Really Speedy Visualization and Illustration

[So-naa]

Here's my question and a little bit where I'm coming from..

Recently I went back to school and am retaking some basic art classes. I feel that I need a refresher and since it's a new school.. I may learn new techniques and ideas. Anyways, I'm taking a class that's all about thinking of your idea quickly and sketching it ( in marker or thick felt tip). Usually our exercises are 1 to 3 mins for a sketch after she gives us a word like "global warming" or "taste of apple pie." So far I feel like I'm flailing around in sketching that fast. Usually it takes me a few minutes to warm up to the idea and then start sketching..

So is there anyway I can practice to sketch more efficiently and faster from a vacuum ( like no references, just ideas from the head)? Also mine didn't look very pretty and she was emphasizing how lovely some people drew.. My sketches are extremely rudimentary and always need refining in stages. ( She did not allow refining in stages and there wasn't really time to do so)
I've done figure drawing and contour and gestural drawing.. but those all have a form of reference whether in real life or something else. The largest problem is not referring to anything at all?

Anyways, I hope I placed this in the right thread. I was looking around and wasn't completely sure where to place this.

Thanks again!!

[Ian Barker]

You might be best off asking the professor.

[So-naa]

Thanks for the reply! I do appreciate it

[So-naa]

Is there anyway to delete this thread or does it just have to slowly disappear. I feel kinda bad like it sounded like I was bad mouthing my teacher for my lack of skills.. But really I just wanted to get some references to quick visualizing techniques to increase my comprehension absorption.

[Collywobbles]

You probably don't want to hear this but the only way to get faster and cleaner is to study more. You can't do quick speed paintings without the regular paintings behind them. I'm not sure that spending two minutes on the taste of pie will help you much, but the gestures and thumbnails will. Now if you went home from class and did a dozen more pie taste sketches you could get some good practice I guess. Coming up with your own concept and sketching that to completion would probably be a better use of your time.

There is no formula, you have to build up the visual library, stroke confidence, muscle memory, gesture, composition to accomplish these quick drawings. Also, some people don't work that way. It's perfectly acceptable to have to thumbnail a dozen times and do pages of studies for a finished painting. In fact you should do these things. Maybe you need more experience, maybe you are too worried about your quick sketches. Individually none of your drawings matter, they aren't precious. Just do more.

Oh yeah, own your thread. It's yours, make it the best thread it can be.

[So-naa]

Collywobbles, You are really awsome!! I think I heard that somewhere about regular figure drawing too! To take work back home and revisit them and redraw them a few times. I've done that a bit, but I didn't think so much doing it for the quick sketches. I was worried about doing it exactly right the first time, rather than practicing.

I have a bad memory and no stroke confidence. How do you practice stroke? Does gesture drawing help that? It's easy for me to do in charcoal more but I lose it in pencils.

LOL *grabs the thread by the horns*

[frog from itchy]

Just draw draw draw.

Every time you try something new, it's likely to be pretty bad, but these problems are actually quite simple to overcome: the first attempt will be crap, the twentieth attempt will be better, and the fiftieth attempt might even be quite good.

The solution is simple, just keep doing it. The problem is that most people get discouraged and just give up - they do something that looks crap, get fed up, tell themselves they'll never get any good and just stop.

I understand the urge to ask for tips, but ultimately the answer can only come from within you - everyone has a different approach and the only way to find yours is to do it.

[So-naa]

Speaking of that whole 'within you' thing... If I really don't know what to do, I always just take a break from art for a day and meditate on it by relaxing or something. If you focus too much on something, it stays in your conscious mind for too long and you dwell on the details. The big ideas I think come to you when you're not expecting them sometimes... better to let it sit in the background and let your mind handle it in other ways while you idle. At least, I think that works for some things, depending on how you are... it does for me when I really get stuck on something.

General encouragement: Remember, being a student means you're not a professional yet. Not everything is a direct path either, so some things may only come to you as you begin to mature and grow as an artist. Have faith and remember to get behind yourself to help you grow. But the more you don't know, the better off you are, because at least at that point you can get right to work on your shortcomings.

BTW, nice avatar.

Well I already have a degree and have done jobs/commissions.. But I always go back to school. I'll be a student till i can't be ( like if i'm 90 and able to still see and all that, I'll be a student). Like Vilpuu, who said he really felt like he could never draw till now ( he's pretty old now like 70s?) even though he's worked for disney for years!
Also the jobs I had for it, were really rather bland when it came to commercial stuff. So I don't know, I guess I feel creative-handicapped or something. Started drawing when I was 5, formal training for about 8 yrs, 5yrs intensive with formal training/jobs? Yet I can't visualize worth crap. So some days I feel really discouraged with myself. Like knowing how to dance for years, but learning to dance all over again after an accident and feeling inadequate.

[So-naa]

Just draw draw draw.

Every time you try something new, it's likely to be pretty bad, but these problems are actually quite simple to overcome: the first attempt will be crap, the twentieth attempt will be better, and the fiftieth attempt might even be quite good.

The solution is simple, just keep doing it. The problem is that most people get discouraged and just give up - they do something that looks crap, get fed up, tell themselves they'll never get any good and just stop.

I understand the urge to ask for tips, but ultimately the answer can only come from within you - everyone has a different approach and the only way to find yours is to do it.

Thanks for the motivational speech It is true.
My teacher said she'd work with me. We're going to contrast and continue to do exercises that will exercise speed and precision.
I still felt really um the odd duck out at our critique..