Sketch

Author: Zhang Wenheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Sketching and drawing do not necessarily need to be strictly distinguished, but what we usually refer to as sketching clearly differs in meaning from drawing. Here, sketching refers to a painting form that captures the main features and inner spirit of objects within a short time using concise and summarized expressive techniques. It possesses a refined and vivid quality, can utilize any tool, and can adopt various artistic styles, with its subjects encompassing everything. Sketching is typically used as a fundamental training in visual arts or a means of collecting creative materials. Sometimes, it also serves as a rehearsal for creation or an experimental field for exploring forms, and its importance has become increasingly prominent in recent years' art college entrance exams. The main elements of sketching are lines and value. Lines are the basic language of visual form; they do not exist purely in nature—they are a form of generalization and abstraction by the artist. On one hand, they stem from people's understanding of shapes, and on the other, they arise from the ideas and emotions generated thereby. Their function is to express material entities while also completing the picture itself. They can transform into various possibilities and expressions, and they are not merely outlines and structures in themselves but also reflect the rhythmic beauty of the soul's trajectory.