Where Cairo Breathes

Where Cairo Breathes

I created this painting of Talaat Harb Street, one of the most iconic and historically rich areas in downtown Cairo. The project was my response to a Domestika art challenge that arrived at a time when I felt slightly disconnected from my creative routine. I wasn’t blocked, but I hadn’t drawn in a while, and the challenge gave me the perfect motivation to start again with fresh energy.

I chose this street because it represents a blend of architectural charm, cultural memory, and everyday life—elements I wanted to explore visually. This piece became both a technical exercise and a personal tribute, helping me reconnect with my artistic process in an honest and intentional way.

I started the piece using a 10H technical pencil to lightly block in the structure and perspective. Once satisfied with the layout, I refined the lines with a 0.5 mm Rotring mechanical pencil. For the painting process, I chose a 23 × 25 cm Bzoor sketchbook with 320 gsm natural white, cold press paper—ideal for gouache and layering. My palette was intentionally limited: cobalt blue, bright yellow, vermilion, and white, applied with both flat and round brushes. I mixed colors on a white plastic palette and used just a cup of water and paper towels for support. A quick thumbnail was created on a 13-inch iPad Air to plan the composition. The biggest challenge was maintaining clarity in the architectural forms while keeping the brushwork expressive and lively.

Before I touched paper, I started with this quick digital thumbnail using Procreate on my iPad. I wasn’t focused on details yet—just trying to capture the overall composition, perspective, and rhythm of the scene. This rough sketch helped me plan the placement of buildings, cars, and the focal point. It gave me the clarity and direction I needed before moving on to the pencil sketch on paper.

Sketching began after finalizing the perspective. I used a 10H pencil to carefully map out vanishing points and build the framework. With the perspective locked in, I started blocking in the larger shapes—especially the main building and foreground elements.

One interesting part of the process was the car in the lower right. I initially placed it as part of the composition "off instinct," but as the sketch evolved, I realized it disrupted the visual balance. I adjusted its placement and size, which led to a stronger, more harmonious composition in the final sketch.

Once everything felt right, I cleaned up the drawing with a 0.5 mm pen, giving structure and clarity to the forms before painting.

Tip: Don’t hesitate to change or move elements, even after you've sketched them in. Composition is a living part of the process—and making adjustments is a sign of refinement, not error.

Once the sketch was complete, I moved on to establishing the color foundation. I wanted the palette to feel true to Cairo—not just visually, but emotionally. The city is often bathed in warm sunlight, and there's a certain golden haze that lingers in the air. To capture that feeling, I began by laying down a base of yellow across the scene.

Vermilion came next, blended into key areas to deepen the warmth and give the image an emotional weight—almost like the heat of the afternoon sun pressing gently against the buildings. But the palette needed balance. That’s when I introduced cobalt blue to the ground. It not only provided visual contrast, but also helped tie the composition together, grounding the warmth with something cooler and more stable.

This stage was where the scene really started to breathe. The colors weren’t just filling spaces—they were setting the tone.

Tip: Choose your color palette not just based on aesthetics, but on emotion. Ask yourself: What does this place feel like—and how can I show that with color? Sometimes, one well-placed hue can change the entire mood of your piece.

I truly appreciate every moment you spent looking through the process—thank you!💗