scribble people - inspired by Andrew Wyeth

Scribble People

9 x 12

sketch paper

I have been doing a lot of sketching and I really love it.  I have been dismayed, though, that my sketches never look as good as others I have seen.  I refer to my work as scribbling instead of sketching.  I never felt worthy of the term sketching.  I started reading "Wyeth at Kuerners" written by Betsy James Wyeth.  It is a book of Andrew Wyeth's sketches...As I looked at the beautiful art work by Andrew Wyeth I took notice of his sketches.  They were incomplete...messy...and absolutely brilliant.  He sketched the same thing multiple times, the same figure, the same composition with slight variations...always refining, repositioning.  Of course his finished paintings are beyond description they are so marvelous.  

When I started this sketch I decided to never let my pencil leave the paper.  It worked for the most part...I did have a pause or two but for the most part it is one long scribble line.  As I sketched I thought about who these people are and how I could relate to them.  Down the line I started with a woman in a tall hat with a cross body bag, followed with the profile of a youngster...another woman with a large hat and a feathered plume...a hard hat/helmet adorns the head of another depicting my military heritage...a chef's hat reminds me of my families love for cooking...a love that I do not share...but I appreciate that others enjoy the creativity of their culinary efforts.  The end of the line is a figure in a baseball cap leaning on a bat...my love of sports is represented...love for playing much more than watching.  

So, while my sketches are messy, I know they serve a purpose and I will continue.  

As an aside...I highly recommend "Wyeth at Kuerners" book to anyone who is interested in composition and studying the genius of a realistic, abstract artist.