(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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001-144_C70789.indd 71 5/13/14 10:45 AMExErcisE:No lay-in
My good friend Jeffrey James Smith is one of the best illustra-
tors I know. He is a watercolor painter who draws like he paints.
I look at his paintings, and every mark has meaning and is
beautiful on its own. No fussiness. Each stroke goes down with
purpose and works to describe something.
When Jeffrey draws, you see these same qualities. It doesn’t
matter if he uses a pencil, pen, or brush. All of his drawings are
descriptive in a very direct and simple way, like a watercolor
painting.
Over the years, I have taught many oil and acrylic painting
classes. With these media, I instruct my students to build up
their paintings from a loose under-painting or lay-in. The paint
used is generally opaque, and it feels a lot like you are sculpting
out the image on the canvas through a series of layers. Each
layer builds on the last, like constructing a house from the
foundation on up to the roof.
When Jeffrey draws, he deliberately doesn’t draw an under-
drawing or lay-in first. He goes directly for the finished marks
right from the beginning. Clearly, there is a lot of bravado to
drawing this way, and it shows in his drawings. Just like with
his watercolor paintings, each mark is confident, important, and
descriptive.
Try doing some drawings without a lay-in. It doesn’t matterAbove, Oktoberfest, ink and wash on paper, Jeffrey James Smith
Opposite, The Detective, ink and wash on paper, Jeffrey James Smith(Text) (Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook #175 Dtp:204 Page:70
001-144_41057.indd 70 4/24/14 7:44 PM
71(Text)
Chapter 4: ImprovisationExErcisE:No lay-in
My good friend Jeffrey James Smith is one of the best illustra-
tors I know. He is a watercolor painter who draws like he paints.
I look at his paintings, and every mark has meaning and is
beautiful on its own. No fussiness. Each stroke goes down with
purpose and works to describe something.
When Jeffrey draws, you see these same qualities. It doesn’t
matter if he uses a pencil, pen, or brush. All of his drawings are
descriptive in a very direct and simple way, like a watercolor
painting.
Over the years, I have taught many oil and acrylic painting
classes. With these media, I instruct my students to build up
their paintings from a loose under-painting or lay-in. The paint
used is generally opaque, and it feels a lot like you are sculpting
out the image on the canvas through a series of layers. Each
layer builds on the last, like constructing a house from the
foundation on up to the roof.
When Jeffrey draws, he deliberately doesn’t draw an under-
drawing or lay-in first. He goes directly for the finished marks
right from the beginning. Clearly, there is a lot of bravado to
drawing this way, and it shows in his drawings. Just like with
his watercolor paintings, each mark is confident, important, and
descriptive.club Tips
■■ It’s always good to break out of your comfort zone. If you’re naturally a planner,
try improvising by working with a material that you don’t usually try.
■■ If you already like to improvise, try a little advance planning instead every once in a while.
Taking sTock
■■ What do you want to say creatively?
■■ Are you paying too much attention to technique over improvisation?
■■ What chances are you taking?
■■ In the end, you really can’t be afraid to do a bad drawing.Try doing some drawings without a lay-in. It doesn’t matter
what you draw with. Keep it simple. Think about what you
want to describe, and then try putting down a mark that best
describes it. For example, if you are drawing with lines, think
about how descriptive they are. Do you use a thick line or a thin
one, a light line or a dark one? What can you edit out for the
sake of the design of your drawing?
Making profound decisions like Jeffrey takes a lot of practice.
Drawing without a lay-in forces you to get right to the point
without being fussy.Sherlock Holmes, watercolor on paper,
Jeffrey James SmithAbove, Oktoberfest, ink and wash on paper, Jeffrey James Smith
Opposite, The Detective, ink and wash on paper, Jeffrey James Smith(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
05-C70789 #175 Dtp:204 Page:71001-144_C70789.indd 71 5/13/14 10:45 AM