Making the Most with Drawings and Sketches

I'm fortunate to have some beautiful artwork in both my home and office.  Despite having minimalist leanings, these pieces make a room.  However, what generates the most response from guests are my drawings and sketches.  Now these are not my own personal drawings and sketches -- ones that I have done.  I couldn't do drawings or sketches if my life depended on it.  I do enjoy them though.  A lot!

Of the drawings and sketches that I have, the ones that seem to prompt the most talk are 6 separate works.  These are colorized caricatures of old men in a bar setting.  Each is a small 5" x 7" work that I chose to frame in a plain golden oak flat 3" wood frame.  They are hung in a grouping.  And since I like a more minimalist and modern decor, I've grouped them very symmetrically and orderly.  With these drawings and sketches, I've spaced them 2 inches apart with 3 on top and 3 on bottom.

Choosing Drawings and Sketches

My #1 cardinal rule for decorating with drawings and sketches is that you choose ones that YOU like.  If you don't care for the subject matter, then don't be pressured into purchasing it by anyone, even by a well-intentioned interior designer or decorator!  After all, you're the one that's going to see the drawings and sketches every day.

Try going for drawings and sketches that reflect the mood you're trying to create for the space.  For example, I know different people who have used drawings and sketches of nudes and cartoon motifs in their bathrooms.  Obviously, those are two rather different approaches that create a bit of a diverse feel from one another.  But these are two different people.  What they've done with drawings and sketches actually works for them, very well I might add.

You can find drawings and sketches on almost any subject or medium.  I've already mentioned cartoons and nudes.  Typically, I like to group drawings and sketches into the following categories:

• People
• Scenery
• Cartoon
• Animal

This is not intended to be a thorough listing.  It's just the way I do it with drawings and sketches.  Each of these has a variety of subcategories and potential cross-over categories.  For example, my old men falls under people.  But it also could be a cartoon because of the way they're done.

Displaying Drawings and Sketches

The example of the 6 old men that I've been sharing are drawings and sketches I've chosen to display on the wall in frames.  But you, by no means, are limited to framed pieces on a wall.  These little treasures work well in frames on an easel placed on a table.  I've seen them on a mantle leaned up against a wall.  I've even seen drawings and sketches on a windowsill leaning up against the window itself.  It worked!

I encourage you to experiment a bit if you've found drawings and sketches that you really like and want to display.  Relax convention a bit and see where your own imagination might take you.

Adam Hughes

More can be learned by clicking on the Wikipedia links I've included in drawings and sketches.