Your class project will be creating a 9 x 12-inch ink and watercolor wash sketch of the lively piazza and town hall in the hilltop town of Cortona, Italy, where much of Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. This town hall, with its clock tower and tall staircase (perfect for sitting and people-watching) is great fun to draw, and a perfect subject for depicting the dramatic effects of light, shade and shadow.

We’ll draw together, step-by-step, creating:

A quick line drawing that captures the personality of the architecture and populates the scene with people.
Beautiful wet-in-wet watercolor washes to flavor the stone walls.
Bold shade and shadow, aiming for dynamic patterns and dramatic contrast.
Details that add sparkle and draw the viewer’s eye right into the scene.

Gather your supplies as described in Lesson 2 and in the handout under the “Resources” tab. Then relax, work step-by-step with me, and enjoy the process. Completing this project will give you new confidence and teach you new skills that can only be learned by doing.

Please share your works in progress as you work through the lessons—that way we all learn from each other.

And please post your finished sketch to the gallery. To do this, look under the viewing screen, and click the “Projects and Resources” tab. On the next page, click the green button that says, “Create Project.” There you’ll see a place where you can upload an image of your project and give it a title. Click “Publish,” and you’re done!

Jessica Koren

Goin back to the basics

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