The pencil is the most basic tool for visual thinking, and it can be used in a lot of different ways. I’ve taken some random sketchbook pages and grouped them into six categories. For each one, I’ll tell you about what I’m thinking and how that thought process influences my technical approach. Not every sketch turns out great, but it’s more likely to be successful when it starts with a clear goal and a strategy to achieve it.
EVENTS
Thinking When a solo musician gives a concert, it’s a good chance to sketch a person actually doing something rather than just posing. They are in constant motion but they return to one or two home positions. At first I’m a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of the accordion, so I count the keys and double check it to try to get it more or less right.
Technique
This is drawn with a water-soluble graphite pencil in a watercolor sketchbook. I use a water brush to blend the pencil and create the soft gray tones around the figure. I switch to a harder pencil for the fine lines between the keys.
Thinking
What grabs me about this scene is the juxtaposition of architectural styles. The art nouveau building stands tall and alone, a survivor of the WWII bombs that flattened much of London. It also nearly got torn down during the urban renewal movement of the ’60s. I’m not interested in a snapshot or a retinal impression. I want to understand how time has altered this little corner of London.
Technique
This story is from the April - May 2020 edition of International Artist.
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This story is from the April - May 2020 edition of International Artist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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