Limited Materials or Limited Palette?

I want to let you know about some fun ways I mix up my practice and how I’m tackling people-sketching month. Setting parameters for yourself isn’t as restrictive as it sounds, I promise!

Limited Materials

Sometimes I stick to only predetermined supplies, maybe a pencil and one other thing.

Limited Palette

Sometimes I’ll stick to two or three colors, maybe complementaries or primaries. You’ll be amazed at the possibilities!

Limited Palette (Alizarin Crimson & Ultramarine Turquoise)

For our people-sketching month, I’ve set the following parameters for myself:

I MUST use a pencil in every drawing, plus one only ONE additional material — it can be paint, marker, or crayon etc., but no more than two supplies per drawing.

Limited Materials (Prismacolor Ebony Pencil and yellow ochre watercolor)

Limit materials when:

• Practicing composition, creating thumbnails, and sketching story roughs.

• Learning to draw a new subject, like I am in our people-sketching month!

• Overthinking which art supplies to use.

• Drawing on location - less to carry!

I limited my palette with green and brown.

Limit your palette when:

• Learning about color theory and how colors mix.

• You just bought a new tube of paint and it’s not a primary color.

• Painting an image and don’t want muddy colors.

• You just need to get started! Once things begin to unfold in a way you like, you can always add more stuff later.

They are not mutually exclusive.

If you’re using materials, your palette will be limited by default. Both are valuable ways to learn and play, but you can also make your best work by closing your eyes and dumping lots of fun stuff on the page!

Prompt

Create an image (reference below) using limited materials! Try it again with limited palette! Which do you enjoy most?

TIP: Swatch your supplies next to each other, mixing and layering them before you dive into drawing.