terraced houses in chulilla, spain

Little houses at the bottom of the village, Chulilla, Valencia, Spain
Little houses at the bottom of the village, Chulilla, Valencia, Spain

I've been sketching for a number of weeks in lovely Chulilla in Valencia, Spain. The white terraced houses, combined with terracotta roofs, are so fresh and bright.

The town is built onto a steep slope, with cliffs all around. Some days I'll stand or sit at a distance from the town, looking across at the houses until one, or a group of them, catches my eye. Then I get lost in sketching the details.

These particular houses caught my interest because they're not quite as tidy as some of the others - with a combination of stonework and rough white plaster. Plus the set of stairs leading up to the terrace in front really adds a wonderful compositional element - leading you up onto the terrace.

Here you can join me sketching this scene step-by-step exactly as I normally do in my sketchbook. It's a sketch, not a painting. Quick and loose. The idea being to capture the scene while the light is just right - shadows maketh the sketch ;-)

Full tutorial, and downloadable reference photo, on my Patreon.

Step-by-step urban sketch
Step-by-step urban sketch
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