Part of the multifaceted genius of the “paint like an olympian” line is that it sounds HEROIC and makes you want to think of yourself as an olympian. I think thats why no one likes doing baby steps—im not a baby! But an olympian—I can be an olympian!!
Love your artwork, thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Came back to comment again because I just love that "big sketch". It is amazing how much color and depth and texture you can get with what appears--to my laymans eyes--to be very subtle touches. Wonderful, wonderful work. Do you have a prints shop where one could, hypothetically, buy prints? I'm a sucker for architecture and landscapes.
Oh man, where to start? I'm happy you like the idea, it's very empowering no? It's just a mindset but it did genuinely help me change my approach to practising.
It is for sure one of those, deceptively simple processes where there is a lot going on to make it look like that.
Don't have any reproductions, but I'm sure some time in the future I may have a master copy I wouldn't mind parting with.
Loved the post! It was great seeing your process, and it is all very applicable to writing. My version of ‘sketching’ is writing using only action and dialogue. Exposition is easy, and the gear my brain always wants to kick back into. So if I don’t allow myself to exposit, I’m able to quickly practice the craft! It also takes the pressure off in a way.
That is such a good technique! I've done it on occasion but they say if you're not doing it intentionally you're not creating good habits. I end up getting bogged down on details some times so I may practice it more consciously!
It's definitely a conscious effort! I'm sure some other writers don't have the same strong impulse to exposit, so this particular practice may not be as impactful for them!
Your headline drew me in—I want to be an Olympian author! (I still feel more like a sausage maker most days…)
For me, my ‘little sketch’ version is to either only focus on the setting (capture all six senses) first. For my YA Dystopia series (first book to be published later this year), I wrote about a dozen scene settings—no people or actions, just what could be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, or felt. Several of these early process writings made it into my manuscript! Not all… but a couple did. They all helped me figure out the dystopian world setting though.
My other method is to just get the dialogue. I let the conversation flow, focusing mostly on one person, but always going back and envisioning the internal thoughts of not only the main character but spending a lot of time in the head of the other conversation contributor(s) to make sure that their responses are authentic. Once I have the framework worked out (like your first sketch of outlines with perspective anchors), I start to fill in the details. I say the shared words out loud and figure out where the dialogue would have natural pauses—indications of movement or internal thoughts intruding the flow of the exchange (the details of small objects—the flower petals, reflections in glass, texture of cobblestone). Then I consider how the environment or setting impacts the dialogue. Does the wind blow hair into the speakers mouth/across her eyes? Does a dog bark in the silence as the characters pause to reflect? What do the characters see/feel/hear… (the shadows, highlights, and shading to give depth and dimension).
As far as my own practice, I’m doing a lot of that here—a weekly newsletter gives me an opportunity to write from my own perspective and not a character’s, reading others work that makes me think about what I do/don’t do in my process or inspire my own writing from others’ works, and this month, I’m doing a daily self-imposed poetry challenge. For the 30 days of June, I’m writing 30 words in a short format that I’m calling poetry. At the end of the month, I’ll be creating a newsletter that will share all 30 poems and talk about the inspiration for each. Then I’ll do a reflection piece on “what I learned” (assuming I can figure out what I discover about my writing and myself through the challenge)—that might take me a while. I might need to let it sit (like letting a watercolor painting dry between layers of color).
Phew! This is a long comment just to say, thanks for telling me that my daily exchanges on here are part of my practice for the Olympics!🤗
Your comment was so complete and considerate I refused to respond until I had time to properly read and internalise it, sorry it took minute. But everything you said embodies exactly what I wrote about, and I will be taking some of those exercises and put try practicing them myself.
This is a comment that I know I will reference back to in the future.
omg I love seeing how the sausage is made! What a great post! I am struggling to learn how to better draw backgrounds and landscapes at the moment. Your landscapes are beautiful! Also, is it just me? Or are figure drawings always so exciting to see!
For story drills - this is a really interesting idea because for me personally i dont find writing translates as concretely to drills the way drawing does (the most important thing really is just to read read read) but its giving me ideas for my own post! One thing I really like to do for telling stories, specifically scripts for comics, is i like to thumbnail short stories/sequences. I find writing a script or writing prose never translates exactly how i plan when it comes time to draw so going straight to scribbling out the thumbnails really gets me into the weeds and helps me see the big picture/solve problems. I like doing short scenes because they are just fun for me but they also build up my knowledge and problem solving skills for tackling the bigger projects!
I know exactly what you mean. Writing seems like the most subjective artform. You can spot a painter who has not practiced the fundamentals but doing so for a writer is much harder.
Maybe a writing drill would be like writing a dozen opening chapters, or a dozen fight scenes, and comparing the results?
Honestly when I started doing landscape it felt like I was starting back from the beginning, it is such a different approach and pool of knowledge that it broke my brain for a while. (I love gestural drawing, and the live classes are such a blast because there's tons of different styles to look at!)
Writing is weird to me because it's such a different starting point, most people cannot draw or paint throughout their lifetime, but most everyone knows how to write since childhood. There doesn't seem to be that as many resources to learn about writing geared towards adults, it's all a little more loosey goosey, or full on linguistics, almost no in between. Or not many resources I've found yet! But hopefully some people will share their learning process here for us.
Also, I think you're right on the money here "I like doing short scenes because they are just fun for me but they also build up my knowledge and problem solving skills for tackling the bigger projects!"
For writing novels, I write fantasy and sci fi for MG and YA audiences, something I really enjoy to keep my writing skills sharp is to read short story anthologies. Highly recommend!
Now I have to go find a live gesture drawing class! I've never done one and I really need to haha
Wow, this is so cool! Thanks for answering. And in such depth. I really enjoyed seeing your sketchbooks. Art has an advantage over writing because of its immediacy. People can look and see how good something is. It takes greater effort/time to evaluate a piece of writing. The contrast of the quick sketch vs the more-detailed one was also fascinating. The latter piece was beautiful.
Wonderfully generous piece about sketching and learning. Yes, I paint and write, too.
To practice writing, find someone whose work absolutely delights you and copy it. Yes, write out a few paragraphs, some dialogue or descriptions of some kind from your beloved source.
It seems that copy work is as valuable in writing and is in art. It makes us learn the layers of a piece, appreciate the arc of the scene, and will lead to identifying that “master stroke” in the text that pierces us.
I think they add to the story of how the complete ones come to be, but the looseness of the gesture drawings does make them super interesting to look at!
Love the one that you made for your in laws. And I always love seeing an artitsts work in progress.
As for how I'm practicing my craft (writing), I've joined a couple of local writing groups and also a writer's critque group. One of the best things I did recently was hire an editor to edit some of my short stories. She wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.
I actually had to stop myself from sharing too much of it out of fear of it being too boring to look at. Some times I get sad it's all just sitting on my shelf so I'm happy you enjoyed it.
I've only just heard of a local writing group that meets once a month but I have been scared to attend. Maybe scared is not the right word for that but it I'm still very apprehensive of criticism about my writing, I don't have the same thick skin I have developed for the art stuff.
I don't think I've heard of anyone regretting hiring an editor yet, I'm happy it worked out well for your work!
I think it is a double edged sword, it does help to guide the eye, but thinking that most people that have seen my art is a the lighting speed of a scroll on their phone does make me sad. It's a very disproportional effort of how long it takes to do vs how long people stop to take it on.
I am finding that in this aspect, the written word has less wow factor but better quality supporters, because if you spend the time to read you're already more invested.
Thank you again for this and the previous comment that gave me the idea to write about this topic!
Oh that's fun. This is the first time I've seen people recommend Master Studies for writing but it does make a lot of sense! If you have any authors you particularly enjoyed studying from let me know, I'm sure they're worth a read
Part of the multifaceted genius of the “paint like an olympian” line is that it sounds HEROIC and makes you want to think of yourself as an olympian. I think thats why no one likes doing baby steps—im not a baby! But an olympian—I can be an olympian!!
Love your artwork, thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Came back to comment again because I just love that "big sketch". It is amazing how much color and depth and texture you can get with what appears--to my laymans eyes--to be very subtle touches. Wonderful, wonderful work. Do you have a prints shop where one could, hypothetically, buy prints? I'm a sucker for architecture and landscapes.
Oh man, where to start? I'm happy you like the idea, it's very empowering no? It's just a mindset but it did genuinely help me change my approach to practising.
It is for sure one of those, deceptively simple processes where there is a lot going on to make it look like that.
Don't have any reproductions, but I'm sure some time in the future I may have a master copy I wouldn't mind parting with.
Loved the post! It was great seeing your process, and it is all very applicable to writing. My version of ‘sketching’ is writing using only action and dialogue. Exposition is easy, and the gear my brain always wants to kick back into. So if I don’t allow myself to exposit, I’m able to quickly practice the craft! It also takes the pressure off in a way.
That is such a good technique! I've done it on occasion but they say if you're not doing it intentionally you're not creating good habits. I end up getting bogged down on details some times so I may practice it more consciously!
It's definitely a conscious effort! I'm sure some other writers don't have the same strong impulse to exposit, so this particular practice may not be as impactful for them!
Your headline drew me in—I want to be an Olympian author! (I still feel more like a sausage maker most days…)
For me, my ‘little sketch’ version is to either only focus on the setting (capture all six senses) first. For my YA Dystopia series (first book to be published later this year), I wrote about a dozen scene settings—no people or actions, just what could be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, or felt. Several of these early process writings made it into my manuscript! Not all… but a couple did. They all helped me figure out the dystopian world setting though.
My other method is to just get the dialogue. I let the conversation flow, focusing mostly on one person, but always going back and envisioning the internal thoughts of not only the main character but spending a lot of time in the head of the other conversation contributor(s) to make sure that their responses are authentic. Once I have the framework worked out (like your first sketch of outlines with perspective anchors), I start to fill in the details. I say the shared words out loud and figure out where the dialogue would have natural pauses—indications of movement or internal thoughts intruding the flow of the exchange (the details of small objects—the flower petals, reflections in glass, texture of cobblestone). Then I consider how the environment or setting impacts the dialogue. Does the wind blow hair into the speakers mouth/across her eyes? Does a dog bark in the silence as the characters pause to reflect? What do the characters see/feel/hear… (the shadows, highlights, and shading to give depth and dimension).
As far as my own practice, I’m doing a lot of that here—a weekly newsletter gives me an opportunity to write from my own perspective and not a character’s, reading others work that makes me think about what I do/don’t do in my process or inspire my own writing from others’ works, and this month, I’m doing a daily self-imposed poetry challenge. For the 30 days of June, I’m writing 30 words in a short format that I’m calling poetry. At the end of the month, I’ll be creating a newsletter that will share all 30 poems and talk about the inspiration for each. Then I’ll do a reflection piece on “what I learned” (assuming I can figure out what I discover about my writing and myself through the challenge)—that might take me a while. I might need to let it sit (like letting a watercolor painting dry between layers of color).
Phew! This is a long comment just to say, thanks for telling me that my daily exchanges on here are part of my practice for the Olympics!🤗
Your comment was so complete and considerate I refused to respond until I had time to properly read and internalise it, sorry it took minute. But everything you said embodies exactly what I wrote about, and I will be taking some of those exercises and put try practicing them myself.
This is a comment that I know I will reference back to in the future.
Thank you so much for sharing
omg I love seeing how the sausage is made! What a great post! I am struggling to learn how to better draw backgrounds and landscapes at the moment. Your landscapes are beautiful! Also, is it just me? Or are figure drawings always so exciting to see!
For story drills - this is a really interesting idea because for me personally i dont find writing translates as concretely to drills the way drawing does (the most important thing really is just to read read read) but its giving me ideas for my own post! One thing I really like to do for telling stories, specifically scripts for comics, is i like to thumbnail short stories/sequences. I find writing a script or writing prose never translates exactly how i plan when it comes time to draw so going straight to scribbling out the thumbnails really gets me into the weeds and helps me see the big picture/solve problems. I like doing short scenes because they are just fun for me but they also build up my knowledge and problem solving skills for tackling the bigger projects!
I know exactly what you mean. Writing seems like the most subjective artform. You can spot a painter who has not practiced the fundamentals but doing so for a writer is much harder.
Maybe a writing drill would be like writing a dozen opening chapters, or a dozen fight scenes, and comparing the results?
Honestly when I started doing landscape it felt like I was starting back from the beginning, it is such a different approach and pool of knowledge that it broke my brain for a while. (I love gestural drawing, and the live classes are such a blast because there's tons of different styles to look at!)
Writing is weird to me because it's such a different starting point, most people cannot draw or paint throughout their lifetime, but most everyone knows how to write since childhood. There doesn't seem to be that as many resources to learn about writing geared towards adults, it's all a little more loosey goosey, or full on linguistics, almost no in between. Or not many resources I've found yet! But hopefully some people will share their learning process here for us.
Also, I think you're right on the money here "I like doing short scenes because they are just fun for me but they also build up my knowledge and problem solving skills for tackling the bigger projects!"
That to me is a great example of practice!
For writing novels, I write fantasy and sci fi for MG and YA audiences, something I really enjoy to keep my writing skills sharp is to read short story anthologies. Highly recommend!
Now I have to go find a live gesture drawing class! I've never done one and I really need to haha
Wow, this is so cool! Thanks for answering. And in such depth. I really enjoyed seeing your sketchbooks. Art has an advantage over writing because of its immediacy. People can look and see how good something is. It takes greater effort/time to evaluate a piece of writing. The contrast of the quick sketch vs the more-detailed one was also fascinating. The latter piece was beautiful.
Wonderfully generous piece about sketching and learning. Yes, I paint and write, too.
To practice writing, find someone whose work absolutely delights you and copy it. Yes, write out a few paragraphs, some dialogue or descriptions of some kind from your beloved source.
It seems that copy work is as valuable in writing and is in art. It makes us learn the layers of a piece, appreciate the arc of the scene, and will lead to identifying that “master stroke” in the text that pierces us.
And please keep sharing!
Your sketches are great! Love looking at those a little more than a complete work.
Thanks @Jezz Lundkvist
I think they add to the story of how the complete ones come to be, but the looseness of the gesture drawings does make them super interesting to look at!
Awesome post Marco. I love your art! Keep it up, your definitely on the right path!
Thank you!! The hard work only just started 💪
Love the one that you made for your in laws. And I always love seeing an artitsts work in progress.
As for how I'm practicing my craft (writing), I've joined a couple of local writing groups and also a writer's critque group. One of the best things I did recently was hire an editor to edit some of my short stories. She wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.
I actually had to stop myself from sharing too much of it out of fear of it being too boring to look at. Some times I get sad it's all just sitting on my shelf so I'm happy you enjoyed it.
I've only just heard of a local writing group that meets once a month but I have been scared to attend. Maybe scared is not the right word for that but it I'm still very apprehensive of criticism about my writing, I don't have the same thick skin I have developed for the art stuff.
I don't think I've heard of anyone regretting hiring an editor yet, I'm happy it worked out well for your work!
I think it is a double edged sword, it does help to guide the eye, but thinking that most people that have seen my art is a the lighting speed of a scroll on their phone does make me sad. It's a very disproportional effort of how long it takes to do vs how long people stop to take it on.
I am finding that in this aspect, the written word has less wow factor but better quality supporters, because if you spend the time to read you're already more invested.
Thank you again for this and the previous comment that gave me the idea to write about this topic!
Oh that's fun. This is the first time I've seen people recommend Master Studies for writing but it does make a lot of sense! If you have any authors you particularly enjoyed studying from let me know, I'm sure they're worth a read