The Art of the Sketch

I got asked an interesting question the other day...they said "i like the amount of work you do, but sometimes things just seem more intentional or thought out than others. What do you think about that?"

So...my first reaction was kind of a wide-eyed "uh oh, does half my work suck?" but then I thought about it a bit. I don't think it's a bad thing. In fact, I'd rather it be that way than to cut half the work and not show it. In fact in fact, sometimes I think I like the work more when it's less intentional and more sporadic.

I think I work a little differently than other artists. I make a point to not worry about it. If I have an idea, I try my best to explore it full-size. I treat all surfaces as a never-ending sketchbook. Where many would reserve unrefined ideas to the scribblings of a 8x5 in notebook, I put in on a 48 inch canvas. Where many would try to nail out an idea beforehand to minimize mistakes, I throw ink straight on the canvas and work the mistakes out while I move. Where one person might figure out a composition, I know the colors I want and go from there...

I think half of my work looks less finished than the other half because...well...it's unfinished. It's unrefined...it's a sketch. Some of my favorite work are marks that took 20 seconds...and some of my favorites are pieces that slowly developed over six months. Sometimes an idea works out great...sometimes I wonder what I was even thinking. I don't seem to have an in between. If I think an idea is good enough to put in a sketchbook, it's good enough, for me, to work it out on a canvas.

I think most people would be surprised how often I DON'T put up work, or paint over something before anyone sees it. How often I put down a confident stroke and immediately repeal with the next mark. How often I do something on a painting which doesn't go anywhere, yet use what I learned from that on the next major piece.

It may result in a lot of work not being great or even good...it might result in the wasting of a lot of time, supplies, canvas, and views...but the good wouldn't be there without the bad...and I think "the bad" is just as valuable to look back on as any of the better things you've done...

After all, if you look at something good, it's hard to move on to the next great thing....but if you look at something "bad", you can't wait to get started.