Intro
Welcome back readers! This time I want to go over a simple but important practice: Sketching. Personally, I’ve always had a very simplified, and even dismissive outlook on sketching. I preferred the stages where the picture was already thought out and on the way to completion, so the inking or coloring phases. That said, recently I have been sketching a lot more, and it dawned on me just how important this phase is. I know, I know, I’m an artist, I should have known that. Yes, if that is what you are thinking you would be correct. As I get older and re-evaluate my relationship with art, I try to look at things differently, and this was a point that I never really enjoyed. Until recently when it dawned on me that it is at this point where you actually create great work.
Why is sketching important to create great artwork?
So specifically what brought me to my new conclusion? Observation. When I was sketching, I realized that I became more loose and experimental. That I allowed myself to fail, and had no investment into an idea. This allowed me to re-work ideas before they solidified so that they were as good as they can be. It is better to work out the kinks when you’re not invested in the outcome than to do so after you’ve already poured hours into a piece.
As I realized that, I thought “That’s where the magic is, that’s where it really happens”. I realized that sketching is where you get to play and have the most fun while being wildly creative in doing so. The phases that come on later are more about making choices and sacrifices, but if you don’t have a weathered canvas (sketchbook or tablet), how can you know what choices to make, and what lines to sacrifice?
Outro
There’s a part of the process for every artist to enjoy. Some artists favor the process of refining early ideas, and others like the grunt work as a meditative practice. As I get older and make more art, I’ve realized the creative power given to me during the sketching phase. Going back to re-work something that doesn’t work because it’s at a point where it can be easily replaced is a massive boost to creative powers. Use it wisely.