A DAY OUT IN PRAGUE

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This artwork is inspired by my travels; of which included a weekend trip to Prague. From its medieval cobbled streets to its cathedrals, galleries and museums, art is everywhere in this cultured and unique city! I was inspired by the intricacy of the special architecture, which showcases a prevalent gothic theme, alongside statues of fallen angels. Let’s not forget the pretty pastel coloured houses, which instantly uplifts spirits and can brighten anyone’s day. Accompanied by trams and lakes, Prague is a definite show-stopper and its beauty has been captured by many artists around the world.

Fun Fact: Prague houses its largest art gallery in the Czech Republic, which is so vast and expansive that it is spread across six different buildings.

About the art: This artwork began as a pencil sketch, which was outlined in fine liner pens to accentuate the details of the buildings. It was then coloured in using a combination of colouring pencils and oil-pastels, for the buildings, trams and streets. Finally, the sky was finished using paints (water colour paints achieve the best effect here, but as I didn’t have any, I used acrylics and applied some water in appropriate quantities for the desired effect).

My personal top tips:
*Always have a source of light, to add texture and dimension to any drawing – this can be seen in some of the blacked out windows, where I used a white oil pastel to contrast.
*Take your time and add plenty of detail using lines for shading.
*When painting the canvass, use the paint brush to wet the canvass a little; this provides a more pliable texture and prevents the paints from drying out. Always trial the colours on a separate piece of paper, to ensure that it is the desired shade before applying to the artwork.
*Do not be rigid and do blend several colours together to achieve the desired tones; in particular this piece is inspired by bright pastels, so these colours can be difficult to achieve alone. Oil pastels are a personal favourite of mine…I like the effect that they provide when you smudge them, allowing the easy blending of different colours.
*Yellows, oranges and whites are perfect for brightening, whereas blues, browns and blacks are great for achieving a deeper tone.

Due to the blue sky, this piece is best placed in a bright spot in the house, where it will catch light. Place in the living room to fill a blank wall space with a cultured and travelled vibe!