 | |
| VERY fast sketch of the pileated woodpecker that visited the other day...along with one of my "gratitude" lists... |
 |
| And a much slower, more detailed study...admittedly, this one was from a photo! |
I sketch, a lot. Especially when time is short, when I need to respond quickly, get something DOWN before it's gone. Sometimes I just like to keep my hand in, improve my hand/eye coordination. Celebrate, notice, capture the moment, pay attention.
(And of course sometimes when something really doesn't work, I tell myself "it's just a sketch"!)
That is not to say, really, that a sketch is somehow a lesser being, inferior...it's not. Sometimes I like the sketch very much better than a finished painting; it captures more of the life, the excitement, a kind of truth that can get lost with a longer, more contrived piece.
A sketch is not a specific medium to the exclusion of another. You can sketch in watercolor, acrylic, oil...
A study may be more of a detailed, attentive sketch...when I'm curious about something in nature...and when I have more time. Recently I pulled a sapling from my garden and discovered it still had the walnut the squirrels buried attached; the root went down, the sprout went up, and the color was stunning! I had more time, so I moved out onto the deck with my paints and took my time...
Generally speaking, a painting--for me--is something I might mat or frame, something I've spent more time on. Sometimes larger, and generally on a separate sheet of paper or a watercolor block. It's more formal--usually, but not always. I sometimes sell them (and NEVER journal entries, unless it's a print. My journal is my journal, after all!)
I've also done what others might consider a painting, in my journal. It depends on my mood, the subject, the amount of time I have...
See what I mean? Very subjective! I don't have a hard and fast answer...even for myself. What do you think?
