Every idea, illustration and message has to start at some point. More often than not, however, said starting point generally won’t appeal or cater to the common layman right off the bat, and most certainly not the original artist. While when it comes to most art, the artist in question is generally never satisfied with their final result, it is through revisions, fine-tuning your design, and accepting feedback that brings one closer to the idyllic image of what their creation should be.
Most tend to start with a simple pencil drawing in their sketchbook, as mistakes are negligible, easily remedied and is a good way to just get started converting one’s ideas to a tangible form. From here, there are a great many options as to where to go next. One can jump straight to their preferred medium of design and get started painting, sculpting or even vectorizing the image of the initial sketch. These allow for far greater control over the look and feel of the final result and as one adds colour, depth and complexity to their design, so too will their art’s message dynamically change and evolve according to one’s taste.
When it comes to muralism, these sorts of techniques and mindsets are essential to finishing a piece in an adequate format. To jump straight to a giant canvas with nothing planned or envisioned would likely produce a similar effect to firing a shotgun filled with paint to all but the most seasoned of artists. As abstract as art can certainly be, it always makes more sense to be well prepared and seasoned than to wing an entire project.
In the case of our contest winner, while it will likely experience the aforementioned revisions prior to submission, whatever final design wins will receive one more in the form of raising the scale and scope of the design significantly to fit our mural. This isn’t like using the scale tool in an Adobe program, where a simple click-and-drag is all one needs to increase the size or pixel aspect ratio, the winner would need to physically re-paint a much larger version of their piece so that whatever message they were trying to convey will be able to reach a far wider audience from its new lofty position. This radical modification allows one to look at their creation from a completely different perspective, as the increase in size makes it easier to spot errors or room for improvement in their artwork, or even point out surplus negative space to add more complexity to.
Furthermore, as one is remaking their art, it would be impossible to turn out something that perfectly resembles the original while retaining the increase in size. While they certainly won’t be wholly different, they are being made by one who already has an expansive understanding of how they should be conveying the design. It’s not all that different from erasing a wayward, out of place line from the original pencil sketch to replace it with a sharper, more fitting one.
In art, even the smallest of changes can echo across your entire piece, and it is important to understand how minor alterations can contribute to the final result in terms of design and evolving your style. While essentially scrapping and remaking your design seems like a daunting task, either due to the extra work involved or attachment to the original design, it is paramount to one’s success to be able to accept that nothing created is perfect from initial conception, and that through consistent, tireless work and a keen eye for detail, one can create something truly amazing from humble beginnings in a sketchbook.
By Tom Ovens
Murality 