much its ocre symphony of fallen leaves, brown stones and dark, wet cobble streets in autumn.
It is a huge source of inspiration for me and after having created a lino print with one of Edinburgh’s most iconic views, I would like to express my love for Edinburgh in another medium.
I wanted to do a smaller illustration in gouache that would have a more folksy feel to it, enhancing the period charm that Edinburgh has preserved to the present day. And personally, I have always found watercolour and gouache able to convey such closeness and tenderness for a subject while oil inevitably creates a more spectacular and epic atmosphere. And while my gouache illustrations tend to be a more simplified, tender and poetic rendition of the subject, I find myself spending nearly as much time on them as on the oil paintings, giving the various details the extra attention they need.
Work in progress of Ninfa Fluida’s gouache illustration of Edinburgh.
It’s October now, and I’m really ready for the colder winter months and am very much looking forward to Christmas already. That is why I chose to depict Edinburgh at this time of year, when Christmas lights are decorating Victoria street, bringing the stars down to the street. Those of you who have already had a chance to visit the Scottish capital will surely recognize the view from the second level of Victoria street on to Grassmarket and the most iconic skyline. I’ve chosen dark warm colours for this illustration to enhance the warm feeling of Christmas arriving, while creating a contrast in cold colours for the night sky.
I hope you like delving into my creative process and enjoy this new creation in the works. I’m sure it could be the perfect Christmas gift for all the other Edinburgh lovers out there, as well as those who have a soft spot for illustrations of atmospheric cities.