Fast and loose


Top Art Tip: Sketches often look better than finished drawings or paintings precisely because they leave something to the imagination - the viewer completes them in their mind's eye, which is very good of them! So allow them to do so by not drawing or painting too tightly. Compare Constable's oil sketches with his finished work.



An overworked drawing or painting looks dull, sterile, dead, 

But if your work looks as if it was done with speed and flair, it has expression and life.



Top Art Tip: set yourself a time limit for each session or each sketch. This could be half an hour, an hour, an hour and a half..etc. jI would suggest 2 hours max as you will be tired after that and could be getting bogged down. Get as much down on paper as you can within the time allowed. Don't worry if parts of it look messy or unfinished; just make sure the focal point is good enough. You can decide whether or not to work on the other parts another day- it may be better not to.


Top Art Tip: After the first session you will know whether it is worth taking a sketch to a more finished state or not. You can leave most of it loose, just finishing the focal point.

Top Art Tip: you don't have to erase every incorrect line. Sometimes having several lines with the main one emphasized gives your sketch movement and life. Look at these examples by another artist ( not me) where you can see the artist has been searching for the form, feeling out the form of these hands and feet...


No comments:

Post a Comment

If you have enjoyed this blog, the free tips and my current work, I would appreciate any positive comments!

Thank you - Jan.