The Quicksketch System

Still Life Series

Simple Objects

Warm-up:

Lets get into that Quick Sketch Frame of Mind.
Line up ten or more very simple objects on a table, bench, or anywhere they can all be seen without changing position. Quickly draw each one in succession, five seconds apiece. Remember, make these very simple objects. Don’t worry about accuracy yet. Just look at the whole shape or combination of shapes and draw it spontaneously like drawing a valentine heart, a smiley face, or a five sided star.

The exact time isn’t important so how the increments are timed isn’t critical. Just the fact that time seems too short is important. We don’t want to be thinking about anything. It should feel just like signing your name. Have someone count down from five to zero, or just call off when time is up and start on the next one. Practice a few times so that you can estimate the time and if you run over on one take less time on the next one so that the time for the whole group comes out at about five or six seconds average.

Draw just the whole shape. Forget any details for now. We are just practicing letting loose and 'going for it' without thinking like we do when we draw a line between dots. We are trying to see the shapes inside the lines, not the outline. What the sketches look like will be important sometimes, but not now. Just try to see the shapes and pay attention how it feels to put them on paper. Pay attention to how muscles and movements feel. The camouflaged russet potato is to remind you to spend more time being sure you visually see the form than sketching it.!

Quick Tip: When playing with symmetrical shapes render the offhand side first. The hand that is used most of the time will allow a clear view and is more easily able to match the existing line or mark.

If we start with twenty minute sketches, our conceptual mind will try to analyze a lot of stuff that we are trying not to focus on. It will take over and slow the process. It will make it way too analytical and conceptually complicated for what we are trying to do. In five seconds we have only time for what we are doing and our conceptual mind can’t do it. We let our visual spacial abilities have free reign no matter what the results might be and we accept what we get. We are just learning to use a new part of our mind and a non critical creative, playful attitude. Continue playing with this warm-up whenever there is a chance.

Develop a mind set to notice any simple objects in your environment and quickly sketch them. It will get comfortable sooner than you expect and your visual brain will start to zero in on what the shapes actually look like separate from other kinds of information. The shape inside the lines is paramont.

Playing With Simple Sketches

Now take twenty seconds to sketch each one. Do not take more time sketching. Take more time observing and feeling in your imagination what the line should look like and what it will feel like to make the marks. The sketch should still take only two or three seconds. You will start to understand what corrections are being made in your muscle memory. Don’t try to find analytical words to explain. There may not be any.

Play with the shapes of the objects as you sketch. Make them wider, thinner, lean them over or bend them. Draw them larger/closer or smaller/further away. Make them funny, melted, or play with them any way that comes to mind.

Place two of the objects that you have become familiar with together and draw both in twenty seconds. Move them around in relation to each other and try to indicate the relationships in the sketch. View them different distances apart and with varying degrees of overlap. Leave them physically in the same place and move them around and explore changes in size and shape in the sketch only. Think of as many variations as possible.

Remember, one of the advantages of Quick Sketch is that we can explore and learn a lot visually and by feel in a short amount of time. If we maintain enthusiasm and the resulting high energy that comes with it, we can do all of the above in just a few minutes. Find a few minutes every day when possible and do warm-ups or quick lessons. The best variations are those of the artists invention that are of personal interest. Look for new objects habitually and gradually increase the complexity of the objects. Keep it interesting and advance as rapidly as seems appropriate personally. Don’t run any exploration in the ground but return to them regularly with as much variety as possible until they slip onto automatic no matter what combination you do.

Quick Tip: Treasure hunting for variety is the artist's chosen input and keeps the exploration personal and contributes toward developing a distinctly individual vision.

The more often we play with our visual abilities the better they get. The better we get, the more enjoyable it becomes. At some point keep the sketches that seem to be better than the rest separate for study and enjoyment. Don’t throw any away! As you learn more there will be discoveries in the old ones that were invisible at the time. This is especially true if there are large numbers of sketches.

The viewing duration is not adjustable in the slide show, so we must control timing with the pause button, or have someone else help until the feel of the timing also becomes predictable .