Anatomy of a Sketch

 

  This is a rough sketch of an idea I've had floating around in my head for weeks. It came to me while I was watching a video tour of a property for sale in northern Scotland. 

The property was rural and had a large pasture. I noticed it was overcast with low-hanging clouds that appeared to blanket the sky. Very different from the large, billowing, slowly drifting cumulus clouds I see where I live. 

And then, boom! A clear image of blackberries tangled up in dry leaves, an open field with vivid yellow-green grass, and a sky blanketed by gray clouds. This image persisted in my mind for days, and then a couple of weeks, so I knew I needed to do something with it.

For now, it is a rough sketch. 

I've seen quite a few artists say their sketches are "crappy" or "bad." They are neither of these things. Rough sketches are simply unfinished ideas, although I do appreciate the self-deprecating humor. Maybe if you can't even tell what the hell you're looking at, then it is truly bad. Haha!