7 seT gOaLs fOr skeTches
I’m always aware of what I want to work on with a sketch, even if it’s a sketch
for work. If a part of the anatomy gives me trouble, I’ll make it a point to use
reference and study that area. If I want to work on my line quality, then I pay
particular attention to that aspect of the sketch. If I want to work on gesture,
then I stay focused when I’m laying in the initial rough.
Ideally, I’ll pile all of this into one drawing and be focused every step of the
way. This keeps me from going on auto-pilot and just drawing the same five
poses for everything or the same couple of hand positions. I never want blah
lines, so I always think about the calligraphy and purpose of my marks. Setting
goals will help keep your sketches active and alive. For these it was
atmosphere (pirate) and a challenging angle (girl and animal).
8 Vary the tools
Switching up my tools ensures things stay
interesting. It keeps me on my toes and
keeps me guessing. If I feel like I’m in a
rut, then often I need only to switch up
my art tool to get excited again. But I’ll
also mix tools. Brush pens and water pens
play great together. I’ll often use gel pens
and brush pens in tandem and may even
throw some markers into the mix.
For my day job I do a lot of coloured
pencil and mineral spirits on acetate to
keep my sketches somewhere between
drawing and painting. So look at what you
can achieve with some pens, using their
natural strengths and marks. Pens are
portable and there’s no cleanup involved,
so they’re coffee shop friendly!August 2017 73
Artist insight Drawing skills