'Central park is the most visited urban park in the USA and was in part designed by London architect and landscape designer Calvert Vau,' says Peter Graham. 'The park was designated a National Historic landmark in 1963 and is one of the most beautiful walks in the world, with winding roads and tracks all the way through. The concept of a public park as an essential part of city living is one that is very close to my heart; we need cities with green spaces – they help a city to breath and give people a place to unwind.

'I had seen some stunning paintings by artist and singer Tony Bennett. His works were painted from his home overlooking Central Park and they inspired me to catch the impact of this glorious scene myself – to give it my own stamp.

'My goal was to capture the heart of New York in one painting. Looking out over Central Park from an elevated position, I could see the city design beautifully. Central Park is the living, breathing hub of New York.

'I used large watercolour paper, size A0, for my study of the panoramic vista. There is a little artistic licence with foreshortening but essentially I wanted to frame this giant city garden with the Art Deco architecture either side'.

Central Park View, watercolour on paper, (73.5x117cm)

This watercolour reference was painted in a New York apartment that overlooks the public park in the centre of Manhattan.

Demonstration: Central Park, New York

Stage one

I applied a ground of cadmium yellow and then blocked in the buildings using raw sienna, pink and light turquoise.

At this early stage I was looking for the mood and atmosphere, not detail

Stage two

Experimenting with rich colours and vivid contrasts, violet and French ultramarine blue were introduced to temper the colour of the composition

Stage three

With the composition established – it is divided into thirds – deeper colours were added, rich greens and reds

Finished painting

Central Park, oil on canvas, (91.5x91.5cm)

To bring the work together I redefined the buildings and greenery, creating sharper areas of colour and tone.

The sky has been developed by applying layers of reds and oranges to suggest depth and rich sunlight in the scene.

BE INSPIRED BY PETER'S COLOURFUL MANHATTAN WATERCOLOURS

This demonstration is an extract from Peter Graham's full article on how to capture the vibrancy of city scenes, which can be found in the October 2012 issue of The Artist. Enjoy endless inspiration with access to past and present issues of both The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines, plus exclusive video demos, tutorials and more, with our Studio Membership! Discover how you can join today.