How to Draw A Thumbnail Drawing

Summary

The video script discusses the concept of thumbnail sketches, which are small-scale drawings used for various purposes such as exploring a scene's potential for a larger piece, experimenting with color and tone, or determining composition and cropping. It uses the example of Edinburgh's old town to illustrate how thumbnail sketches can help artists decide if a subject is worth a more detailed drawing. The script also touches on the benefits of these quick sketches for improving observation and drawing skills, establishing scale, and identifying potential mistakes in perspective and proportions. The artist encourages viewers to practice thumbnail sketching for its versatility and as a low-pressure way to develop drawing skills.

Takeaways

• 🖌️ A thumbnail sketch is a small-scale drawing used for quick exploration of a scene or concept.
• ⏱️ It's often created to determine if a scene is worth developing into a larger, more detailed piece.
• 🎨 Thumbnail sketches can be used to experiment with color, tone, value, and composition quickly.
• 📏 They help maintain proportions close to the actual scene, which is crucial for accurate representation.
• 🏙️ The example of Edinburgh's old town illustrates how thumbnail sketches can capture unique perspectives and compositions.
• 👀 They are beneficial for improving observation skills and identifying potential mistakes in drawing proportions.
• 📏 Drawing a frame in the sketch can help establish a sense of scale, especially in street scenes.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Thumbnail sketches allow artists to see where they might go wrong, which is valuable for avoiding common drawing errors.
• 🖋️ Even in quick sketches, perspective is important, and details like lamp structures and pipes should be included.
• 🎨 Adding tone to a thumbnail sketch helps in understanding how values will work in a larger piece.
• 📒 Practicing thumbnail sketches can be done anywhere, anytime, and is a low-risk way to improve drawing skills and take artistic risks.

Q & A

What is a thumbnail sketch?

A thumbnail sketch is a small-scale drawing typically used for quick exploration of a scene, color, tone, or value, or to work out composition and cropping.

Why are thumbnail sketches useful for artists?

Thumbnail sketches are useful for artists as they allow for quick exploration of a scene to determine interest, help in experimenting with different visual elements, and assist in understanding composition and perspective without investing much time.

What is the significance of the word 'thumbnail' in the context of sketching?

The word 'thumbnail' in the context of sketching suggests that the drawing is small and quick, much like a thumbnail image, which is a miniature version of a larger image.

Can thumbnail sketches be used as standalone pieces of art?

Yes, thumbnail sketches can be used as standalone pieces of art. They can be done quickly and can capture the essence of a scene or moment, making them valuable on their own.

How does drawing a thumbnail sketch help with perspective?

Drawing a thumbnail sketch helps with perspective by allowing artists to quickly establish the eye level and the direction of perspective lines, which is crucial for accurately representing the scene's depth and spatial relationships.

What role do thumbnail sketches play in improving observation and drawing skills?

Thumbnail sketches play a role in improving observation and drawing skills by encouraging artists to focus on broad and gestural aspects of a scene, which in turn enhances their ability to capture the essence of what they observe.

Why is it important to include details like pipes and lamps in a thumbnail sketch?

Including details like pipes and lamps in a thumbnail sketch is important because they are often significant parts of the view that contribute to the overall composition and help to establish a sense of place.

How does a thumbnail sketch help in avoiding mistakes in a larger drawing?

A thumbnail sketch helps in avoiding mistakes in a larger drawing by allowing artists to identify areas where they might struggle with proportions or perspective, thus providing a chance to correct these issues before committing to a more detailed piece.

What is the recommended approach when working on a thumbnail sketch?

The recommended approach when working on a thumbnail sketch is to focus on broad strokes and gestural lines, avoiding getting bogged down in detail, and to take risks, as the investment of time is minimal.

How long does it typically take to complete a thumbnail sketch?

The time to complete a thumbnail sketch can vary, but it is often done quickly, sometimes in as little as five to ten minutes, depending on the complexity of the scene and the artist's goals.

What materials are suggested for adding tone in a thumbnail sketch?

The script suggests using Copic sketch markers for adding tone in a thumbnail sketch because they are a convenient way to apply tone and reflect differences in light and shadow.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Thumbnail Sketches: Quick Explorations in Art

A thumbnail sketch is a small-scale drawing used for preliminary exploration of a scene or concept. It helps artists quickly determine if a larger, more detailed piece is worth pursuing. These sketches can also be used to experiment with color, tone, value, and composition. The example provided is of the old town part of Edinburgh, with its unique alleys and contrasting shadows, making it an ideal subject for a thumbnail sketch. The sketch emphasizes the importance of maintaining proportions, establishing a sense of scale, and identifying potential mistakes in perspective and proportion before committing to a more detailed drawing. It also encourages artists to carry small sketchbooks for quick, observational sketches to improve drawing skills.

05:02

🖌️ Adding Tone and Perspective to Thumbnail Sketches

This paragraph discusses the importance of adding tone and perspective to thumbnail sketches. It emphasizes that while details like the structure of a lamp may not be fully rendered, including elements like pipes on a wall is crucial as they contribute to the overall view. The use of Copic sketch markers is mentioned as an effective way to add tone quickly. The sketch should be broad and gestural, focusing on capturing the essence of the scene rather than intricate details. The paragraph also highlights how a thumbnail sketch can help artists anticipate potential mistakes in a larger drawing, such as perspective errors. The speaker encourages artists to practice thumbnail sketching from life or photos to improve observational skills and to not be deterred by imperfections, as the sketches are a low-investment way to explore and take risks in art.

Keywords

💡Thumbnail Sketch

A thumbnail sketch is a small-scale drawing used for preliminary exploration of a scene or concept in art. It is typically quick and not highly detailed, serving as a tool to gauge interest in a subject or to experiment with composition, color, or tone before committing to a larger, more detailed piece. In the video, the thumbnail sketch is used to decide whether a more elaborate drawing of the old town part of Edinburgh is worth pursuing, highlighting its utility in the artistic process.

💡Exploratory Drawing

Exploratory drawing refers to the act of creating preliminary sketches to explore and understand the elements of a scene or subject before engaging in a more detailed and polished artwork. This concept is central to the video's theme, as it discusses how thumbnail sketches can be used to quickly assess the potential of a scene for a more developed piece, such as determining if the alleys and ridge lines of Edinburgh are compelling enough to merit further artistic attention.

💡Composition

Composition in art is the arrangement of visual elements within a frame to create a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing image. The video emphasizes the importance of thumbnail sketches in working out composition, as they allow artists to experiment with the layout and balance of elements in a scene. This is exemplified by the discussion of how the alleys and streets in Edinburgh can be composed within a thumbnail sketch to capture the city's unique character.

💡Cropping

Cropping in art and photography refers to the process of selectively framing a portion of an image to improve its composition or focus. The video mentions that thumbnail sketches can help artists determine the best way to crop a scene, ensuring that the final artwork includes only the most essential elements and presents them in the most effective way.

💡Color

Color in art is a vital element that can influence mood, emotion, and the overall impact of a piece. The video suggests that thumbnail sketches can be used to quickly explore different color schemes and tonal values, helping artists decide on the palette for a more detailed work. This is illustrated by the mention of how the thumbnail sketch might include color considerations for the Edinburgh scene.

💡Tone

Tone in art refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a color or shade, which contributes to the overall mood and depth of a piece. The video discusses how thumbnail sketches can be used to experiment with tone, as artists can quickly apply different values to understand how light and shadow will affect the final artwork, such as the contrast between the light and shadow in the Edinburgh alleyway.

💡Value

Value in art is the term used to describe the lightness or darkness of a color or shade, which is crucial for creating depth and dimension. The video explains that thumbnail sketches are a useful tool for exploring value, allowing artists to quickly assess how different values will interact in a scene and contribute to the overall visual impact, as demonstrated by the use of Copic sketch markers to add tone in the thumbnail sketch of Edinburgh.

💡Perspective

Perspective in art is the technique used to represent three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface, creating the illusion of depth. The video highlights the importance of perspective in thumbnail sketches, as it helps artists maintain accurate proportions and spatial relationships within their drawings. The artist's mention of eye level and the splaying out of perspective lines in the thumbnail sketch exemplifies this concept.

💡Gestural

Gestural in art refers to a style of drawing or painting that emphasizes expressive, fluid, and often quick brushstrokes or lines. The video encourages a gestural approach in thumbnail sketches, which allows artists to capture the essence of a scene with broad, sweeping strokes, rather than getting bogged down in fine details. This approach is exemplified by the artist's quick sketching of the Edinburgh alleyway, focusing on the overall impression rather than intricate specifics.

💡Risk-taking

Risk-taking in the context of the video refers to the willingness of artists to experiment and try new techniques or approaches in their artwork, without the fear of making mistakes. Thumbnail sketches are presented as a low-pressure environment for artists to take risks, such as applying tone or making freehand decisions, as the small scale and quick nature of the sketches mean that artists can easily move on from unsuccessful attempts.

💡Proportions

Proportions in art refer to the relative sizes of different elements within a scene or artwork. The video discusses the importance of maintaining accurate proportions in thumbnail sketches, particularly in street scenes, to establish a sense of scale and ensure that the drawing is true to the reference. This is demonstrated by the artist's attention to the perspective lines and the relative sizes of buildings and objects in the Edinburgh sketch.

Highlights

A thumbnail sketch is a small-scale drawing used for quick exploration or to determine the worth of a larger drawing.

It can be used to explore color, tone, value, or composition quickly.

Thumbnail sketches help in working out the composition and cropping of a scene.

The example of Edinburgh's old town alleys illustrates the use of thumbnail sketches for unusual compositions.

Thumbnail sketches can be done for their own sake, capturing moments quickly.

They are useful for improving observation and drawing skills.

There are no strict rules for thumbnail sketches; they can be drawn for any reason.

Drawing a frame can help establish a sense of scale in a scene.

Thumbnail sketches help identify potential mistakes in proportion and perspective.

Perspective is important even in quick thumbnail sketches.

Details like the structure of objects don't need to be exact in thumbnail sketches.

Incorporate important elements like pipes and walls in thumbnail sketches to capture the scene's essence.

Adding tone to thumbnail sketches is crucial for understanding values in the scene.

Copic sketch markers are recommended for adding tone quickly.

Thumbnail sketches should be broad and gestural, focusing on capturing the scene's feel.

A 10-minute thumbnail sketch can provide a sense of how a scene will work on a larger scale.

Thumbnail sketches can help identify parts of a scene that require careful attention in larger drawings.

They provide a sense of perspective and help in making freehand decisions about lines.

Thumbnail sketches are a great way to take risks and practice drawing without investing too much time.

Encouragement to practice thumbnail sketching for fun and skill improvement.

Transcripts

what is a thumbnail sketch and why would

we want to draw one the clue is in the

word thumbnail it's a very small scale

drawing that we might draw for a couple

of different reasons quite often it's a

quick exploratory drawing to see if

there's enough interest in a scene for a

larger more considered one or rather

than to explore is this drawing worth

doing it might be more so that we can

quickly explore the different

possibilities of color or tone or value

or it might help us work out composition

and cropping but usually we would draw

our thumbnail sketch in proportions as

close as possible to the scene we're

drawing the old town part of the city of

edinburgh is built following a long

ridge line with long streets going down

it both at the top and down the sides

but there are these narrow alleys going

across and this is a view looking

through one of those alleys and the

strong contrast in shadows and the

unusual composition make it a good

thumbnail sketch subject to help us work

out whether we really want to do a more

considered drawing but of course we can

do this sort of drawing in its own right

we could have a small sketchbook in our

pocket and as we wait at the bus stop we

do quick five-minute thumbnail sketches

as a way of capturing what's happening

around us as well as generally improving

our observation and drawing skills there

are no rules we can do thumbnail

sketches for any reason it can be

helpful to

draw a frame

roughly the same proportion as our

reference

people can be a great way to establish a

sense of scale in a drawing

particularly in a street scene as well

so we're working at keeping the

proportions correct another great

benefit of a thumbnail sketch is it

helps us to see where we're likely to

get it wrong where we're likely to not

draw the proportions the same

as in our reference and that's what we

want to avoid of course

so i'm saying eye level is about here

so these perspective lines

splay out

from there

so that'll do for that view

so with four minutes of drawing

now we've got the detail on these walls

which isn't the most interesting part

but it's an essential part

of this scene

perspective is just as important in

these sort of

quick thumbnail sketches

so in a thumbnail sketch of course we

don't need to exactly get the details of

things like exactly what is the

structure of this lamp

but we just want to see it included

and we have a pipe down here and we just

have a few pipes on the wall down here

they're important to get in in a

thumbnail sketch because it's going to

be an important part of the view

so now let's add a quick bit of tone

being able to work out some of our

values is an important part of this so

i'll just check i'm using some copic

sketch markers here because they're a

great way of putting tone on

will reflect the fact that the left hand

wall

is lighter just by using a lighter

i also do want to indicate the local

color on the top of this

so remember broad and gestural is the

way this works

and so with a quick 10 minute thumbnail

sketch we can get an idea of how this

scene will work out

on a larger scale

and if we want to we can look around and

play with it a little bit

just to give us a stronger sense

of

how our scene may look

from this where we've warmed up our

observation and if we want to draw a

larger version more detailed version we

have a sense of what parts of this we're

going to need to be careful about where

we're most likely to make mistakes and

what those mistakes might be

we've got a better sense of the

perspective and how it works having just

said the word perspective

and that's the sort of thing we can use

a thumbnail sketch yes my perspective

lines aren't as strong as

they could have been

just get that down piping

but of course it's a great little sketch

if i have a small sketchbook of

thumbnail sketches that i make every

time i have to wait for someone in my

family to go into a shop and do some

shopping and i've just got 10 minutes to

capture something of the buzz of the

place where i am to take back as a

memory whatever reason we want quick

gestural small drawings of a scene

they're a great thing to practice and we

can practice from photos we can practice

from life the important thing is that we

don't let ourself get bogged down in

detail and if it doesn't turn out you

can move on to something else without

having invested too much it's a great

way to take risks in our drawing

particularly with things such as

applying tone and our ability to make

freehand decisions about where to put

our line why not do some thumbnail

sketching

give it a go have fun i'll see you next

time bye