How To Paint A Sketch Book Cover

Last Updated on January 26, 2022

Are you struggling to get your Art projects done on time? Some students – even those who are dedicated and hard-working – find information technology challenging to piece of work at the footstep required in a Visual Art grade. The good, perfectionist student commonly falls into this category; those who produce meticulous, highly-detailed observational drawings or paintings. Parents and teachers tin be unsure how to provide practical, positive strategies for improvement. This article lists fifteen ways that a high schoolhouse Art student can work faster, without compromising the quality of their work.

1. Use a ground

There are many benefits to working on a ground. I of these is increased painting or drawing speed. A ground covers a painting or cartoon surface from the kickoff. Information technology can act as mid-tone, with only black and white used to utilise dark and light areas (as in the examples below) or be left partially visible in the final work. This results in an artwork that is much faster to complete (see our article near painting on grounds for more information).

An A Level Art portrait by Mariam Shafei-Sabett from Matriarch Alice Owen's Schoolhouse, Hertfordshire, England and a teaching exemplar from Amiria Robinson:

The beautiful A Level portrait on the left has been completed upon a stake brown footing (this provides a mid-tone skin color and is also left visible in the background). On the correct, a wash of ochre, blue and brown provides a background to the cartoon blackness and white pencil cartoon.

2. Incorporate mixed media /patterned surfaces / textural elements

As with using a ground, patterned, decorative or textural items can encompass areas of an artwork quickly. Although this strategy should exist used with care, selecting only materials which support or enhance your project (usually with reference to a relevant artist model) this can be a great way to speed upwardly your project and innovate creative utilize of mixed media.

Two AP Studio Fine art (Concentration) pieces by Alyssa Church building from Bingham High School, South Hashemite kingdom of jordan, Utah, U.s.a.:

Exploring fairy tales (the 'Princess and the Pea' and 'Rumpelstiltskin', these well-equanimous works permit the student to demonstrate observational drawing skills in sure areas of the artwork, while saving fourth dimension past covering other areas with mixed-media patterned surfaces.

Domestic Violence series by artist Scott Waters:

Artist Scott Waters produces gripping paintings on a range of found surfaces, including wallpaper, postcards and romantic paperback book covers. Note that the called surfaces are integral to the bulletin in the work; the shattering of domestic bliss.

Please read this article for more heady ideas about how to use mixed media inside your piece of work.

three. Work on several pieces at once

Working in series – completing several paintings or drawings at one time – is a very helpful strategy for Art students. This speeds work up for a number of reasons:

• A single colour can be used throughout a number of works, without needing to cease for remixing / washing brushes
• While one work is drying, another i can be worked on
• Similar processes or techniques tin be mastered speedily and repeated on subsequent works

In improver, when working on several pieces at once, 'preciousness' about the piece of work tends to be lost, leading to more experimentation and greater work speed.

The studio of artist Willem de Kooning:

These photos of Willem de Kooning'southward studio prove several works in progress pinned to the wall and scattered across the floor. Although creating a glorious working environs such as this is not possible in most high schools, many Painting classrooms take small pivot board alcoves which tin exist used to brandish work in progress.

4. Paint things in the right order – groundwork areas first

Painting things in an illogical order is surprisingly common amid loftier school Fine art students. In about all cases, the background should exist completed first, followed past the heart-ground, ending with the foreground. This is easily understood when because a tree in front of a cloudy heaven. If you make the mistake of painting the tree first, the sky has to exist meticulously painted around every leaf and branch: an irritating job that takes hours (and ends upwards looking a piddling shabby). Painting the sky first, however, means that a large brush tin can rapidly be used to paint the sky, with the tree so easily added over the acme. Painting in the correct order also results in a painting that has layers (which gives information technology a richness and lustre, as with using a ground). If you find that subsequent layers of paint do not adequately cover earlier ones, you take an junior brand of paint. (Nosotros will detail our paint and art supply recommendations in an upcoming commodity – stay tuned)!

Note: Once you empathize how to build upwardly a painting in layers, y'all will realise that frequently this involves drawing items in stages too.

Paintings by artist Susan Danko:

These vibrant, architecturally-inspired abstract works past Susan Danko are a prime instance of an artwork that must be painted in a logical order. These paintings would accept been uncommonly irksome had the rays of light had been painted first.

5. Utilise masking record to create direct edges

Some students are concerned that it might exist necessary to 'prove' that a straight line can be painted by mitt. This is not the case. Your control of a paint brush tin be ascertained immediately past looking at the remainder of your painting. Masking tape creates straight edges in seconds. One time mastered, this trick can save you hours – and brand your paintings sharper, cleaner and more professional person in the process. If y'all oasis't used masking tape earlier, buy some now!

This painting is by Amiria Robinson (me):

Enlarged details of this seascape painting can be seen to the correct. All of the direct lines were created using masking tape.

6. Go out artwork purposefully incomplete

Artist work is sometimes purposefully 'unfinished'.Art students shouldn't feel obliged to 'complete' every item. At that place are many occasions when a fully rendered cartoon is non necessary. Drawings, especially those in sketchbooks, can exist left with edges trailing away and tone only applied to some areas. Leaving work unfinished is especially useful when conducting visual research, exploring ideas and experimenting with media. Depending on your creative person influences, this may even be appropriate in final works – as a manner to describe attention to focal points and direct attention within an artwork.

Note: This should not exist used equally justification for avoiding homework tasks set by your instructor!

Jim Dine'due south tool drawings:

Jim Dine is an outstanding artist to use with middle and loftier school Art students. His charcoal tool drawings combine precise, analytical outlines (which fade away and are incomplete in places) with perfectly rendered areas and gestural, and expressive mark-making in some of the negative spaces left effectually the tools.

Drawings by Megan (left), Parrish (top right) and Anna (lesser correct) from the Art Section of Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, N Carolina, United States:

Completed equally part of the high school qualification AP Studio Art (2D Blueprint) these drawings are purposefully rendered in pocket-sized areas but, creating emphasis and directing vision.

7. Omit parts of a scene

Deliberately picking out certain parts of a scene to describe has a potent impact on the last piece of work and must be used with care to ensure that the resulting prototype supports the ideas explored in your project. Equally with the previous pick, this allows yous to demonstrate strong observational drawing skills, while saving fourth dimension by omitting part of the scene.

A graphite pencil drawing by Langdon Graves:

This gimmicky drawing by creative person Langdon Graves involves carefully selected regions of a face: well-balanced curving forms of an ear, heart and spectacles.

An A Level Art drawing by Madeleine Ferns:

Eliminating certain areas of a scene is a dramatic measure that brings immediate focus to an artwork. This cartoon past high school student Madeleine depicts only men walking down a street – with all aspects of the surrounding obscured. This immediately suggests monotony; the daily grind; living on autopilot; and conveying out the daily routine without ever stopping to notice the earth passing by.

eight. Selectively flatten tone

Another option that students take is to flatten tone – to remove the polish blending gradations from dark to light. This strategy should be used with caution – and unremarkably only in certain areas – as unintentionally flattening tone tin exist the hallmark of a weak student. As indicated by the artist examples below, nonetheless, there are times when all or parts of the tonal variation inside an artwork tin can be omitted with great success.

'No one wants to play SEGA with Harrison Ford' past artist Brandon Bird:

In this contemporary oil painting depicting Harrison Ford, artist Brandon Bird carefully positions iii realistically rendered figures and a SEGA games system upon a wide flat area of tone (interestingly this is available in prints with different coloured backgrounds). This eliminates unnecessary clutter and swiftly focuses the attention of the viewer.

Self portraits from Annemarie Busschers' 'Across Grief' series:

The faces in Annemarie Busschers' self-portraits are stunningly rendered, with extreme attention given to fine details and irregularities of pare. The hair and body are stake; the hair virtually completely devoid of tone. This pushes all attending to the confront; the turn of the lips; the emotion in the eyes.

9. Focus on Line

At that place are many occasions where it may be advisable for a high schoolhouse pupil to draw using only line (information technology is oft the awarding of tone that is time-consuming for students, so working exclusively with line can provide a welcome relief). Bullheaded drawings, contour drawings, cantankerous contour drawings and other hatched drawings (delight see our collection of cute line drawings for ideas) can form an of import part of your project.

Note: It is usually necessary to demonstrate an ability to apply tone at some bespeak to examiner, so it is not wise to exclude tone from your project altogether.

A Level Fine art sketchbook pages by Annie Jones:

This A Level Fine art projection uses line to show complex architectural details; drawings applied over cute mixed media layers, which helps to create rich, visually interesting sketchbook pages.

Contemporary drawings past artist Federico Infante:

These works past artist Federico Infante contain a focus on line (in this instance used to create balance after-image effects) with tone practical in certain areas only. This helps to draw the viewer in to the earth of the cardinal effigy, so nosotros share the emotion of this captured moment in fourth dimension.

x. Include your own photographs

While in that location is a certain quantity of painting and drawing that must take place inside a Painting or Art portfolio, photography can provide an excellent mechanism for moving a project forrard at a faster footstep.

An AS Art sketchbook page past Littlemissnoface:

Photography tin be used equally a tool to develop composition, as in the cute AS Sketchbook pages to a higher place. Rather than ordinary snapshots of source cloth, the photographs hither are circuitous digital manipulations, which help refine ideas and compositions.

In addition to helping with composition planning, original photography tin can be collaged into artworks or used as background. (This should not exist used as a mechanism for avoiding observational drawing – this is perceived by examiners as cheating. For instance, do non paint a realistic portrait straight onto a photograph of that person). If the photograph remains visible in the last work, less paint needs to be practical, thus speeding upward the art-making process.

Painting on photographs by artist Charlotte Caron:

These artworks by Charlotte Caron show fauna faces painted on top of photographic portraits. Note the clever unity of the colours in each image.

eleven. Develop towards abstract (or semi-abstract) pieces

Producing abstract work is frequently the first solution that comes to mind for those who piece of work slowly; students can be fearful that this will not allow them the opportunity to demonstrate potent observational skills. The solution is to produce abstract piece of work that is derived from earlier realistic works, as in the A* A Level example below by Hania Cho:

This project begins with precise, meticulous realistic drawing, moves towards impressionism and finally abstraction. This allows a student to benefit from speed in the later stages of the work, while still having the opportunity to flaunt superb observational drawing skill.

Another as successful strategy is to incorporate realistic elements with abstract works, creating a work that is part realistic, part abstract.

Office of an Every bit Fine art examination by Nikau Hindin:

Excerpts from this Equally Art examination evidence realistically depicted rotting fruit (partially complete, with edges trailing abroad) painted upon a rich, torn, abstract groundwork.

12. Apply a bigger brush

In that location is something surprisingly liberating about painting with a bigger brush – especially if you take previously worked at a microscopic scale, picking out detail the size of a pin prick. Y'all will soon discover that information technology is just as easy to attain clean edges with a larger brush and that an unexpected level of detail can be achieved. Nigh savor picking upward a larger brush – fifty-fifty if this only becomes a way for creating grounds and applying background layers.

Daily paintings by artist Cathleen Rehfeld:

Cathleen Rehfeld paints a new painting each day and shares information technology on her blog. It is evident that a larger brush does not impinge upon your ability to record tone, capture lighting conditions or render form: rather, it creates refreshingly raw and soulful images: painterly snapshots in time.

xiii. Be more than gestural

Instead of artwork existence a laborious process that grinds away for days, images can be created quickly, using rich, expressive mark-making. Those who accept merely produced realist, tightly controlled drawings ordinarily take some time to suit to this approach and not all students notice it easy; selection of the correct drawing tools and mediums can help. Charcoal, chunky 5mm broad graphite leads, Indian ink, big brushes and paint applied with pieces of card all lend themselves to gestural mark-making (delight read Beyond the Castor: Inventive Mixed Media Techniques if you are looking for more ideas). Even if this style of working is not your preference and not something you wish to pursue, it can be useful to practise, peculiarly when planning compositions and drawing from life.

Paintings by artist Jason Shawn Alexander:

These stunning paintings by Jason Shawn Alexander accept tighter, more realist faces, with surrounding areas condign gradually more gestural and abstract. This is a superb strategy for creating focal points and creating rich, gutsy images that command attention.

Compositional sketches and a final painting by creative person Edward Hopper:

Even if a final work is realistic and tightly controlled, compositional sketches tin can be much rougher. This is an excellent method of working, when quickly testing and trialling ideas.

fourteen. Trace or photocopy your own drawings

Tracing is frowned upon in virtually all circumstances (see our commodity nearly observational drawing for more on this), even so there are occasions when tracing your ain drawings is a valuable strategy in a high school Art project. For example, a compositional programme could be quickly enlarged on a photocopier and traced/modified as required, instead of beingness redrawn at a larger calibration; or your own drawing could be traced or photocopied in lodge to trial application of a unlike medium or technique (this should be kept to a minimum, however, to ensure that your piece of work doesn't go as well repetitive); repeat patterns could be traced; or dissimilar drawings could exist overlaid and arranged together, tracing the composite piece of work.

A Level Art Coursework by Nikau Hindin:

You will note that the figure at the far right in the outset work has been repeated in both works. A number of other time-saving strategies take also been used in the second work, such as painting on a ground, fading images abroad, using line simply in places and incorporating abstruse elements.

Note: Students should Not, in any circumstances, trace from photographs (even when the photographs are their own). Almost all high schoolhouse art programmes assess a student'south power to replicate shape, proportion and course. Tracing photographs offers an unfair advantage (and is hence a grade of adulterous), disadvantaging students who take the time to produce accurate observational drawings by hand. Although adult artists sometimes do sometimes trace from photographs, these adult artists are not beingness assessed on the accuracy of their observational drawings as role of a qualification in which they are competing confronting others.

15. Use digital manipulation

Scanning existing artworks and editing and combining these with other artworks holds exciting promise for Painting / Art students. Once a student has practised using prototype manipulation software (such every bit Adobe Photoshop) creating new digital images and and then printing them can exist a very fast style to create astonishing artworks. Students should be conscientious non to overuse this strategy, yet, and must ensure that all digitally manipulated material is their own original work.

Digitally manipulated images from Nikau Hindin's A Level Art Coursework Project:

These images were created in Photoshop, using scanned images of paintings that were digitally overlaid using different transparencies, with text added. Professionally printed onto loftier quality paper, these works integrate seamlessly with other hand-generated works.

Did these tips help?

If yous found this article helpful or know others who would benefit from reading this, please share it using the social media buttons beneath!

Note: If your problem is non speed only procrastination, y'all may also benefit from reading How to Stop Procrastinating and Become Your Art Homework Done.

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course pattern and assessment of pupil work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Available of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Didactics. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

Source: https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/how-to-draw-and-paint-faster

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