Sunset in Barcelona by Leonid Afremov

This painting is a gem. I wasn't surprised to see it on the Popular page today. In my opinion it deserves a DD. In the midst of all the digital artwork and photography here is a traditional art form that's underrated on deviantART.

First of all, the colors are what caught everyone's eye first, I'm sure. They are so vibrant and warm...they set such a calm and pleasant mood. I love the colors you chose for the clouds because even though there's a lot of contrast it comes together. It sets the connection between the land and the sky.

The city skyline is a perfect blend of silhouette, light, and shadow. I love those building peaks reaching up into the sky. Meanwhile, the water and the reflections are brilliant. Again, wonderful use of color...I see greens, blues, yellows, reds, greys, black, orange, brown... The reflections are very realistic and wonderfully glassy in places.

The only negative I see here is the reflection of the sailboat. It doesn't quite follow the choppy reflection of the sky & the buildings, it's too perfect.

Lastly, I must say that I love your strokes. Especially with the skyline. They're smooth and sweeping. I wish I could see it up close. I miss seeing more classical pieces like this on this site. This painting is great to see and I hope to see more like it. Beautiful work.

P.S. I gave 4* for Originality only because this kind of scene has been painted more times than anyone can count, but that doesn't make it any less valuable.