So, you wanna visit Venice and do some sketching or painting on the go.
Venice, with its labyrinth of canals, historic bridges, and breathtaking architecture, is a dream destination for artists and the art enthusiasts. However, with heaps of tourists and the lack of motor vehicles within the city, it is a challenge navigating it, let alone finding a tucked away spot to do some painting or sketching.
Last year, I spent a full week in Venice with a sole focus on creating watercolor sketches on the go and turning them into finished artworks back at the studio. In this guide, I will share the top locations for painting on-site undisturbed alongside my sketches and finished paintings. I will also share practical tips on lighting, available subjects at each location, as well as not-to-be-missed photo opportunities for studio paintings later.
Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner itching to use your first travel sketchbook, these tips will help you capture the magic of Venice on paper and relish it for years to come.
Route #1 - Travel the quieter streets of Cannaregio Island, and paint the canal or the open Lagoon from a bridge
One of my most memorable painting sessions took place on the Ponte dei Tre Archi (Three-Arch Bridge) where the canal meets the open ocean. There are many other bridges to choose from in this neighborhood, flanked with charming buildings that are relatively low in height, making this location much brighter in the mornings and during sunset.
Why it’s a great spot:
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Low foot traffic – The bridges and canals in this neighborhood are much quieter, making it easy to set up and paint without interruptions.
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Abundant choices of subject – There are opportunities for multiple bridges, the canals as well as the open sea.
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Golden hour magic – This spot is particularly stunning at sunset when the sky’s glow is mirrored in the water
Tip: When exploring Venice, look for side streets and canals that are slightly removed from main attractions. Often, just a short walk from busy areas can lead to hidden gems perfect for painting.
Route #2 - Explore the canals alongside Fundamento Rio Marin, a classic Venice scene
Another fantastic location is alongside the Fundamento Rio Marin, where the curved waterways meet many bridges and glorious Venetian buildings of different colors and shapes.
Finished painting in studio
Why it’s a great spot:
- Dynamic subjects – There are 5 bridges very close to each other on this part of the canal, positioned at different angles, offering a much more vivid, dynamic look. The canal itself is also curved, allowing for intrigue and surprises, and leads to more interesting composition as compared to a “straight shot” view that may result in boring paintings.
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Wide sidewalk with room to set up easels – Even though this is a main route and does have modest food traffic, the sidewalk however, is very wide. And it has a few “knockout” spaces and patio areas where you can tuck away from traffic and just paint.
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Good lighting conditions – From noon to afternoon, the colorful buildings receive beautiful light, enhancing their textures and colors.
Tip: Look for spots where roads or canals end. These factors ensure an undisturbed painting experience despite any foot traffic.
Route #3 - Around and inside Santa Maria dei Frari Church – A Hidden Painting Sanctuary
Located on San Polo Island, the Santa Maria Dei Frari Church looks plain from the outside, but don’t let that fool you. It’s a travel trove of artworks and antiques inside, and it offers 2 roomy plazas in the front and the back with diverse subjects to paint.
2 plazas with diverse subjects
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The front plaza along Dei Frari has a buzzing cafe scene and wonderful canal view with 2 bridges. There are very few spots like such that offer open views of the bridge and the space to paint it.
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The back plaza intersects with the Escola Di Rosso building. And that’s one of my favorite painting subjects in the mornings. Because there are two pure white buildings at perpendicular angles, one with side lit surface, the other front lit. It’s a wonderful study of the lights and dark, and to paint the statues carved by masters.
Interiors as painting subject
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No time limit – If you decide to go inside, because there is relatively low foot traffic, they are not herding you like they do inside San Marco Basilica! You can stay as long as you like and “disappear” behind one of those tall statues.
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Stunning light effects – The sun filtering through stained glass windows creates beautiful patterns on the floor.
- Comfortable environment – Being indoors provides shelter from Venice’s unpredictable weather during spring and winter months
Tip: On Google Maps, wherever you see negative spaces between two large buildings, that tells you it’s a plaza and that’s somewhere you will want to be, especially if you’d like to do a feature of the architecture.
Tip: The plain looking church exterior typically means they were built before the Renaissance period and have deeper history, and therefore more treasures inside!
Route #4 - Walk eastwards along the canal and look back at the famous sites
While Venice's main attractions are breathtaking, the best angles for depicting them aren’t necessarily near them! While painting en plein air, you have the power to “zoom in” onto a faraway subject and crop everything out.
From the congested San Marco plaza, if you follow the waterfront and keep on walking (or take a water bus) towards east, the bank will curve and you be able to look back at with San Giorgio Maggiore Church, Santa Maria Della Salute and Doge’s Palace all in your view. Venice is your oyster!
I didn't wind up painting the panoramic view myself because that day was dedicated to the Biennale exhibition. So I ended up painting a scene inside Giardini which is also the main Biennale venue.
Why it’s a great spot:
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Room to spread – As you move eastward along the waterfront, crowds thin out, the sidewalk widens up, leaving you with stunning views and an abundance of subjects to choose from.
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En route to Biennale – If you plan to see the Biennale show, this route takes you there. If you’re tired of walking, hop on a water bus at any of the stops alongside the walk
Route # 5 - Arsenale to Castello Island
Further down the route No.4, there is the satellite location of the Biennale which is the Arsenale. The shipyard itself requires tickets to get in, but right outside to the east, is a “sleepy” neighborhood that connects to the Castello Island. 
Why it’s a great spot:
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Boats painting heaven - if you enjoy painting boats and water, the San Pietro bridge that leads you to the Castello Island offers sweeping views of the Arsenale exterior and the island itself. There are also an abundance of working shed, some rundown structures and shantis, offering organic, dynamic shapes that you can incorporate into your maritime theme
- Charming neighborhood – This residential area is quieter and more down to earth than central Venice, but still boasts the essential features like narrow canals, colorful buildings. What I found to be an absolute fun subject to paint are the courtyard with vivid shadows casted by planters, balconies and even drying linens. This is a more down-to-earth neighborhood and you are able to capture everyday charm like such.
Route #6 - Find tucked away spots near the busy Accademia area, paint famous buildings
Near the Accademia Bridge is where some of the most stunning Venetian architectures are. However, this is a highly congested area and can get shoulder-to-shoulders on the bridge. Even though you can always snap a bunch of photos as painting references for later - there will be no shortage of that - you still have the option to capture some of these extravagant buildings if you go to one of these spots that are more tucked away or spacious.
Nugget 1 - Palazzo Barbarigo
One block east to the Accademia Bridge and right next to the Palazzo Barbarigo building, there is an open area alongside the canal where you can look back at the Accademia Bridge and paint it, or the Palazzo Barbaro building right across from you
Nugget 2 - Santo Stefano Square
If you can’t fight the crowds to paint the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti building with its yellow white motif, there is a similar building just a few hundred feet ahead after you cross the Academia Bridge to San Marco Island. You will see a sizable plaza called Santo Stefano, and the expansive yellow building to your left (Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti c/o Palazzo Loredan)
My painting “Near Santo Stefano Square” has won the Michael Harding Watercolor Medium award at Washington Plein Air Artist’s annual show, 2025.
Nugget 3 - Square near S. Samuel ferry stop
If you turn left after the Santo Stefano Plaza and left again to reach the waterfront, in the open area next to the dock, you will get a full frontal view of the Ca' Rezzonico building, which is another wonderful subject to paint
Tip: Near boat docks there are usually more open space to camp out and paint, not to mention you get the water view guaranteed.
Route #7 - Walk along the quiet Riviera, sample scenes on Giudecca Island
There is a much quieter and spacious path along the ocean on the back side of the famous Santa Maria Della Salute. It’s the Riviera walk offering magnificent views of the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore on the Guidecca Island across from the water. The west side of the walk is perfect for enjoying the sunset while the east end meets the Santa Maria Della Salute, with many crossing bridges along the way that offers peaceful views of the canal. 
Diverse set of subjects to choose from
- Stucky Flour Mill and sunset - Near the western end of the Riviera, you will get a glorious view of the sun setting on the horizon with the Stucky Fortuny (Old Flour Mill and now Hilton Hotel) across from the canal.
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Waterfront cafes - Even if you don't go for the sunshine, that part of the sidewalk is so spacious with cafes and restaurants scenes to pick from.
- Close-up view of Santa Maria della Salute - The east end of the Riviera gets a good view of the Santa Maria Della Salute compound from its back. If you reach there outside business hours, you can round the corner to the front entrance of it and paint its beautiful baroque facade undisturbed
- Quite canal views from any bridges along the way - For me, I chose a view from many of the bridges you will encounter alongside this walk. One of them gives a straight shot to the church tower of St. Vidal Church, which was basked in the sunset glory that I just couldn't resist! Because this walk is less explored, the bridges are all spacious enough for stationing out and doing your thing.
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My finished piece of the St. Vidal based on the photo
Painting the most crowded attractions
You may be wondering why I haven’t discussed the most famous attractions – the Rialto Bridge, San Marco Square and Santa Maria Della Salute, provided this article is about painting Venice!
That is because, with increased popularity over the years, it really is challenging to find space to paint near these top attractions. And on top of that, there are a number of Catholic holidays and international events that may happen at these venues, causing roadblocks or creating unsightly obstructions to the site.
Now, with that said, there are still a few really good sites as well as photo reference opportunities near these attractions.
Painting Rialto Bridge – Two ways
#1 - Square near the Rialto Market
The San Marco end (the South end) of the Rialto bridge has a very narrow bank and a cluster of hotels, which is not suited for painting at all. On the San Polo Island side (the North end), however, next to the marketplace building there is a knockout area with a cafe and a ferry stop, which is a lovely scene to paint by itself, but, if you walk further out, you can see the Rialto bridge on the right. 
#2 - From a Moving Perspective
In all honesty, the best way to marvel at the Rialto bridge is by boat. Due to the bridge being built near a sharp turn on the canal, there is just nowhere on the land that offers a good look at the Bridge. I ended up taking the Vaporetto and taking a long video of the bridge and painted based on the best angles.
My finished painting of the Rialto Bridge. The view is on the south end looking towards the bridge. And the time is mid afternoon
Tip: Shoot videos instead of photos, because perspectives shift so quickly when you’re near the bridge, and with video you can pause and pull the best frame out and paint that.
Tip: When riding a Vaporetto, look in all directions. Some of the best compositions or lighting might be behind you!
San Marco Square and Basilica
Get there earlier than you think you need to
If you must go for it, your best bet is to get there early morning or after sunset. This is when the plaza is at its most peaceful hours. Although if you are aiming for morning, even 7am is going to be tough, because some tour groups show up as 7.30am. You really have to get out of bed in darkness and get there on the cusp of dawn, in order to have a moment of peace. Personally, I did not make it and that is exactly because I thought I got there early enough but the whole place was swarmed soon after my arrival.
Unfortunately the entire square in front of the San Marco Basilica was off limits during my stay due to a religious event.
I ended up painting mine based on a photo. But I tried to find a unique angle instead of the full frontal sight, or the most commonly painted view looking out to the canal and the San Giorgio Maggiore Church in the distance.
Miraculously, this painting “Breakfast at San Marco” has won the 2nd prize at Le Venizie International Watercolor Festival in Venice, 2024
Photo opp not to be missed
View from Campanile Tower
Although it is not possible to paint on-site, the view that’s most memorable to me as an artist is the panoramic view from the Campanile observatory. It offers an unusual and unobstructed view of the San Marco square, the Basilica and the nearby buildings, as well as of the Santa Maria Della Salute. Again, this is one of those opportunities to take as many photo references as you like so you have paintings to create for days!
My painting of the panorama view
View of Santa Maria Della Salute from water bus
If you take a southbound water bus or any other watercraft, the Santa Maria Della Salute Church looks especially magnificent on the right hand side, due to the unusually low viewing angle. If you travel there in the morning, you get an amazing, high contrast, silhouette form, which is what my painting is based on. If you travel there in the afternoon, the buildings will be side-lit, with beautiful shadows contouring their forms. 
Lighting in the afternoon from Accademia Bridge
Final Thoughts
Venice is an artist’s paradise, but finding the right plein air painting location requires a bit of exploration. Look for wide sidewalks, quiet bridges, and unexpected perspectives to avoid crowds and fully immerse yourself in the painting process.
Wherever you choose to paint or not, Venice will offer you endless inspiration. Simply by writing this guide I feel I have travelled back in time and relived these moments. And I hope it reminded you of your trip or inspired you to go there one day.
About the paintings from this guide:
I'm glad to report that all the sketches from my Venice trip were turned into finished pieces in the studio. And more were created based on photos taken during the trip. Many of the original artworks are still up for sale at the time this article is written. But even if they are sold, you can still find the fine art prints for the most popular pieces. Explore my Venice artwork collection here: https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com/collections/venice-paintings
Ciao, Venice! Until next time!
