Oil Painting - Sketching

Once we choose a subject for the oil painting the next step is sketching. Not on the canvas, but on paper.

For this particular project, I choose a unicorn. This will be a good cross of a animal portrait having a fantasy theme. The base form is a fairly complex - not too much. A unicorn, a fantasy creature, is a horse like animal with a single horn. The word ‘unicorn’ is a derivative of the latin words unus (meaning one) and cornu (meaning horn). The original or the traditional horse had a horse body, a goat like beard and a lions tail. But I choose to go with the popular visualization of a unicorn - a horse with a single horn.

Before I shoot into any more tangents, let us try to know why we need to sketch the subject before we put it down on canvas.

As beginners in this field, we would not be having the skills to get it right the first time we draw it on the canvas using charcoal. It takes years of practice and study of anatomy (in case of human and animal subjects) among many other things to draw it right the first time. Hence, it would be good to plan and visualize the subject before hand.

To start sketching the subject, we need two things. Some thing to write with and some thing to write on.

Choose any paper - it does not matter if it is plain sheet or ruled. It can even be the brown grocery paper bag. The purpose of sketching is to layout and form the subject - not to give a finished artwork. You may use pencils or pens. Erasers are not needed.

Now would be a good time to collect as many reference images on the subject. Internet is a good source for images. Photographs taken on a vacation trip will also come handy if there is the subject in any of them.

I just searched for the terms “horse” and “leaping horse” in Google Image Search and found enough images I wanted for my study.

Just keep drawing basic shapes and forms. Do not be worried if the strokes are not the way you want, and you do not need to erase them. Just draw over the ones you have already drawn using the previous lines as guides until you get the right shape. Once you get a basic form that you think is right, start to draw it all over again on a fresh space.

Patience is the key here. The more number of times you draw the same shapes (like I have drawn for the unicorn), the better. As we draw more number of times, we get confident every time. We can even add few minor details roughly and try to visualize how the painting would be.

Once you are sure and confident of what you are going to draw and paint, draw it one more time on a fresh paper.  Draw few guide lines so that you get the proportions and orientation properly.