Steve Fleming

Artist Studio

Creative Jumpstarts: Draw/Paint a scene from Memory

Jumpstarts
Watercolors

Draw a scene from memory

I have just returned from a trip to Southern Brazil and along the way I took at least 1 thousand photos of which I will probably never use any of them to paint from.  I use photos sparingly and only for specific detail information and color ideas but rarely do I sketch out the photo on my paper exactly or close to exactly as I see it in the photo.  I find reproducing a photo to stunt and hinder my creativity from the moment I begin.  I find myself always looking at things negatively such as “I can’t draw that” “ That’s not the right color” those types of thoughts.  So mainly I begin expressing my trips with memory drawing a quick color sketches.  I am not concerned about the details or the exactness I am only getting my reactions down and nothing more.  The time I spend on this is short and I am not looking for complete, finished paintings just a memory snapshot.  All of the images you see reside somewhere in your head you just have to find the file and open it.

Do a series of quick drawings and quickly apply the types of colors you remembered.  Do many of these and you will begin to see the scenes in a more personal and expressive way15 x 22 memory drawing “Iguazu Falls, Brazil

Finished on original drawing with color total time 20 minutes this is just a quick memory painting

15 x 22 drawing on watercolor paper “Pantenal marsh”

Finished on drawing again just a quick memory painting total time 20 minutes


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