A sketch is usually an illustration that serves as a draft or outline.
Derived from the Italian term bozzetto , the concept of sketch refers to the outline or project that serves as a draft for any work. It is a guide that allows one to express and display a general idea on paper before arriving at the work that will yield a final result.
A sketch (defined as a layout in English) is generally a schematic illustration that lacks details and, in most cases, is not finished. Its purpose is to symbolize ideas , thoughts or concepts, without worrying about aesthetics. For this reason, it is generally done on any kind of sheet of paper and without the need for auxiliary drawing instruments.
What is a sketch
In this sense, we can say that usually when we talk about a sketch we are referring to a drawing that is done in pencil, on paper, freehand and without going into any kind of details, it is simply a matter of basic ideas to undertake the final work later.
Thus, we find graphic documents of this type in fields such as fashion, for example. It is common for designers and fashion designers to take charge of expressing the ideas that arise in advance in order to then undertake, in a much more exhaustive and complex way, the set of their creations that will make up the models of their new collections.
We can also emphasize that in the world of comics it is also common for cartoonists, once they receive the story scripts , to carry out these sketches to establish the best way to represent the episodes that are told in the plots.
It is common in architecture, sculpture and other sciences and disciplines to resort to sketches.
The concept in architecture and art
Sketches can be considered as a preliminary study for other types of work. For example, a drawing can be the first step in a work of architecture or sculpture.
In the field of painting, a sketch can mark the beginning of the creation of a mural. On the other hand, a sketch can be transformed into a more elaborate drawing that reproduces forms from nature or is inspired by a work of art, with the intention of facilitating the study of its composition and structure.
Sketches by famous authors
Fortunately, today we have the opportunity to enjoy, through exhibitions in different museums around the world, sketches by some of the most important painters in history. This would be the case, for example, of Leonardo da Vinci or Francisco de Goya.
In the case of this last Spanish painter, sketches of frescoes such as The Miracle of Saint Anthony of Padua , which he made for the Hermitage of San Antonio in Madrid, or paintings such as Saint Justa and Saint Rufina , have been preserved to this day.
Classification according to type
There are three main types of sketches: rough , comprehensive and dummy .
The rough sketch is a representation on paper of a first idea, devoid of details and technical content. The comprehensive sketch includes certain adjustments to the idea, in order to improve its quality and make it more understandable. To do this, various technical tools are used. Finally, the dummy sketch is characterized by having a high degree of precision and quality in all the visual effects that will be used for the final work.
It should be noted that a sketch can also be a draft of a written document , with loose words or phrases that will later allow for the creation of a developed text.