Quicksketch painting is a process I follow almost every time I paint, involving setting up the easel, paints, brushes, and staining the canvas. To paint quicker, I premix colors while waiting for the stain to dry. Typically, plein air paintings take me 2 to 3 hours, but quicksketch limits me to 25 to 30 minutes. This approach captures most of the scene, albeit with some loss in detail and shape accuracy. By focusing on the most important 20% of information, I achieve 80% of the result.
The 80/20 Rule in Art Practice
The 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, suggests that by spending just 20% of the usual time and concentrating on the crucial 20% of information, one can achieve 80% of the full painting's quality. This method isn't necessarily about increasing painting output for sales but is incredibly beneficial for artists, especially students, to make the most out of each practice minute.
Benefits of Quicksketch for Learning
Quicksketch painting accelerates the learning process by:
- Increasing the value of each practice minute
- Speeding up the fail rate, allowing for quicker learning from mistakes
- Encouraging experimentation with techniques that might not be tried in longer sessions
- Providing more opportunities to practice fundamental concepts
This approach is crucial for learning efficiently and practicing smart, which can lead to significant improvement over years.
Practicing Smart vs. Practicing Hard
The difference between artists who improve rapidly and those who don't isn't just the amount of practice but the quality of it. Practicing smart involves focusing on fundamental concepts and learning from mistakes quickly, rather than searching for the perfect tool or secret technique.
Focus Areas in Quicksketch Painting
When quicksketch painting, I focus on:
- Composition: Trusting my intuition to place elements and design shapes
- Depth: Utilizing atmospheric perspective with distinct foreground, middle ground, and background characteristics
- Simplicity of Values: Grouping elements into large shapes of value with subtle variations within
These focus areas help capture the essence of the scene efficiently and effectively.
Experimentation and Happy Accidents
While following a process is key for efficiency and predictability, breaking from it occasionally can lead to new discoveries and happy accidents. Experimentation might result in unexpected outcomes, but it also provides opportunities to learn and adapt, potentially leading to breakthroughs in one's art practice.
Remember, the goal is to learn quickly from both desirable and undesirable results, and sometimes, to allow for those serendipitous moments that can only come from stepping outside the usual process.
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12 Days of Proko Schedule
Day 1 - Kim Jung Gi
Day 2 - Getting Better Faster
Day 3 - Sketching with Ink from Imagination
Day 4 - Quickly Draw Heads - Loomis Part 1
Day 5 - Draw ANY Head Type - Loomis Part 2
Day 6 - Intuitive Portraits - Loomis Part 3
Day 7 - Meditation for Artists
Day 8 - Improve Your Sketching Speed
Day 9 - Painting Challenge
Day 10 - The FORCE Method
Day 11 - Draw Using Reilly Rhythms
Day 12 - Speed Sculpting
