sketches

Sketches are quick, informal drawings or rough drafts intended to capture basic proportions, forms, and ideas. They are produced rapidly to record observations, explore composition, or test concepts before committing to a finished work.

History: sketching as a practice dates to antiquity but matured in the Renaissance, when artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo kept extensive notebooks of studies. In the 17th to 19th centuries, sketchbooks became standard tools for studying light, anatomy, and perspective. In modern practice, sketches are valued for spontaneity and personal expression.

Forms and materials: common media include graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, ink wash, and pastels. Techniques range from gesture drawing to contour drawing, tonal studies with washes, and cross-hatching. Specialized forms include architectural, fashion, and urban sketching, often produced on-site with portable tools.

Function and use: sketches serve as preparatory steps for paintings, sculpture, or design; they also function in planning, observation, and communication among artists and clients. In film and animation, rough boards and concept sketches guide narrative development.

Notable practitioners and influence: Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, and John Constable used sketching extensively. In contemporary practice, sketchbooks remain central to art education, studios, and movements such as urban sketching, which records daily life and city landscapes.

Related topics include drawing, studies, storyboards, concept art, rough drafts, and visual notebooks.