I was flipping through my travel sketchbooks this week searching for examples to answer a question in SketchingNow Watercolour On Location, when I came across two spreads that caught my eye.

They were done during two wonderful guided tours of Vicenza by our art historian Monica Facchini during this years Palladian Odyssey Veneto tours. One of the things I really love about these Veneto sketching tours is that there are lots of  opportunities to sketch in between the formal workshops and each year I try new approaches during these in-between moments.

Sketching during a guided tour is a lot of fun and a great way to practice your reflex sketching skills. But it’s also a great way to remember things that are said during the tour. Even if I don’t jot down many notes, a lot of information is encoded in the drawings. And looking at these pages brings it all back.

I hold a few different pens in my non-dominant hand so that I can switch colours as I work. I normally have one pen for taking notes but sometimes I forget to switch. It’s amazing how something as simple as using a few different line weights and colours can add to a spread of super quick sketches. It’s a good reminder for the Inktober challenge, isn’t it?

Pen and ink used in these sketches

First tour:

• De Atramentis Document Black in Sailor de Mannen 55 degree fude
• De Atramentis Document Green in Sailor de Mannen 45 degree fude
• Notes using Herbin Diablo Menthe ink (watersoluble) in TWSBI Eco Turquoise pen with Fine nib

Second tour:

• De Atramentis Document Black in Sailor de Mannen 55 degree fude
• De Atramentis Document Urban Grey in Sailor de Mannen 55 degree fude
• My own sienna mix of De Atramentis Document ink in Opus 88 Fantasia (more about ink and pen here)
• Notes using a Pentel Energel BL77-8

I know I mention Palladio and Vicenza a lot, but it’s because I love this region of Italy so much and can’t stop sharing! I find it hard to express in words how special these Palladian Odyssey tours are! There are still a few last spots available for our second Veneto tour in 2020 – 01-05 June. Find out more here.