Drawing without sketching...bad idea?

[MsetG]

Sorry about the rather ambiguous title...

Anyway I've sort of gotten into the habit of drawing without out sketching. What I mean by this is that when drawing a face (for example) instead of drawing the circle first and drawing a line through it down to the chin etc. I'll just draw the outline of the face right away. then I'll place the eyes, nose and mouth.
Thing is, I'm not sure if this is a bad method in the long run. Right now it seems ok, but I'm a bit scared it might make my drawings more stiff in the long run. This assumption is solely based on things I've read, which is why I'm not sure if about which approach to take...

Oh.. the reason why I draw the outline first is just because it appeals more to me. I prefer drawing with pen, so if I do the whole circle thing the outcome is messy. Also when I sketch to begin with I don't pay attention to what I'm doing. If I don't I concentrate a lot more. It's a mental thing, and perhaps a habit as well. A habit that needs to be broken???

I think that's it. I'm sorry if this post is a bit gibberish my eyes are closing on me as I'm typing and I had to retype the first sentence like 15 times because I kept making typos... :davi:

[BadGeometry]

Well, I will say that even the best artists start with a sketch. That being said, when it comes to art, the result is what matters. If your piece is nice to look at and others agree, you've done your job.

I'd suggest posting some of your drawings and we can tell you if your habit needs to be broken or not.

[Stoat]

Some people can do a good job of going right to finish, and some can't. As Bad Geometry says, we can't tell which you are without seeing some art.

The point of the sketch is to get all the components in the right place before you render. If you can get things placed correctly without an underdrawing, more power to you.

I once saw a man start in the upper left hand corner of a blank piece of paper and draw a perfectly symmetrical drapery-type banner eight feet long with a big black magic marker. It was a decoration for my High School prom (and yes, he went on to be a very good commercial illustrator).

[Boolean]

In the wise words of another artist:

"Can I complete pencils on a page without sketches? Sure. I can also eat soup with a fork".

[Alex Chow]

As long as the work ends up well, it doesn't matter if you choose to do a sketch or not. That said, a sketch of any kind can alleviate a lot of common problems like, as you've stated, stiff poses. If you find things are looking "off" and you're not doing a quick sketch, try incorporating it into your process.

[Ilaekae]

A lot of it depends on how well-developed your sense of proportion is. I think I can still do a pretty fair one-line likeness from a model's face (haven't tried it in a long time), but without some solid reference, I think I'd be pretty much up shit creek if we're talking 100% accuracy here from memory...

[waranghira]

"Can I complete pencils on a page without sketches? Sure. I can also eat soup straight from the bowl".

Fix'd

[tensai]

It's all good man, whatever it takes, however it feels good to you - just don't discard other ways of doing things.
I almost never sketched anything for I think more than a year, doing everything directly in pen. Did me a lot of good for previsualisation and flow. But I found it a relieve when I did some pencil sketches before hand recently. Mix up your own way of making drawings every now and then. Then go back to your trusted method refreshed and developed.
Have fun.

[bhanu]

listen to the guy who posted above me..hes my personal yoda

I agree I think alot of artists do draw without a sketch..but soemwhere in their heads they have that sketch ready..yknow with the basics n all..I draw mostly with a pen....so I cant do much sktching ...of draw those eggs or boxes but that helps me , forces me to conceptualise all that in my head, the proportion, balance..this, that.....but there are times when the pose might be too unconventional or too much in perspective or difficult to concieve in the mind for any reason..then I do put those spheres there and put them in perspective..
SO like tensai said...do both..your own thing and traditional too.

[MsetG]

Whoa guys thanks for the overwhelming amount of replies and advice.
I'd love to say that I'm gonna put up some of my art, but I don't really have a lot to show and I'm pretty unreliable when it comes to doing that sort of stuff so.... we'll see... If I say I won't then maybe I will... reverse psychology (on myself)...

Completely unrelated, but why can't I thank people?

[Stoat]

Because you have to have posted X number of times before the Thanks button appears, where X is Ireallyhavenoideahowmany.

[MsetG]

Because you have to have posted X number of times before the Thanks button appears, where X is Ireallyhavenoideahowmany.

I see I see.. probably a hint that I should make a sketch book or something as an easy way of getting more posts so I can gain access to the mighty thanks function...:geekg:

[jhgoforth]

I see Caricature artists do that all the time and it makes me cry inside. I can not do that as I'll end up with skewed faces at best, Pablo Picasso's insanity at worst. Especially if there is any sort of perspective or foreshortening. Even drawing from a live model, I still do all the same measurement lines and orientations (thanks to the effect of having all that drilled into my head in figure drawing courses...).