I think sketching is a very valuable tool for an artist. I use it for practicing my craft, which is important. I use it to doodle certainly, to just let the brain play as it will. I also use it, almost like doodling, to really let my imagination run free.
No rules, no forced content, no one telling me how or what to draw. Just imagination, and letting it go wherever it can. Sure, the rules of anatomy, perspective, and even composition still exist when I’m sketching. But, unlike my full art pieces, I’m not a slave to them. I allow them a certain amount of leeway.
For those experiments in sketching, it’s all about getting the ideas onto the paper. I can always refine them later, but for now they just need to be recorded. Some of them are dark (go figure), but often they lean towards my humorous and sarcastic sides.
Below are some of the latest ones I’ve done, and a couple of slightly older ones that I just haven’t posted here. They are all from my small Moleskine sketchbook, and you’ll notice the faded, rounded boxes on each page. I like buying the storyboard versions of the Moleskines, just in case I need to storyboard something for an upcoming project.
There are two other things evident in these sketches. One, I’m probably out of my mind, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for an artist. Secondly, I can rarely keep the side of my hand from rubbing graphite all over the place. Hence, the gray splotches here and there.
Here’s the first of the two older ones, from May. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to practice a building in a landscape, or a person, so I decided on a person with a building on his head. As usual, click on any of the upcoming images for a larger view.
The next old one is from September, so not even that old really. I was thinking about monstrous creatures that day, but with some metal/robotics built in. These might be a little “darker”.
The next three sets were all from a Christmas parade, at least waiting for one. The last one is the only one that is actually holiday related. These first two (or first page, if you will) just came to mind, so I thought I’d go with it.
This second page is a bit more reflected in the company I was keeping at the time, during the parade. My sister-in-law’s family is into superheroes, so I sketched a couple for our little nephew. With my own particular humor, of course.
This last one, as the parade was getting started, is much more of a comment on my feelings about the holiday season. Not to mention a bit of sarcasm.
