Today, busy lifestyles and the modern phenomena of having everything at ones fingertips is impacting not only on everyday life but also the world of art.

   Television and the internet has put information at immediate access.

   The ‘I want it now’ mentality has meant the shrinking of life’s calm reflective moments.

   What does this mean to art?

   Anyone can now take instant photographs with the aid of modern digital cameras.

   Snap, snap, snap….delete, delete, delete. We’ve all been there.

   Even a suspect photo can be loaded onto a computer and turned into a ‘masterpiece’ at the click of a mouse.

   The art of sketching seems to be taking a back seat and it’s a great pity because sketching really helps the artist/painter get inside a subject.

   Janet Benge though, a professional costume designer in the U.K. makes a habit of always carrying a small Moleskin sketchbook (9 by 14cm) with her.

   She likes to travel and often finds herself seated in some interesting part of the world worthy of a serious painting.

   In fact she sets herself a goal of at least one sketch a day.

   “I like to add notes to a sketch about colours and observations of the scene because the sketch to me is the ideas sheet for an oil painting” she said.

   Photographs of the scene are also useful memory joggers but it’s the sketching of a scene and the time it takes to produce that sketch that forces considered observation of mood, message and structure in a finished painting.

The best artists generally make multiple sketches of a single subject from multiple viewpoints. This helps them gain a better understanding of the subject and is also a valuable aid in planning a painting.

top: cart left corner, bottom: cart in front of
hay stack

   Sometimes what we see is potentially a good subject but needs to be re-arranged to make a more satisfying picture.

   Don’t be afraid to move elements of a scene around to achieve a better composition. The greats do it all the time. So why shouldn’t we?

   This is easy to verify by looking at a Vincent Van Gogh painting for example and comparing it with a photograph of the actual scene or subject.

   The extra something in a great painting responsible for capturing the viewer’s attention can only come about as a result of the considered observation, skill and interpretative ability of the artist.

   It takes time, and time it seems is becoming a scarcer commodity.

   Happy sketching. 

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