Rapid sketches
My objects
I collected a few objects by my door and bag; all objects that I pick up or leave lying around for that transition between going out of the house and returning. These were: a shoe, my purse, some lipstick, a biro, a compact mirror and my car keys. I chose to use fine liner because, in previous tasks where I have had to sketch quickly, using a pencil seems to make me want to take my time and shade and add detail. A fine liner is bolder, mistakes cannot be erased, and allows me a kind of freedom with mark-making – I know it will not be perfect.
Rapid sketching
I thoroughly enjoy the process of limiting the time in which I have to draw; it instantly takes the pressure of reaching perfection away and forces me to ‘just draw’. The first sketch – which had a 3-minute time limit – was a tricky angle to achieve the shape of the shoe but, after this first sketch was complete, I started to feel more comfortable.
Moving objects
I wanted to try objects in the sink, as they move a little anyway (as some fill with water) and then change positions again as the water drains. I deliberately chose objects that were different colours, because I had the idea of using coloured materials (fine liners, watercolours, pencil crayons) to distinguish each object as it moved across the page. I kept the sketches quick, but did not set myself a specific time limit – all five pieces were finished within 20 minutes.
Overall, I found this process freeing and enjoyable. I was no longer focused on absolute perfection or creating an image that was exactly the same as the reality in front of me; instead, I worked on capturing the objects, the lines, the general shape of the scene. It was interesting to see what jumped out to me straight away and what I captured in the limited time I had. With the moving objects, I tried to experiment further with materials to see which effects matched the image.