My virtual sketchwalk through the
ancient town of Volterra, Italy.

This virtual walk was a group walk with sketching friends from around the world!
There were a couple of routes suggested, and I sketched the one from the
Piazza XX Settembre to the Piazza Del Priori.

Volterra may have been continually inhabited since the
8th century, BC, built upon a neolithic settlement.
Volterra was the bishop’s residence in the 5th century,
and became an episcopal power in Medieval times.
The Florentines conquered Volterra in the 13th century.

The Palazzo dei Priori is the ancient palace in the
center of Volterra, the Piazza dei Priori.
Teh building broke ground in 1200 and was
completed in the middle of the 13th century.
When Volterra became a Florentine property,
the loggia was demolished and the two lions were applied, a symbol of Florentine rule.  The clock was added much later and is a bizarre addition.  The tower is not original, and was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1846.

The city buildings are shades of biscuit and warm grey.

My personal goal with this sketchwalk was to push my comfort zone,
deepen the intensity of color in my watercolors, and present a bold palette.

Glad to have the Moleskin, which took my layering of colors well.  I overworked the darkened passageway above, but am still happy with it!  Trying to find the colors in shadow; surprisingly, there were blues and purples and acid green in the images.

I also am experimenting with colored ink outlines.  They pop the sketches!

I began with the layout and the inked lines. . .

. . . then began layering watercolor.
I am, by nature, impatient.  Acrylics are comfortable because they dry quickly.
Watercolors test my patience.

The walk, below!

A virtual sketchwalk should give you an idea of the pathway twists and turns,
and the views you would see if you took this particular walk.

Ours starts our in what seems to be the only green space within the town itself,
an open plaza with a lovely old church (Chiesa di Sant’Agostino), and, walking north, you take the foot path to the left, down winding narrow streets. From time to time the views are of darker passageways framing another small sunlit plaza, but continuing on, you come to the Piazza del Priori, with the palace buildings on all sides.

I started a Facebook group page to allow everyone to comfortably post their virtual sketches, and also where we will, from time to time, take virtual sketch walks. If you want to know more about what a virtual sketchwalk is review my first post.
I also created an accompanying Flickr group!
Come join us if you are inclined!

Moleskin 8×11 watercolor journal, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, De Artramentis
Document Black ink and Platinum  Carbon ink; Daniel Smith and Holbien watercolors.

All my International Fake Journal Month posting are copyrighted.
It is unusual for me to not do Creative Commons but there is a reason.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.