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    Sketching
    Sketching
    Sketching
    Ebook356 pages1 hour

    Sketching

    By Jackie Simmonds

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    An essential little ebook – perfect for the pocket or art bag – covering all practical aspects of sketching and drawing. Sketching is a skill that every artist needs to master and this handy book shows you how in a very clear and simple way.

    Jackie starts by describing all the different media used for sketching, including pencils, charcoal, coloured pencils, pens, pastels, watercolours and gouache, as well as the different types of sketchbooks. She then looks at the basic techniques of sketching, emphasizing the importance of observation and showing how to make marks, use tone, create 3-D form and portray pattern.

    She then covers a wide range of subjects, such as plants and flowers, skies, animals, the urban landscape, and figures and portraits, explaining how to compose your sketches and giving useful tips about sketching on the move. There’s also a fascinating section on sketching from the Masters, to provide additional inspiration.

    The instruction is clear and concise throughout, providing an ideal resource for artists of all levels to dip into when sketching out on location.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateMar 27, 2014
    ISBN9780007554935
    Sketching
    Author

    Jackie Simmonds

    Jackie Simmonds is a well-known pastel artist whose work is often exhibited by the Pastel Society, the Linda Blackstone Gallery in London, and other galleries throughout the UK. An excellent teacher and communicator, she writes regularly for ‘The Artist’ magazine and runs very popular and successful workshops and painting holidays.

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      Book preview

      Sketching - Jackie Simmonds

      INTRODUCTION

      So often I hear people say ‘I wish I could draw, but I can’t even draw a straight line’. Well, actually, neither can I but even someone who cannot draw a straight line can learn to draw. All you require is a few basic essentials, in terms of materials, and lots of enthusiasm. You need patience, too, because you have to learn how to see before you start to draw, and your skills will develop slowly. However, with enthusiasm and determination, you will learn, and you will improve.

      Sketching in the Olive Grove

      17x25 cm (7x10in)

      This sketch in watercolour and gouache was done in Greece.

      Leaving areas of white paper gives a lively feel.

      You will find some fairly accomplished drawings within the pages of this book, but please remember that I have been sketching and drawing for many years. I was equally inexperienced when I began, but I persevered and now can draw reasonably well.The good news is that you, too, will reach a level of competence in the fullness of time. The important thing is to enjoy the practice, and you will find that your sketchbooks and drawings will become items to treasure over the years.

      DRAWING VERSUS SKETCHING

      Sketching is a kind of visual shorthand - the best sketches are done quickly, and there is little emphasis on ‘finish’. A sketch can be loose and spontaneous. Drawing, however, is a slower and more deliberate process. The artist takes time to develop a more elaborate, detailed, intensely observed image.

      You will find both sketches and drawings in the pages of this book. I recommend that you aim to fill your sketchbooks with both sketches and drawings. In this way, you will develop both your observational and your technical skills to the full, which will feed your confidence - and your sense of enjoyment. Above all, don’t worry! No-one need see your sketchbooks until you are ready to show them. This is a wonderful journey, and you will have lots of fun along the way.

      PART ONE

      Getting started

      One of the great things about sketching and drawing is you do not need masses of kit. You can use just about anything which makes a mark! I will show you how to work with pencils, pens, pastels and watercolours as well as brush pens, fibre tips, watersoluble pens and pencils. Try everything and, as you master your materials, you will quickly discover what you like best, and what best suits the subjects you choose.Gradually,you will feel the joy of creation and will achieve, on the two-dimensional pages of your sketchbook, drawings and sketches that represent our three-dimensional world.

      Sunlit Awnings

      25x17cm(13x7in)

      This image was sketched on the spot in Venice, using a tiny pocket watercolour box. When sketching outdoors, sit with your back to a wall to prevent people looking over your shoulder.

      MATERIALS

      Our art materials shops are awash with drawing and sketching ‘implements’ but, to save confusion, I have selected only a few for you to try. There is no point in purchasing masses of equipment when you can produce excellent drawings and sketches with just the materials that are used in this book.

      Chateau Across the Field

      15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 in) 3B pencil in sketchbook

      PENCILS

      The most obvious sketching tool is a pencil. Graphite pencils are graded - 9H is the hardest whereas 9B is the softest. I suggest that you try an HB, a 2B and a 4B. The softer pencils will give you greater sensitivity of line and richer darks. Some graphite pencils are now watersoluble,allowing for interesting soft effects when the marks are melted with water.

      3B graphite pencil

      Loosened with water

      Watersoluble coloured pencils

      Water added with a brush

      CHARCOAL STICKS AND PENCILS

      Charcoal works best on paper with body and slight texture, rather than a very smooth paper. It responds to the lightest pressure and smudges well, but while it can be corrected easily and is ideal for quick sketches it is less good for detail. You can buy charcoal in thin, medium and thick sticks. It is best sharpened on a sandpaper block. A charcoal pencil is cleaner to use and is useful for linear work but, unlike a stick, cannot be used on its side for greater coverage of the paper. Compressed charcoal is a dense form of charcoal stick, which will give a much blacker mark

      Using charcoal

      From the top, these marks were made with regular charcoal (top two rows); compressed charcoal; and putty eraser.

      Camel’s Head

      50 x 40 cm (20 x 16 in)

      This student’s drawing was made with vine charcoal and some condensed charcoal.

      CONTé CRAYONS

      Conté crayons can be purchased as sticks or pencils. They behave much like condensed charcoal, but the marks are more difficult to erase than charcoal. Conté crayons can be black, white, red (sanguine) or dark brown (bistre), and can be used together on coloured paper for very effective drawings and sketches.

      Conté crayons

      These marks were made with conté crayons. From the top: sanguine (two rows), and bistre (two rows).

      The Grocery Store Owner, Italy

      15x10cm(6x3in)

      This man sitting reading was captured in a quick sketch on cartridge paper in a sketchbook, using bistre conté pencil.

      PASTELS AND PASTEL PENCILS

      Pastels can now be purchased either as sticks - hard or soft - or in pencil form. Which you decide to use is a personal choice, but when I use them for sketches, I tend to favour hard pastels - I keep my soft ones for more fully-realized paintings.

      Hard pastel sticks and pencils are great for sketching; you can achieve colourful drawings quickly and easily. A stick has the advantage of great coverage when used on its side. However, all pastel drawings and sketches will need to be fixed or they will smudge.

      Musicians, India

      30 x 30 cm (12 x 12in)

      This loose, lively sketch was made quickly on the spot

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