Taberna

... Spanish for "tavern", what else?...which is pretty much a public locale where a wide range of beverages and sometimes food are served. Madrid has its share of typical tabernas, many of them beautifully adorned with ceramic tiles and polished hardwood bar counters. In the touristy center, these establishments usually start teeming with activity at around midday, when those tending bar will serve the quick caña or vino or vermouth along with a tapa before the clients sit down for the lunch service. 

I've always wanted to depict an interior scene in one of these dives, ideally painting on location, but that would not have been logistically feasible, so I've had to resort to multiple photographic references along with years of quick sketches of people at bars, cafés, etc...The first two images below are quick compositional studies in color, playing around with  placing the elements and establishing light and shade and, of course, working out some basic color schemes. 
The last image is the completed painting, a small piece, on canvas mounted on panel, 23 x 17 cms, or about 9 x 7 inches.

...and here are some of the initial ideas in pencil and wash...