Tips for Drawing Croquis (Thumbnail Sketches)

  I've been wanting to write about thumbnail (croquis) sketches for a while because I love drawing them.  I love them because it's an escape into another world and you can draw whatever you'd like.

  Here are some tips that I've picked up through sketching.

1.  Begin with an Idea
     -This is immensely important because the idea is what guides your pencil.  Envision something and write a little story about it.  I do this with all my pet portrait commissions as well.  I imagine the dog in a mountain setting and then sketch what my minds thinks of.

2.  Draw from Imagination + Real Life
    -Combine things you come across in day to day life.  If you have a well in your front yard, imagine a scene with a girl drawing water.  This works for everything from ordinary objects to landscape scenes.  Hold these forms in your mind and transcribe them while you're there or at the end of the day.

3.  It's Better to Draw Something than Nothing
   -Keep your pencil moving across the page.  Draw on anything you can.  Some of my best croquis are done on the backs of old envelopes or napkins.  This is because I end up letting go and not worrying about each work.  Turn the forms in your mind and treat everything in terms of shape.  Line and shape are more important than value at this stage.

4.  Don't Make Each one Perfect
    -As Voltaire said, "The perfect is the enemy of the good."  Don't sacrifice a good croquis in order to make a perfect croquis; there is no such thing as a perfect croquis.  Draw rough volumes instead of details.  

The beauty is that no one will ever see it anyway so draw as many of you can!