“From the Sketchbook,” thumbnail sketches by Jeff Watts

Exploring composition is an important first step in the planning of a piece. To find an interesting idea, the right visual balance, and to avoid visual tangents, many artists make small, quick “thumbnail” sketches. These sketches aren’t meant to capture details so much as figure out the overall staging of a piece. Working quickly, artists generally churn out many thumbnails in an hour, in order to get past their initial ideas and find more interesting staging choices.

Here are a few thumbnail sketches from Jeffrey Watts’ sketchbook. Jeff explores subtle changes in staging, as well as loose, general ideas in these thumbnails; and while these drawings are loose and unrendered, they still show a confidence in their execution, and a purpose in their exploration. When working on your own thumbnails, remember to aim for quantity in number, and quality in purpose. Be mindful and invested in your thumbnails, and you’ll be sure to find a composition that fits your needs.

Various thumbnail sketches, in ink and pencil, by Jeffrey Watts