An old door

12 March 2026

Step-by-Step - Level ◆◆◆

Last week we painted a window … this week we’re capturing a door ;-)

When we paint entire buildings in a landscape, I’m always encouraging you to think in terms of the big picture — simplifying shapes, suggesting detail, and trusting the viewer’s imagination to fill in the gaps.

But when we zoom right in on a single element — a door, a window, a roof dome, a humble flower pot — we get to do the opposite. We can slow right down and really enjoy the details.

And this little painting is full of them … the rough texture of the stone, the brightly coloured old bricks in the arch, the beautiful grain and wear in the wood.

We’ll be working from a photo I took of a door on an old chapel near Barbastro in Aragón. I’m forever collecting photos of and sketching doors and windows — I just can’t help myself!

If you love getting lost in texture and character, you’re going to enjoy this one.

Happy painting!