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OCTOBER 27, 2016

Drawn to Paint, Jim Wodark By using this website, you agree to

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I want to let you in on the best kept secret in
run effectively.
painting, the Thumbnail Sketch! This little
practice of thumbnail drawings are the secret OK

to great ideas and in turn great art. I was first

introduced to this idea when a read Edgar
Payne’s book on Outdoor Composition. He
broke down the landscape into a group of
basic designs. All landscapes could be
designed in these groups, according to Edgar. I
started sketching my designs before I painted
and use the thumbnail for so much more now.
I use this practice to design, create and explore
before I paint.

After I read Edgar Payne’s book, I religiously would sketch a scene before I painted. I would
categorize the landscape design into one of his classifications and away I would paint. But, after a
few years I felt that I was kind of stagnant feeling in my designs. I attributed this to the sketching of
the idea before I painted. So I stopped sketching and just would design on the canvas. This worked
out fine until I saw a good friends sketchbook! He had all these great designs laid out one after
another and I realized that I was really missing a great step in creativity by not sketching. I started
up again, but this time I didn’t categorize the drawings into preconceived designs. Instead, I just
drew out ideas, any idea I could think of that was interesting to me. I would draw landscapes,
move things around, add objects, etc… (I started using pencil, but it smears so I changed to India
ink pens.)

Before I started painting, I had my own cartoon business. I designed T-shirts, mascots and cartoon
maps. I wanted to be the next Gary Larson and developed several Cartoon Strips! One of the
things that I started to think about is that I never looked at anything to draw a cartoon. I just drew
what the idea was and the people, animal, object came out and that was my style. It didn’t need
to look like anybody else. I started to apply this thinking to painting. Starting with the sketch. Pretty
soon I was really having fun with ideas and inventing compositions. This opened me up to paint
more in tune with my feelings I had when I saw a scene.

What is so great about this process is that you can explore an idea and design, move elements
around, resize, etc. and It only takes 10 minutes or so. So many times I have come up with a better
idea on the third or fourth time I worked on a sketch.

I sketch everyday, sometimes on location when I am painting Plein Air and sometimes when I have
a show coming up I will sit down and think of what would be a great idea to paint. Or if I remember
a great scene I will draw out ideas of the scene from memory.

Another benefit of daily sketching, especially from memory is that I started focusing the use of on
line and shape in design. These are some underlying elements that direct your eye around the
painting and are so important in good compositions! They tend to get overlooked because of all
the other elements like value, color, stroke, thick and thin paint that one can use to compose. It
reminds me of baking a cake. Everyone want to put the icing on the cake because its fun and
tastes good. But, without the foundation, the cake part, there is nothing to put the icing on! Shape
and line is the foundation for the painting. A good design and the painting is a success, a poor
design and no matter how nicely it is painted, it falls apart.

It is always a pleasure to look at sketchbooks and get an inner view of the artist’s thoughts. One of
my favorite parts of museum shows is to see the drawings that the artist made before they
painted the picture. Or, sometimes when I am stuck and can’t think of anything to paint, I can look
through my own books and revisit ideas that I didn’t paint and explore them anew. My suggestion
to you is get a sketch book and give it a try!

To learn more about Jim and his work, please visit his
website. www.jimwodark.com

Comments (3) Newest First Subscribe via e-mail

pj Drayton 4 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you Jim and Lori, great learning curve one that Lori teaches
very well, if I could just ask God for a bit more talent, all will be good,
have a good day

Marsha Savage 4 years ago · 0 Likes

Love this Jim... I do my thumbnails and sketches in spurts. I know I

need to be better about slowing down and doing them. I always love
looking back at my sketchbooks and seeing the thumbnails. One
would think that would be an "aha" moment for me! Good read and
love your sketches.

Lori Putnam 4 years ago · 0 Likes

Just fabulous Jim! I hope my students read this.

I do thumbnail sketches, but they are not as beautiful and as well

thought out as these. I get in too much of a hurry. Thanks for
reminding me to slow down a bit and just explore ideas. Seems the
deadline is always pushing me to get started.

Did you sell that piece I loved in Sedona?????

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