Book review- Basilicata Terra aqua fuocoe cuore d'Argilla

  In the spirit of Urban sketching I purchased this, the second of my two literary acquisitions, in Matera, Italy's intriguing city of caves. It is a beautiful hardback compilation of work by talented aquarelle artist Fabrice Moireau. Travelling through the Basilicata, a region in the south of Italy, he captures the wild hilltop cities. Many of these are white or stone coloured and I find his use of watercolour washes inspiring. With them he creates both mood and depth.

   Most of the illustrations in the book are done in a relatively neutral warm palette but he does include a sprinkling of landscapes in wonderful greens which add a liveliness to the book. They provide visual representation of the contrasts in this harsh but beautiful landscape.

   One of the contrasts in this book which I find interesting is the juxtaposition between his careful and detailed pen and ink renderings, and the loose technique he uses to lay in the watercolour washes. He manages to capture both light and shadow as well as differing organic elements without overworking them. Something I often struggle with.

 This is another book in Italian that is equally lovely regardless of the readers ability to understand the text. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking Urban sketching or loose pleine aire Aquarelle inspiration.

 Even the endpapers are beautiful!

Have you been to the Basilicata? Drawn or sketches her cities? Do you like this style? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like:
-Another Italian book on drawing Insects
- browse my Art library
-Everyday sketching book review
- Art Inc.
-Views of Paris
- Venice

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 Bonus
Here is a sketch I did yesterday: