This e-book mainly helps beginners in
pencil drawing to learn about the meaning,
history, applications, advantages and disadvantages of pencil sketching.
Anyone can draw but not everyone can
make good sketches/drawings. Sketching/drawing is a skill that needs a good
foundation on theories because it is a blend of theory and proper execution of
these theories.
Practice
makes sketching/drawing perfect but foundation on the theories and techniques
in drawing paves the way for better drawings.
MEANING – SKETCH
A sketch is a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended
as a finished work. A sketch may serve a number of purposes: it might record
something that the artist sees, it might record or develop an idea for later
use or it might be used as a quick way of graphically demonstrating an image,
idea or principle.
MEANING – SKETCHING
Sketching is a freehand drawing process that allows detailers, designers, engineers,
architects, technicians and trades persons to record their ideas quickly on
paper without the use of tools. Once they have recorded their ideas, they can
revise and refine their sketches for presentation to their supervisors or
clients. Sketching is also helpful in preliminary planning of a drawing or
layout before using tools.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
SKETCH
Sketching traditionally refers to a preliminary rough type of drawing that an artist might make in
preparation for either a painting or a more formal drawing (like a
study).
A sketch is less detailed
than a study - a study may be a highly detailed rendition of something to be
used in a large composition. Of course sketching is also a form of doodling
that a person may do to pass time with no end goal in mind.
Formally however it is a useful way for an artist to capture a
brief impression of a scene or person before it changes.
For this purpose, it is typically executed rapidly and with little
concern for accuracy. Not unlike caricature art ("loaded portrait"), sketching is often
about capturing a mood or key feature of the subject.
Sketches can be made in any drawing medium. The term is most often applied to graphic work executed in a dry media such as silverpoint, graphite, pencil, charcoal or pastel. But it may also apply to drawings executed in pen and ink, ballpoint pen, water colour and oil paint. The latter two are generally referred to as "water colour sketches" and "oil sketches". A sculptor might model three-dimensional sketches in clay, plasticine or wax.
BRIEF HISTORY
In Classical Antiquity, artists used a
metal stylus to sketch on papyrus. During the era of Renaissance art
(1400-1530), the stylus was employed with a variety of metal alloys to create
other dry media like metal point and silverpoint. Apprentice artists and young
pupils were usually given an empty stylus with which to practice sketching by
making easily removable linear marks on wax tablets.
However, artists kept sketches for their
own inspiration; they were not viewed as a proper form of fine art, to be sold
in their own right.
By the 18th and 19th century sketching
became an independent type of art, even acquiring the additional sense of a
stand-alone artwork. It coincided with a time when there was a surge in
naturalism and tourists started carrying sketchbooks with them to capture
impressions of daytrips to the countryside or tours abroad. They sketched
landscapes, animals, new cities, vegetation and flowers. It became a popular
hobby enjoyed by both amateur and professional artists alike and was a useful
tool for retaining memories at a time before photography was invented.
Popular mediums for sketching were
similar to those for drawing, and included pencil and crayon, as well as pen-and-ink
and charcoal. Even pastel drawings were made.
MODERN SKETCHING METHODS
Today, with the development of new types
of art (notably computer art), technology offers numerous alternatives to
traditional sketching techniques like pencil and paper.
There are numerous software programs
available such as Sketch Book Pro and Corel Painter Sketch Pad to help produce
professional artworks. And of course with the easy access we have to cameras
and video equipment, it is possible to capture impressions without the need for
sketching anymore. Despite this, sketching in the traditional sense with pen
and paper still remains popular.
In the commercial field, courtroom
sketchers are still in demand for high profile court cases where cameras are
not allowed into proceedings, while in the world of design, sketching is second
nature to many product designers, architects and other creative departments.
APPLICATIONS OF SKETCHING
Sketching is generally a prescribed part
of the studies of art students. This generally includes making sketches
(croquis) from a live model whose pose changes every few minutes. A
"sketch" usually implies a quick and loosely drawn work, while
related terms such as study, modello and "preparatory drawing" usually
refer to more finished and careful works to be used as a basis for a final
work, often in a different medium, but the distinction is imprecise. Under
drawing is drawing underneath the final work, which may sometimes still be
visible, or can be viewed by modern scientific methods such as X rays.
Most visual artists use, to a greater or
lesser degree, the sketch as a method of recording or working out ideas. The
sketchbooks of some individual artists have become very well known, including
those of Leonardo da Vinci and Edgar Degas. The term "sketchbook"
refers to a book of blank paper on which an artist can, (or has already) drawn
sketches.
The ability to quickly record
impressions through sketching has found varied purposes in today's culture.
Courtroom sketches record scenes and individuals in law courts. Sketches drawn
to help authorities find or identify wanted people are called composite
sketches. Street artists in popular tourist areas sketch portraits within
minutes.
ADVANTAGES OF PENCIL SKETCHING
Pencil Sketching is a process, artists
start drawing by making light outlines that help them create a drawing.
The advantage of using a pencil when
drawing as opposed to using a pen is that you can easily erase mistakes when
you use a pencil for drawing. Artists can make mistakes and not have to start
all over again.
You can also erase later on the outlines
and people will hardly notice that the drawing came from simple lines. Using
pencils in drawing is inexpensive because you will just need a pencil and paper
to create a basic drawing.
Pencils and papers are easy to carry
around that you do not have to confine yourselves to your studio when making a
drawing.
DISADVANTAGES OF PENCIL SKETCHING
Pencil sketches/ drawings have a
tendency to smudge if you touch or rub them. Those once fine details will look
like a smear. It is important to keep hands away from the paper while drawing
or cover your drawing with another piece of paper while trying to complete the
work.
Once the drawing is completed, seal the
drawing to prevent from smudging. Sealing is also important because of the
temporary nature of pencil drawings, and you can use a sealing or a fixative
spray for this. Others use hair sprays that are perfume free. Artists lightly
spray on these on their work.
REFERENCES
