The brief

Sophie Peanut is an illustrator based in Halifax, UK.  She specialises in illustrations developed from rapid sketches conducted on location.  Compare her working methods to your own and discuss any merits and pitfalls you can identify in her work.  Can you identify other artists whose work has a rapid style?

Let me start by saying, “I love Sophie Peanut’s work!”  I couldn’t get enough when reading through her blogs, soaking up all her findings and explorations as an illustrator.  I can relate to her earlier excuses for not starting a drawing in her sketchbook, but instead of giving up when she had little time, she identified solutions to incorporate rapid sketches into her every day and draw as much as possible, and let me say, “It shows!”

Compare Sophie Peanut’s methodology to my own.

Sophie Peanut figured out that if she used every spare bit of time she had to draw, it could add up to building a drawing practice.  Five-minute drawings can be seen as quick notes gathered on a spread, building the composition as she goes along.

Sophie accepted and embraced a few things to make this rapid sketch method work for her:

• Embrace wonky.  When drawing quick sketches, you can misjudge proportions, your lines can be wonky, or your drawing can go off the page.  That’s okay!
• Don’t think, just draw.  Things may have no significance to you but can start feeling special once you start drawing and connecting to your subject matter.
• Accept that not all drawings will be finished.  Your drawing time can be cut short, or your object can move.  Accept it!
• Sketch opportunities can be lost if you wait for the ‘perfect’ moment, so be creative and make time for quick sketches whenever you can.
• Keep your kit simple and accessible with zero set-up time.
• People move, someone stops for a chat, or it starts to rain.  You can also finish your sketches from memory if you don’t want to leave it unfinished.
• Draw NOW.  Don’t wait for enough time.

Sophie Peanut’s methodology is very different from mine.  I stopped drawing when my children were babies because it took too long to set up.  At times, I was just tired and could not think of anything good enough to draw.  I thought I didn’t have enough time to draw, which is silly knowing what I know now.  When my children were older and I had more time, I still thought every drawing needed to be finished, properly rendered, and resolved.  I needed a good chunk out of my day to sit and draw.

My desire to make pretty drawings was strong and spoke to a perfectionist side in me.  Only recently, I have started doing quick sketches, but I do not feel the same satisfaction compared to doing a ‘proper’ drawing, although I can already tell that a mind shift will come with time.

Reading this blog was an eye-opener to me.  Ultimately, the more you draw, the better you get, and the more you want to draw, so you can’t go wrong using this method in your sketchbook.

Merits and pitfalls

The merits are evidently that you are going to draw more.  Instead of waiting for the ideal situation, set-up, and subject, you can use every spare moment to sketch something new.  This way, you will draw the unexpected, e.g., whatever is in front of you.  You can make the most of your limited time and keep your drawing materials basic.  Rapid sketching will teach you to quickly analyse your subject to key elements, shapes, colours, and forms.  It will also help you to make more fluid and free mark-making.

The pitfall, however, is that you might not feel the satisfaction you feel when making a proper drawing.  I wanted to say that you might develop bad habits of drawing sloppily and becoming oblivious to observing details, but I’m not convinced this is true.  This is your sketchbook, and a rapid drawing can develop into a proper drawing with all the details you want.  You can also have separate exercises when you want to focus on observational drawing.

There are not many pitfalls to this method in your sketchbook.  It can only hone your drawing skills to become faster and more confident.

Henri Moore’s sketchbooks

Moore used rapid sketches to make studies and record ideas for his sculptures, drawings, and textile designs.  Moore’s marks in his sketchbook are free, less precious and constrained.  Even in these quick drawings, his individual style is recognisable. (Discover Henry Moore, 2023)

David Hockney sketchbook

When Blake and Hockney were students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the 1950s, they learned how to draw in classes that were initially compulsory.  In the foreword to the catalogue for Blake’s show, Hockney writes: “I was aware at the time that I was learning a lot.  I always liked the serious stuff, painting and drawing – and so did Peter.  We both knew we were benefiting from a very good arts education, and we made the most of it.” (Alberge, 2021)

David Hockney also used rapid sketches as a fundamental part of his artistic practice. (David Hockney, 2023)

Sophie Peanut’s work is an inspiration to me.  I enjoy her style and the medium she uses in her rapid sketches.  Knowing that she embraces wonky and other mistakes when she does her quick sketches is encouraging.  I understand now that it is part of the process to hone your drawing skills and ultimately draw more.

Works Cited

Discover Henry Moore. (2023, September 18). Discover Henry Moore. Retrieved from Henry Moore Foundation: https://henry-moore.org/discover-and-research/discover-henry-moore/henry-moores-sketchbooks/#history-of-sculpture-notebook

David Hockney. (2023, September 18). David Hockney. Retrieved from The Morgan Library and Museum: https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/online/david-hockney/bradford-school-art-1-sketchbook

Alberge, D. (2021, May 9). The Guardian. Retrieved from The Observer Drawing: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/may/09/just-get-a-sketchbook-out-top-uk-artists-lament-decline-of-drawing-classes