Sometimes I start sketching with no particular focus. I may often start in the middle of a sketch, trying to capture a general view with no predefined ideas of where it’s going to end up. At other times I know exactly what I want to draw and communicate.
SIMONE RIDYARD
Plaça de Catalunya (thumbnails), Barcelona, Spain
Drawing from observation can be hard—translating what is in front of you (3-D) into marks, lines and color on paper (2-D). So doing some thumbnails before committing to a final drawing can really help you focus on your subject. The great thing is that they’re small and they’re quick. They will also help you draw less preciously. Even experienced sketchers benefit from them and use them regularly as warm-up exercises.
Here’s how I’d suggest going about it. Draw four rectangles—about 1 x 2in (25 x 50mm)—with a border between them. Decide on your view, then spend five minutes completing a series of thumbnails. Don’t aim for finished drawings, just get the massing, composition and context roughly right, and ensure the content will fit. (Color was added digitally to the thumbnails below, to make the ground and sky easier to read.)
SIMONE RIDYARD
Manchester Central Library, England
For the city sketch above, I was attracted to the bright red postbox and the way it provided the view with a strong focus. Positioning the black bollard next to it has highlighted the tonal contrast. Other colors, although realistic, are fairly neutral and are treated as one fairly uniform wash rather than picking out individual elements. I used splashes in different colors—including the “pillarbox” red—as they help give a sense of balance to the finished sketch.
FABIEN DENOËL
Carré Sainte-Anne, Montpellier, France
This beautiful pen-and-watercolor sketch of a neo-Gothic church in southern France is all about the intricate detail on the stone facade. The color palette is muted, but Fabien Denoël has created interest by using dark shadows and a tonally complementary color to give a strong sense of recession and depth, particularly within the pointed arch of the entrance.