Italy in Ink: Hand-Drawn Illustration of a Historic Home

Italy has a way of sneaking into your heart — maybe it’s the pasta, the pizza, the tiny cobblestone streets, or the fact that I studied abroad there in art school (and went back on my honeymoon). So when I got this commission for a historic townhouse in Prossedi, Italy, it felt extra special.

"The drawing arrived and it’s beautiful. Thank you so much!"

This is actually the third commission I’ve done for this client, and seeing all three hanging together in her home like a little mini art gallery was such a treat (scroll to the end to see the photo she sent me!). It’s one thing to finish a piece, but it’s another to see it framed and living on someone’s wall.

This illustration is hand-drawn in ink — no watercolor this time — which is a fun challenge. It’s a very old Italian townhouse, circa 1881, where my client's husband's grandfather lived and passed away. Wonky little details are all throughout: concrete and stone walls, the antique lantern, weathered wood doors, little flower pots, and a stone walkway full of character. Rendering all of that in one color requires patience and a lot of cross-hatching and stippling, techniques I learned back in art school. Nothing is perfectly straight or uniform, and that’s exactly what gives it personality.

Learn how to commission a hand-drawn house portrait ➜