Virtual Urban Sketch - Italy Storefront

As an artist, I definitely don’t have the kind of unlimited budget that lets me hop on a plane whenever inspiration strikes. As much as I’d love to spend my days wandering around Europe with a sketchbook (and one day I hope to be able to do just that in retirement), real life says, “Hmm… maybe not today bub.”

So one day I had this little lightbulb moment: why not just use Google Maps Street View - yah know, the poor mans window to the world? I mean, why not just zoom around from my desk, pick a random street corner, and use it as practice for some virtual urban sketching? Sure—it's not the same as being there in person (I’m not fooling myself!), but it is a surprisingly fun and ultra affordable way to sharpen my skills without spending thousands of dollars and who knows how many hours traveling, setting up, and getting to work.

I don’t expect to create masterpieces this way—though occasionally something turns out better than expected—but it’s a unique, low-pressure way to get in some practice. And honestly? It definitely beats trying to sketch outdoors in Ohio when it’s 23 degrees. Let’s be real: a charming European street via google maps beats the crap out of an Ohio strip mall any day.

So tonight, I found this little storefront on a random street in a small town in Italy—one of those places you stumble on by accident and instantly think, okay, I'll try this one. Below you’ll see my sketch, and underneath that, a screenshot of the exact view I was looking at on Google Maps. I am sure I am not the first person to do this - but hey, it was the first for me.

Let me know your thoughts—I’m always curious how these little virtual adventures seem to others.

My little Italy Storefront sketch - Fountain Pen (continuous line drawing) and Watercolor

The Google Maps view