Drawing from direct observation is neither more nor less important than drawing from imagination or memory. Drawing from observation helps provide a tool to learn to see more attentively to detail and helps develop the ability to draw from memory and/or imagination. Drawing can be:.
As a notation, sketch, or record of something seen, remembered, or imagined.
As a study of preparation for another larger complex of work.
As an end in itself, a complete work.
One artist who used this process in their body of work was Leonardo da Vinci. He is noted as a man of many talents. He used sketching as a preparatory process in his subjects along with his inventions, as shown in our textbook. (pg. 79, Chapter 4; Figure 4.2; Leonardo da Vinci: Three Seated Figures and Studies of Machinery). This example shows his effort to capture both human and mechanical motion as scientific research.
Painting.
Painting is the use of colors in an order to showcase a picture on a support base structure. Whereas drawing is a prelude to painting, this process is often considered drawing with paint. Various forms of medium are used as coloring compounds, such as: water colors, oil paints, acrylic, fabric paints, and tattoo inks. Paint requires a support or structure to hold them. Probably the most popular medium in paint is that of oil based pigments, which had many advantages over other media. Rembrandt is one artist that mastered this process in his work. Shown in textbook, (pg. 99, Chapter 5; Figure 5.7; Rembrandt van Rijn: Self-Portrait, 1663) this was oil on canvas, and you can see the detail and brushstrokes creating movement, with the different display of contrasting colors. .
Printmaking.
Prints of all kinds are produced on paper, but unlike paintings, their purpose is for production of multiple identical copies (editions) of one image utilizing mechanical methods. Printmakers today produce limited amounts and destroy the plate (the form used to create the image, i.