Illustration or sketch: one, two, three: ready!

Illustration or sketch of building

Illustration or sketch can be simplified in order to get it done outdoors or to complete indoors because sometimes the weather can be quite bothersome and not cooperating with our intentions. I would love to share some observations because they might inspire somebody to just get a pencil, a brush and paper and go ahead.

Do we need rules in art?

It might sound strange, but most people believe there are many strict rules when we draw or paint. Maybe the instruction on some sites makes one feel that if you do not follow these rules you cannot paint or draw. That is not true.  While there are lots of tricks, shortcuts and favorite ways to get things done faster and better, one should not try to stick to something which we call strict rules. Not with creativity. Not in art.

Learn freedom from children

That would mean the small kid who does not have an idea of rules and instructions should not be able to draw. But the small kid is able to draw. Every kid is able to draw and paint. As people grow up they find out that life wants us to comply with requirements, regulations, rules and certain instructions. It’s no surprise they want to apply rules to everything what we do. I know artists who would call every step of drawing or painting a rule.

No rules, but observe principles

I would love to encourage these who want to try art, to just go with their intention. I hear quite frequently: I don’t know anything about painting or drawing. Well, you don’t have to. You just have to start trusting your eyes and trying to draw or paint whatever you intend to. We discover all main principles of art along the way. These principles are composition, color theory and mixing, values, contrast, direction of light, shadows and perspective.

What to use for watercolor sketching?

You can use for sketching everything you can afford or like. If you do not know whether you will continue or not, why would you buy watercolor brush at $75? We always use the largest watercolor brush that still allows achieving what we want. It’s pretty much common sense. You could live with just one number 10 synthetic, soft watercolor brush if it has a good fine tip. 20-brush sets from Dollarama won’t do anything, don’t go for these.

Decent watercolor paper

If you are applying wet paint on your sketch, traditional sketching paper won’t allow that. It is too thin. That’s pretty much common sense, as well. It could tolerate dry pencil or some pen, but not washes, especially repeated washes or paint lifting. I would advise to always use watercolor paper for drawing, sketch, illustration, practice, color or flow practice because it is thicker and can be made wet. If you are a beginner, you can use just beginner’s watercolor paint set.

You can do illustration or sketch any way you like

If you are afraid to draw right away with pen, do the initial drawing in pencil and go over with pen afterwards. Keep the best lines and erase everything else, and there you have a nice, clean, attractive drawing. Why to use pen? It is simply easier. Pen makes the outline clearly visible, the entire image looks finished and elaborated even when the drawing is far from perfect, but watercolor washes will bring your artistic attempt to life.

There is no wrong or right way to sketch, to draw or to paint

All artists develop their own style over time. Should you expect the first attempts to be perfect? No, don’t do that. Always tell yourself: let us see what happens. Treat all of your first year’s art as practice, as experiment. Some will be god, some will fly into the wastebasket, and that is absolutely fine.

Artistic mistakes can be interesting

People call everything which did not come out perfect: a mistake. That does not always apply to art either. Some artistic mistakes and flaws can become the foundation of your personal style. Some experiments can set the tone for anything you do in the future. Therefore: experiment, experiment and experiment!

Use any style

Illustration or sketch can be carried out in any style you prefer. Illustration can be done easily. I am advising to use pen just for simplicity and speed. It really helps. I also love the accomplished look of such sketches which can be definitely used as completely finished art on the wall or for any other purpose.

A few steps

Illustration, barn drawing
Barn illustration, step 1, pen drawing

First we draw with pencil the main lines. We draw lightly without using pressure. After that we repeat the best lines in pen.

Illustration, barn drawing
Step 2, adding background color

Choose whatever colors you love and would want in your sketch. Activate with water. Test on testing paper how transparent the watered down mix is. Apply small amount of water onto the main image area. You can use spray bottle if it creates mist. Check against light: if the shine is about to disappear, that’s the best time for first washes.

Barn drawing
Illustration is ready after adding more washes with less diluted paint

Adjust and correct

If you allow first layers to dry and then make your paper wet again, nothing will happen to the first dry layers. It is safe to go over with water. Don’t rub or scratch with the brush; that will definitely take off some paint. Corrections are done with paper towel when the painting is wet: pressing paper towel onto watercolor paper will take off most of wet paint. When paper is completely dry, apply washes and use damp brush or paper towel to lift color or remove paint. Repeat until you like it.

Village illustration, pen and watercolor
Large 18 x 24 in or 46 x 61 cm sketch, done in a few minutes for demo

Pen and paper

The thicker the watercolor paper, the more things you can do with it. Cheap watercolor paper is for tests and practice only. It is simply too thin to do something more. You can choose any pen you can afford or like. Your pen can be different color, too. Black simply fits any other color and makes it stand out more.

All watercolor illustrations and sketches look great. If you want them to be better, practice more and don’t expect immediate perfection.

16 Replies to “Illustration or sketch: one, two, three: ready!”

    1. That is the easiest way. When I am doing just pencil drawing (I normally draw from real life) which I later can use with whatever medium: acrylic, watercolor, pastel, any medium, I do it on transparent transfer paper. It becomes well visibly placing white base underneath. I do not advise to keep erasing as you draw because that doesn’t allow to focus on subject. We can clean up lines later.

    1. Thanks! Comment went through! For some unknown reason I’m not getting notification by e-mail, and I was very busy, so I did not check out the comments. I appreciate your comment!

  1. Now I have no excuse not to sketch more during my travels! I love how you emphasize that our attempts shouldn’t be based on whether they have mistakes or not, but rather on the fact that we are attempting them.

    1. Definitely so! I am seeing way too often how people get discouraged immediately when the first attempt isn’t splendid. We really learn as we do things. Drawing and painting is like your handwriting, you make it your own as you paint and draw more.

    2. Isn’t it funny how we’ve been taught to expect perfection and quickly, when the real goal is to be learning? It’s ironic how often I forget this lesson when trying new things.

    3. I suppose, that is human nature. It’s just so that we jump to perfection without lots of efforts and attempts.

  2. I don’t get upset or discouraged any longer if my painting does not turn out as well as hoped for. Sometimes I keep it for awhile and study it, but then some I just throw out, believing that with every painting I’ve done, I’ve learned something new…even if it’s just a little thing.. Diane

    1. That is a normal attitude, I wish more beginners had it. I have thrown out thousands of not-that-appealing works over years. We sometimes have an idea and that idea might not always work. Thanks for stopping by, Diane, and I hope you have great summer!

    1. Well, don’t worry about straight lines. You can choose then something which has more curves. LOL. Once you relax the hand and let it do whatever your brain tells, it’s gonna be fine. Let me know how it came out. Oh, I hope I will be completely off meds soon, so I will not only post drawings and sketches to exercise with and from but also videos. I am just slow, way too slow at the moment.

Feel like sharing your thoughts? I'd love to hear from you.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.