Whats your work flow?, I'm curious how people start out!

[gurukitty]

How do you begin your work? does all your work start the same?

I start usually from sketching in my sketchbook and liking a general composition, or having an idea spring to mind from the thoughts that happen while I'm sketching. Once i figure out what I want to do, I think about how i want to do it. More abstract stuff, I generally go straight to canvas, where as my marker drawings i continue thumbnailing to find the setting and composition I like, until sketching it a few times until it looks right, then fleshing out that sketch in first blue, then graphite or a darker colour blue. then i light trace onto marker paper, in ink and go from there with markers.

on my paintings, if something requires special layering I generally keep all that in my head, and visualize it that way, unless I think its complicated, then I'll jot the steps down on a sketchbook.

discuss and share

[lisa]

i do a lot of different types of art, and often approach similar things in different ways... but mostly every single time i sort of mull it over for a while, thinking about what i want to do, then dive right in. often times that means i'll gather some references and stare at them and the blank piece of paper from anywhere between 5 minutes to a couple weeks (depending on my ambition and the scale of the project).

when i'm drawing i go straight for the bristol if i know it's gonna be a serious drawing (otherwise if i just feel like doodling i'll use a sketchbook). 80% of the time i will use only 2b pencils, but sometimes i like using HB and 4Bs.

when i paint i usually sketch out my canvas in pencil or i'll use a grey brush pen. i never sketch things out in paint because i tend to use fast drying mediums, and i change my mind a lot. i want everything to be ready to go once i bust open any paint or inks, so i'll prep my workstation in advance and then just go and do my best not to stop until i'm finished

...and then sometimes there's the piece that starts off as one idea and heads in a completely different direction once i've got it started. i've had drawings become multi-media pieces with ink, gouache, acrylic and gel pen, and paintings have become drawings (don't EVER draw on gessoboard with graphite!).

but, regardless of what i crank out, my favorite mood is a nice solitary place to work with a little music and no distractions