A sketch is a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished
work. A sketch may serve a number of purpose: it might record something that
the artist sees, it might record or develop an idea for later use or it might
be used as a quick way of graphically demonstrating an image, idea or
principal. Sketching is generally a prescribed part of the studies of art
students.
The term "sketch" has most often been applied to graphic
work executed in a dry media such as graphite pencil, charcoal or pastel.
It may also apply to drawings executed in pen and ink, ballpoint pen, water colour and oil paint. The latter two are generally referred to as
"water colour sketches" and "oil sketches". A sculptor might model three-dimensional
sketches in clay or plasticine.
The term "sketchbook" refers to a book of plank
paper on which an artist can, (or has already) drawn sketches. The book might
be purchased bound or might comprise loose leaves of sketches assembled or
bound together.
Most visual artists use, to a greater or lesser degree, the sketch
as a method of recording or working out ideas. The sketches of some individual
artists have become very well known, including those of Leonardo da Vinci and Edgar Degas which
have become art objects in their own right, with many pages showing finished studies as well as sketches.
The ability to quickly record impressions through sketching has
found varied purposes in today's culture. Courtroom artists are usually
sketchers. Sketches drawn to help authorities find or identify wanted people
are called composite sketches. Street performers in popular tourist areas
often include artists who sketch portraits within minutes.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
