For this reason, in late May I decided to enroll in a sketchbooking workshop held by a famous Italian urban sketcher in Volterra, a wonderful small town in Tuscany.
I have to say that I am an amateur sketcher and my husband, who's had this experience with me, is even more a beginner, but sketching is a passion that has lasted for some time now and we want to bring it to a slightly higher level.
The idea of spending four days drawing in public, with people that draw much better than us frightened us and we got scared even more by reading the presentation letters of the various participants: graphic designers, art teachers, art academy graduates and so on. But it was exactly what we were looking for according to our principle: "You can get as smart as the smartest guy in the room."
From the moment of our arrival we realized it would be a unique experience: the accommodation was a Tuscan '800 villa "Villa le Guadalupe", whose owners, Wofgang and Klaudia, wonderful hosts, have contributed to make our stay unforgettable. The villa is a delight, with breathtaking views of the Tuscan countryside.
The house is full of books by Wolfgang, German dramaturge, scholar and expert in art and theater. The couple came to live at the Villa in the 80s, and, without internet, and no major libraries in the surroundings, they had to build their personal library to pursue their studies.
From the windows of the first floor, Wolfgang delighted us with his record collection that ranges from classical to tango, to old Neapolitan songs that I would never listen to anywhere else but were so magical here.
And the company was so good. we immediately felt a connection and talking to complete strangers for four days and three nights in a row was very easy and natural.
The sketch products were so many and also we improved our techniques so much, thanks to the expert help of Simonetta, our teacher. We have seen different styles, learned techniques, copied, edited, and we brought home countless suggestions to continue practicing.
The actors remained in place for about 30 seconds then they ran away for a change of clothes for the next framework.
Below, one of the sketches by the talented Joe Bean who has been a continuous source of inspiration for us.
An experience that I really hope to do again and I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn how to sketch and to discover more about our Italian beauties.