How much should I put in a sketch?

What is the difference between a sketch and a painting?

These are two questions I have been asked recently. The answer is not so easy as it will be different for each individual.

The first question you need to ask yourself is “What kind of sketch do I want?” There are times when you might be going out with the clear intention of spending a given amount of time in which to sketch and to do nothing else, in which case you may decide to devote most of your energy on one piece of work, or you may prefer to do a number of smaller sketches, maybe even combining them on the same page or piece of paper.

Other times, as in the case of ‘Lower Brockhampton Manor House’ , it may be that the chance to sketch has to fit into a number of other things you want to do, or you may be on holiday, visiting a number of locations during the course of the day, in which case the type of sketch which is best suited will be one which tries to capture the flavour of the place and how you see it, rather than trying to paint an exact copy of what is in front of you, with every stick and stone included. This sketch will become part of your armoury if you decide to paint a more detailed version at a later date.

A sketch can be something which stands alone and needs nothing more, or it may be used as part of your reference for a later project. It doesn’t matter which – it will depend entirely on you.

You’re the boss!

Happy sketching.