terraced houses in chulilla, 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