If you’ve looked at my Leslie Fehling Studio site, you may have noticed this week’s featured lesson, How to Paint a Cinque Terre Sunset, and wondered…
“What’s a Cinque Terre?”
or
“Where the heck is Cinque Terre?”
or
“How on earth do you pronounce Cinque Terre? Is that Italian? Spanish?”
Because the lesson title might seem a little confusing, I thought it would be good idea to explain what Cinque Terre is and why I think this lesson has so much to offer.
Cinque Terre is Italian for “five lands”. It refers to a string of five fishing villages in the Ligurian region of Italy. (Here’s how to pronounce Cinque Terre like an Italian.) I visited Cinque Terre during my first trip to Italy back in 2013 and thought it was one of the prettiest places I’d ever seen.
It had been on my wish list for many years but seemed far out of reach until a serendipitous chain of events occurred, and I found myself on my way to Italy to celebrate my 60th birthday! I stayed in the little village of Manarola, with its fishing boats, colorful houses, and terraced hillsides.
The town was bustling during the day but quiet and peaceful in the evening and early morning, when most tourists had either headed back to Pisa or hadn’t arrived yet on the morning train. I took those opportunities to wander through the narrow lanes and up into the vineyards, stopping to look, listen, and take it all in.
Manarola was beautiful and old and completely different from anything I’d experienced before. It wasn’t culture shock I was feeling. It was culture LOVE! My senses were on overload, and I wanted to imprint every single moment into my brain.
And the way to do that was to settle in and sketch.
Those scenes I sketched eight years ago are as clear to me today as they were back in 2013.
So when it came time to plan another trip to Italy in 2016, I knew I wanted to return to Cinque Terre. This time, I was bringing along eight of my local students who had become good friends over the years, and I wanted them to experience those five villages by the sea the same way I had.
We had a wonderful time on that trip, visiting all the villages by boat, watching daredevils jump from the rocks into the swirling waters of the Ligurian Sea, shopping, feasting on fresh, local food, and, of course, sketching!
Our last evening in Manarola, we had reservations at a restaurant perched way up on the hill at the top of the village, and, as we made the trek up from sea level, we caught passing glimpses of the sun sinking lower in the sky. We reached the restaurant just as the sun was about to set, and I snapped this photo…
I did a small sketch of it later in my travel journal…
and a few weeks later, back home, I painted the scene again, this time writing step-by-step instructions for my students, to explain exactly how to paint the scene.
How to Paint a Cinque Terre Sunset is loaded with helpful techniques for painting skies, water, and a semi-silhouetted foreground. You won’t believe all that I’ve packed into this 22-page PDF lesson. There’s so much more to this 9″ x 6″ sketch than first meets the eye.
In the step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you:
- How to make a perfectly straight horizon line (We don’t want a tipsy sea!)
- Tips and tricks for painting a variegated base wash for sky and sea (I’ve included a variety of color options for you to try.)
- Troubleshooting tips for perfect washes (No more streaks and blooms!)
- Techniques for painting wispy clouds (Use a light, gentle touch for great results.)
- How to draw a perfect circle for the sun (So clever you’ll wonder why you never thought of it before!)
- A simple trick for creating sparkling highlights on water (This one is so-o-o easy!)
- How to mix colors for a dark landscape silhouette (Three specific color recipes are included.)
- How to paint light rays radiating from the sun (You’re going to love this technique!)
As you paint along with the lesson, you’ll watch your own Cinque Terre sunset progress from a simple line drawing to a finished painting filled with color, texture, and a range of values. Glazing techniques are the key. You’ll learn how to layer strokes and washes to create an image with rich dimension and glowing light.
The lesson includes a materials list that tells you exactly what you’ll need to paint the example, and it gives you specific color recommendations for each step of the painting process.
View the lesson online on the Teachable platform after purchase or download it to your computer or iPad. It’s yours to keep forever!
I hope you’ll give this painting lesson a try. Mentally put yourself into the scene, high on that hilltop in Manarola, with vineyards and gardens marching up the hillside behind you and the sparkling sea stretching out before you. Dream of Italy as you paint!
It doesn’t hurt to dream, because dreams do come true. Mine did!
The winner of the giveaway for Week 3 is
Kim Parker
Congratulations, Kim ! You’ve won the Princeton Aqua Elite #8 round paint brush and Stillman & Birn Beta Series sketchbook.
The prize for the Week 4 giveaway is a set of American Journey watercolors in three primary hues: Quinacridone Gold, Permanent Rose (Quinacridone), and Ultramarine Blue. These are the colors I used to paint the initial wash layer in the Cinque Terre Sunset sketch.
I love American Journey watercolors and recommend them in all my classes. I started out buying them because they were such a good value, but I now I buy and use them because of the quality, which is comparable to other national brands. They are highly pigmented and have a consistent texture, plus there are lots of fun proprietary colors, too, like Wisteria, Skip’s Green, Getz Grey, Red Hot Mama, and Orchid.
Be sure to leave a comment below to enter this week’s giveaway. (US addresses only, please.) The winner of the drawing will be announced in next week’s Lesson of the Week post on August 31, 2021.
It was a lot of fun reading all your comments last week about your favorite desserts. They all sounded so good! Wish I could try some of those recipes.
Instead of just one prompt for the comments this week, there are two to choose from. Take your pick.
Which trip was the most life-changing for you?
OR
What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken?
And remember, if you’re longing to create some new memories and want something to look forward to, check out my European workshops scheduled for 2022.
Good luck with the giveaway, and happy sketching!
49 Comments
I think my first sketching trip (to New Orleans) had the biggest impact on me. It made me realize “I can do this” – both venture out on a trip myself (minus my husband) and I could sketch on the fly – sit down or even standing up. Wonderful experience.
That’s life-changing!
I feel that bits of every trip are “best trip” – I think that is one reason I love to travel – every adventure and experience is full of possibility for wonder and memory making. For me, there are moments in every trip that are the ‘the best” – and revisiting those magic moments in my mind is the best!
So true, Karen.
Most life-changing — rode my bicycle across the United States from Los Angeles to Boston. Never thought I could do such a thing and it gave me a lot of confidence. Wish I had been a sketcher and a birder back then, though I doubt there would have been much time for either.
I’m looking forward to when Cheap Joe’s will be offering in-person workshops again and Bill and I can visit the beautiful town of Boone again.
What an accomplishment! I can’t imagine having the energy and stamina needed to finish that trek. You must have had some amazing experiences along the way.
I’m looking forward to teaching in-person classes at Cheap Joe’s again someday, too. Those were such good times. Glad I had a chance to get to know you and Bill there. I still remember the sketch he did of his dog, Sarge, and your recipe for Prickly Pear Syrup.
I love seeing your travel sketches, you do wonderful work. 🙂
It’s hard to pick a favorite trip, but one that produced a lot of great memories was Leslie’s group sketching trip to Greece in 2017. Athens was fascinating, and traveling from island to island on ferries and seeing so many unique places was so much fun. The best thing about the trip, however, was the positive and creative atmosphere that Leslie generated for her diverse group of sketchers.
Thank you so much for your sweet comments, Milla. That was a fantastic trip, one I revisit in my mind often. I still haven’t finished my travel journal from that trip, though!
Ohhhhh I love this, it brings me back to our trip and I’m in agreement – EVERYTHING about that place is fabulous. It defines the word lovely@ Thanks for sharing:)
Let’s go back!
Trip last week to CO for a wedding. First real trip in 1.5 years. Good to see a new place, even with the smoke and the heat!
My best trip was my one and only white water sailing trip. It was out of the stunning Lesser Antilles. We were four men-and me. Me and only one other knew how to sail, but we set off thinking we could teach the others to crew. But before we could, the seas turned rough, big, and scary. I sailed well in spite of being nearly paralyzed with fear, so while I was proud of myself: never again!
So why was this my best trip ever? Because I lived life first hand. Everything that happened was real, not virtual, not interpreted, not reported upon. Just life. Right then. I made one small painting from memory when I got home. I took no photos. It was amazing. I didn’t watch tv for months after that. I couldn’t relate to it.
That’s a powerful story, Joan. I’m sure those experiences changed who you are.
Our Summerhill retreat was my best sketching trip, combining great company and scenery with relaxation and learning. Thanks to Leslie!
I’ve missed playing host here at Summerhill these past two years. It was a lot of work, but so worth the effort. The happiness that filled those days was something very special.
A ten day trip with six other girlfriends to Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
My favorite trip was with a group of other artists to the the big island of Hawaii. We stayed at a very large sugar plantation house with many bedrooms. During the day we traveled to various locations where we could settle in to sketch and paint for hours (I was using oil paints at that time). The scenery was beautiful, the sunsets were fantastic and the food was delicious.
That sounds heavenly, Jeanne. Wish I had been a sketcher when I was there years ago. Guess I need another visit!
Oh to be in Cinque Terre on a sketching trip with you and your students… Steve and I went there about 8 years ago and it was absolutely beautiful.. It was pre travel journal sketching… so fun to see your sketches and pics… I remember it like it was yesterday… ❤️
Back in 2009, I organized a “family” trip to Italy. My daughter’s then boyfriend’s parents asked if they could join us-and they hadn’t even met us😳! Well 15 family members, (and 3 future members) enjoyed a trip that is legendary in all our stories. Part of our trip included a visit to the beautiful Cinque Terre. My daughter is now married to the wonderful then boyfriend. His parents became the most fabulous of friends with all my family, as well as we are to them. Sadly, our son-in-law’s mom passed away shortly after the wedding, but the memories still live on. Ahh, Italy❤️
I can’t even imagine organizing something like that! Sounds like it was a huge success though. There’s something about the shared experience of traveling to new places that bonds people together like nothing else.
Probably a favorite was a couple of years ago when we traveled to Italy and stayed at an agriturismo in Pienza . Such beautiful views out over the Val d’Orcia of green hills and valleys with poppies and vineyards. So much fun visiting the villages in Tuscany and great memories of making pasta and tasting olive oil and wine. A special place.
The most life changing trip for me was 2018 knowing I would have to invent a life style change after my loved one passed away with cancer. We traveled in our RV all over the US and Canada. What was I going to do? I wanted to keep traveling and had never been to Europe but how? One of my art friends, from an online class, asked if I wanted to go to Leslie’s art class in Sicily and another week in Italy going from Milan to Venice, I think it was.
We were just on line friends and I had never met her until we arrived in Sicily. I loved the group and Leslie’s teachings.
Well 2nd part of the trip was canceled (that’s why I can’t exactly remember the itinerary) so we went a week to Cotswolds in England with Leslie. I loved England.
I found a great group of friends in Leslie’s classes and booked another trip to Croatia in 2019 which was one of my favorites. Was ready to book in January of 2020 and we all knew what happened then so for right now have nothing on the books.
I’m so glad you were brave enough to come to Sicily after your devastating personal loss. And our time together in the Cotswolds was so relaxed and fun. I hope you’ll decide to join me again on another tour – maybe in 2022?
What a beautiful place and inspirational spot to paint. I love the colors you featured this week. Your questions are tough ones, surprisingly. How do you define the best trip? England with my mom, six months before her cancer diagnosis when I was only 21? My first trip abroad? Or a return to England (and France and Amsterdam) with the love of my life decades later? Both life changing. They are a tie!
My best trip is to Cincinnati to visit my grandchildren! Love your beautiful photo of the sunset. Have never been to Europe except through your blogs and sketchbook.
Well, come along on one of my trips! 🙂 We have the best time. I’d love to have you join me.
ITALY was the trip that did indeed, change my life. Even now, many years later, I think of some aspect of that trip almost daily. The beauty of that country, the simple way of life, the culture, the food, the very essence of Italy has enriched my life in ways I could only imagine. I would go back in a heartbeat!
I think you need to start planning your return!
Well, perhaps my best trip is still yet to come…. Next year, I’ll actually be going to the Cinque Terre! But next month, I’m headed to Le Vieux Couvent! Squeal! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😃
Lucky you! Wish I were coming along to Le Vieux Couvent – I have a whole year to wait. 🙁
My most memorable trip was the last trans Atlantic sailing on the Queen Mary in September of 1967 – sailed to Europe to spend a year abroad in France – the entire trip and year in France was life changing, educational, and I have so many memories of a fabulous time in my life. I will never forget passing the Queen Elizabeth in mid ocean at night, watching the ship appear as tiny lights on the horizon, suddenly appearing along side us, the British singing God Save the Queen, waving to the passengers on the other ship, exchanging greetings, and then seeing it disappear – it still gives me chills – such a fabulous sight. Arriving in France, alone, and navigating my way for a year – what an exciting time.
Your story gave me chills, too, Barbara. I can just picture it.
My most memorable recent trip was to Fiji. My husband dove with friends and I snorkeled through the amazing soft corals in rainbow hues. We visited the capital city, Suva, and everywhere we went in the country were the friendliest, happiest people I have ever met.
My favorite trip was to Kauai, for my honeymoon. The island was beautiful–so quiet and peaceful, with bright flowers and birds, banyon trees and that gorgeous blue water. We hiked the mountains, explored waterfalls and a rain forest, and enjoyed the beaches. So much diversity in a small island; it truly felt like paradise.
The most life changing trip is the one I am now on. In my past I have been tied to location by business ownership and then a six day per week job as a mailcarrier for 27 years. I drove 125 miles per day in all sorts of weather conditions. I am blessed to live in rural southeastern Ohio and took many snapshots of my mail routes and met people from every imaginable place and experience. The moments that have most impacted my life were when I stood on seashores and saw how insignificant my problems were compared to the power of the mighty ocean , or stood on mountain tops and view the vastness of the creation of The Almighty, or walked in ancient woodlands being aware of the beautiful harmony of diverse population s of fauna and flora, or stood by rolling and seemingly endless amounts of water falling over great precipices. But of all these a few stand out as most precious: the trip I drove alone to behold the face of my new granddaughter, or the Ceder’s PowWOIW camping trip, or the display of Japanese art kimonos the presenting 360 degree views from the artists studio neat Mt Fuji from every time of day and season. I’m sure I’ve left out many significant moment but these stand out at the moment.
Thank you very much for the opportunity you are now giving me to develope latent art talents that I had in my youth and inherited from my family. May you continue to be richly blrssed
Thank you for sharing, Ann.
Congratulations, Kim!
This class looks AMAZING, Leslie! And you can ‘color me green’ for that whole Italy trip experience.
My best trip ever (so far) was the one my hubby and I took to England about ten years ago. The London leg was paid for by his company (an achievement club reward for sales) but we tacked on an additional week in the Cotswolds and my eyes stayed open wide and there was a smile on my face for the entire trip. (Now I would like to go back through the pictures he took and create a Leslie-inspired travel journal! And if Cheap Joe’s ever offers that class of yours again, Leslie, I am definitely taking it!)
I’m in love with the Cotswolds, too. I felt so at home there, like I must have lived there in a previous life. Beauty around every bend in the road. I can’t wait to return some day.
Best trip ever was to Alaska with our whole family. No time to paint but lots of wonderful memories!
The Chelsea Flower Show in 2017with my sister was my favorite trip. We also visited Kew gardens and Windsor castle grounds followed by a visit to France to see Monet’s garden and home. Can’t wait till I can go back to Europe.
Those are all places I haven’t been to yet, but they sound wonderful. I’ll have to add them to my wish list.
Best trip ever, a 14 day backpacking trek into the High Sierra Mountains (Sequoia-Kings Canyon) of CA.
I loved my trip to Arizona the most because it was so different from what I was use to.
Simply gorgeous sunset! So inspiring. Hope to be able to get some decent results in the future 😊
So many great trips! But I always remember a wonderful girls trip to Spain when I was in my early 30s. We followed Rick Steve’s guidebook and went to Madrid, Sevilla, Arcos de la Frontera, Toledo, Granada and when we couldn’t make the crossing to Morocco we ended up in Gibraltar, which was fabulous. Overall a phenomenal trip!
It sounds wonderful!
I once visited my daughter while she served in the Peace Corps in Belize.
I’ll never ever forget it. A life changing trip.