I did these watercolor sketches when I was exploring Salida, Colorado. Each sketch is 3 inches across and took 5 or 10 minutes.
I might do a few of these to explore possible motifs. The main thing I'm looking for is the basic value organization. Painting a small monochromatic "snapshot" helps me cut through the clutter to see the essence of the image.
6 comments:
These would be great for filming--I'd love to see a 5 minute sketch from start to finish!
I second mj's comment!
Nice work James. Amazing how much of te really essential visual info comes through in such spartan renders.
These are great studies! It's amazing what you can achieve in just a few minutes. I have to remember you have years of experience behind them. :)
It brings a question to my mind that I have been meaning to ask.
I enjoy going to estate sales and picking up old art supplies, books and such. Some have been homes of illustrators or artists that have left behind old sketches, comps or finished art that they or the family didn’t want. It makes me think what will happen to my old work after I’m gone. Will an old sketchbook find a new home on the shelf of a family member, sold off in an estate sale or end up in the trash? If sold off, what is the dollar value of an old sketch of an unknown artist? Then what about all my digital art on a hard drive, CD or memory stick that is not posted on the internet or published in print? What value do they have? I don’t foresee Antiques Roadshow 2074 pricing out old digital media files. Do art schools inherit donated works and ephemera from alumni who didn’t know what to do with all their old stuff?
You must have hundreds or thousands of sketches, finished drawings & paintings and digital media accumulated. What are your thoughts on traditional and digital media after the artist passes on?
Thanks for continuing to share your wealth of knowledge and experience, and I apologize if this question has any morbid tinge to it.
That's a great way to examine ideas for new motifs. As an oil painter I do something similar. I take an 11"x14" canvas and do 4 small sketches on it. All from the same location. I change the format in each sketch from rectangle to square to long horizontal and long vertical. Sometimes I turn 90 degrees with each sketch. I also time myself only allowing 15 minutes max.
These are awesome Jim. And very inspiring to me. Done so quickly, it leaves little time to dally in details, and makes the decisions that much more crucial. I must go do this exercise.
Post a Comment