Rethinking the Use of Thumbnails for Paintings

Yesterday, my first thought was maybe I need to do more drawings to be better at painting. The attempt at a thumbnail for a new scene the night before didn’t go so well. I got lost in the detail. But I don’t want to spend a lot of time in drawing small when I want to be working on painting the scene on larger paper. Yet other artists are always touting the importance of thumbnail sketches.

Original photo supplied by Toni Syrmopoulos

 

The scene in better light to show detail

Initial drawing on 5 1/2 x 8 using vine charcoal

Second attempt using a more detailed photo and pencil

I looked up info on thumbnail sketches and copied some tips from two different sites. Oh, according to that, I’m going about it wrong. No wonder I feel I’m wasting my time. These sketches are supposed to be quick and simple… I’m being too detailed.

I need to rethink this. After all, I don’t want to use up my precious time doing a detailed drawing when I’m eager to get to the actual painting. I need to look at about this process in a different way, find my words/feelings for it. In the reading, the thumbnails are basically about shape, composition, positioning, focal points, light and shadow. Not detail. And usually only the size of a credit card. I have to wrap my head around this. Working that small doesn’t make sense to me. Plus, it takes a different frame of mind to not want to do detail… at least it is for me because I’m such a realist with my paintings.

Then there’s the issue of Rule of Thirds with the reference photo and the painting. I print the photos to image size, not full size to the paper. The reference photo printed at full page distorts the scene. However, in image size, an 8 x 10 prints around 4 1/2 x 10… numbers not easily divisible by 3. I like a more panoramic view for landscapes which means my paintings are often not the usual sized precut papers. I buy sheets around 22 x 31 inches and cut/tear them to sizes I prefer and sometimes not always the same size. My painting sizes usually average 9 x 15 inches… numbers easily divisible by 3.

I need to be able to divide by 3 that 4 ½ x 10 scene to put it to 9 x 15 also divided off to the Rule of Thirds. My mind just starts spinning and I get confused as to how to make this work. In looking at these four numbers, not counting the half size, both smaller sizes are 5 inches smaller than the bigger paper. What exactly does this mean?

And perhaps I need to be consistent in my sizes. If I could get a Rule of Thirds template for those two sizes, that could help. Of course, if I do a different size, I’d have to reconfigure.

When I’m feeling down, it’s hard to work on my paintings if I’m at a point of frustration with them, which I am currently. I know I have to push through that to feel excited again, but yesterday, I wasn’t able to do so.

Sometimes my brain overthinks itself into confusion and sadness, but that passes after awhile and the creative spark flames again.